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Independent research & practical ideas for global prosperity
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Independent research & practical ideas for global prosperity
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Rethinking U.S. Foreign Assistance Blog
Posts Tagged: presidential study directiveObama to Say More on New U.S. Development Policy Approach Next Week?September 17, 2010Posted by Sarah Jane Staats in Aid Effectiveness, Rethinking U.S. Foreign Assistance Tags: presidential study directive
Will President Obama reveal details of a new U.S. global development policy next week? That’s the hope. The president is expected to speak during the two major United Nations events in New York next week — the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Summit and the General Assembly—and hopes are high that he will unveil long-awaited details of how the United States will prioritize and improve its global development policy. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition will host an impressive lineup of Obama team members to discuss the administration’s new development policy. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah, and Millennium Challenge Corporation CEO Daniel Yohannes will all be there—a good sign of interagency involvement and recognition that development is more than just aid, but also trade, investment, security, and more. Read More… Comment »What Does Secretary Clinton Really Mean by “Elevating Development”?July 13, 2010Posted by Todd Moss in Aid Effectiveness, Rethinking U.S. Foreign Assistance Tags: presidential study directive, U.S. Department of State, USAID
The developmentistas are still largely enamored with the current administration and clinging to the hope that the PSD and QDDR processes will lead to a more prominent role for “development” within the U.S. foreign policy hierarchy. A lot of this optimism rests squarely on the shoulders of Secretary Clinton and her promises. Just one example, from her January address at CGD:
So what exactly does “elevating development” mean in practice? Or rather, what does Secretary Clinton mean? Read More… 2 Comments »U.S. Development Reviews Stuck in Confusion they Aim to ResolveJune 24, 2010Posted by Sarah Jane Staats in Rethinking U.S. Foreign Assistance Tags: presidential study directive, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Development Strategy
Two major reviews on U.S. development policy—the Presidential Study Directive on U.S. Global Development Policy (PSD) and the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR)—intend to make sense out of the confusing array of agencies and actors involved in U.S. global development policy; both appear to be suffering delays rooted in the very bureaucratic confusion they aim to resolve.
The interagency PSD team met Tuesday this week. This is the second White House meeting that was expected to finalize the review; this is the second time they have delayed. I hear some agencies (hint: possibly State) wanted more time to review the review. The PSD was initiated last August and was supposed to provide recommendations to the president in January. Nearly one year out, it’s hard to see whether we’re any closer to agreement. Eighteen months into this administration, the delay means President Obama and his team are running out of time not just to issue strategies, but to implement any reforms. The less time there is for the reforms to get traction, the less likely they’ll create any lasting legacy. Read More… 1 Comment »Will Obama’s National Security Strategy Get the Development Policy Ball Rolling?May 25, 2010Posted by Sarah Jane Staats in Rethinking U.S. Foreign Assistance Tags: development policy, presidential study directive
Update: President Obama’s National Security Strategy is now available here. You can also watch Secretary Clinton’s remarks on the new strategy. More analysis here! The Obama administration is set to unveil its National Security Strategy (NSS) this week. President Obama previewed the strategy during his West Point commencement speech (the same venue where former President George W. Bush previewed the 2002 National Security Strategy). The new strategy will cover prevention of nuclear proliferation and terrorism as well as the use of defense, development and diplomacy in the U.S. national security interest. In his West Point remarks, President Obama characterized the challenges of our times as “countering violent extremism and insurgency; stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and securing nuclear materials; combating a changing climate and sustaining global growth; helping countries feed themselves and care for their sick; preventing conflicts and healing wounds.” Read More… Comment »The Other 3Ds: Decapitate, Demote, and Deny USAID?May 11, 2010Posted by Todd Moss in Rethinking U.S. Foreign Assistance Tags: presidential study directive, USAID
This blog entry also appeared on the Huffington Post. Like many U.S. policy watchers, I have been reserving judgment on the administration’s development policy while they staffed up and worked through the PSD and QDDR. The rhetoric and the overall budget have so far been positive signs that development issues will get more attention and the key agencies more of a role in the interagency process. But, at sixteen months and counting, I have a nagging question that I suspect I share with many others: Since when does “elevating development” mean further eroding USAID’s leadership, status, and mandates? Despite all the promises, the much ballyhooed “3D” strategy so far seems to be: Read More… 1 Comment »The Devil’s in the Big PictureMay 11, 2010Posted by Casey Dunning in Rethinking U.S. Foreign Assistance Tags: development policy, presidential study directive, U.S. Development Strategy, USAID
In the past few months many new initiatives have moved from rhetorical promise to concrete plan. The administration and Congress have put forth their proposals and held hearings on global hunger and food security for the new ‘Feed the Future’ Initiative. Last week, Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) Chairman John Kerry and Bob Corker introduced the ‘Haiti Empowerment, Assistance, and Rebuilding Act of 2010’ to legislate and coordinate the many on-going Haiti projects in USAID, the State Department, the Treasury Department and beyond. In February, the administration issued its Global Health Initiative (GHI) consultation document and just recently the SFRC picked up the GHI baton by including directive language in its State Re-Authorization bill. While each of these proposals will no doubt serve its intended sector well, what do initiatives springing up like wildflowers mean for broader U.S. foreign aid reform? Read More… Comment »From Gossip to Good Global DevelopmentMay 11, 2010Posted by Nancy Birdsall in Rethinking U.S. Foreign Assistance Tags: On the Hill, presidential study directive, USAID
In insider Washington there is a battle going on over who will control U.S. global development strategy. The gossip is that it is a White House-State Department fight compounded by a low-level struggle inside State between the secretary’s staff and the old development guard at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In reality, the president, the secretary of state and the head of USAID all want the same thing: stronger development tools to fight poverty and promote prosperity to create a better, safer America and world. Key members of Congress stand ready to offer support. Even Defense Secretary Robert Gates has been arguing for stronger development and diplomatic programs to complement U.S. defense efforts. Read More… 2 Comments » |
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