| |
Newsletter
In this issue:
|
|
Photo from left to right: State Acting IG Diana Shaw, DoD IG Rob Storch, USAID Acting Deputy IG Nicole L. Angarella
Joint Congressional Briefing on Oversight of the U.S. Ukraine Response
In July, USAID Acting Deputy Inspector General (IG) Nicole L. Angarella and counterparts from the Offices of Inspector General (OIGs) at the U.S. Departments of Defense (DoD) and State (State) provided a joint briefing to staff of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees on our collaborative oversight of U.S. assistance to Ukraine.
Ms. Angarella provided information about USAID OIG's new office in Kyiv, where since July, 2 criminal investigators have been posted. This presence allows for increased connections with Ukrainian sources, law enforcement, and USAID-funded UN agencies, NGOs, and contractors on the ground on how to identify and report misconduct involving USAID funds.
USAID OIG at Ukrainian Ministries’ Anti-Corruption Conference
Last month, Acting Deputy IG Angarella participated on a virtual panel at the “Anti-Corruption Reforms and Recovery” conference in Kyiv. The event was co-hosted by the Ukrainian government and USAID’s Support to Anti-Corruption Champion Institutions program.
The conference focused on themes of transparency, accountability, and preventing corruption in recovery and reconstruction efforts in Ukraine.
|
Photo left: USAID Acting Deputy IG Nicole L. Angarella and SAPO Head Oleksandr Klymenko. Photo right: USAID Acting Deputy IG Nicole L. Angarella and NABU head Semen Kryvonos.
Memoranda of Understanding with Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Agencies
Recently, USAID OIG signed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with key Ukrainian anti-corruption officials and international investigative counterparts to further cooperation on investigating fraud, corruption and misconduct affecting USAID assistance to Ukraine.
USAID OIG now holds MOUs with:
- Ukraine’s Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO)
- National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU)
- Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigations (SBI)
These relationships are critical to detecting and preventing criminal activity affecting USAID’s support for Ukraine and its people.
Read the press releases on the execution of our latest MOUs at our Ukraine Oversight page, linked below.
Ukraine Investigations Dashboard
Last month, our Office of Investigations released an updated dashboard that includes reports of alleged misconduct related to USAID programming for Ukraine.
This dashboard includes information from February 2022 to July 31, 2023.
|
OIG at the World Bank on Oversight in Fragile States
Acting Deputy IG Angarella spoke on a panel at the World Bank for the Representatives of the Internal Audit Services (RIAS) Plenary Session. She underscored USAID OIG’s collaborative approach to oversight, particularly in regards to USAID’s programming for Ukraine.
Read more in the press release below:
|
|
|
Investigation of Fraud Results in Guilty Plea
An employee of a non-profit organization pleaded guilty to a charge of wire fraud involving USAID funding. The guilty plea came after a joint investigation conducted by special agents from USAID and State OIGs in partnership with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont.
Read full details on the case in the DOJ press release:
|
Other Recent Work
|
|
USAID reports that approximately one-quarter of its funding—more than $21 billion in fiscal year 2022—goes to multilateral organizations, including UN agencies and the World Bank. Called public international organizations (PIOs) by USAID, these organizations often possess comparative advantages in delivering development and humanitarian assistance.
This information brief summarizes USAID’s due diligence practices for ensuring proper oversight and use of funding to PIOs. USAID OIG is currently conducting an evaluation of these practices and will publish a report when completed.
|
Recently Announced
- Inspection of USAID’s Efforts to Protect Against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance’s Ukraine Response
- Audit of USAID’s Efforts to Safeguard Implementers and Activities in Afghanistan
- Evaluation of USAID’s Oversight of Food Assistance in Ethiopia
Featured Ongoing Work
We are auditing:
- USAID's modifications to existing programs to respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- USAID's procurement and security controls of its cloud computing services.
- The data quality of MCC's monitoring and evaluation process.
Other Recent Reports
Oversight of Overseas Contingency Operations
Non-Federal Audits (NFA)
- We are performing quality control over audits of USAID and MCC grantees completed by non-Federal independent public accounting firms as required by law. Memos of our NFA review transmittals are published on our Plans and Reports page.
|
|
Director of Legislative and Public Affairs, Kaylan Swartz
Ms. Swartz joins the team with impressive experience in the OIG community, on the Hill, and working with the media.
Ms. Swartz previously worked at DoD OIG, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, and the Senate where she focused on defense, foreign policy, and energy policy issues. Prior to that, she worked at Uppingham School in the United Kingdom, where she taught American government & politics.
|
Director of Strategic Communications, Jane Lusaka
Ms. Lusaka brings a wealth of experience in communications to USAID OIG. She was formerly Senior Writer-Editor at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s OIG, editor-in-chief at the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (now National Museum of Asian Art) and assistant director of publications at the American Association (now Alliance) of Museums.
She has a master’s degree in publishing and one in museum studies from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from New York University.
|
|
|
|
Congressional Engagements
|
|
Recently, officials from USAID OIG provided testimony, briefings, and information to the following congressional committees:
Senate Armed Services Committee: Acting Deputy Angarella provided a joint briefing to bipartisan defense and
foreign policy Senate staff on Ukraine oversight. She was joined by counterparts from the DoD and State OIGs.
Senate & House Appropriations, Subcommittees on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: Held two separate meetings discussing oversight of UN agencies.
House Committee on Oversight and Accountability: Provided joint classified briefing with DoD and State OIGs on the Operation Inherent Resolve report for quarter 2.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Provided in-person briefing to minority staff on updates to USAID OIG's oversight of USAID's response in Ukraine.
We are committed to providing timely and proactive updates to our congressional stakeholders on our work and key issues affecting the agencies we oversee. Please contact OIGLegAffairs@usaid.gov for more information.
|
|
|
|
|
|
