Washington, DC - Over the past decade, the Department of State has played an increasing role in managing foreign assistance funding and programs. In that role, the Department seeks to continually improve domestic and international reporting related to transparency and open government. The Foreign Assistance Data Review (FADR) is an important step to increase our transparency. Its implementation will enable the Department to provide more complete and better quality data and improve the management of foreign assistance.
The FADR was chartered in September 2014 to evaluate how the Department captures foreign assistance activity from budgeting, planning, and allocation through obligation and disbursement. The Department has multiple systems that house this data, but they are not fully utilized to track or capable of reporting on foreign assistance programs to the level needed for transparency, Congressional, and management purposes. We encourage you to read the full report, which includes findings, recommendations, and timelines, or the one-page summary.
In November, several recommendations from the cross-Bureau FADR Working Group were approved to take place over three phases. This Working Group was led by the Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources (D-MR), the Office of Management Policy, Rightsizing, and Innovation (M/PRI), and the Office of U.S. Foreign Assistance Resources (F).
- Develop a standard foreign assistance management business process.
- Identify changes to existing systems and new system requirements to meet this business process.
- Develop an integrated system solution, including standards and governance, to meet all requirements of the foreign assistance business process.
Implementing a standard foreign assistance business process to capture foreign assistance activity will improve the Department’s ability to track and report on its foreign assistance programs and funds at the level demanded by internal and external stakeholders. The Department will also see dividends in its ability to manage activities, coordinate with others effectively, make data-driven decisions, and meet transparency commitments.
