Articles

Below are articles on development happenings, issues, etc. If you have comments on them, please share them with us in the  Forum. If you have articles that you believe would be of general interest to the UAA membership, please submit them here.

• New! Bolton Says ‘Predatory’ China is Outpacing the U.S. in Africa (Washington Post) – He indicated that a full review of U.S. foreign aid is near completion, and will evaluate aid on factors including whether recipients oppose or work against U.S. policies and interests.
• New! USAID’s Proposed Transformation Highlights & Questions (MFAN) –  A summary of the aid effectiveness elements of USAID’s proposal, and questions for Congress and stakeholders to consider.
• New! Guidance Warning Feds Not to Discuss ‘Resistance’ or ‘Impeachment’ at Work Sparks Uproar (Government Executive) – the USG’s enforcer of the Hatch Act issued new guidance this week that moves the ball on several political issues, cautioning federal employees in their use of such slogans as “resistance” and “impeachment.”
• New! Development Agencies: Fit for the Future? (CGD) – Development agencies today are facing complex, unprecedented challenges—rising nationalism, declining multilateralism, and increased risks. How should they proceed?
• New! In a Twist, Trump Fights to Keep Some Palestinian Aid Alive (Associated Press) – Amid signs it may finally roll out its long-awaited Middle East peace plan, the administration is scrambling to save what little remaining Palestinian assistance it provides. Without action, all aid to the region could end in January.
• New! USAID to Create Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (Reuters) – The creation of a new Bureau for Resilience and Food Security will cement momentum behind the global poverty-reduction approach.*
• New! Launch of the Humanitarian Assistance Steering Council (State Dept) – The purpose of the Council is to coordinate U.S. government efforts in order to achieve seamless, efficient, and effective delivery of humanitarian assistance overseas in support of U.S. foreign policy objectives, including promoting burden-sharing and UN humanitarian reform.
• New! The Next Battle for US Aid is About to Begin (Devex) – Shortly, Trump administration will release a foreign assistance review that is expected to set the tone for another round of harsh White House budget proposals in the coming months.
• New! Cash Is Replacing Other Forms of Aid, Even in Conflict Zones (The Economist) – Money has advantages over in-kind aid. Recipients can choose what they want. Most use it wisely. It helps people save, is easier to carry and supports local traders—unlike in-kind aid,
• New! USAID’s New Web Tool Measures How Countries Are Developing With Foreign Aid (Federal News Network) – USAID has deployed a new online tool called the Self-Reliance Country Roadmaps Portal. It lets users look up metrics of low and middle income countries to see how they are progressing towards no longer needing foreign aid.
• New! DHS PDAS John Barsa to be Asst Administrator for USAID/Latin America and the Caribbean (Diplopundit) – Barsa, currently with DHS, will be the next USAID Assistant Administrator for Latin American and the Caribbean.
• New! USAID Administrator Mark Green’s Remarks At The Concordia Summit’s Journey To Self-Reliance Event (USAID) – On September 25, Administrator Green delivered remarks at the Ending the Need for Foreign Assistance event at the 2018 Concordia Annual Summit.
• New! Trump Vows to Reduce Aid to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador As Migrant Caravan Grows (Washington Post) – Trump vows to cut off or “substantially” reduce aid to three Latin American nations, voicing fresh frustration as a growing caravan of migrants that originated in Honduras continued to make its way toward the U.S.-Mexico border.
• New! 23 Charts and Maps that Show the World is Getting Much, Much Better (Vox) – Bleak as politics may be, this is interesting evidence that the world is less bad shape than we may think.
• New! Acting Leader Removed from Agency White House Used to Provide Jobs to Trump Supporters (Washington Post) – The White House has removed the acting chief of the MCC less than two months after he was put in place. He simultaneously serves as a USAID Assistant Administrator.
• New! Internet Connectivity Seen as Having Positive Impact on Life in Sub-Saharan Africa (Pew Research) – Sub-Saharan Africa has experienced dramatic gains in internet use in recent years. Large majorities say this has had a good influence on education in their country, and half or more say the same about the economy, personal relationships and politics.
• New! In Rural Madagascar, Women Face the Ripple Effects of U.S. Abortion Politics (Washington Post) – Madagascar is one of dozens of countries where health providers are facing cutbacks or other disruptions after a dramatic change to foreign aid by the Trump administration.
• New! The World Bank Just Released the First Human Capital Index. The U.S. Did Not Do Well (Fortune) – The World Bank released a global ranking it calls the Human Capital Index, which seeks to measure how well governments enable their people to reach their full potential. Singapore ranked first.
• New! A New US Development Finance Agency Takes Flight (Devex) – The. Senate passed the Better Utilization of Investment Leading to Development, or BUILD Act, which will create a new U.S. government agency — the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. Development. The DFC will combine OPIC and USAID’s Development Credit Authority.
• Which Foreign Aid Programs Work? The U.S. Runs A Test — But Won’t Talk About It (NPR) – USDH Daniel Handel convinced the Rwanda Mission to try an experiment: Take one of USAID’s typical programs and test it against cash aid. The Agency has since tried it in four other countries, but has not shared results with the public.*
• USAID’s Andrew M. Herscowitz and the Power Africa Team Awarded (Diplopundit) – The Service to America Medal’s (Sammies) 2018 WINNER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS is USAID’s Andrew M. Herscowitz and the Power Africa Team.
• USAID at the UN General Assembly (USAID) – Read various comments by Administrator Green on topics such as the battle against tuberculosis and the link between conflict and hunger.
• Trump Keeps Threatening to End Foreign Aid for Disloyal Countries (Washington Post) – The proposals include revoking assistance to countries that do not vote with the U.S. at the UN and those that have developed strong financial ties to China.
• Foreign Aid As a Cash-Only Transaction? It’s Worth a Try. (Washington Post) – A new USAID study compared the traditional approach to foreign aid against just giving the beneficiaries cash — and the results should make us think.
