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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.

• Primer on USAID (CGD) – What the Agency does and how it does it.
• Proposed Cuts to Foreign Assistance Will Reverse
  Decade-Long Bipartisan Reform Effort (MFAN) – The Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network is gravely concerned over the proposed 31% cut from FY17 levels to the International Affairs Budget, and urges Congress to reject such a draconian approach to programs that are central to U.S. interests.
• AFSA Draws on UAA AGM Conversation With Past Administrators (Foreign Service Journal) – Wisdom on what the Trump administration should understand as it moves forward on implementing the USG foreign assistance program.
• “The Secretary” Writes FY18 Budget Love Letter to Foggy Bottom (Diplopundit) – T-Rex’s diplomatic nudge appears to result in a 36% funding reduction instead of the first reported 37% funding cut.
• Cuts to the 150 Account: Searching for a Constructive Path Forward in Foreign Aid (CGD) – Any major budget cutting should be informed by a review of US assistance agencies and programs—designed to provide an evidence-based assessment for cuts. One area where smart cuts could be found big programs that were put forward more for diplomatic than development reasons and have failed to achieve development outcomes.
• Bill Gates Is Right, USAID Is Not Just Foreign Aid, It Aids the U.S. (Fortune) – The term foreign aid is inaccurate and may be misleading. It suggests that what USAID does is all charity work. Nothing could be further from the truth.
• Soft Power and the New Administration (CSIS) – Thoughts from Andrew Natsios. The US is facing the greatest threats since the Post-WWII era, and now needs its aid programs more than at any time since their inception. While some types of threats can be stopped at our borders or with military force, most cannot. That is where our development and disaster assistance programs come in.
• Trump’s Siege on International Development (Center for American Progress) – The U.S. commitment to development may be facing an extinction-level event through a combination of draconian policies, shattering budget cuts, and the potential for the president to use aid as his own “walking-around fund.”
• Draconian Cuts to Diplomacy and Development: Unilateral Disarmament or Head Fake? (Brookings) – George Ingram observes that, despite being a modest 1 percent of all federal spending, U.S. foreign aid has contributed to historic successes over the past two decades. The president should champion these accomplishments, rather than vilify the programs that support such efforts.
• Fear and Loathing in Foggy Bottom (Washington Monthly) – Changes at State are not really a purge, but perhaps a house cleaning in the administrative side of the house. Still, morale is low and anxiety is high.
• Throwing More Money at the Military Won’t Make It Stronger (Washington Post) – Fareed Zakaria observes that more than just enhancing the military, long-term success in achieving security goals requires economic development, institution-building.
• Trump’s ‘Disastrous’ Proposal to Cut Foreign Aid (Atlantic Council) – Republican official says defense spending should not come at the cost of foreign assistance.
• Why Cutting Foreign Aid Makes America Weaker (Overseas Development Institute) Alex Thier, former Assistant to the Administrator, provides a strategic assessment of the humanitarian and policy benefits that result from USG investments in foreign aid.
• Trump’s Plan to Slash Foreign Aid Comes as Famine Threat is Surging (Washington Post) – Trump has proposed large cuts to foreign aid at a time of acute need across Africa and the Middle East.
• US Foreign Aid Expected To Be Biggest Casualty of Trump’s first Budget (The Guardian) – US spending on overseas aid is expected to bear the brunt of dramatic cuts as part of Trump’s plan to increase defense spending by $54bn in his upcoming budget.
• With @StateDept Facing a 30% Funding Cut, 121 Generals Urge Congress to Fully Fund Diplomacy and Foreign Aid (Diplopundit) – The generals say that State, USAID, MCC, Peace Corps are critical to preventing conflict and reducing the need to put our men and women in uniform in harm’s way.
• ‘America First’ Shouldn’t Mean Cutting Foreign Aid (Washington Post) –  OpEd thoughts from Raj Shah and Michael Gerson. There are real national security consequences of poverty, instability and poor governance around the world. But gains in hope, health and stability reduce these threats and better protect Americans.
• Will Trump Keep ‘America First’ With USAID Pick? (Politico) – Trump’s pledge to put “America first” could spell bad news for USAID. But the two people believed to be the leading candidates to head it are at least giving the global do-gooder community some hope.
• Trump Seems to Support Bush’s AIDS Program for Now (The Atlantic) – But will it be hobbled by his other policies?
• Warren Buffet’s Best Investment – An exchange of letters with Bill Gates re. the impact of his contribution to fight disease and reduce inequity.
• Letter to President Trump Prioritizing Girls and Women (Plan International) –The letter focuses on the importance of maintaining progress for women and girls in the US and around the world. A total of 112 organizations have signed-on.
• ONE Campaign Announces Gayle Smith as CEO  (Devex) The ONE Campaign, the poverty-fighting advocacy organization co-founded by philanthropist and U2 frontman Bono, on Tuesday said Gayle Smith, the former administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, will be its next president and CEO.
• The Trump Administration Threatens to Imperil Women’s Health Worldwide (Washington Post Editorial) – Over the next four years, Trump’s enhanced Mexico City policy could result in 6.5 million unintended pregnancies, 2.2 million abortions and 21,700 maternal deaths.
• Trump Immigration Order Could Harm USAID’s Ability to Carry Out Crucial Work (Devex) –There are fears of significant operational fallout, as crucial interpreters, trainers and operational staffers reconsider the attendant risks of working for U.S. embassies, aid agencies and the military.
