Foreign Assistance

AID's Population Program Gao ID: NSIAD-90-112 May 1, 1990

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Agency for International Development's (AID) Population Program, focusing on: (1) program policy, goals, and strategy; (2) program resources and management; and (3) program accomplishments.

GAO found that: (1) despite congressional policies and objectives designed to reduce high population growth rates, AID had no projects directed toward motivating couples to limit their family size; (2) the program, implemented by 43 units within AID, lacked overall management or oversight authority and responsibility; (3) because AID lacked a system to provide overall program management above the project level, AID management lacked sufficient information to make sound, fundamental decisions about resource allocations and program priorities; (4) AID did not evaluate the impact of its population assistance in meeting legislative objectives or the priority development needs of recipient countries; (5) AID evaluations were unsystematic, uncoordinated, uneven, and had relatively little influence on project design and management; (6) according to AID, its efforts improved the safety, effectiveness, and acceptability of several contraceptive methods; (7) AID reported that some previously reluctant governments adopted policy reforms and undertook family planning programs; and (8) AID provided training and technical assistance to many program administrators, and equipment and technical support to medical schools and clinics.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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