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NSIAD-83-35 1 (1983-09-30)

handle is hein.gao/gaobabndx0001 and id is 1 raw text is: UNITED STATES GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE WASHINGTON, D.C. 20548 NATIONAL SECURITY AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS DIVISION B-205494 SEPTEMBER 30. 1983 The Honorable Peter W. Rodino, Jr. Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary House of Representatives 122693 The Honorable Strom Thurmond Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary United States Senate Subject: Oversight of State Department's Refugee Reception and Placement Program (GAO/NSIAD-83-35) Pursuant to a provision in the Refugee Assistance Amend- ments of 1982, we reviewed the Department of State's monitoring of voluntary agencies' implementation of the initial reception and placement program for resettling refugees in the United States. The Department's Bureau for Refugee Programs has, over the past year, taken some important steps to strengthen its mon- itoring and management of the program. The Bureau requested, received, and evaluated voluntary agency program proposals for 1983; strengthened operating agreements with the agencies; con- ducted field monitoring of selected agency offices' activities; and prepared internal reports on the agencies' performance. In addition, the Department of State's Office of the Inspector General conducted six financial audits of the resettlement activities of voluntary agencies and has plans for additional audits. The Bureau's actions appear properly aimed at improving voluntary agencies' operations, but are too recent for meaning- ful assessment of their impact on services provided to refugees and on program management. During our review, however, we observed the need for certain additional changes in the Bureau's operations which may strengthen its monitoring and managing of the program. Bureau officials concurred with our conclusions that the monitoring and oversight of voluntary agencies' activ- ities can be improved by --establishing standards and/or criteria to determine the acceptability of agencies' proposals for assisting refugees; (472025) &Df-70(/ q