• Melania Trump Will Visit Four Countries On Her first Major International Trip Without the President (Washington Post) – She chose four African countries that have worked alongside USAID to make great progress. See an update on her visit.
• The World Bank’s Latest Tool for Fighting Famine: Artificial Intelligence (Washington Post) – A coalition of international organizations are partnering with tech companies in an effort to prevent future famines using technology.
• Hunger, Not Violence, Fuels Guatemalan Migration Surge, U.S. Says (Washington Post) – Rather than a spike in violence, refugee families at the US border appear to be fleeing a hunger crisis in Guatemala’s western highlands.
• 12 Things We Can Agree On about Global Poverty (Devex)– There is a lot of heat on the topic of global poverty, but fundamentally a lot of agreement, too. Here is an attempt at a brief consensus position.
• Top 15 Recipients of U.S. Foreign Assistance, FY2019 Request (Diplopundit)
• Mark Green On Why He Is an ‘Optimist’ About USAID (Devex) – Green believes that under the right circumstances, the end of a foreign assistance program can be cause for a “massive celebration.”
• America’s Foreign-Aid Budget Has Proved Surprisingly Resilient (The Economist) – The foreign-aid budget for 2018 looked very different from the one the White House asked for. The President proposed a one-third cut. Instead, Congress maintained aid at $35bn, as in 2017, with funding for health and food largely unchanged.
• Destabilizing Rescissions to Foreign Aid Funds Reportedly Halted (MFAN) – MFAN support of efforts of Congress to safeguard predictability for U.S. assistance programs by helping to prevent what would have been an unprecedented, unilateral move by the Trump administration to cancel already appropriated funds without Congressional review.
• Trump Administration Cuts More Than $200 Million in Aid to the Palestinians (Washington Post) – The State Department indicated that the decision followed a review “to ensure these funds are spent in accordance with U.S. national interests and provide value to the U.S. taxpayer.”
• Pentagon, State Alumni Join Brennan Clearance Outcry (Axios) – More than 175 additional alumni of top national security jobs are joining the bipartisan outcry against President Trump’s stripping of former CIA Director John Brennan’s security clearance.
• Trump Administration Is Considering Pulling Back $3 Billion in Foreign Aid (Washington Post) – Senators from both parties are calling questionably legal and promising to resist. To date, no specific programs have been identified as targets.
• Appointed leader Resigns From Foreign Aid Agency Used to Give Jobs to Trump Supporters (Washington Post) – The resignation follows reports that the White House had assumed control over hiring at the MCC.
• The case against a US retreat from international development (Brookings) – Gen. John Allen makes the case for the strategic importance of U.S. foreign assistance.
•  Record Number of Forcibly Displaced People Lived in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2017 (Pew Research Center) – The number of people living in sub-Saharan Africa who were forced to leave their homes due to conflict reached a new high of 18.4 million in 2017, up sharply from 14.1 million in 2016 – the largest regional increase of forcibly displaced people in the world.
•  USAID in Afghanistan: What Have We Learned? (afsa.org) Alumnus Bill Hammink presents lessons from the largest USAID program since Vietnam, a 17-year engagement that has pushed the agency’s capacity to the hilt.
• The White House Is Turning a Nonpartisan Agency Into a Playpen for Trump Loyalists (Washington Post) – A Post editorial on the politicization of the MCC.
• Opposition For Trump’s USAID Alumnus Nominee as State Refugee Chief Gets Louder (Diplopundit) – The White House announced the nomination of former FSO Ronald Mortensen to be the Assistant Secretary of State for the State Department’s  Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.
• White House Uses MCC to Give Jobs to Trump Loyalists (Washington Post) –The White House has assumed control over hiring at the MCC, installing political allies and loyalists in appointed jobs intended for development experts.
• Help Is On the Way for Christian Iraquis (Washington Post) – USAID is finalizing plans for 10 modest reconstruction projects for Christian communities in the Nineveh Plains and for Yazidi villages around Sinjar in northern Iraq.
• What It Will Take to be a Next Generation Development Professional (Devex) – How can today’s development professionals make sure they’re equipped for tomorrow, and what does the next generation of development professionals look like?
• USG, Inc. Attempts to Derail World Health Assembly’s Nonbinding Resolution on Breastfeeding (Diplopundit) – The United States Government attempted to derail a nonbinding resolution on breastfeeding at the World Health Assembly in Geneva.
• As USAID Thinks about Procurement and Program Design, It Should Keep Evidence in Mind (CGD) – Some thoughts about how procurement and program design can help ensure USAID’s interventions are informed by evidence and/or build in opportunities to generate evidence.
• Can Petronia Avoid the Resource Curse? It’s All Up to You in a New Interactive Online Course (Natural Resource Governance Institute) – This “game” enables learners to “play” at influencing resource governance outcomes in a simulated context.
• USAID Self-Reliance Metrics (USAID) – These metrics have been established to assess the sustainable progress countries have made toward lasting development.
• USAID History On Line (USAID) – This website provides a brief overview of the Agency’s history, goals and accomplishments.
• FY19 Foreign Affairs Funding (AFSA) – Take particular note of the comments of Senator Lindsay Graham in para 3.
• US Aid to Fragile States: Where Does the Money Go? (CGD) – This article takes stock of the current landscape of US foreign aid to fragile states and gives an overview of where the money is going, what agencies are involved, and for what purpose(s) the money is given.
• Suffocation in Gaza: UN’s Refugee Agency for Palestinians is Running Out of Cash (The Economist) – You may think that after a dozen years of blockade by Israel, three wars and the rule of a harsh Islamist government, life in Gaza could hardly get worse. But the prospect of another war and a dire shortage of cash to pay for the UN’s Relief and Works Agency mean that it can.
• Under Pressure From Pence, U.S. Aid is Directed to Christian, Yazidi Communities in Iraq (Washington Post) – USAID is poised to send millions of dollars directly to Christians and Yazidis under a rarely used, streamlined funding arrangement pressure from Vice President Pence.
