USAID Partner Vetting System

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. 

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.’"

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.

USAID Seeks Comments on Expanding PVS to Contractors

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Date: 
July 1, 2009

On Friday, June 26 USAID published a notice in the Federal Register seeking comments on implementation of its problematic Partner Vetting System for acquisition awards. Comments are due August 25th. The notice notes that the final rule for NGOs has been delayed and that USAID "has not yet made a final decision on whether to implement PVS."

Farmer Unlikely to be Named Head of USAID

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Date: 
August 12, 2009

Rumors of Paul Farmer becoming the next USAID Administer are losing steam. According to Foreign Policy, the White House is believed to have removed his name from consideration. No official statement or explanation was made and the position remains vacant. Despite a career in foreign assistance that many foreign policy experts have praised as “visionary and inspiring”, some critics have questioned Farmer’s preparedness to handle the prodigious bureaucracy at USAID.  

Senate Committee Says USAID Must Reconsider Proposed Vetting System

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Date: 
August 7, 2009

Seeking a “comprehensive review” of USAID’s proposed Partner Vetting System (PVS), a Senate appropriations bill (S. 1434) would halt implementation pending full review by the yet-to-be named USAID Administrator. The Senate State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Committee approved the bill on July 9, 2009. It mandates nongovernmental organization (NGO) involvement in further inquiry of the “scope, methodology and effect” of PVS. Although the rule went into effect Aug. 4, 2009, implementation will be delayed until the new Administrator is in place. The Senate review requirement is a significant victory for nonprofits, who have opposed PVS as ineffective, wasteful and potentially dangerous for NGO workers abroad.