Deputy Administrator Steinberg Addresses Reform at InterAction Forum

By: Staff Person
August 11, 2011

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Deputy Administrator Don Steinberg spoke at MFAN partner InterAction’s Forum 2011 yesterday, offering insight into the “new development landscape.” He assessed the OECD Development Assistance Committee’s recent review of U.S. development efforts, highlighting some of their recommendations: “We’ve moved forward on aid effectiveness principles, including accountability, transparency and sustainability … Continue reading Deputy Administrator Steinberg Addresses Reform at InterAction Forum

Secretary Clinton Addresses Food Security & Famine in the Horn of Africa

By: Staff Person
August 11, 2011

Secretary Clinton appeared at the International Food Policy Research Institute this morning to address the ongoing famine and refugee crisis in the Horn of Africa, calling it “the most severe humanitarian emergency in the world today.” The Secretary discussed the tragedy unfolding in Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia, emphasizing the need for a rapid response and … Continue reading Secretary Clinton Addresses Food Security & Famine in the Horn of Africa

CCEFA Profile: Rep. Hank Johnson

By: Staff Person
August 9, 2011

See below for our latest Congressional Caucus for Effective Foreign Assistance (CCEFA) profile of the Congressman from Georgia, Hank Johnson. We’ve already profiled the Co-Chairs Ander Crenshaw and Adam Smith, as well as Representatives Keith Ellison, Denny Rehberg, Laura Richardson, Dennis Ross, Aaron Schock, and Lynn Woolsey. Stay tuned for more!

MFAN Partner ONE Reflects on the MCC

By: Staff Person
August 5, 2011

MFAN’s recent event took a close look at the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and how its principles and operational model are aligning with the President’s Policy on Global Development and overall efforts to improve aid effectiveness. ONE’s Marissa Glauberman wrote about our event on their blog and addressed the opportunities and challenges facing the MCC today.

CCEFA Profile: Rep. Lynn Woolsey

By: Staff Person
August 3, 2011

See below for our latest Congressional Caucus for Effective Foreign Assistance (CCEFA) profile of the Congresswoman from California, Lynn Woolsey. We’ve already profiled the Co-Chairs Ander Crenshaw and Adam Smith, as well as Representatives Keith Ellison, Denny Rehberg, Laura Richardson, Dennis Ross, and Aaron Schock. Stay tuned for more!

MFAN Event Recap: On the Cutting Edge of Aid Effectiveness

By: Staff Person
August 2, 2011

On July 28, the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) hosted a public dialogue on the foreign assistance reform agenda with Sheila Herrling, the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC) Vice President for Policy and Evaluation, and Gayle Smith, Senior Director at the National Security Council (NSC). Entitled “On the Cutting Edge of Aid Effectiveness: Best Practices and Lessons Learned from the Millennium Challenge Corporation,” the event was moderated by the Hon. Jim Kolbe, Senior Transatlantic Fellow at the German Marshall Fund, and brought together a cross-section of development perspectives. The panelists examined how the MCC was working both independently and alongside USAID and other relevant agencies to maximize the effectiveness, accountability, and efficiency of U.S. foreign assistance dollars.

MFAN Blog Series: Moving from Policy to Practice

By: Staff Person
August 1, 2011

This week, MFAN is kicking off the second installment in our six-part blog series about our new reform agenda. For August, we’re looking at what it will take to have a strong, empowered 21st century development agency. In From Policy to Practice, MFAN suggests the following actions to strengthen the US Agency for International Development: provide USAID with the tools it needs to accomplish its mission (e.g. a working capital fund); give USAID full authority over its policies and budget; and mandate that a coordinated development strategy be prepared for each developing country with a U.S. presence that is prepared under the leadership of USAID.

Brookings Event to Roll Out 2011 OECD/DAC Peer Review of the U.S.

By: Staff Person
July 27, 2011

Below, please see a guest post from Ariadne Medler, Program Coordinator, Development Assistance and Governance Initiative Global Economy and Development Program, Brookings in which she previews the 2011 Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development peer review of the United States.

Principles in Action: Innovation and Partnerships Spur Global Health Legislation

By: Staff Person
July 27, 2011

MFAN will be taking a closer look at these pieces of legislation, through the perspective of our Partners, and, more broadly, how reform is affecting the way policymakers think about development issues. See below for the first piece in this recurring series from Aaron Emmel, Government Affairs Officer, PATH.

MFAN Event Recap: “The New Middle East: Can Foreign Assistance Bolster the Arab Spring?”

By: Staff Person
July 25, 2011

On Thursday, July 21, MFAN and Foreign Policy magazine co-hosted, “The New Middle East: Can Foreign Assistance Bolster the Arab Spring?” The event explored how the U.S. should leverage foreign assistance to protect and advance nascent democratic trends in the Arab world. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Tamara Cofman Wittes gave a keynote speech, followed by panel discussion…