• The Future is African — and the United States Is Not Prepared (Washington Post) – Instead of preparing to build a relationship that can grow with the continent, based upon diplomatic cooperation, the United States is doubling down on more than a decade of reliance on its military as the primary vehicle of engaging with Africa.
• The Grand Bargain: Development Aid in an “Age of Choice” (Borgen) – An important aspect in making sure that development aid is truly improving conditions in recipient countries is tying its distribution to certain political conditions, such as the recipient country adhering to human rights norms and democratic governance.
• Lessons Learned From the U.S. Experience in Afghanistan (Brookings) – This is an overview of the fourth lessons-learned report from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan. It examines the U.S. stabilization effort in Afghanistan from 2002 through 2017.
•  5 Takeaways From the USAID Supply Chain Hearings (Devex) – Following the issuance of the largest USAID contract ever, Lawmakers asked the Agency to provide more information about the contracting process, the consequences of delayed delivery, and to clarify what options are available to hold the implementer accountable.
• Former Acting USAID Administrator Warren Shares His Insights on the Agency’s Evolving Role (Devex) – Wade’s observations as he retires from the Agency.
• CRS Report on US Foreign Aid (Congressional Research Service) – This report provides an overview of the U.S. foreign assistance program by answering frequently asked questions. It is intended to provide a broad view of foreign assistance over time.
• USAID/OIG Takes First Stab in Autopsy of Tillerson’s State/USAID Redesign (Diplopundit) – USAID/OIG reviewed the Agency’s process in developing reform plans and compliance with congressional notification requirements. This is the first official accounting available on what transpired during the Tillerson redesign project.
• MFAN Co-Chair George Ingram Testifies on Modernizing Development Finance (MFAN) – More re. the BUILD Act.
• Development Finance Bill Moves Forward in Legislative Process (Devex) – The BUILD Act, the bill that would create a new United States development finance corporation, has moved closer to passage.
• Bipartisan Advances in International Development Defy Conventional Wisdom (Center for American Progress) –  Congressional Republicans and Democrats have collaborated on significant pieces of legislation that have made international development one of the most fruitful areas of agreement and reform in American public policy over the past several years.
• Worrisome Trends for Democracy in Latin America (Foreign Service Journal) – Widespread corruption, crime and a lack of security, education, employment and basic services are driving a loss of faith in democracy throughout the continent. A thoughtful piece from USAID alum Alexi Panehal.
• House Democrats Say They Have Proof State Dept. Staff Was Pushed Out Over Disloyalty to Trump (Washington Post)– Two top House Democrats said they have proof the Trump administration engaged in an intentional effort to rid the State Department of career officials they suspected of being “disloyal” to President Trump.
• A First Look at USAID’s Redesign Plan (Brookings) – George Ingram’s take on USAID’s realigned structure. His bottom line: Administrator . Green and his USAID colleagues should be commended for producing a restructuring plan that is rational and innovative, and for making it public before it is finalized.*
• The USAID Reorganization in Power Point (USAID) – This will provide some of the detail and background that are in in the Devex articles below.
• Rightsizing the Relationship Between the State Department and USAID (Brookings) – The core of the problem is the lack of agreement on the respective roles of the two agencies. The differences are stark at a conceptual level, but clouded when confronting practical decision making involving influence and power.
• USAID Chief Unveils Major Organizational Shakeup (Devex) – The new organizational chart calls for the consolidation of a number of Agency offices and functions, and a more unified approach to budgeting and management.
• Russia’s Nefarious Meddling Is Nothing Like Democracy Assistance (Washington Post) – With revelations of Russia’s attempts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election, a specious narrative has come back into circulation: that Moscow’s campaign of political warfare is no different from U.S.-supported democracy assistance.
• USAID to Unveil New Organizational Chart (Devex) – The restructuring will aim to strengthen and elevate humanitarian assistance, consolidate and elevate resilience, connect budget and strategy, and have a more field-focused presence.
• How Bangladesh Vanquished Diarrhoea (The Economist) – Its GDP per person is barely half India’s, but it has a lower child-mortality rate.
• John Bolton: The Essential Profile (Lobe Log) – From PPC head to National Security Advisor, learn more about the latest Trump nominee.
• Head of USAID Defends Big Cuts in Foreign Aid Budget (Washington Post) – Even the harshest critics of Trump’s budget proposal expressed admiration for Green as he struggled to put a good face on what he could do with a third of his funding gone.
• Last, Best Chance for Food Aid Reform? (CGD) – A new bill offers legislation that would reform US international food aid to deliver more help and faster to more people in crisis.
• Congress again rejects steep cuts to US foreign Assistance in New Budget (Devex) – Congress released a budget that largely maintains U.S. foreign aid funding at fiscal year 2017 levels, rejecting the steep cuts proposed by the Trump administration.
• At the State Department, Diplomats Prepare for a Dramatic Shift in Style (Washington Post) – Diplomats and civil servants at State expressed relief and trepidation after the stunning firing of Rex Tillerson, whose tenure as Secretary was one of the most contentious in recent memory.
• China Sets Up New Foreign Aid Agency to Better Project Influence Abroad (The Economist) – The move is designed to give full play to foreign aid as a key means of major-country diplomacy, enhance its coordination and better serve the nation’s diplomatic strategy.
• Debt Is Creeping Up in Sub-Saharan Africa (Economist) – The median debt-to-GDP ratio in the region is back over 50%.
• What a New US Development Finance Institution Needs to Succeed (Devex) – A bipartisan group of senators and representatives introduced the Better Utilization of Investment Leading to Development (BUILD) Act, which, if enacted, would create a new agency called the United States International Development Finance Corporation. The IDFC would absorb OPIC and several functions performed by USAID.
• Lucky That Time: Escapes from Animals (Foreign Service Journal) – Over the course of a Foreign Service lifetime, alum John Pielemeier has had dangerous encounters with at least seven different species of animal—and survived them all. This entertaining article describes a few of those.