• National Security Council Memorandum Includes Role for USAID (Devex) – A presidential memorandum signed President Donald Trump may shed some light on what role development is likely to play in his administration. The USAID Administrator is listed as a permanent member of the Deputies Committee.
• Recurring Storms (CSIS) – This paper authored by alumna Emmy Simmons posits that climate and demographic change will continue to have a devastating impact on global agriculture. The risk of resulting food insecurity and population movement portend conflict and disruption in the future.
• How Do You Know If Aid Really Works? (NPR) – Since the early 2000s, a growing movement of social science researchers have been pushing policy-makers to do “impact evaluations” of their programs.
• Trump Revives Ban on Foreign Aid to Groups That Give Abortion Counseling (NY Times)– President Trump signed a memorandum freezing federal funding to health providers abroad who discuss abortion as a family-planning option.
• Wade Warren Appointed Acting USAID Chief (Devex) – Administrator Gayle Smith informed employees Wednesday that Wade Warren, who leads the Agency’s policy bureau, will take over as acting administrator at noon on Jan. 20.
• Agency Interim Leadership as of Noon January 20
• Developing the Next Generation of Followers at USAID (Foreign Service Journal) – This thoughtful article by alumnus Jose Garzon focuses on the need to better understand followership—not just because it essentially complements leadership, but for its own specific qualities.
• Reconciling Interagency Priorities Remains a Top Management Challenge (Diplopundit) – Contingency operations and other efforts require coordination with multiple U.S. Government agencies. Yet USAID’s development priorities do not always align with other agencies’ priorities
•  New Feds Could be Fired for ‘No Cause At All’ by Trump Under Planned Legislation (Washington Post) – Under the proposed bill, an employee may be removed or suspended, without notice or right to appeal, from service by the head of the agency at which such employee is employed for good cause, bad cause, or no cause at all.
• Rex Tillerson Outlines US Aid Vision (Devex) – Tillerson offered general support for furthering U.S. foreign aid and its development agenda as Secretary of State, but expressed reservations on various hot-button topics, such as climate change and women’s health.
• Foreign Assistance: Time to Sharpen a Vital Diplomatic Tool (Foreign Service Journal) – Eight recommendations to rationalize U.S. foreign assistance and, thus, greatly increase its effectiveness.
• Grumbles Grow Over Britain’s Generous Foreign Aid Budget (The Economist) – The UK is one of just six countries to meet the UN’s target of spending 0.7% of GDP on international assistance. Yet, although the leaders of all Britain’s main political parties support this generosity, grumbles that the money should stay at home are growing louder.
• State Dept Apologizes For Past Discrimination Against LGBTI Employees/Applicants (Washington Post) – Secretary of State John Kerry apologized for past discrimination against gay and lesbian people at the State Department, an unusual acknowledgment that members of the diplomatic corps were hounded out for their sexual orientation.
• The Economist Crony Capitalism Index (The Economist) – An index designed to test whether the world is experiencing a new era of “robber barons.”
• USAID Innovation: Putting the Best Foot Forward to Fight Zika (Foreign Policy) – A $15 million investment in innovations to fight the virus produced a sandal that effectively stops the mosquito bites that cause infection.
• House GOP Brings Back Holman Rule to “Retrench” Agency Spending, Slash Pay of Any Federal Employee (Diplopundit) – House Republicans reinstated an arcane procedural rule that enables lawmakers to reach deep into the budget and slash the pay of an individual federal worker — down to a $1 — a move that threatens to upend the 130-year-old civil service.
• In exit memo to Obama, USAID chief points to ‘hard work ahead’ (Devex) – In a cabinet exit memo delivered to President Obama, outgoing USAID Administrator Gayle Smith pointed to eight years of progress but warned advancing U.S. global development efforts will require “hard work ahead.”
• Rockefeller Foundation Picks Rajiv J. Shah, a Trustee, as President (New York Times) – The appointment will make Shah one of the most powerful forces in charitable giving, overseeing a foundation that donates roughly $200 million each year.
• Trump Administration Puts the U.S. at a Crossroad for Global Health Aid (NY Times) – Health experts and government officials admit that they have no idea what direction the incoming Trump administration is going to take.
• OECD-DAC Peer Review of US Development Efforts (OECD) – The principal findings of the report are highly favorable to USAID.
• Examining Heritage’s Views on Aid as Foundation Plays Key Trump Transition Role (Devex) – This article looks at the Foundation’s records to see what policy recommendations it has made about foreign aid and development.
• 8 Possible picks for Trump’s USAID Administrator (Devex) – Pure speculation, but interesting nonetheless.
• USAID is Ready, But Still Waiting, for the Trump Transition (Devex) – Agency leaders have made sure USAID is ready to change hands. The only problem is, they still have no one to share this information with.
• 5 Things the Trump Team Needs to Know About Foreign Aid (The Hill) – As Trump transition teams begin to do their work, here’s a quick list of what they need to know about foreign aid.
• Why USAID’s New Approach to Development Assistance Is Stalled (AFSA) – Increasingly security isolated Agency staff, find themselves isolated from the host country and its people, creating imposing obstacles to the “local” focus of Raj Shah’s USAID Forward.
• Rethinking U.S. National Security: A New Role for International Development (Foreign Affairs) – Andrew Natsios and Brian Atwood make the point that development, post-conflict-transition, and humanitarian-relief programs are among the most effective and least costly crisis-prevention tools. They propose a cabinet-level department for development to carry out an established, bipartisan strategy to support global and U.S. security.
