WASHINGTON — The United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Monday found in a report that “significant mistakes were made by all parties” in handling the U.S. Agency for International Development’s global supply chain contract with Chemonics International. The report was released at the conclusion of a congressional oversight investigation after Devex last year revealed the agency’s $9.5 billion contract faced chronic problems.
The global health supply chain procurement and supply management contract is USAID’s largest ever and is the primary way USAID delivers life-saving global health commodities for most U.S. government global health initiatives. The contract governs supply, procurement, and delivery in 60 countries, technical assistance in 40 countries, and field offices in 33 countries.
The mistakes were made “at virtually every level and stage of the contract — from contract solicitation and the evaluation of proposals, through the transition, and into implementation,” the report found. There was no evidence that the supply chain issues interrupted treatment for any patients who were already receiving care, the report found.
About the author
Teresa Welshtmawelsh
Teresa Welsh is a Senior Reporter at Devex. She has reported from more than 10 countries and is currently based in Washington, D.C. Her coverage focuses on Latin America; U.S. foreign assistance policy; fragile states; food systems and nutrition; and refugees and migration. Prior to joining Devex, Teresa worked at McClatchy's Washington Bureau and covered foreign affairs for U.S. News and World Report. She was a reporter in Colombia, where she previously lived teaching English. Teresa earned bachelor of arts degrees in journalism and Latin American studies from the University of Wisconsin.