• The Olympics of Foreign Assistance (GLC) – An easily absorbed presentation of some remarkable stories about how our overseas programs are a win for America and the world.
• Why the Marshall Plan Spooked the Soviets and Sparked the Cold War (Washington Post) – A new book tells the story of not just the development of the Marshall Plan but also the division of Germany and the founding of NATO.
• President Trump’s FY19 Budget Repeats Reckless Cuts to Foreign Aid Effectiveness (MFAN) – Trump’s proposed 30 percent cut from FY17 levels to the International Affairs Budget is out of step with global needs and U.S. interests. These deep and disproportionate cuts would threaten our national security and diminish America’s standing in the world.
• StateDept’s Mandatory Harassment Training (Diplopundit) – A training video.
• Tillerson Scales Back State Department Restructuring Plan (Politico) – After resistance from diplomats and lawmakers, the Secretary of State is lowering expectations for his new “Impact Initiative.”  Far from swinging a wrecking ball, Tillerson looks ready to tap with a hammer and chisel.
• Airborne Lifeline’s Johnathan Miller to be Asst Administrator For USAIDAfrica (Diplopundit) – Airborne has provided scheduled air transport of medical personnel to remote medical facilities in several Southern African countries. Miller also served in the Peace Corps, NSC and State.
• The Link Between Foreign Aid and Domestic Social Spending (Brookings) – Do countries that spend more on their own domestic social priorities spend less on ODA? This article makes the case for the opposite.
• Why pegging US Foreign Assistance to Countries’ UN Votes is a Bad Deal (Brookings) – In his State of the Union, Trump asked Congress for legislation to ensure that “American foreign-assistance dollars always serve American interests, and only go to friends of America, not enemies of America.”
• State/OIG “Looking Into” Reported Political Targeting of Career Employees (Diplopundit) – Members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, have called on State OIG to look into reports of violations of personnel policies and political retribution against Department employees.*
• StateDept Launches New System of Records to Capture All Emails (Diplopundit) – The purpose of doing this is to be better able to search records and to reveal leakers.
• For US Aid Groups, Shutdowns Are Just One Piece of a Bigger Problem (Devex) – Unpredictable budgets have hobbled long-term planning, and U.S. country offices have responded in different ways, creating inconsistency and incoherence that humanitarian and development organizations still have to cope with.
• Senators Seek Review/Analysis of @StateDept and @USAID Sexual Harassment and Assault Data (Diplopundit) – This is an action that has widespread support.
• U.S. Withholds Millions of Dollars in Promised Palestinian Food Aid (Foreign Policy) – As a result, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency is now confronted with a massive unpaid bill at a time when it is facing huge cuts from the Trump administration for its education and health care programs.
• MFAN Recommendations Embedded in New Accountability Guidance for U.S. Aid Agencies (MFAN) – These suggestions set standards pertaining to monitoring, evaluation, and learning for all U.S. foreign assistance agencies.
• Tillerson’s State Overhaul Faces Mutiny as USAID Weighs Role (Bloomberg) – USAIDs participation in the Tillerson reorganization group has been suspended. There been broad frustration about communication with the Secretary over the redesign and confusion about its goals.
• USAID Transforms (State Dept. Blog) – Some notes from USAID Administrator Mark Green.
• How Can USAID Work Itself Out of a Job? Ideas for Smart Strategic Transitions (CGD) – There is now renewed attention on the question of how to responsibly and sustainably transition countries away from traditional, grant-based development assistance.
• U.S. Ambassador to Panama John Feeley Resigns From the Foreign Service Over Trump Policies (Diplopundit) – U.S. Ambassador to Panama John Feeley, a 28-year veteran of the Foreign Service, tendered his resignation over Administration policies he is no longer able to support and defend.
• Former A/AID Henrietta Holsman Fore Named UNICEF Executive Director (Devex) – Fore will take over for Anthony Lake, whose term as UNICEF executive director ends on Dec. 31.
• USAID in Afghanistan: Challenges and Successes (Relief Web) Cogent analysis from alumnus Bill Hammink.
• #MeToo in Aid Agencies (Tufts Now) – A new report suggests that sexual assault is pervasive within the ranks of humanitarian groups.
• Tillerson Announces “Immediate Changes” From Redesign (Diplopundit) – State and USAID email addressbooks to be combined and other administrivial changes.
• Gayle Smith’s Blueprint for an Activist Humanitarian Community (Devex) – Such a community will empower aid workers to convince politicians that the humanitarian sector needs their support more so than ever.
• USAID Anticipates @StateDept Hiring Freeze Will Last At Least Through End of FY2018  (Diplopundit) – It also has told Congress that it is considering whether to seek waivers from the Secretary of State to fill several additional positions
• USAID Reinstates Pre-Employment Status of FSO Candidates After Congressional Interest (Diplopundit) – Several USAID FSO candidates have received the message that supersedes the job cancellation notification issued in October:
• USAID Announces a New Development Impact Bond (Devex) – USAID Administrator Mark Green, will announce a new development impact bond aimed at reducing maternal and newborn deaths in India.
• Much of the Money Donated After Disasters Is Stolen (Economist) – To make theft less common, governments and donors must admit its scale.
• Foreign Service Grievance Board: Members as of November 3, 2017 (Diplopundit) – After a long delay in filling vacancies, the Administration has moved forward.
• USAID’s Job Cancellations Raise Questions About Its Staffing Future and Operations (Diplopundit) – Questions include the future of the Agency, its ability to perform its mission, and the great expense that is the consequence of not moving forward.
• Curing USAID (The American Interest) – Alum Jeffrey Cochrane tells us that USAID needs to reclaim its original mission and stop trying to do everything at once. This would be better for the bureaucracy and better for those it’s trying to help.

• State to Offer Buyouts to First 641 Employees Who Agree to Leave by April 2018 (Diplopundit) – It is reported that State will soon offer a $25,000 buyout to diplomats and staff members who quit or take early retirements.
• A Letter From AFSA President Barbara Stephenson (AFSA) – The focus is on the extent and impact of the loss of experienced and new FSOs.
