While the progress report highlights some real achievements, one big elephant in the room is not addressed: USAID’s troubled relationship with Congress and the outdated legislative and regulatory framework that USAID must live within.
“I want to commend USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah for his efforts to provide more assistance directly to governmental institutions and local NGOs and businesses in the recipient countries. I also want to commend Congressman Ted Poe for sponsoring the Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act. “
Beckmann’s testimony comes at a time when both a shrinking international affairs budget and the series of across-the-board cuts known as sequestration threaten funding for poverty-focused development assistance (PFDA). Many important international nutrition, food security, development, and humanitarian programs fall under the umbrella of PFDA.
Please see below for a guest post from Andrew Clarke, Advocacy Manager at Publish What You Fund. Considering the variety of different types of data publications available, IATI is the most effective way to ensure aid data is comparable, useful and transparent. This piece originally appeared on Publish What You Fund’s blog. Yesterday, the OECD produced an XML file … Continue reading CRS, XML, IATI — What’s The Big Difference?
Building stronger and more responsive government institutions is a challenging task, particularly in a country like Liberia that has been so deeply impacted by war.
Yesterday, the Brookings Institution hosted a panel discussion on the U.S. global development reform agenda, with participants noting opportunities and challenges for future reform efforts.
The United State and Global Development: An Approach in Transition Tuesday, February 19, 2013, 2:00 — 3:30 pm The Brookings Institution, Saul/Zilkha Rooms, 1775 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC As President Barack Obama begins his second term, the U.S. global development community is taking stock of the reform efforts that began in 2010 to elevate … Continue reading EVENT – The United States and Global Development: An Approach in Transition
Because we are living in times that require a fully integrated national security approach, the USAID administrator should become the president’s principal advisor for development and assistance (akin to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff role and associated linkage to the secretary of defense, but concomitant to the secretary of state) and a permanent member on the National Security Council.
Please see below for a guest post from Jenny Russell, Director of Policy & Advocacy, Post – 2015 at Save the Children. This piece originally appeared on the Gates Foundation blog – Impatient Optimists, and highlights Save the Children’s 2015 MDG proposals from their report, Ending Poverty in Our Generation. Goals 1 – 5 focus … Continue reading Looking Back, Moving Forward: Recommendations on Post-2015 Development
Please see below for a guest post from Ritu Sharma, Co- Founder & President of Women Thrive Worldwide. It’s not that often that we get to tell you about a big new thing that will empower women and girls from around the world. But this week, we can! Yesterday (January 30th), the President signed the memorandum Coordination … Continue reading Women Thrive Welcomes President’s Memo on Empowering Women and Girls Globally