• Chemonics Disciplined Over ‘Racist’ Hiring Process (Alaraby – Chemonics International was ordered to pay $482,000 by the US Department of Labor in “back-pay, interest and benefits” to 124 African-American job applicants.
• The international Project Management Institute (PMI) just published — on-line – alumnus Ken Smith’s article on monitoring the financial aspects of project performance, which has direct pertinence to USAID funded projects. The article can be found here.
• 5 Questions About Aid Under Trump (Devex) – Here are some of the biggest questions about the future of U.S. development cooperation as the Obama-Trump transition kicks off.
• Foreign Aid Under Trump’s ‘America-First’ Doctrine (Devex) – While policy details are thin, President-elect Trump’s likely views on foreign aid and development assistance can be summed up in two words: America first.
• Africa’s Great Hunger Handicap (American Diplomacy) – An article by alumnus Mark Wentling. As long as Africa remains the most undernourished region in the world, it will fail to graduate from the lower ranks of development.
• Aid in Kind – Free Two Shoes (Economist) – New studies should cool the warm glow surrounding shoe donations.
• The U.S. Spent Billions Building Roads in Afghanistan. Now Many of Them Are Beyond Repair. (Washington Post) – A report released S by a U.S. government oversight body paints a grim picture of the state of Afghanistan’s roads, including the roughly 10,000 miles constructed, paved, repaired or funded by the United States.
• Four Recommendations from Four Generations of USAID Leadership (CGD Blog) – This CGD blog is based on the A/AID panel at the AGM which focused on what the participants wish they had known before they started the job and what advice they would give a new Agency lead. The blog also discusses parallels between CGD’s own agenda for USAID and what the administrators had to say.
• Even in Era of Disillusionment, Many Around the World Say Ordinary Citizens Can Influence Government (Pew Research) – Health care, poverty, education are top motivators for political action.
• Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the U.S. Foreign Assistance Budget (Washington Post) – An excellent article with superb graphics explains the U.S. government’s foreign assistance budget, which ranges from programs combating HIV/AIDS to those directly funding other nations’ armed forces.
• How the Other Tenth Lives (Economist) – According to new World Bank data, the world should be both encouraged and embarrassed by the latest global poverty figures.
• Food for Refugees (Economist) – Increasingly, hungry refugees receive aid not as food, but as cash.
• New Bill Proposes to Lengthen State Dept. Assignments From 2-3 Years to 4-6 Years If passed, State assignment duration would better parallel those of USAID.
• The Surprise Bipartisan Success Story of Congress: American Aid (Time) – There is one issue that has continuously broken through Congressional gridlock with bipartisan support: America’s foreign assistance programs. Five major pieces of bipartisan legislation on global development have been signed into law in less than two years.
• Can the bipartisan consensus on aid survive Donald Trump? (Devex) – In recent months, development policymaking has stood out as lawmakers from both parties have found success reaching compromise and overcoming gridlock to pass development-related bills. But as the presidential election draws nearer, can that spirit of bipartisan cooperation hold together? Many in the aid community are holding their breath.
• USG Still in Compensation Negotiations with Weinstein Family (Washington Post) – Hostages Weinstein and an Italian aid worker were killed in a CIA drone strike in Pakistan last year.
• Ending World Poverty Costs Less Than People Think (WVTF.org) – The US plays a vital part in international economic development – at a cost that’s much lower than many people think.  A program created fifty-five years ago succeeded in cutting world poverty in half since then. And it’s now looking to cut it by half again.
• New USAID Program Aims to Protect Victims of Human Trafficking (VOA) – The United States on Thursday committed more money and a new plan to combat human trafficking in Southeast Asia, following the East Asia Summit. The USAID plan will commit $12 million in the first year to protect and compensate victims.
• USAID Crowdsources 21 Ideas for Fighting Zika (FCW.com) – USAID/s crowdsourcing efforts to fight the Zika virus have produced some cutting-edge solutions from global innovators.
• GOP National-Security Experts Are #ReadyForHer (The Daily Beast) – Some former USAID officials are mentioned.
• Where They Stand: Democrats and Republicans on Global Development (Devex) – An examination of the official Democratic and Republican party platforms.
• How USAID is Avoiding Greater Aid Worker Bunkerization (Devex) – The dangers are greater than ever. The answer, according to participants, isn’t to lock aid workers behind higher walls. But there are increased precautions to take and security measures to consider in order to keep those working overseas safe.
• How Dangerous was 2015 for Aid Workers? (Geeska Afrika) – Attacks against aid workers fell in 2015 for a second year in a row as Afghanistan remained the most dangerous country for humanitarian workers.
• Look Before You Leap — Drones in Rwanda (Economist) – Can entrepreneurs make up for a lack of roads? The notion of leapfrogging poor infrastructure in Africa needs to come back down to earth.
• West Seeks Details as Israel Says Charity Worker Funded Hamas (Wall St. Journal) – The U.S., U.K. and Australia respond to allegations that a World Vision employee diverted money to Hamas.
• Few American Women Have Broken the Glass Ceiling of Diplomacy (Pew Research) – Since the beginning of U.S. diplomatic relations with the rest of the world, American ambassadors have overwhelmingly been men, an imbalance that speaks to a persistent diversity challenge within the U.S. Foreign Service.
• What Would Hillary Clinton’s US Aid Agenda Look Like? (Devex) –  More than a dozen development professionals, Clinton supporters, advisers and skeptics share their expectations, hopes and anxieties about what Hillary Clinton’s U.S. aid agenda might look like if she becomes the next president.
