Foreign Assistance: U.S. Participation in FAO's Technical Cooperation
Program (Chapter Report, 01/11/94, GAO/NSIAD-94-32).

Foreign governments that have received projects under the United
Nation's (UN) Technical Cooperation Program are generally satisfied with
the program, have found most of the projects useful, and have generated
the money to expand many project activities. Nevertheless, the criteria
governing the program are vague and do not reflect all of the UN Food
and Agriculture Organization's goals for the program. Since the program
activities GAO reviewed were not responses to urgent or unforeseen
needs, the governing bodies could have programmed them in advance, along
with other usual budget activities, through their established
programming procedures. Programming would increase the governing bodies'
influence over the distribution of program resources.  GAO also found
management weaknesses in the program, such as delays in hiring and
buying equipment, lack of compliance with purchasing requirements, and
the absence of impact evaluations.  Financial management weaknesses
included delaying the release of unused funds from completed projects,
carrying over large amounts of unobligated program funds from one
biennium to the next, and charging expenses on new projects to earlier
unused appropriations.  The Food and Agriculture Organization has taken
some corrective measures, but the governing bodies have not required
information on their results or additional corrective actions.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  NSIAD-94-32
     TITLE:  Foreign Assistance: U.S. Participation in FAO's Technical 
             Cooperation Program
      DATE:  01/11/94
   SUBJECT:  Foreign aid programs
             Foreign economic assistance
             Program management
             Financial management
             International relations
             Policy evaluation
             Funds management
             International cooperation
             Technical assistance
IDENTIFIER:  UN Technical Cooperation Program
             UN Development Program
             UNESCO Participation Program
             Costa Rica
             Mexico
             Kenya
             Ethiopia
             Tanzania
             Thailand
             Vietnam
             China
             
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