President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief: Program Planning and Reporting
Highlights
U.S. assistance through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has helped provide treatment, care, and prevention services overseas to millions affected by HIV/AIDS. In 2008, Congress reauthorized PEPFAR with the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008 (2008 Leadership Act). The act requires the Department of State's Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) to report to Congress annually on PEPFAR performance. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also report on PEPFAR program performance. Responding to legislative directives, GAO (1) described key procedures for planning and reporting on PEPFAR performance and (2) examined published PEPFAR performance plans and reports. GAO analyzed performance management documents and interviewed officials at OGAC, USAID, and CDC.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of State | In accordance with requirements and practices set forth in the 2008 Leadership Act and GPRA, and to improve transparency and accountability, the Secretary of State should direct the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator to modify the annual report to Congress on PEPFAR performance by including comparisons of annual PEPFAR results with previously established annual targets. |
The most recent PEPFAR annual report to Congress, published in 2015, has an appendix which contains data tables that include comparisons of FY 2014 results with previously established targets for that period. According to a PEPFAR official, these data are much more detailed than what was in previous annual reports and represent a new standard for PEPFAR data.
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| Department of State | In accordance with requirements and practices set forth in the 2008 Leadership Act and GPRA, and to improve transparency and accountability, the Secretary of State should direct the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator to modify the annual report to Congress on PEPFAR performance by including information on efforts to verify and validate PEPFAR performance data and addressing data limitations. |
The most recent PEPFAR annual report, published in 2015, contains very little information on efforts to verify and validate performance data and address data limitations. According to a PEPFAR official, as of September 2015, OGAC is taking actions to address this recommendation, but these actions are not yet completed.
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