A newly released audit says the largest U.S. contractor working to stabilize Haiti after the 2010 earthquake is "not on track" to compete its assignments on schedule, has a weak monitoring system and is not adequately involving community members.
Washington D.C.-based Chemonics received a $53 million, 18-month contract from USAID in 2011 to help Haiti strengthen its economy and public institutions. USAID's Office of Inspector General released a report Monday that found Chemonics had a series of slips, including using arbitrary ways of evaluating its work, failing to hire local workers, and going ahead with potentially damaging environmental projects before they were approved.
In 2010, USAID auditors found in an earlier contract Chemonics failed to hire thousands of Haitians under a cash-for-work program, spending the money on equipment and materials.