• USAID Reconstruction Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq Bites Former Louis Berger Executives (Diplopundit) – In May 2015, the former president, chief executive officer, and chairman of the board of USAID contractor Louis Berger Group Inc. was sentenced to 12 months of home confinement and fined $4.5 million for conspiring to defraud USAID.
• Suspecting Fraud, U.S. Suspends Some Syrian Aid Programs (Washington Post) – USAID has frozen more than $200 million in contracts to Syria fearing significant fraud.
• Three Takeaways on the White House Summit on Global Development (CGD) – Stated very concisely, these are things many of us knew but would like better understood at higher policy levels.
• President Obama’s Development Legacy (Devex) – An informed analysis by John Norris based on interviews with more than a dozen development experts.
• The Incalculable Value of Finding a Job You Love (NY Times) – Resist the soul-crushing job’s promise of extra money and savor the more satisfying conditions you’ll find in one that pays a little less. By and large, we USAID alumni already knew that.
• Obama Will Ensure his Global Development Policy Outlasts his Presidency (Washington Post) – Obama signed the bipartisan Global Food Security Act before speaking at the White House Summit on Global Development, a look back at the administration’s efforts to address poverty, health, hunger and malnutrition in impoverished nations worldwide.
• US Congress approves long-sought Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act (Devex) – The legislation will require U.S. government agencies to closely monitor and evaluate all foreign aid programs based on their outcomes and improve transparency by publicly sharing the data about what’s working and what’s not.
• Helping Palestinians an Uphill Battle for USAID Chief (YNetNews) – After 11 years of helping oversee the US government’s aid efforts to lay the foundations for a future Palestinian state, the outgoing chief of the USAID mission in the West Bank and Gaza Strip is unsure whether that vision has inched any closer to reality.
• Medical Drones in Africa (The Economist) – A new way around an old problem.
• Asia’s New infrastructure Bank is Out to Prove It’s Not China’s Pawn (Washington Post) – The new Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank holds its first annual meeting to finally prove to doubters that it is neither China’s pawn nor about to undercut and shoulder aside the World Bank.
• USAID Should Become the Department of Nation-Building (Foreign Policy) – Washington’s top development agency needs to focus on building governments, not democracies, in chaotic foreign countries.
• Foreign Aid: An Introduction to U.S. Programs and Policy (Congressional Research Service) This report provides an overview of the U.S. foreign assistance program by answering frequently asked questions on the subject. It is intended to provide a broad view of foreign assistance over time.
• Foreign Aid – Misplaced (The Economist) – Aid is best spent in poor, well-governed countries. That isn’t always where it goes.
• Contractors Sound Alarm Over New USAID Guidance (Devex) – A trade group for U.S. development companies has asked USAID to withdraw and revise its most recent guidance on acquisition and assistance, which, they believe, gives preference to grants over contracts.
• Obama has written to the family members of slain LGBT rights activist and USAID FSN Xulhaz Manna (Dhaka Tribune) – Offers official condolences.
• The U.S. Department of State recently launched the Foreign Service Family Reserve Corps (FSFRC) “to more quickly mobilize family members to fill available positions in missions overseas.”
•  China becomes Global Leader in Development Finance (Financial Times)- China’s development lending eclipses loans from all six western-backed multilateral institutions.
•  As Humanitarian Needs Grow, USAID Chief Says the World Must Act (Reuters) – Gayle Smith describs a global humanitarian system stretched to the limit by the number of disasters and a growing funding gap compounded by emergency responses that cost more than traditional relief methods.
• Thin on Influence, World Humanitarian Summit Will Tackle Aid Crisis (New York Times) – Where is the initiative on aid today? Comparing and contrasting the UN and bilateral aid agencies with philanthropy. Competitors? Collaborators?
• How To Make Better Development Investment Choices (Economist) – An interesting example from Bangladesh.
• Delivering Foreign Agricultural Aid to Africa—What Works? (Foreign Service Journal) The record of U.S. agricultural development assistance in Africa over the years is uneven. Here’s how involving agribusiness and trade associations can help.
• Retirement Planning 101 (Foreign Service Journal) Life after the Foreign Service begins with planning. Here’s how to get started.
• Is Jim Kim Destroying the World Bank — or Saving it From Itself? (Foreign Policy) The good doctor Kim is out to salvage the bank’s global relevance. But his radical reforms have critics calling for his head.
• American Farm Subsidies Cause Damage at Home and Abroad (Washington Post) – The USDA has come under fire for planning to donate 500 metric tons of surplus U.S.-grown peanuts to Haiti. Such aid represents subsidized foreign competition for Haiti’s peanut growers, who are struggling to supply the local market.*
• Death of USAID Bangladesh FSN Xulhaz Mannan (Slate) LGBTQ activist Xulhaz Mannan, a USAID FSN, and his friend Tanay Majumder, a policeman, were hacked to death in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka. Read Administrator Smith’s comments here.
• Making Africa Work (The Economist) – The continent’s future depends on people, not commodities.
• USAID/OIG Highlights Challenges to the Management and Administration of Foreign Assistance (Diplopundit) –An overview of the testimony he new USAID Inspector General before the Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
• Don’t Shortchange Foreign Aid (Devex) – Two of America’s top retired Generals posit that the military can’t do it alone. Agencies like USAID and the Peace Corps are vital to keeping America safe.
