On March 20, 2013, USAID released the USAID Forward Progress Report. This report is on its attempt to transform as an agency, and how it effective its policies have been implemented thus far. USAID Forward is an important reform initiative by USAID in order to change the agency in order to be more effective on a global scale. The USAID Forward Progress Report was released at an event, which was hosted by American Enterprise Institute (AEI), as well as the Center for American Progress (CAP). President Barack Obama, along with Secretary Hillary Clinton, urged for an increase in foreign development as a part of the United States’ foreign policy, and national security. This occurred three years ago, but is still a prominent issue, hence the USAID Forward Progress Report.
President Obama and Secretary Clinton created a Presidential Policy Directive on Global Development, as well as the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, which was an inspired plan to solve developmental problems on a global scale. As a result, USAID was called to reform their identity and agency in order to be able to meet the higher call for successful foreign development through USAID Forward. The main reforms were to emphasize innovation, create new partnerships, and to have a large focus on results. This reform can be followed on Twitter with the hashtag #USAIDForward, with the user @USAID.
These three cornerstones of the new USAID agency, innovation, partnerships, and results, have been worked on in the past two to three years to form USAID into what it is today. Since 2011, 186 quality evaluations have been completed and made publicly available. The USAID Forward Progress Report also indicates that USAID has doubled its funding in local projects (of various countries), sponsored 4 Grand Challenges, and strengthened its Public Private Partnerships. These are just some of the amazing successes over the past two years, and the full report can be found on the USAID government website.
– Corina Balsamo
Sources: Global Health, USAID, USAID Forward, IB Times
Photo: Flickr