Bureau For Conflict Prevention & Stabilization

The Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) supports U.S. foreign policy objectives by helping local partners advance peace and democracy. OTI provides fast, flexible, short-term assistance targeted at key political transition and stabilization needs.  Strategically designed for each unique situation, OTI has laid the foundation for long-term development by promoting reconciliation, supporting emerging independent media, and fostering peace and democracy through innovative programming. In countries transitioning from authoritarianism to democracy, from violence to peace, or following a fragile peace, OTI’s programs serve as catalysts for positive political change. 

For more information, including where we work, see here.  

Why CPS/OTI?

The challenges confronting the world are nuanced and fast evolving. USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) works with local partners to target key political issues such as conflict, democratic backsliding, violent extremism, and stabilization, delivering high-impact programming in fast-paced contexts. OTI is located within USAID’s Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization (CPS). 

CPS/OTI Engagement Criteria

  • Is the opportunity or threat important to U.S. foreign policy interests?

  • Is there a window of opportunity — a decisive shift in the political landscape that creates an opening to support viable local political will?

  • Can CPS/OTI’s model bring a comparative advantage to support positive political momentum during the crucial period?

  • Does the operating environment allow for CPS/OTI’s systems and processes to be optimized?

Quick Stats

  • 3-4 years Average CPS/OTI program duration 
  • Office Created: 1994 
  • 1,750 Average number of activities in a year worldwide 
  • 3 Average number of CPS/OTI programs that open & close per year 

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LEADERSHIP

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Brittany Updated Headshot

BRITTANY BROWN

Director, Office of Transition Initiatives

Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization

Brittany Brown was appointed by the Biden-Harris Administration to serve as the Director for the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) in the Bureau of Conflict Prevention and Stabilization.

Prior to OTI, Brittany worked as the Chief of Staff at the International Crisis Group after more than a decade in the U.S. Government, working for a range of government agencies, including USAID, the U.S. Departments of Justice, State, and Defense, and both the Obama and Trump White Houses. She served on the staff of the National Security Council as the acting Senior Director for African Affairs under the Trump Administration, and as the National Security Council's Horn of Africa Director under President Obama.

Brittany began her government career as a Presidential Management Fellow with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Before joining the U.S. Government, she worked with juvenile detainees and children in the foster care system. She also managed a GED program for women awaiting trial at Chicago’s Cook County Jail.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology from DePaul University in Chicago and a Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University.

CONTACT

For more information on the Office of Transition Initiatives, email cps.oticomms@usaid.gov.

For media inquiries, please contact the Bureau of Legislative and Public Affairs at press@usaid.gov.