• Strengthening Evidence-Based Development: Five Years of Better Evaluation Practice at USAID, 2011-2015 (USAID) This five-year report that captures the progress USAID has made to improve the Agency’s evaluation practice and that lays out priority areas where greater attention is needed in the coming years.
• Getting More Bang for our Foreign Assistance Bucks (The Hill) – Some thoughts from former Rep. Jim Kolbe on ways future legislation could make foreign aid more effective.
• A Green Evolution (The Economist) – The farms of Africa are prospering at last thanks to persistence, technology and decent government.
• An NPR Interview with Gayle Smith – When the newly installed USAID chief Gayle Smith was at a conference in Africa recently, the local leaders didn’t recognize the gender of her name. So they gave her a “Mr. Smith” tag.
• Alan Gross: One Year After (CBS Miami) – An interview offering thoughts on his experience as a captive in Cuba.
• Administrator Gayle Smith talks about her vision for USAID (C-Span Video), followed by a panel discussion on U.S. foreign aid efforts.
• Innovating Partnerships: USAID’s Views on the Future of Partnership (Devex) – USAID has a long history of partnering and is constantly seeking to evolve its approach to partnerships to respond to the changing development landscape.
• Gayle Smith’s Beginning of the End (Devex) – Smith will use her tenure as USAID administrator to “lock in” initiatives introduced by President Obama and to build a strengthened agency, capable of holding its own in Washington’s perennial turf battles.
• Extending the American Revolution Overseas: Foreign Aid, 1789–1850 (AFSA.org – John Sanbrailo) – Foreign assistance is part of America’s cultural DNA, fostered by the country’s revolutionary heritage of a commitment to human rights and individual liberties.
• Fear of Flying (The Economist) – Africa is ripe for air travel. A pity its governments are holding back.*
• The Killing of Warren Weinstein (New York Times) – After he was abducted in Pakistan, his family undertook a delicate negotiation in hopes of securing his release. But then they got word that he had died — in a United States drone strike.
• Top Recipients of USAID Grants in 2016 (Diplopundit) – Tables and graphs.
• The Economics of Corruption (The Economist) – In theory, higher pay cuts corruption. In practice, the opposite happens
• US Pledges $97M to Combat Ethiopia’s Drought (Washington Post) – The U.S. has boosted its emergency food aid to Ethiopia to combat one of the worst droughts in decades.
• USAID Employee Criticizes Shah (Diplopundit) – From a recently released Hillary Clinton email.
• Endangered Civil Society (Foreign Policy) – Around the world, governments are doing their best to strangle funding for the civilian groups that dare to challenge their power and hold them to account.
• Reference Manual for New Entry Foreign Service Officers This provides detailed information on policies and procedures related to training, assignments, performance assessment and promotion.
• U.S. Travelers Get Serious About Overseas Trip Security (Washington Post) – A litany of horrors has jolted frequent-flying foreign-aid workers, contractors and think tank researchers, including Friday’s attack on a luxury hotel in Burkina Faso.
• Asia Infrastructure Development Bank (Washington Post) – China’s new initiative is not necessarily contrary to US interests.
• Terrorist Attack on Burkina Faso Hotel (Washington Post) – No reported victims with USAID affiliation.
• USAID in Afghanistan – Letter to the Editor of the New York Times.
• The 2015 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey for USAID – This report provides employee feedback about work environment, leadership and many other aspects of the organization.
• Another USAID Contractor Killed in Afghanistan (CBS News) – Lisa Marie Akbari was the victim of an apparent targeted terrorist attack.
• Leaving It Behind (The Economist) –How to rescue people from deep poverty – and why the best methods work.
• Senate Confirms Gayle Smith as Head of USAID (New York Times) – Despite bipartisan support for Ms. Smith in the Senate, her confirmation had been tied up in a partisan fight over nominations. A full Senate vote on her confirmation had been held up by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.
• Alan Gross’ First Interview Since His Release By Cuba (CBS News) – Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), who helped secure Gross’ release, told 60 Minutes that Gross’s work looked very much like the kind of thing the Cubans were accusing him of: spying. 
• Chinese Development Investment In Africa (The Economist) – Western worries about China’s burgeoning influence in Africa may be overblown.
• Mia Beers: Helping in West Africa to Stop the Spread of Ebola (Washington Post) – On the ground coordination of the complex, high priority USG effort.
• Achieving USAID’s Local Spending Goal (Devex) – One of USAID Forward’s most notable features was an objective to program 30 percent of development assistance directly to local governments and civil society organizations. How has that worked out?
• USAID Contractor Killed in Mali (Washington Post): Anita Datar is the only known U.S. fatality from the Bamako hotel siege.
• Cardin Calls for Confirmation of State Department, USAID Nominees (Senate Press Release) – Prominent among these is Gayle Smith, who is proposed to be USAID Administrator.
• Africa’s Middle Class: Few and Far Between (The Economist) – Africans are mainly rich or poor, but not middle class. That should worry democrats.
• World Hunger in Decline (Washington Post) – Nearly one in nine people worldwide are chronically undernourished, and 3.1 million children younger than 5 die of malnutrition each year. As terrible as that problem is, however, there are signs that things may be getting better.*
• Aid Agency ex-Staff are a Huge Wasted Asset (Oxfam Blog) – Why don’t aid organizations do more with their alumni?
• What Angus Deaton, the Latest Nobel Winner, Says About Foreign Aid (New York Times) The Prize winner argues that foreign aid is not a good answer to the needs of the poor in developing countries and says that, in fact, aid can grievously hurt the countries that receive it.