• State Redesign Briefing Presents Five “Guiding Beliefs” and Five “Key Outcomes”  (Diplopundit) – A State Department top official recently did a redesign presentation to ranking officials. The presentation described five State and USAID “Guiding Beliefs” for the Tillerson redesign.
• When Criticism Falls on Deaf Ears: The Case of U.S. Foreign Aid (Foreign Service Journal) – Alum Thomas Dichter explains that, although economists and practitioners have questioned the theory behind foreign assistance to underdeveloped countries for more than four decades, the aid industry is bigger and stronger than ever today.
• White House Taps Pence Associate to Run Foreign Service (Foreign Policy) –The Administration has nominated an associate of VP Mike Pence to be Director General of the Foreign Service, a position normally reserved for senior career diplomats, prompting fears that this will further politicize American diplomacy.
• After Months of Waiting, USAID Foreign Service Applicants See Opportunities Vanish (Devex) – 97 FS applicants who were already in USAID’s pre-employment process received emails informing them that the positions they applied for no longer exist.
• State Department Support for Diplomats With Children With Disabilities is Contracting (Washington Post) – State has been quietly withdrawing financial support for diplomat families of children with special needs, effectively forcing some to serve overseas without their children or leave the Foreign Service.
• Gatekeepers Say Gender-Neutral Pronouns Pose ‘Deadly Danger’ for the French Language (Washington Post) – France’s highest authority on language fears that French is in “mortal peril” over attempts to make the language a little less complex and a little less, well, male-dominated.
• Pence Says US to Stop Funding ‘Ineffective’ UN Relief Efforts (The Hill) – He said that President Trump has instructed State to stop funding certain “ineffective” United Nations relief efforts and to instead provide humanitarian assistance directly through USAID and “faith-based groups.”
• Authors of Six Major Aid Proposals Release Unified Plan for State Department and USAID Redesign (MFAN) – The unified proposal lends more specificity to the ten common themes MFAN identified among the various redesign structures.
• The Birthplaces of African Leaders Receive an Awful Lot of Aid (Economist) – Much of it comes from China.
• Barack Obama on How To Convince a Nation that Development Is a Bargain (Devex) – Obama called for public education that tells a good story and pointed out that aid is “actually a bargain” — and that it is intrinsically linked with security: “If you’ve got failed states, then generally some of that is going to spill over on us…”
• Meeting the North Korean Nuclear Challenge (National Security Forum) – Co-authored by alumnus Ted Morse, this article explores a very different policy and action approach to North Korea’s nuclear capability.
• Career Diplomacy: Life and Work in the US Foreign Service (Diplopundit) – This book, now in its third edition, offers an insider’s guide to the Foreign Service as an institution, a profession, and a career. It provides an up-to-date, authoritative, and candid account of the life and work of professional US diplomats.
• Despite Proposed Budget Cuts, Officials Say the U.S. Is Committed to Humanitarian Aid (Washington Post) – There are six disaster assistance response team currently dispatched by USAID to countries struck by disasters, both natural and man-made. “America is and will remain the world’s leading humanitarian donor,” said Mark Green, the head of USAID.
• Loving USAID to Death (Lobelog) – For those who recall the relentless attacks on the U USAID throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, the recent outpouring of support for the institution and its mission is simply stunning. Another insightful analytical piece from alumna Diana Ohlbaum.
• As the Death Toll Climbs in Sudan, Officials Shy Away From the ‘Cholera’ Label (Washington Post) – State and USAID are related agencies, but there is an odd disconnect in how they have described a looming public health emergency in the African country of Sudan. A report from the Post’s Fact Checker.
• World Hunger Worsens As War, Climate Shocks Hit Food Access (Washington Post) – The number of people suffering from hunger last year rose at the fastest pace since at least the beginning of this century, as conflicts and climate-related issues curbed access to food.
• Top consensus points for State and USAID (Global Leadership Coalition) – This “Report on Reports” is a comprehensive analysis of over 60 reports from top think tanks and national security experts on tackling the key issues facing the State Department, USAID, and beyond.
• State Department Reform Report (Atlantic Council) – This report recommends reform of the State Dept. to restore its historical mission of leading the development and execution of US foreign policy. It encourages that USAID’s standalone status be maintained. For a Washington Post overview of the report, click here.
• United States to Give Ethiopia $91 Million in Drought Aid for Food and Medicine (Washington Post) – As the country experiences its third straight year of drought, this extra funding will bring U.S. aid for food and medical care in Ethiopia to $454 million this year.
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Approves FY2018 State & Foreign Ops Appropriations Bill  (Diplopundit) – The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs announced that it approved a $51.35 billion appropriations bill that is $10.7 billion above the President’s request, but it is $1.9 billion below fiscal year 2017. Re. any State Department reorganization/redesign, the bill provides for notifications and consultations with the subcommittee on proposed changes.
• USAID Administrator Green Visits Darfur (Washington Post) – U.S. considers lifting sanctions on Sudan.
• House Dem Warns Guatemala’s Foreign Aid in Peril (The Hill) – Guatemala’s President has ordered the head of the U.N. anti-corruption commission out of the country. The US Congress threatens an impact on continued aid.
• 13 Recommendations for Reforming America’s Foreign Aid (The Hill) – The Heritage Foundation will soon publish a detailed report with extensive analysis of the current dysfunctional state of U.S. government foreign assistance programs. This article highlights the report’s 13 recommendations to reform U.S. foreign aid.
• U.S. holds up military aid to Egypt over human rights concerns (Washington Post) – $195 million in military aid for Egypt has been withheld and almost $96 million in other aid for the impoverished country has been completely withdrawn as a sign of displeasure over human rights concerns and a new law placing strict restrictions on aid groups working in the country.
• Dear Administrator Green: A Five-Step Vision for the Future of USAID (The Hill) –  Here are five recommendations for the new A/AID as he faces challenges both internally and from an increasingly violent world.
