This policy on The Development Response to Violent Extremism and Insurgency is the first of its kind produced by USAID. Its pur­pose is to provide a policy framework that USAID can use to improve the effectiveness of its development tools in responding to violent extremism and insurgency, as well as its capacity to interact constructively with its interagency and other partners in these challenging environments. The policy will also help USAID focus more tightly on capacity building and sustainability which are critical to our long­term security and development goals.