**GAO-09-52R**                      Published: Nov 21, 2008. Publicly Released: Nov 21, 2008.                  

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## Highlights

In January 2006, the Secretary of State announced major changes in the U.S. government's process for directing and managing foreign assistance programs in a reorganization and revision of operational procedures commonly known as the F Process. These changes were intended to ensure the effective use of U.S. foreign assistance to meet broad U.S. foreign policy objectives and more fully align programs carried out by the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). To administer the F Process, the Secretary created the new Office of the Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance (State/F) with a Director of Foreign Assistance (DFA), who carries the rank of Deputy Secretary of State and also serves concurrently as USAID Administrator. To support State and USAID planning, budgeting, and reporting of foreign assistance under these reforms, State/F developed two new data information systems, the Foreign Assistance Coordination and Tracking System (FACTS) and FACTS Info. FACTS, which State/F began to develop in mid-2006, is a database used to collect foreign assistance planning and reporting data, including plans for implementing current-year appropriated budgets and performance planning and reporting data. FACTS Info, which State/F created in 2007, is a system used to aggregate, analyze, and report data on U.S. foreign assistance programs under the authority of the DFA. Although State and USAID are the only U.S. agencies currently using both systems, State/F expects the systems to eventually include data from other agencies involved in foreign assistance, including the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the Department of Treasury, among others. In connection with our ongoing work addressing the management of State/F and at Congressional request, we examined (1) the creation and development of FACTS and FACTS Info and (2) whether State/F is following best practices for configuration management--the process of establishing and maintaining control over changes made to a system--and risk management of FACTS and FACTS Info.

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## Topics

International Affairs

Best practicesData collectionData integrityDatabasesFederal aid to foreign countriesForeign aid programsForeign economic assistanceForeign governmentsForeign policiesInformation managementInteragency relationsInternal controlsInternational relationsPolicy evaluationProgram managementRisk managementStrategic planningSystems analysisSystems designData sharingPolicies and proceduresProgram goals or objectives