Partner Vetting

Partner vetting is an enhanced risk mitigation approach that USAID employs to reduce the risk of the diversion of taxpayer funds and other resources to individuals or entities that are terrorists, supporters of terrorists, or affiliates of terrorists. Partner Vetting involves the use of public and non-public information to make a determination of eligibility for an award. It is a process of checking names and other Personally Identifiable Information (“PII”) of key individuals of proposed awardees, subrecipients, and subcontractors, and other partners against public and non-public databases. USAID has conducted various forms of Partner Vetting over the past several decades. The process has evolved over time to focus on countries of highest risk and strengthen the Agency’s due diligence measures.

To codify Partner Vetting in Agency policy, USAID issued ADS Chapter 319 on January 15, 2021. The chapter reflects USAID’s leadership among U.S. Government civilian departments and agencies in counterrorism vetting. It codifies Agency-level governance, policy, and procedures for the implementation of partner vetting, makes them publicly available, and includes provisions on the centralized management of vetting.

How does the new ADS Chapter affect partners?

Because the chapter primarily consists of existing internal policy, it isn’t expected to have an immediate impact on partners. Partner Vetting is only conducted in select countries and vetting outside those countries is initiated at USAID’s discretion as needed.

Where does USAID conduct Partner Vetting?

USAID currently conducts Partner Vetting in West Bank/Gaza, Yemen, Iraq, Pakistan, Lebanon, Syria, and Afghanistan.