MLSS – A 2015 $3 Billion loan for PATH under-utilised for four years.

Recommendation

1. According to the Auditor General (FY 2018/19) “We expected the PATH/MLSS to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Education Youth and Information (MOEYI), the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders, setting out clear direction for planning, delivery and reporting on this component; however, up to the time of reporting this was not done.”
2. Given the extension of the Project to November 2020, we expected the MLSS/PATH to obtain relevant information, review the ISJSPS progress and make necessary strategic interventions, where performance was below target.

JAMP Update

The Jamaica Accountability Meter Portal (JAMP) sought documentation to provide information about the “seven (7) planned activities of the PATH Feeding Subsidy” under the Integrated Support to Jamaica’s Social Protection Strategy (ISJSPS) Project, to include (but not limited to) the number of schools involved, the number of children involved; benefits of the project and total value of the project.
Additionally, JAMP sought to substantiate whether an MOU was developed with stakeholders, as recommended by the Auditor General, as well as to determine how many of the seven (7) planned activities would be executed by the extended November 2020 project deadline.

The response from the Ministry did not answer any of these questions. A follow up email was sent to the Ministry on February 15, 2021 indicating that there were a few gaps in the information provided.

Despite the lack of a further response, JAMP notes that the AuGD’s 2019/2020 Annual Report addressed the Project. It reports that in relation to project achievements – as at March 31, 2020 – PATH initiated 44 of the 46 contracts that were at the planning stage in the previous year; while contracts for the remaining two activities were yet to be implemented. Management indicated that the procurement process, particularly for infrastructure works, was prolonged by the late start of the project. Subsequent to the audit, MLSS advised the AuGD that some activities had to be changed owing to COVID 19. Consequently, the IDB approved an extension of the Project to October 2021, with some modifications to the deliverables.

JAMP subsequently received a letter from the Ministry dated April 8, 2021. The letter indicated a resolution of the matter in that “The two (2) training activities to be completed under the School Feeding Component of the ISJSPS Project were included in the Annual Operating Plan for 2020, to which the IDB gave its no objection. The two training activities namely: (i) Training on Management Monitoring Information System (MMIS) established for the School Feeding Programme and (ii) training to cooks and concessionaires. Both activities were completed by November 2020. Copies of the training documents have also been submitted to the MLSS by the MOEYI.”

ATI Responses

• MLSS – Response on Deficiencies in ISJSPS Project
• MLSS – Follow up response on ISJSPS