USAID Partner Vetting System

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.

Report Finds U.S. Aid Not Regularly Impartial

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Date: 
November 20, 2008

The Washington Post reports that according to a survey by a Madrid based nonprofit group that monitors donors' performance, the United States does a poor job at promoting humanitarian aid as independent and neutral.

USAID Announces its Partner Vetting System

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Date: 
January 6, 2009

USAID has released a notice of its proposed "Partner Vetting System" (PVS) for nonprofit and charitable groups. This policy creates unnecessary and potentially dangerous barriers for humanitarian groups from providing relief in global hot spots. Its final implementation will be determined by members of the Obama administration. 

Issue Brief: USAID Must Consider Alternative Vetting Approaches

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Date: 
April 9, 2009

On Jan. 2, 2009 the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) released a final rule for its "Partner Vetting System" (PVS) for nonprofit and charitable groups. The PVS would require grant applicants to submit detailed personal information on "key individuals" to be shared with the intelligence agencies. Despite criticism from nonprofits that the PVS would create unnecessary and potentially dangerous barriers for humanitarian groups providing relief in global hot spots, the substance of the final rule remains unchanged. The Obama administration has delayed implementation of PVS until April 3, 2009, allowing public comments for 30 days.

Emerging Issues in the U.S. Counterterrorism Regime September 2008

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Date: 
October 3, 2008
External Link: 
From OMB Watch

This summary is intended to share the information and generate discussion about significant issues that emerged in a Sept. 22, 2008 conference call between the Treasury Guidelines Working Group (TGWG) and officials of Treasury's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.

Obama Administration Delays Implementation of Controversial USAID Rule

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Date: 
April 9, 2009

On Feb. 2, the Obama administration announced that it was delaying the implementation of the controversial Partner Vetting System (PVS) rule and opening a 30-day public comment period. The rule is now scheduled to go into effect on April 3.

USAID Extends Effective Date of PVS by 90 Days

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Date: 
May 11, 2009

On May 6, 2009, the Federal Register will publish another announcement extending the effective date of USAID's Partner Vetting System (PVS). It is expected that USAID plans to extend the effective date by 90 days, which will move it to early August. The effective date of the rule would have been May 4 had the extension not been implemented.

PVS Update: Vetting System May Include Contractors; House Bill Abandoned

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Date: 
June 8, 2009

There has been a flurry of activity on USAID's Partner Vetting System (PVS) in the aftermath of the 90 day delay for implementing the final rule, now scheduled to take effect on Aug. 4, 2009. It would require USAID grant applicants to submit detailed personal information on key individuals to the government to be checked against secret watchlists. In May 2009, a State Department official indicated the rule may be expanded to include contractors, the sponsor of legislation to mandate PVS will not pursue her bill and a GAO report found vetting in current USAID programs in Gaza and the West Bank has improved.