Office of Democracy & Governance
The Development Challenge: USAID efforts to strengthen democracy and good governance worldwide reflect the strong emphasis on democracy and good governance in the foreign policy of the United States. Demands on USAID in this area are increasing, due in part to the emphasis from President Bush on extending the benefits of freedom across the globe. The National Security Strategy of the United States and the State/USAID Joint Strategy both prominently feature the U.S. interest in and commitment to promoting democracy and good governance. This emphasis is grounded in recognition that the greatest threat to American interests at home and abroad emanates not from conquering states but from failing ones. In addition there is abundant empirical evidence that democracy and good governance enable, and may even be prerequisites for economic development.
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USAID's efforts to promote democratic development and good governance are challenged by entrenched elites that benefit from a non-democratic status quo. Cultures of impunity, exclusion from participation, political apathy, and tolerance for human rights abuses and inept or corrupt government must be taken on and overcome. When appropriately applied, foreign assistance can help citizens in developing countries attain the "tipping point" threshold of political activism and advocacy that enables them to overcome these challenges and realize the benefits of freedom.
The USAID Program: To promote democracy and good governance USAID implements programs that can be divided roughly into five categories: expanding and strengthening the rule of law; supporting fair and impartial elections and strengthening political processes; developing citizen groups and civil society; Improving the capacity, responsiveness and transparency of governmental institutions; and improving social, economic, and developmental status of targeted vulnerable populations.
Last year (FY 2003), the Office of Democracy and Governance (DG Office) designed, managed or implemented programs costing over $63 million. The DG Office obligated $37.5 million [$22 million in development assistance (DA), $14 million in economic support funds (ESF), and $1.5 million in child survival (CSH) funding], of which only $17 million was original DG Office funding. In addition the DG Office manages substantial funds on behalf of USAID field missions or U.S. embassies in USAID non-presence countries. In FY 2003, over $20.5 million was obligated on behalf of other U.S. Government organizations, including USAID bureaus and missions and the Department of State, and another $27 million in field support was placed in DG Office managed contracts and grants.
The DG Office is USAID's nerve center with respect to democracy and governance. The office and staff help USAID regional bureaus and field missions in planning, designing and implementing DG programs, provide leadership within the agency on democracy and governance with respect to policy as well as design, implementation and evaluation of foreign assistance programs to promote democracy and good governance, train worldwide USAID staff, and represent USAID in the inter-agency and international communities on subjects related to democracy and governance.
The DG Office supported USAID field missions in a wide variety of ways during the course of 2003. Direct support in terms of medium to long-term visits and other staff assignments to priority countries were notable. Technical support was provided to 33 USAID missions in 2003, as DG Office staff assisted with assessments, design and evaluation of DG needs and programs. The DG Office made major contributions to maintain continuous staff coverage in the DG area on-site in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo, and provided comprehensive DG backstopping for Burundi and Sudan, in addition to the regular travel and backstopping services. In addition, the office conducted approximately 19 field assessments determining obstacles and opportunities in promoting democracy and good governance in specific countries. The DG Office also manages over 20 contracts and grants providing mechanisms for USAID missions and other government agencies to implement programs promoting democracy and good governance.
With respect to technical leadership, the DG Office takes a leading role within the agency on a number of U.S. Government priorities. For example, the office has been actively involved in the development of key agency policies on political parties and security sector assistance, as well as its strategy for anti-corruption assistance. In 2003, the DG Office worked closely with the State Department on implementation of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), and with USAID's Policy and Program Coordination Bureau on developing a strategic approach to fragile, failing and failed states. The DG Office continued work on a critical empirical study of democracy assistance, meant to establish a results-based understanding of the comparative efficacy of the numerous methods of promoting democracy and good governance. When complete, it will inform the efforts not only of USAID, but of the entire donor community. The DG Office also broke new ground with its recently released study of campaign finance, often a source of corruption and undue influence in developing countries.
Ensuring that USAID has a capable and informed democracy and governance staff is an important challenge accepted by the DG Office. This training agenda seeks to ensure that all USAID staff involved in design, implementation or evaluation of democracy and governance programs have the opportunity to be informed of the latest thinking on, and to participate in the sharing of ideas related to, political reform in developing countries. In June 2003, the DG Office conducted a world-wide training workshop for new staff (or staff new to democracy and governance), attended by 48 officers from 25 field missions. The workshop covered core areas of democracy and governance such as rule of law, electoral and political processes, civil society, and anti-corruption. In December 2003, the DG Office conducted its annual global training workshop and democracy conference; 90 USAID officers attended the workshop, and over 300 active participants attended the public conference. The workshop sessions featured in-depth examination of strategic planning, rule of law and civil society issues, as well as regional approaches to promoting democracy and good governance. The annual conference has become a significant event in the community of those working to promote democracy and governance; this year's conference addressed the future of foreign assistance. In addition to these major training events, the DG Office continues to serve as the home to DG officers agency-wide, and provides a regular schedule of seminars in core areas for new entry professionals (NEP), presidential management interns (PMI), and other interested staff.
Other Program Elements: Through virtual and on-site technical assistance, the DG Office contributes significantly to the planning, development and implementation of democracy assistance programs in many USAID missions. The DG Office shares methods and technologies, organizes assessments, and contributes to strategies, based on USAID's global experience. The DG Office also works closely with the State Department. In addition to working directly with USAID field missions, the DG Office provides essential contributions to the effort to advance U.S. foreign policy priorities by supporting a number of programs in USAID non-presence countries. These activities allow USAID to meet critical needs in important countries where a USAID mission is not present. The office managed a number of programs in non-presence countries of the Middle East on behalf of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). Other examples include support for a woman's rights program in Afghanistan (prior to the establishment of USAID/Afghanistan), elections administration and assessment assistance to the Cote d'Ivoire, and the DG Office planning and support for de-mobilization and reintegration of former child soldiers in Sudan.
Other Donors: DG Office works to ensure USAID's sustained role as the world's leading development agency in the area of democracy and governance. Major donors in the field include United Nations organizations, the World Bank, the European Community, the Inter-American Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Development Assistant Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Programs supporting vulnerable populations work closely with United Nations Children's Fund, United Nations Development Program/United Nations Office for Project Services, the World Health Organization, the Pan-American Health Organization, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
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