Planning failure puts billions at risk - SIGAR

An audit released today by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR)  found that $11.4 billion is at risk due to inadequate planning for the construction of nearly 900 Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF) facilities.
“SIGAR initiated this audit when our auditors found that the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A) could not provide the plans or justifications for the ANA facilities being built across Afghanistan,” said Inspector General Arnold Fields, who recently announced that he is leaving his post following widespread criticism.
The report found that there was no long-range capital construction plan, needed to improve accountability over the proposed new facilities which are being built to accommodate the expected increase in ANSF personnel. Numbers are already projected to reach 305,000 this year and may reach 400,000 by October 2013. Without such a plan, it would be impossible to adapt to changing requirements, prioritize resources, achieve strategic goals or avert potential waste. Nor was there any long-range maintenance plan for the ANSF facilities now being built, even though contracts worth $800 million had already been let to maintain more than 660 sites.