• Foreign Aid Experts seething after Key State, USAID Meeting (Foreign Policy) – A recent meeting between U.S. officials and NGO leaders to discuss the future of foreign assistance quickly devolved into disarray.
• Former Diplomats Warn Against Merger of State Department and USAID Crisis Roles (Washington Post) – A bipartisan group of former diplomats and other officials warned against a merger of the roles of State and USAID. “Consolidation of the functions of either agency into the other would be a significant error,” the report advises. “Each has functions that are inherent in its organizational mission.”
• A History of American Public Opinion on Foreign Aid (Devex) – A sitting U.S. president has calculated that there would be no significant political fallout to gutting America’s aid programs. A John Norris look at the history of public opinion toward foreign assistance helps explain why and is essential in helping the community come to grips with where it now finds itself.
• Bush removed it. Obama reinstalled it. Will a plaque honoring Hillary Clinton stay in place under Trump?  (Washington Post) – The 800 lb. Plaque in the USAID lobby has a rather convoluted history, with an on-again, off-again presence in the Ronald Reagan Building.
• Some Re-Design Concerns (Diplopundit) – Read-out from a town hall with the Deputy SecState, which includes a substantial portion on the (im)probability of a State/USAID merger.
• Rex Tillerson Is a Huge Disappointment (Washington Post) – If Cabinet members are to be judged by the gap between expectation and performance, Rex Tillerson is among the worst. Op ed piece by Michael Gerson.
• The Vital Role of International Development Organizations (politicsay.com) – International development’s relevance in the world has never been more apparent. Development groups and organizations are important supporters of diplomacy throughout the world.
• And the Foreign Affairs Reorganization Fight Is On! (LobeLog) – More analysis from Diana Ohlbaum: Buffeted by a double whammy of restructuring proposals—one from the White House recommending a transfer of the State’s Population, Refugees, and Migration Bureau (PRM) to the Department of Homeland Security, another from development experts recommending a merger of PRM’s programs into USAID—the heavyweights are striking back.
• A Bevy of Good Ideas on Foreign Aid Reform….If Anyone’s Listening (LobeLog) – Reorg analysis from alum Diana Ohlbaum: There are lots of difficult problems with no good solutions. Foreign aid isn’t one of them.  For starters, the system works, even if it’s not particularly efficient, or popular with the public. It can be enhanced with small tweaks if a wholesale make-over proves unrealizable.
• A Foreign Assistance Philosophy for an Era of Limited Resources (Washington Post) – A profile of USAID Administrator Mark Green.
• Mark Green Takes Office as the USAID Administrator: Here he highlights his vision for USAID in a welcome video. Also, learn more about the experiences that have shaped his perspectives on US foreign assistance in the 7 Facts You Might Not Know About USAID’s New Administrator blog.
• Where is the Opening for Aid Reform? (Lobelog) – USAID alumna Diana Ohlbaum reviews a recent CSIS think piece on increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of U.S. foreign assistance.*
• The Politics of Foreign Aid (Brookings) – Many voices in US society who understand the stakes of America’s global leadership and the value of foreign assistance are speaking up—educating, engaging, and mobilizing.
• How the Trump Administration Broke the State Department (Foreign Policy) – Morale has hit rock bottom at Foggy Bottom, as Foreign Service officers languish and Rex Tillerson builds a mini-empire.
• What “America First” Means for US Foreign Aid (Brookings)– Brookings experts have dispelled myths about foreign aid and explained why development assistance is important for recipient countries as well as for U.S. security.
• State Department Considers Scrubbing Democracy Promotion From its Mission (Washington Post) –  The current drafts are similar to the old mission statement, except for one thing — any mention of promoting democracy is being eliminated.
• A Practical Vision for US Development Reform (CGD) – US foreign assistance should focus on four core development priorities: state fragility, inclusive growth, global health, and humanitarian assistance. Within these priority areas, 14 immediately actionable reforms would increase US development effectiveness and efficiency.
• ‘Rexit’ From (the Departure of the SecState) Is Now a Thing (Diplopundit) – Some sources say they would not be surprised if there was a “Rexit” from Foggy Bottom before the end of the year.
• A Practical Vision for US Development Reform (Center for Global Development) – To advance US values and foreign policy interests, while maintaining relevance in a changing global development landscape, this paper recommends organizing the US development architecture around four focal areas: State Fragility, Inclusive Growth, Global Health, and Humanitarian Assistance.
• Five Myths About the Foreign Service (Washington Post) – What we are vs. what people may think we are. In addition, read a commenting letter from alum Steve Callahan, pointing out that USAID officers also are Foreign Service.
• USAID and State: On Marrying Bears and Frogs (RealClearDefense) – The debate continues to rage over how to integrate USAID into the Department of State.  It’s the wrong debate—again—but for now, it has captured the city’s imagination.  
• SFRC Grills D/S Sullivan About State FY18 Reauthorization Bill and Reorganizational Plans (Diplopundit) – He assured senators that there is no predetermination in absorbing USAID in State.
• House bill would cut State Department funding by 14 percent (The Hill) – The House Appropriations Committee proposed a spending bill that would cut 14 percent at the State Department in fiscal 2018 from current levels, half the reduction suggested by the White House.
• America’s Glorious Guilt (Washington Post)- OpEd by Michael Gerson:  In an era of “America first,” we are sometimes better than our slogans. The assertion is still shocking: that a life on the other side of the world is created equal — honestly, objectively, God-blessedly equal — to our own.
• How to Deter North Korea (NY Times) – A letter to the editor by Alumnus Len Rogers.
• Is a More Prosperous World More Secure? Not as Trump Sees It (NY Times) – Since the end of World War II, American foreign policy has understood the role of economic development in the prevention of conflict around the world. President Trump isn’t buying.
• A New Foreign Aid Architecture Fit for Purpose (MFAN) – This discussion draft is intended to inform ongoing efforts around potential reform of U.S. aid agencies. It proposes to consolidate four agencies and several major State Department units into two new focused agencies: a Global Development Agency (GDA) and a Development Finance Corporation (DFC).
