Transforming foreign assistance

By: Staff Person
April 15, 2013

ompleting the transformation of U.S. foreign assistance will reposition the U.S. as not just the most generous, but also the most strategic, innovative, and effective player in global development. We have saved and improved millions of lives over the last ten years and our efforts have helped strengthen our image abroad: a new field survey of aid recipient countries by Oxfam America finds that 83 percent of respondents believe the U.S. is a better development partner now than five years ago. The opportunity at hand for the next ten years is to turn progress into lasting change by helping those people take control of their own lives.

International aid groups applaud reforms to food aid programs in Obama budget proposal

By: Staff Person
April 10, 2013

This budget reflects a strong commitment to helping the hungry in times of crisis as well as securing long-term food security for the world’s most vulnerable. The reforms the President proposes would make these critical programs more effective and efficient while expanding their reach to millions more people.

From day one: Transparency at the heart

By: Staff Person
April 8, 2013

The principles the President championed the first day of his Presidency are reflected in the reform and evaluation processes undertaken by key US development agencies – new and better data enables citizens to hold their governments to account, and transparency helps to make programs more efficient. But the commitments the US has made to aid transparency are stifled by the approach it has chosen to meet them. US development agencies need to be encouraged to publish what they can, as soon as they can.

From Better “Stuff” To More “Power”: Why transparency matters

By: Staff Person
March 27, 2013

Please see below for a post from Paul O’Brien, Vice President for Policy and Campaigns at Oxfam America. This piece originally appeared on Oxfam’s blog, Politics of Poverty. Will Raj Shah commit USAID to joining the top 10% most transparent donors by the time he leaves his USAID Administrator post? He might do so, but looking at his … Continue reading From Better “Stuff” To More “Power”: Why transparency matters

MFAN Statement: USAID Offers Evidence of Reform Progress

By: Staff Person
March 20, 2013

This progress could not have come at a better time; budget pressures demand better results, and the Agency will bear greater responsibility at the leading edge of U.S. foreign policy as our military leverage decreases in places like Afghanistan and the greater Middle East.

MFAN Co-Chair Defends Foreign Aid Reform in Testimony

By: Staff Person
March 19, 2013

“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 Testifies Before Congress, Asks for Increased Funding for Nutrition

By: Staff Person
March 19, 2013

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.

CRS, XML, IATI — What’s The Big Difference?

By: Staff Person
March 8, 2013

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?