USAID Partner Vetting System

House Report Calls for Examining Details of USAID's Problematic Vetting System

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Date: 
August 3, 2010

A June 26, 2010 House of Representatives report says  the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is expected to engage with the charitable sector in constructing a “commonsense system” for vetting potential grantees. Related to the State, Foreign Operations, and related Programs Appropriations Bill, 2010, the report calls on USAID to provide “lessons learned” about the Partner Vetting System (PVS) used in the West Bank and Gaza to the Committee on Appropriations. PVS has been widely criticized by the charitable sector for being ineffective and potentially dangerous to aid workers in global hot spots. 

NGOs Tell House Committee That Foreign Aid Rules Need Fixes

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Date: 
June 14, 2010

At a June 10, 2010 hearing before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, about increasing the effectiveness of U.S. foreign assistance, aid experts said bureaucratic red tape and insufficient capacity at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) stymies effective programming and grantmaking procedures. Calling the process by which USAID vets grantees “burdensome” and “dysfunctional,” nonprofit and think tank experts described their sector’s achievements of working with international partners to provide aid and promote human rights. The speakers also addressed safety concerns for  employees of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working overseas due to  programs such as the proposed Partner Vetting System (PVS), which makes them appear to be arms of the U.S. government. 

Why We Signed Comments Opposing USAID's Partner Vetting System

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Date: 
September 18, 2009
Author: 
Nikhil Aziz, Ph.D. Exec. Dir. Grassroots International

In 2003, Grassroots International argued in an op-ed in the Boston Globe, in response to the Treasury Department’s guidelines (the “Voluntary Best Practices for U.S.-based Charities") that: “The Bush administration has used this [post 9-11] climate to challenge the independence of all U.S. aid organizations. Andrew Natsios, administrator of the US Agency for International Development, said [in May 2003] that any US organization taking USAID funding should consider itself an ‘arm of US foreign policy.’"

Presidential Advisory Council Recommends Against Implementing USAID’s Partner Vetting System

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Date: 
March 15, 2010

Calling for “new principles of partnerships between the Government and community-serving organizations,” a March 2010 report calls on the President to reject the proposed Partner Vetting System (PVS). The President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships' report (discussed on pages 111-112) instead recommends holding “more detailed discussions with U.S. [nonprofits] to create an effective system that addresses their concerns that PVS as currently designed would significantly harm partnerships with local communities and compromise” the safety of U.S. nonprofits workers overseas.

President Nominates Shah to Head USAID

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Date: 
November 11, 2009

After months of speculation, on Nov. 10, 2009, President Barrack Obama nominated Dr. Rajiv Shah to head the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).  Operating without an acting director since the President’s inauguration, Shah’s nomination ends a nearly 10 month leadership void at USAID . The Senate still needs to confirm Shah before he takes the position. 

Bill to Require USAID Vetting System Introduced in House

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Date: 
April 9, 2009

On Feb. 13, 2009 Rep. Ileana Los-Lehtinen (R-FL) and 18 co-sponsors introduced H.R. 1062, the Partner Vetting System Act of 2009. It would mandate a controversial vetting program for grantees receiving U.S. foreign assistance. It mirrors a rule proposed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) that would require recipients of U.S. foreign assistance funds to submit detailed personal information on officials and employees to USAID for vetting against "appropriate government databases." 

Comparison Chart: USAID's PVS for Contractors Provides Benefits Not Afforded to NGOs

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Date: 
September 4, 2009

If USAID implements a Partner Vetting System (PVS) that applies to both foreign assistance programs (NGOs) and acquisition (contractors), to the extent possible, the PVS should be the same for both. However, the proposed rule for contractors provides several benefits not available to NGOs in the foreign assistance rule. 

NGOs Raise Concerns about USAID's Proposed Vetting Policy for Contractors

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Date: 
August 28, 2009

On Aug. 25, 2009, several nonprofit groups submitted comments highlighting concerns about USAID’s proposal to apply its Partner Vetting System (PVS) to contractors in acquisitions. Labeling provisions in the proposal incomplete and “inappropriate,” the comments call for additional dialogue and collaboration between USAID and the nonprofit sector before implementation. The comments echo similar complaints made about the PVS for NGOs.

Comments of Nonprofit Organizations on Proposed Partner Vetting in USAID Acquisitions

in
Date: 
August 25, 2009

Comments of Nonprofit Organizations on Proposed Partner Vetting in USAID Acquisitions
United States Agency for International Development
RIN 0412-AA63

August 25, 2009

Comparison of Proposed USAID Partner Vetting System for NGOs and Contractors

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Date: 
August 21, 2009

Between the Partner Vetting Systems (PVS) proposed by USAID for NGOs and contractors, several critical differences emerge.  This chart outlines them.