• Cuts to A.I.D. Budget (NY Times) – A letter to the editor by Alumnus John Champagne.
• US giving $638M aid to Yemen, Somalia, Nigeria, South Sudan (ABC News) – Regional conflict has helped to cause what the UN calls the world’s largest humanitarian crisis in more than 70 years. This assistance was approved by Congress months ago, but had been delayed by the Trump administration.
• State/USAID Listening Tour Report This report, commissioned by SecState Tillerson, is intended, among other things, to inform any future reorganization decisions.
• Foreign Aid: Fading Faith in Good Works (The Economist) – Aid brought Liberia back from the brink. It also weakened its fledgling government.
• Trump Administration Wants to Rally World to Stop ‘Four Famines’ (Politico) – Food and water shortages, caused by conflict as well as climate, are threatening to tip parts of Yemen, Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan into famine. The White House is planning to rally other governments to do more to prevent the calamity
• Trump Abandons Plan for New Food Aid Rules (The Hill) – President Trump will not pursue an executive order that would have required all U.S. food aid to be transported on U.S.-flagged ships. Doing so would have increased food aid costs and significantly slowed the amount of time it would take the food to reach beneficiaries.
• Tillerson Wants to Merge the State Dept. and USAID. That’s a Bad Idea. (Washington Post) In his always cogent style, former Administrator Andrew Natsios tells us why.
• Foreign Aid is About US Interests (Foreign Policy) – American foreign aid has never just been about merely doing good. Ever since the end of World War II, it has always also been recognized to be in our own interest.
• What Can Fiction Reveal About Development? (Devex) –  Fiction can build depth, richness and empathy to the concepts development professionals grapple with daily.
• The IMF is Back in Africa (The Economist) – Falling commodity prices mean that loans are needed, overcoming distrust built up during the age of structural adjustment.
• Why I Resigned from the Foreign Service (Washington Post) – “When the administration decided to withdraw from the Paris agreement on climate change, however, I concluded that…I could not in good conscience be involved in any way with the implementation of that decision.”
• State Dept Releases New Sexual Assault Guidance For COM Personnel & Facilities Outside the United States (Diplopundit) – This is now a part of the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM).
• Both Sides Back Former GOP U.S. Rep. Mark Green at Confirmation Hearing for U.S. Foreign Aid Post (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) – Senators from both parties signaled their support for former ambassador and Wisconsin congressman Mark Green. Read Green’s opening statement here.
• Five Myths About Famine (Washington Post) – As we are facing one of the worst humanitarian food crises since World War II, former Administrator Gayle Smith rebuts some often mis-held conceptions.
• Ex-USAID Officer Pleads Guilty to Steering Contract to Close Friend (Washington Post) – BethAnne Moskov, 53, of Silver Spring, faces up to a year and a day in prison at Aug. 28 sentencing.  She was deputy director for the USAID office of health, infectious disease and nutrition from 2012 to 2016.
• Foreign Assistance Agency Briefs (CGD) – CGD is providing briefing folders to every congressional office this week so that when Members and staff begin to consider the administration’s budget proposal for foreign assistance programs, they will have a solid guide on-hand to help them parse the details.
• Senators Young and Shaheen to Co-Chair CSIS Congressional Task Force On Reform And Reorganization Of U.S. Development Assistance (CSIS) – The task force is bipartisan and consists of former Bush administration and Obama administration officials, as well as retired senior State and USAID Foreign Service Officers.  It will identify actionable steps that the Trump administration and the Congress can take to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability.
• Atwood Speech on the Achievements of the OECD Development Assistance Committee – The former USAID Administrator and chair of the OECD development assistance committee (DAC) gave the Kate Hamburger Lecture in Duisberg, Germany.
• Colin Powell: American Leadership — We Can’t Do It for Free (NY Times OpEd) – Being a great nation has always meant a commitment to building a better, safer world — not just for ourselves, but for our children and grandchildren. The administration’s proposal to slash approximately 30 percent from the State Department and foreign assistance budget signals an American retreat, leaving a vacuum that would make us far less safe and prosperous. While it may sound penny-wise, it is pound-foolish.
• Foreign Aid Under the Ax in State Department Budget Proposal (Washington Post) – SecState Tillerson said the proposal reflects Trump’s goal of a leaner, more efficient government that prioritizes national security and U.S. economic interests. Dropped would be more than two dozen countries now receiving assistance and direct the rest not to nations most in need but those deemed most critical to U.S. national security.
•  All In: Tillerson on Trump’s FY2018 State and USAID Budget (Devex) – The Secretary released a statement calling the proposed -32% budget for his agency “responsive to the realities of the world in the 21st century.”
• USAID FY18 Budget Request Fact Sheet This version focuses on the full portion of the cup.
• Guiding Principles for Effective U.S. Assistance (MFAN) Some guiding principles to be considered in thinking about the forthcoming reorganization plan for U.S. foreign assistance.
• USAID Exploring Food Aid, Disaster Assistance Merger for Trump Reorganization (Devex) – USAID is exploring a merger of its disaster assistance and food assistance offices. This would be done as part of the Agency’s contribution to the restructuring plan the Trump administration is requiring federal agencies to submit by June 30.
• George W Bush’s man in Africa handed tough challenge by Donald Trump (The Guardian) – Donald Trump has achieved what could be seen as a first under his presidency: choosing someone to lead a government agency who has met with bipartisan approval.
• To ‘Protect Life’, State Department Rolls Out Women’s Health Policy Critics Call a ‘Death Warrant’ (Foreign Policy) – The “Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance” policy places new restrictions not just on funds that go to family planning assistance, but also money that supports malaria eradication, maternal and child health, and AIDS prevention and treatment.amounts to a heavy dose of comfort that comes with a familiar name and a clear and sound track record as a development policymaker.
