|
This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
In this section:
White Paper Marked New Policy for Effective,
Flexible Aid
White Paper Marked New Policy for Effective, Flexible Aid
Comprehensive policy change is taking root at USAID at the
beginning of President Bush’s second term, following
careful cultivation during the first term.
The new Agency-wide Policy Framework for Bilateral Foreign
Aid is expected to be issued soon, codifying the White
Paper distributed in January 2004. The White Paper is a concise
presentation of goals and principles flowing in part from
the 2003 report, Foreign Aid in the National Interest,
and a proposed USAID response.
Foreign Aid in the National Interest takes a long
view in examining the critical link between national security
and foreign assistance. It lays out the scope and nature of
major development challenges America faces in the next 10–20
years. The report was written primarily by leading development
scholars and academics outside USAID.
- The new USAID policy, like the White Paper, sets five
distinct operational goals for foreign assistance. All five
goals do not apply to every country. A country receiving
disaster assistance, for example, may not be receiving aid
to support reform. The five goals are
- promote transformational development in reasonably stable
countries, characterized by fundamental changes in governance,
economic structure, and human capacity
- strengthen fragile states by supporting reform and stabilization
- support geopolitical interests through aid programs in
countries of high strategic importance
- provide humanitarian relief to meet immediate human needs
in countries afflicted by natural disaster, violent conflict,
political crisis, or persistent dire poverty
- address global issues and other special concerns, such
as HIV/AIDS and support for U.S. trade agreements
Aid effectiveness will now be judged against one of these
discrete objectives—not, as in the past, on general development
criteria. This is particularly significant when the aid is
provided for nondevelopmental purposes.
USAID has already taken many important steps to implement
the White Paper goals, even before formal issuance of the
policy paper.
USAID is promoting transformational development by recommending
higher levels of assistance for better performers and making
greater use of the Transition Initiatives account to address
fragility.
The reformed strategic management process builds in White
Paper goals and principles. Regional and other planning frameworks
are now being developed according to the White Paper’s
five goals. An Agency strategy for fragile states was issued
earlier this year, elaborating on one of the core goals of
the White Paper.
At the High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Paris March
2, Administrator Andrew S. Natsios briefed developing and
donor country ministers and heads of multilateral organizations
on the Fragile States Strategy.
A key principle emphasized was selectivity: choosing countries
where the Agency can best make a difference. Another was flexibility:
moving personnel and resources rapidly when an opportunity
for selective action arises. “The speed with which you
react has a lot to do with whether or not you can prevent
chaos,” said Natsios.
The successful USAID response to the South Asian tsunami
fit well with the White Paper’s goals and guiding principles
for humanitarian aid. The U.S. investment in humanitarian
assistance capabilities made it possible to respond effectively
and avert widespread disease that some forecasters had feared
would add thousands to the already large number of deaths.
The cooperation between USAID and the USS Abraham Lincoln
naval task force fulfilled another guiding principle of the
White Paper: coordination among U.S. agencies. Another key
principle pursued effectively was the emphasis on supporting
local capabilities to respond to disasters.
Back to Top ^
|
RSS Feed for Recent HIV/AIDS WebSource Articles
