USAID and Department of State Working Together – Effectively and Efficiently
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"[USAID] is the epitome of what I call transformative
diplomacy . . . our job is to be a partner with young democracies and close the gap between
capability and expectation."
– Dr. Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State |
With the issuance of the Joint FY 2004-2009 Strategic Plan and subsequent FY 2006 Joint Performance Plan, USAID and the Department of State are realizing joint objectives and missions based on the foundation of required coordination and integration when it best serves the American public. Together, USAID and the Department of State collaborate to ensure focus on both short-term diplomatic issues as well as longer-term institutional and capacity building efforts.
To achieve the shared goals and priorities, USAID and the Department of State are in the process of replicating the best practice models of field coordination and decision-making, and establishing a more institutionalized process and structure for all key joint policy and program issues. To accomplish this task, joint policy and management councils comprised of senior USAID and Department of State officials have been established.
The Joint Policy Council is ensuring that development programs are fully aligned with foreign policy goals. An Executive Committee and 12 working groups, led by senior Department of State and USAID officials, are addressing ways to improve coordination on key policy and program issues. The working groups cover the six world regions represented by the geographic bureaus and the following functional areas: Democracy, Human Rights, and Justice; Economic Growth; Humanitarian Response; Social and Environmental Issues; Security and Regional Stability; and Public Diplomacy. There are also three crosscutting issue working groups: Foreign Assistance Effectiveness, Outreach to the Muslim World, and Law Enforcement Issues.
The Joint Management Council is overseeing efforts to create more integrated structures to advance the goals of both institutions, support employees, and reduce costs. An Executive Management Committee and eight senior-level working groups are implementing joint business plans that are addressing the following issues: resource management, management services, management processes, information and communication technology, electronic-government (E-Gov), facilities, security, and human capital. Examples of specific accomplishments to date include: synchronizing budget and planning cycles (including information technology (IT) capital planning), providing mutual intranet access, integrating shared administrative support services in the field, increasing coordination with the NGO community on security training, and implementing a pilot program for cross training and assignments.
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