• How the Quality of Mercy is Strained (The Economist) – Even if they have enough money, it is hard for aid agencies to be effective in conflict areas.
• Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (The Economist) – China’s new infrastructure bank has gained wide support. Lending will be tougher.
• Hard-Nosed Compassion (The Economist) – Cash transfers, rather than handouts in kind, would help aid to refugees go further.
• How USAID’s Secret Think Tank Funding Hurts the Poor (Huffington Post) – Support by USAID and other donors has led to an explosion in the number of think tanks in developing countries. However, much of this money is being given and taken behind closed doors, threatening to hurt rather than help the world’s poor.
• U.S. Global Development Policy and Agenda 2030 – This White House fact sheet lays out USG global development objectives for the next fifteen years.
• USAID Vision for Ending Extreme Poverty – This document articulates how USAID defines extreme poverty, how we can achieve a world without extreme poverty and what USAID’s role in this global effort will be.
• Partisan Tussle Keeps Top U.S. Aid Job Vacant (New York Times) – Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, announced this summer that he would object to considering any nominees for State Department posts because of his opposition to the nuclear deal with Iran.
• Foreign Aid in Crisis (Huffington Post) – Written by USAID alumnus Ben Barber, this article focuses on comments by former Administrator Andrew Natsios concerning the counterproductivity of too much oversight of overseas development programs.
• In Pakistan, U.S. Aid Agency’s Efforts Produce Dubious Results (New York Times) – Critics accuse the United States Agency for International Development of, among other things, taking on projects with little concern for local priorities.
• Sowing self-sufficiency in Africa with ‘Hello Tractor’ (Washington Post) – With a little start-up money, a small Anacostia-based company has a plan to solve a big agriculture problem half a world away. A “Smart Tractor” can be delivered with the tap of a cellphone.
• CIA May Have Missed Opportunity to Identify Weinstein (Washington Post) – Agency may have missed an opportunity to protect or possibly rescue the hostage.
• A 100 Percent Effective AIDS Prevention Pill (Washington Post) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that PrEP (commercial name Truvada) has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection by up to 92 percent when taken consistently but is much less effective when taken inconsistently.
• 6 Leadership Lessons from USAID (Government Executive) – Though it has its problems, the author sees USAID as a laboratory for effectively getting meaningful work done. Who knew?
• Making USAID Fit for Purpose — A Proposal for a Top-to-Bottom Program Review (Center for Global Development) – This paper offers a blueprint for an agency-wide review of USAID’s strengths and weaknesses.
• U.S. Agency for International Development: Background, Operations, and Issues (Congressional Research Service) – This report provides background information on the institutional makeup and operations of USAID.*
  
• Two USAID Employees Designated Among USG Top Workers (Washington Post) –Mia Beers (OFDA) and Natasha de Marcken (Office of Education) are highlighted in Washington Post feature.
• Bid Protest Denied in Largest Ever USAID Award (Devex) – Chemonics wins $9.5 b Supply Chain Management procurement.
• Judge: USAID Must Lift Contractor Suspension (Washington Post) – IRD had been accused of “serious misconduct.”
• USAID Vision for Ending Extreme Poverty – This document articulates how USAID defines extreme poverty, how we can achieve a world without extreme poverty and what USAID’s role in this global effort will be.
• Partisan Tussle Keeps Top U.S. Aid Job Vacant (New York Times) – Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, announced this summer that he would object to considering any nominees for State Department posts because of his opposition to the nuclear deal with Iran.
• Foreign Aid in Crisis (Huffington Post) – Written by USAID alumnus Ben Barber, this article focuses on comments by former Administrator Andrew Natsios concerning the counterproductivity of too much oversight of overseas development programs.
• Making USAID Fit for Purpose — A Proposal for a Top-to-Bottom Program Review (Center for Global Development): This paper offers a blueprint for an agency-wide review of USAID’s strengths and weaknesses. The proposal recognizes that a modernized USAID should position itself to better complement assistance from other countries and multilateral institutions, as well as private investment, remittances, and recipient countries’ domestic revenues.
• Tax Them and They Will Grow (Economist) – To be able to grow, poor countries need to get better at raising tax, and multinational firms need to get better at paying it.
• Gayle Smith’s Bid to Run USAID Hits a Snag (Devex): Republican senators object to her stance on the Helms amendment.
• U.S. Never Asked Alan Gross About His Imprisonment in Cuba (The Daily Beast) – Alan Gross was locked up by the Castro regime for half a decade. When he got out, no one in the U.S. government debriefed him about his time in captivity.
• Why Is the U.S. Letting Its Best Foreign Aid Tool Fall Apart? (Foreign Policy) – As America is blowing billions by using its military as a one-size-fits-all solution for emergencies around the world, USAID is understaffed, underfunded, and on the cusp of crisis.
• Reflections on the U.S./African Leaders Summit (Wilson Center) – The Summit theme was “Investing in the Next Generation,” and provided an opportunity to discuss key issues and define a way forward for US-Africa relations.
• Strengthening Africa’s Security Governance (Wilson Center) – A key theme of US-Africa Leader’s Conference was Africa’s role as a venue for economic growth, social development and rising democratic governance while also confronting the grueling realities of transnational terrorism, illicit trafficking and intra-state conflict that still grip parts of the continent.
• GAO Review of Steps to Safeguard G2G Activities USAID has government-to-government (G2G) assistance activities policies that generally reflect federal accountability standards to help ensure funds are used as intended. However, GAO identified several steps in implementing these policies that could further strengthen accountability.
