New GAO Report Finds Food Aid Monetization is Inefficient

By: Staff Person
June 27, 2011

Since the Food Security Act of 1985, Congress has authorized the sale of U.S. food aid commodities in developing countries to fund development, referred to as monetization. Following interviews with agency officials, data analysis, and fieldwork, the GAO reported that the U.S. lost nearly $219 million of the $722 million expended on this program over three years due to inefficiency of the monetization process.

MFAN Releases Key Benchmarks for Global Development Policy Reform

By: Staff Person
June 16, 2011

As the first anniversary of the Administration’s new development policy approaches, and the State Department and USAID push forward with the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), MFAN has developed the following benchmarks as a tool for assessing the Administration’s progress toward implementing its policy proposals. The benchmarks are based on Administration policy documents and commitments and informed by MFAN implementation recommendations.

MFAN Introduces Legislative Standards for Global Development

By: Staff Person
June 16, 2011

MFAN has created a set of eight standards to serve as a guide for policymakers as they consider new legislation related to global development. Though MFAN continues to believe that an overhaul of the 1961 Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) is the most effective way to address today’s challenges, applying the following reform standards to develop ment-related legislation will help support progress on key reforms.

PWYF Launches Campaign to Make Aid Transparent

By: Staff Person
June 8, 2011

MFAN Partner Publish What You Fund today launches a new campaign driving donors to make aid more transparent. See below for more information about the campaign and a video that highlights the importance of transparency in making sure foreign assistance is accountable, effective, and responsive to recipient country needs.

Tweet Stream: CSIS Launches U.S. Leadership in Development Project

By: Staff Person
June 7, 2011

Last week, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) launched a new project on U.S. Leadership in Development, in partnership with Chevron. The launch event featured former Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice, former National Security Advisor General Jim Jones, and former USAID Administrator Henrietta Fore to discuss the important role development plays in U.S. national security. See MFAN’s live tweet stream (@modernizeaid) of the event below in reverse chronological order and see a video from the event below:

MFAN Partner ONE Interviews Amb. Marantis

By: Staff Person
June 7, 2011

ONE recently sat down with Ambassador Demetrios Marantis, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, to discuss the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and, more broadly, how trade can positively impact development.

MFAN & Management Sciences for Health on Performance-Based Financing

By: Staff Person
June 2, 2011

On Wednesday morning, MFAN co-hosted an event with Partner Management Sciences for Health (MSH) examining the impacts and implementation of performance-based financing (PBF) for global health services. A panel of experts, moderated by MSH performance-based finance Advisor Kathy Kantengwa, discussed the thinking behind PBF and shared some success stories. More efficient HIV/AIDS programming in Rwanda … Continue reading MFAN & Management Sciences for Health on Performance-Based Financing

A Closer Look at CGD’s Report on U.S. Development Efforts in Pakistan

By: Staff Person
June 1, 2011

Earlier we posted a summary of CGD’s newest report, Beyond Bullets and Bombs: Fixing the U.S. Approach to Development in Pakistan, and how it can be used as an important tool for policymakers as they weigh budget priorities and strategic interests, as well as advocates pushing for foreign assistance reform. The meat of the report aligns well with several MFAN priorities, such as having clear lines of authority, allowing for locally-driven priorities to set agendas, and being transparent. Below, we take a closer look at CGD’s findings and connect them to broader reform principles.