Chemonics
 | |
| Founded | 1975[1] |
|---|---|
| Founder | Thurston F. (Tony) Teele[1] |
| Headquarters | 1717 H Street NW, , United States[2] |
Areas served |
|
Key people | |
| Website | chemonics |
Chemonics International is a private international development company that works for bilateral and multilateral donors and the private sector to manage projects in developing countries. The organization bids primarily on contracts from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and manages projects that cover a variety of technical sectors. These sectors include agriculture and food security, corporate partnerships, democracy and governance, economic growth, education and youth, environment and natural resources, gender equality, social inclusion, health, peace and stability, supply chain solutions, and water.[5] In addition to its headquarters in Washington, D.C., the company also has project offices in different countries, covering Asia, Africa, Eurasia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.[6]
History
Chemonics was founded in 1975 by Thurston F. (Tony) Teele.[1]
Operations
In 2016, A Department of Labor investigation into Chemonics’ hiring practices found that the group discriminated against applicants based on race while trying to fill entry-level positions. According to the Guardian, none of the 124 Black Americans who applied for the jobs in Chemonics International’s regional business units were hired. Chemonics agreed to pay $482,243 to job applicants who were subjected to racial discrimination in the company’s hiring process, the Guardian reported.[7]
Chemonics has been subject to criticism from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Inspector General (OIG) for their work on several multimillion-dollar aid contracts.
Afghanistan
In November 2006, USAID Afghanistan awarded a $62 million contract to Chemonics, with an expected end date of March 2010. A 2008 audit of the contract by OIG found that Chemonics' "results fell considerably short of intended results" and "buildings constructed by Chemonics’ subcontractors were not acceptable because of significant construction defects."[8]
Haiti
In 2012 Chemonics came under scrutiny by the OIG for their work in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. Chemonics was the largest single recipient of post-earthquake funds from USAID, receiving over $196 million in contracts[9] many of which were "no-bid."[10]
Audits specifically cited Chemonics lack of a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan and that "some of the performance indicators Chemonics developed were not well-defined."[11] Chemonics also spent more than 75 percent of program budgets on material and equipment when an expenditure of only 30 percent was planned.[12]
An Inspector General's report also found that local communities were not sufficiently involved with Chemonics' work and stated "Chemonics used contractors from Port-au-Prince to implement a number of activities in Cap-Haitien and Saint-Marc; these contractors brought their own people to do the jobs instead of hiring locals."[11] When locals were required by USAID, Chemonics' policies "limited the transparency of the selection process and increase the risk of corruption or favoritism by granting decision-making authority to a few individuals."[12]
References
- ^ a b c "Obituaries: Thurston F. 'Tony' Teele Consultant Firm Co-Founder". The Washington Post. 2005-04-02. p. B07. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
- ^ Clabaugh, Jeff (April 9, 2019). "The Yards lands Chemonics as 1st major tenant for Phase 2". WTOP-FM. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
- ^ a b Orlina, Ezekiel Carlo (May 27, 2016). "Top USAID contractors for 2015". Devex. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
- ^ "William Keller". Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
- ^ "Member Details". seepnetwork.org. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
- ^ "Chemonics International Inc. | Devex". www.devex.com. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
- ^ Schreiber, Melody (November 21, 2016). "Top US government aid partner to pay $500k damages to African American job applicants" – via The Guardian.
- ^ "Audit of USAID/Afghanistan's Accelerating Sustainable Agriculture Program" (PDF). US Agency for International Development Office of Inspector General. 2008-08-08. Retrieved 2015-04-25.
- ^ "Breaking Open the Black Box" (PDF). Center for Economic and Policy Research. April 2013. Retrieved 2015-04-25.
- ^ Mendoza, Martha (2010-12-12). "Outsourcing quake assistance: Haitian contractors get only 1.6% of U.S. aid". Retrieved 2015-04-25.
- ^ a b "Audit of USAID's Haiti Recovery Initiative Activities Managed By Office of Transition Initiatives" (PDF). US Agency for International Development Office of Inspector General. 2012-09-26. Retrieved 2015-04-25.
- ^ a b "Audit of USAID's Cash-for-Work Activities in Haiti" (PDF). US Agency for International Development Office of Inspector General. 2010-09-24. Retrieved 2015-04-25.