• USAID Gets a New IG Nominee After a 1310 Day Vacancy (Diplopundit) – Ann Calvaresi Barr, the Deputy Inspector General of the Department of Transportation, is President Obama’s nominee to be the USAID IG.
• The End of Extreme Poverty (Ted Talk) USAID’s Alex Thier shares the Agency’s view on how this goal might be achieved.
• Howard W. French on the Gayle Smith Nomination (Diplopundit) – More concern expressed re. Smith’s past involvement with authoritarian regimes, but there is not a good field of options for the appointment.
• Conspired to Defraud Uncle Sam? Be Very Afraid. We’re Gonna Put You in Home Confinement! (Diplopundit) The CEO of Louis Berger, the third largest USAID contractor, gets feather-slapped by the court.
• Senate should not confirm Gayle Smith (TheHill.com) – President Obama has tapped Gayle Smith to run the U.S. Agency for International Development. African strongmen will be very pleased by the news; but she is the wrong choice for the job.
• After Jail in Cuba, Alan Gross to Work for U.S.-Cuba Opening (Wall St. Journal) – Gross to help launch PAC backing candidates in favor of a U.S.-Cuba policy shift.
• Making USAID Fit for Purpose — A Proposal for a Top-to-Bottom Program Review (Center for Global Development): This paper offers a blueprint for an agency-wide review of USAID’s strengths and weaknesses. The proposal recognizes that a modernized USAID should position itself to better complement assistance from other countries and multilateral institutions, as well as private investment, remittances, and recipient countries’ domestic revenues.
• Gayle Smith’s Bid to Run USAID Hits a Snag (DEVEX): Republican senators object to her stance on the Helms amendment.
• 5 Questions to Ask About the QDDR (Devex) – The second U.S. Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review is finally poised to launch, but will the strategic document have a meaningful impact on the conduct of U.S. foreign affairs?
• OECD Report on Fragile States – The challenges of the fragile states threaten achievement of the Millennium Development Goals set by the UN.
• The Quiet Global Crisis that Scares the State Department (Vox) – The new QDDR views a slow breakdown in global governance. Many of the institutions that were created in the past century to deal with economic and security risks around the world, such as the UN and IMF, may no longer be adequate to the task of dealing with such issues as the Syrian civil war or ISIS.
• Obama Nominates Gayle Smith to Lead USAID (New York Times) – Smith is a longtime development and Africa specialist with experience in both the Clinton and Obama administrations.
• U.S. Remains Top Foreign Aid Donor (Sputnik News) – The United States is again the number one provider of foreign assistance among Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development members at nearly $33 billion in 2014.
• A Blurred Line Between Foreign Service Officers and Civil Service Employees? (Washington Post) – Are U.S. Foreign Service Officers an endangered species? They fear the State Department wants to define them away.
• The 169 Commandments (The Economist) – The question is whether too many UN Sustainable Development Goals are the same as having virtually none at all.
• A Glass Half Full (Foreign Service Journal) – A retired State FSO’s views on positive changes in the Foreign Service over the past 4+ decades.
• Poverty’s Long Farewell (The Economist) – The UN goal of ending poverty by 2030 is worthy but increasingly out of reach.
• The Illusion of Cotnrol (Devex) – This excellent assessment of the impact of too much control is the first of a seven-part series by Diana Ohlbaum, former OTI deputy director and Congressional staffer. Part 6, Country Ownership 3.0, contains links to four other elements of the series.
• Rajiv Shah’s Legacy (The Lancet) – Of the several articles done on this topic, this one seems to offer the most thoughtful and balanced view.
• Raj Shah’s USAID Legacy – Devex’s assessment of the departing Administrator’s impact from the Haiti earthquake through his multiple initiatives.
• Obama on What Most Americans Get Wrong About Foreign Aid (Vox Video Interview) – President Obama explains why he thinks we need to look at our foreign aid as an important tool in our national security portfolio, as opposed to charity.
  
• Which Countries are the Winners and Losers in Obama’s Proposed 2016 Aid Budget? (Devex) – Central American and Sub Saharan Africa are the big winners.
• Aid in U.S. Foreign Policy – The direct USAID related development aspects of the new National Security Policy issued February 6.
• Reagan Building Interiors Have ‘Reached the Anticipated End of Life’ (bizjournals.com) – A building that is only 15 years old is already obsolete! The cubicle layout is inefficient and the floor space could accommodate more people.
• The Impact of Obama’s Proposed Budget on Foreign Assistance (Devex) Some new initiatives and other strategies are apparent.
• The Economics of Optimism (The Economist) – As the UN discusses the establishment of new “Sustainable Development Goals,” the debate increases on the risks of having too many goals and on prioritizing those which offer greater returns on development investment.
• In Defense of Britain’s Oveseas Aid Program (CGD) – Tim Lankester, a former senior British aid official, provides an informed view of the positive value of aid and results in UK assistance programs.
• Who Will be the Next USAID Administrator? (DevEx) – This list includes ten names, including that of Aaron Williams!
• CIDA and AusAID Folded into Foreign Affairs Ministries (DevEx) –This almost happened to USAID. For additional thoughts, click here.
• Warren Weinstein Abductor Sentenced – USAID alumnus Weinstein is still missing, with no proof of life since late 2012.
• USAID Pays $3.2m Settlement to Alan Gross/DAI (Washington Post) – Result was the product of pre-trial mediation.