• Foreign Aid Advocates and Fiscal Hawks All Like Trump’s Nominee to Head USAID (Washington Post) – Mark A. Green serves as a rebuttal to the hyper-partisanship of Washington. From across the ideological spectrum came effusive praise for the Trump administration’s nominee (see the official announcement).
• A Growing Share of Aid is Spent by Private Firms, Not Charities (Economist) – Nearly a quarter of USAID spending in 2016 went to for-profit firms, a share that was two-thirds higher than in 2008.
• A Guide for Secretary Tillerson: Let State Focus on Diplomacy, USAID Be Accountable for Assistance (Brookings) – Thoughts from George Ingram. Where development is paramount, development needs to be in the driver’s seat. Where foreign policy imperatives are overriding, diplomacy is the driver and USAID should have a voice on targeting and implementation.
• The Future of US Aid (Devex) – This page contains many interesting articles assessing the impact of anticipated cuts and policy shifts.
• What Trump’s Foreign-Aid Budget Means to the Rest of the World (The Atlantic) – The proposed 31% cut affects the U.S. bilateral foreign aid, funding for the UN, World Bank, and other international institutions; and State’s diplomatic duties. US friends and allies in the developing world now have tangible evidence of what they had feared since Trump’s election: the withdrawal of the US from active world international leadership.
• U.S. Foreign Aid: A Waste of Money or a Boost to World Stability? (LA Times) – It has long been a divisive issue: how much money the United States gives to foreign nations in aid, what kind of effect development assistance actually has on recipient nations, and whether America should be involved in the aid-giving business at all.
• Expected USAID Pick Ex-GOP Rep Mark Green Lost in the Trump Jungle (Diplopundit) – Former GOP Rep. Mark Green is the Trump administration’s expected pick to lead the USAID, but has struggled to close a deal with the Trump administration.
• Trump Administration Plans StateDept-USAID Merger and Deep Program Cuts (Diplopundit) – Senior USAID officials have told staff that the agency is attempting to cope with the steep cuts by prioritizing its field offices abroad over its offices in Washington. Nonetheless, the agency still anticipates that the budget proposal will necessitate eliminating 30 to 35 of its field missions.
• Foreign Aid Reform: Opportunity or Threat? (lobelog.com) – 4 of 4 from Ohlbaum. By proposing to eliminate USAID, reorganize and downgrade State, and institute draconian cuts to diplomacy and development, Trump is in effect rejecting the concept of “soft power,” leaving it to the military to promote and defend U.S. national interests abroad.
• Disparaging Diplomacy (lobelog.com) – 3 of 4 from Ohlbaum. The Trump administration’s steady stream of assaults on diplomacy has become a raging river. Decisions on reorganization and staffing have been made before a review has been completed.
• Dismantling USAID (lobelog.com) – 2 of 4 from Ohlbaum. Attempts to do away with USAID are not new, nor limited to Republican administrations. However, consolidation of USAID into State is, and always has been, a power play, not a cost-cutting measure. It’s not about making aid more efficient or effective. It’s about making aid more political.
• US Diplomacy and Development Aid: Death by a Thousand Cuts (lobelog.com) – In this first of four articles, alumna Diana Ohlbaum assesses the implications of the draft Trump FY 18 budget.
• The End of Foreign Aid as We Know It (Foreign Policy) – Trump budget would gut development assistance and fold USAID into State.
• Sub-Saharan Africa: Key Issues, Challenges, and U.S. Responses (Congressional Research Service) – To date, regarding Africa, Administration policy in general and aid policy in particular are uncertain. This item reviews the facts and factors that would help inform such decisions.*
• The Case for Keeping USAID and the State Department Separate (U.S. Global Leadership Coalition) – Bringing USAID directly under the control of State not only would risk jeopardizing the long-term strategic arm of America’s national security toolkit but would likely make U.S. development assistance less, rather than more, effective.
• A Primer on U.S. Foreign Aid (Council on Foreign Relations) – What it is, why it is, and how much it costs.
• Number of Women Leaders Around the World Has Grown, But They’re Still a Small Group (Pew Research) – Most of the world’s nations never have had a female leader.
• Nervous State Department Workers Prepare for Major Restructuring (Politico) – Career staff are reading budget documents and a Heritage Foundation report to figure out where the biggest cuts are coming.
• The Damage Already Done to the Foreign Assistance Budget (CGD) – The White House has decided to politicize foreign assistance in a way that we have not seen for over 30 years.
• MFAN in Defense of Foreign Aid (MFAN) – A broad range of evidence and thought regarding aid effectiveness.
• The War on Poverty: Fewer, But Still With Us (The Economist) – The world has made amazing progress in eradicating extreme poverty. The going will be much harder from now on.
• Trump Seeks Further Funding Cuts From State Dept/USAID, This Time From 2017 Budget (Diplopundit) – In next month’s Continuing Resolution, the Trump Administration is seeking cuts from the FY2017 budget.  The “savings” from the proposed cuts in the current fiscal year will reportedly also go to DOD for additional military spending, and to help build that wall.?
• Trump’s America First Budget Puts Africa Last (Foreign Policy) – Sub-Saharan Africa is grappling with record levels of displacement and hunger due to conflict and drought, but President Donald Trump is proposing “deep cuts to foreign aid” that would hit this continent the hardest.
• Results Measurement and the Case for Aid (CGD) – At a moment when the case for maintaining aid budgets is being fundamentally questioned, we might do well to ponder how we measure and communicate results. Broad audiences don’t know about unprecedented progress in poverty reduction and human development in recent decades.
• USAID Should Further U.S. Interests, Not ‘Safe Spaces’ (Wall St. Journal) – During the Obama years, USAID was prominent in sectors like LGBTI rights, abortion and “social justice”—promoting agendas that were neither supported by segments of the U.S. population nor of clear benefit to American national interests. It now will need to reassess all existing programs to determine which ones are actually advancing U.S. interests.
• Aid to Fragile States: The Central African Conundrum (The Economist) – Providing foreign aid to chaotic countries is both necessary and hazardous. It can be done better.

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