Info on Partner Vetting System

Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development Announce Public Briefing on Partner Vetting System Pilot Program
On July 17, 2007, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced its intention to create the Partner Vetting System (PVS). Under PVS, USAID partners funded under contracts, grants and cooperative agreements will be required to provide personal information on staff for the purpose of vetting by the U.S. government.

Information collected will include personally identifiable information collected from potential or current USAID partners such as: Name, date of birth, place of birth, county of origin, Social Security Number or other ID type or ID number, nationality, address, phone number, email address, and organizational affiliations.

This database will allow USAID to review Non-Government Organizations and individuals to ensure that USAID-funded assistance does not inadvertently provide support to entities or individuals associated with terrorism.

Department of State (DOS) and USAID officials will be providing a public briefing on the PVS pilot program. The objective of the briefing is to provide information about the PVS pilot program. Members of the public may attend in person or join via teleconference. The briefing will be followed by an open forum for discussion where public participation is encouraged.

The agenda is subject to change. The briefing will take place on Thursday September 8, 2011, from 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. E.D.T.

Although the briefing is free and open to the public, registration is required for attendance. Please e-mail USAID_RSVP4@usaid.gov to register and receive location or call-in information.

For further information, contact Glenn P. Wicks or Ronce Almond at (202) 457-7790.





Issue Brief: USAID Must Consider Alternative Vetting Approaches
Posted on February 20, 2009

LINK to Final Rule

On Jan. 2, 2009 the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) released a final rule for its "Partner Vetting System" (PVS) for nonprofit and charitable groups. The PVS would require grant applicants to submit detailed personal information on "key individuals" to be shared with the intelligence agencies. Despite criticism from nonprofits that the PVS would create unnecessary and potentially dangerous barriers for humanitarian groups providing relief in global hot spots, the substance of the final rule remains unchanged. The Obama administration has delayed implementation of PVS until April 3, 2009, allowing public comments for 30 days.

This Issue Brief provides background information on PVS, analyzes problems with the final rule and recommends that USAID revisit this approach to vetting its partners. The first question for the Obama administration is not how PVS should operate, but whether it is the right overall strategy for ensuring USAID resources are used for humanitarian purposes, and not to support terrorist violence.