Archive - U.S. Agency for International Development

Charter of the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid

Committee’s Official Designation:
Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid (ACVFA)
Authority:
The ACVFA was established May 14, 1946 by President Harry S. Truman in a letter to the Secretary of State. This Committee is renewed in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) of 1972 as amended, 5 U.S. C. App.
Objectives and Scope of Activities:
To serve as a focal point for relations between the U.S. Government and private and voluntary organizations active in the fields of relief, rehabilitation and development abroad. To assure that the voluntary sector plays a vital and dynamic role in the formulation and execution of foreign assistance programs.
Description of Duties:
To consult with, provide information to and advise the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and other U.S. Government agencies, as appropriate, on matters and issues needing attention across a wide spectrum of development issues related to foreign assistance in which the U.S. government and private and voluntary organizations interact. To provide information and counsel to the community of private and voluntary organizations working abroad in relief, rehabilitation, and development on issues of concern regarding their relations with USAID and other U.S. Government agencies. To foster public interest in the field of voluntary foreign aid and the activities of private and voluntary organizations.
Agency or Official to Whom the Committee Reports:
USAID Administrator
Support:
Support to the ACVFA is provided by staff in the Office of the Administrator, USAID.
Estimated Annual Operating Costs and Staff Years:
The annual operating costs in dollars and person-years for the Advisory Committee and Subcommittees thereof are estimated to be approximately $250,000 and 1.5 person-years respectively.
Designated Federal Officer:
The Designated Federal Officer (DFO) for the ACVFA is the Executive Director of the ACVFA or his/her designee. This DFO will call all of the Committee’s and Subcommittee’s meetings, prepare and approve all meeting agendas, attend all Committee and Subcommittee meetings, adjourn any meeting when the DFO determines adjournment to be in the public interest, and chair meetings when directed to do so by the USAID Administrator.
Estimated Number and Frequency of Meetings:
It is expected that the ACVFA will hold two public meetings annually. Its Subcommittees will meet as determined necessary.
Duration:
The ACVFA will serve indefinitely, on a continuing basis, subject to biennial renewal as required under the FACA of 1972 as amended, 5 U.S. C. App.
Termination:
Two years from the date this Charter is filed.
Membership and Designation:
The ACVFA will be comprised of no fewer than 15 and no more than 30 members appointed by the USAID Administrator as representatives of a balanced cross section of non-governmental entities including private and voluntary organizations, cooperatives, foundations, private firms, professional societies, universities and other sources as he/she sees fit. Members serve in a representative, not an individual capacity and therefore are not subject to the conflict of interest statutes.
Subcommittees:
The ACVFA or the USAID Administrator may appoint Subcommittees as necessary. These Subcommittees shall report back to the ACVFA and shall not provide advice or work products directly to the Administrator.
Recordkeeping:
The records of this Committee, all formally and informally established Subcommittees shall be handled in accordance with General Records Schedule 6.2, or other approved Agency records disposition schedule. These records shall be available for public inspection and copying, subject to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S. C. 552.
Filing Date:
January 18, 2017