At its  inception in 2010, CBSI’s aim was to increase citizen safety through  provision of U.S. foreign assistance to CBSI partner countries to reduce  illicit trafficking, improve public safety and security, and promote social  justice; these three “pillars” remain the overall goals of CBSI. 1). 2). These activities are  generally aligned with the three pillars of CBSI. State and USAID Allocated More Than $560 Million to CBSI from Various Foreign Assistance Accounts

From fiscal years 2010 through 2018, State and USAID allocated more  than $560 million in funding for CBSI activities. Throughout the Caribbean. Dominican Republic and Barbados. Jamaica. State and USAID Undertake Some Planning and Reporting of CBSI Activities but the U.S. Government Cannot Assess Initiative-wide Progress

The United States and Caribbean countries meet periodically to set  strategic goals and to designate high-level priorities for the subsequent  year, and U.S. agencies individually plan and report on CBSI activities on  a country-specific basis through a variety of reporting mechanisms (see  fig. The U.S. Government Cannot Assess CBSI Initiative-wide Progress Because It Does Not Have an Initiative-wide Planning and Reporting Mechanism

While State and USAID set strategic goals and priorities with CBSI  partner countries and plan for and report on CBSI activities within each  agency or bureau, State has not established a CBSI-wide planning and  reporting mechanism that links agencies’ activities to the three overall  CBSI goals. State and USAID Established Objectives and Performance Indicators and INL Is Taking Steps to Improve Weaknesses in Program Monitoring

USAID and implementing partners have established objectives and  performance indicators for selected CBSI activities that we reviewed and  have been measuring and reporting on progress for those activities. INL Cannot Ensure the Reliability of Its Program Monitoring Data but Is Taking Steps to Address Weaknesses in Western Hemisphere Program Monitoring

INL cannot ensure the reliability of its CBSI program monitoring data but  is taking steps to improve its ability to consistently collect and store such  data for its activities in the Western Hemisphere, including CBSI activities. However, INL officials acknowledge that data  challenges remain, such as the issue of how to collect standardized data  from each of the embassies and how to build a functioning data  management system that is compatible with State requirements. In the absence of centrally-available, reliable data for CBSI activities, INL  may continue to struggle with effective program monitoring for these  activities. State noted that it plans to  develop an updated Results Framework for CBSI that will provide the  basis for initiative-wide planning and reporting. State also noted that INL’s  Office of Western Hemisphere Programs is working through its existing  monitoring and evaluation contract to improve centralized data collection  and is developing plans for an enhanced data management system that  will facilitate the collection and management of both strategic and  implementer-reported data. In this  report we (1) provide information on U.S. funding for CBSI activities, (2)  examine the extent to which the U.S. Department of State (State) and  U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in conjunction with  other agencies, have implemented a planning and reporting process for  CBSI, and (3) examine the extent to which State and USAID have  established objectives and performance indicators to measure the  progress of their CBSI activities. To determine the extent to which State and USAID have implemented a  planning and reporting mechanism for CBSI, we obtained relevant CBSI  planning and reporting documents, including State Bureau of International  Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) country and regional  implementation plans and documents related to the Caribbean-U.S.  Security Cooperation Dialogue; and strategy documents such as  Integrated Country Strategies, Country Development Cooperation Strategies, and Functional Bureau Strategies.
Why GAO Did This Study

The Caribbean region, which shares geographic proximity and common interests with the United States, faces high rates of crime and violence. In 2010, the United States and Caribbean countries formally launched CBSI, which aims to increase citizen safety. GAO was asked to examine U.S. assistance through CBSI. This report (1) discusses U.S. funding for CBSI activities, (2) examines the extent to which there is a planning and reporting process for CBSI, and (3) examines the extent to which State and USAID have established objectives and performance indicators to measure progress of their CBSI activities. GAO analyzed State and USAID data; assessed government strategies and performance reports; selected a non-generalizable sample of 25 CBSI activities and analyzed State and USAID documentation related to those activities; interviewed relevant officials; and conducted fieldwork in Barbados, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica, which are the countries generally receiving the most CBSI funding.

What GAO Found

U.S. agencies have allocated more than $560 million for the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) from fiscal years 2010 through 2018 for activities related to the three pillars of CBSI—reduce illicit trafficking (such as in narcotics and firearms), improve public safety and security, and promote social justice. For example, State Department's (State) Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) has ongoing activities such as advisory programs and equipment procurements, while the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has activities aimed at increasing economic opportunities for at-risk youth and improving the skills of prosecutors.
The U.S. government has undertaken some planning and reporting of CBSI activities, but State has not created an initiative-wide planning and reporting mechanism. Agencies individually set strategic goals and priorities with CBSI countries and plan and report on their CBSI activities on a country-specific basis. However, State has not created an initiative-wide planning and reporting mechanism that facilitates interagency coordination or establishes consistent performance indicators across agencies, countries, and activities—key elements for effectively aligning foreign assistance strategies. Without such a planning and reporting mechanism, overall progress of the initiative cannot be assessed.
State and USAID have established objectives and performance indicators for selected CBSI activities, and INL is taking steps to improve identified weaknesses in its program monitoring. State and USAID had established objectives and performance indicators for the 25 activities in our sample. However, INL cannot ensure the reliability of its program monitoring data because collection and maintenance of this data is conducted differently in each country and there is no centralized data storage system. INL recently contracted to improve and standardize its program monitoring data for Western Hemisphere activities, but according to INL officials, data challenges remain—in particular, how to collect standardized data from each of the embassies and how to build a data management system that is compatible with State requirements. Without reliable data, INL may continue to struggle with program monitoring of CBSI activities.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that State (1) create an initiative-wide planning and reporting mechanism for CBSI that includes the ability to monitor, evaluate, and report the results of collaborative efforts, and (2) ensure that INL develops and implements a data management system for centrally collecting reliable CBSI data. State agreed with the recommendations, noting that it plans to develop an updated Results Framework for initiative-wide planning and reporting and to improve centralized data collection through an enhanced data management system.