• Shortchanging Democracy Assistance (Washington Post) – Thomas Carothers discusses the harm recent DRG funding and program cutbacks have done to the cause of development that is sustainable.
• The Senate’s Back Channel on the Cuba Deal  (Politico) – The role of staffer Tim Rieser in the deal to free Alan Gross and advance the US/Cuban relationship.
• Devex on Aid Plans in Cuba – There are some possibilities, but the involvement of USAID would appear to be unlikely.
• How USAID’s Growing Relevance Could Destroy It – The U.S. government needs civilian tools to advance its short-term interests in difficult environments, but continuing to retrofit or cannibalize long-term USAID programs may do more harm than good.
• Behavioral Economics Applied (New York Times) – New ways of getting people to send their kids to school, save money, etc.
• Deputy IG to Retire Amid Flap at USAID (Washington Post) – Carroll says that decision has nothing to do with whistleblower allegations.
• Stop Trying to Save the World (The New Republic) – A very comprehensive look at the conundrum of what works and what does not in international development.
• UN: Most African Nations to Miss 2015 MDG Goals – A main issue is the gap between human development and economic progress.*
• USAID Motivates Innovation in Ebola Fight (Washington Post) – New, effective and more economic materials are already available for testing.
• Apply the Rigors of Investing to Foreign Aid (Foreign Policy) – A useful look on the real returns to foreign aid and how this might be applied in QDDR 2.
• USAID’s Nancy Lindborg Select to Head U.S> Institute for Peace – Lindborg, who has devoted most of her career to issues of transition, democracy and civil society, conflict and humanitarian response, will be the fifth president in the organization’s 30-year history.
• International Development Programs Are Hampered by Oversight (TheHill.com) – The views of a former ambassador.
• Ebola – An Interview with Raj Shah (Washington Post) – The Ebola crisis has incited a global response. USAID is leading the U.S. effort.
• A Prisoner Swap with Cuba? (New York Times): –An editorial explores the pros and cons of a prisoner exchange that potentially would free USAID contractor Alan Gross.
• USAID “Poor” Morale Goes From 37% to 47%, Administrator Approval Rating Plummets From 78% to 58%  (DiploPundit) – Based on a recent AFSA/USAID survey.
• Whistleblowers Say USAID’s IG Removed Critical Details From Public Reports (Washington Post) – Report says that negative findings in USAID OIG’s reports were being stricken from audits between 2011 and 2013. The Acting IG has withdrawn his name from consideration for the position.
• How the US Did on The Aid Transparency Index – Despite making several international transparency commitments, US donors still struggle to share useful information about their aid spending.
• Who is Actually Leading the Ebola Crisis? (BuzzFeed) – USAID is currently in charge of the international effort. A key senator says that’s not enough — the White House should appoint a single, high-level official to lead the fight against Ebola.
• Fifty Years of Global Health – In its 50-year history, USAID has had an important hand in numerous crucial advances in global health. USAID’s new book is a record of this work and a catalog of lessons.
• Shaping the New Development Agenda (CIPE) – Thoughts from UAA Board Member Jim Michel.
• Foreign Funding of NGOs – Donors: Keep Out (The Economist) – More and more autocrats are stifling criticism by barring non-governmental organisations from taking foreign cash.
• Seven Ways to Make 2014 Safer for Aid Workers (Devex) – New research suggests that aid organizations could do much more to prevent violence against their staff. Implementing agencies, donors, governments and individuals involved all can take action.
• How USAID is Responding to the Ebola Crisis in Africa (Devex) – USAID now has four DART teams (Ebola, South Sudan, Syria and Iraq) in the field responding to an onslaught of humanitarian crises.
• How US Foreign Aid is Spent – An excellent – and brief – graphic presentation on aid economics.
• Smart Aid for the World’s Poor (Wall Street Journal) – In September next year, the United Nations plans to choose a list of development goals for the world to meet by the year 2030. These goals will look beyond the UN’s Millennial Development Goals.
• US Sent Latin Youth Undercover in Anti-Cuba Ploy – A spotlight on yet another USAID supported activity in Cuba.
• USAID Innovator Nominated for Award (Washington Post) – Low cost water purification device was developed by an Agency team.
• A History of USAID Administrators – USAID has been in business for more than 50 years and had 16 different administrators since its creation in 1961. DEVEX has taken a closer look at the track record of these administrators, and explored some of their greatest accomplishments and sharpest setbacks. You also can read comments on this piece by Andrew Natsios.
• The BRICS Bank (The Economist) – The BRICS set up their own institutions to respond to needs akin to those addressed by the World Bank and IMF.
•  Top USAID Contract Awardees: A Primer (Devex) – USAID awarded more than $4.9 billion in contracts in fiscal 2012 – representing a 9% increase from fiscal 2011. While USAID awards the bulk of its contracts to for-profit groups, nongovernmental organizations also win a sizeable chunk of the agency’s funding.
• New Deputy Administrator of USAID Nominated (Devex) – Alfonso Lenhardt, President Barack Obama’s choice to serve as the U.S. Agency for International Development’s deputy administrator, testified on his nomination before the U.S. Senate on June 26. For a vignette from his confirmation hearing, click here.
• With Help of Private Industry, USAID Review Finds $2.9 Billion for Maternal, Child Health (Washington Post) – Faced with the daunting task of starting an ambitious program in global child and maternal health during a depressed funding climate in Washington, Rajiv Shah knew just where to turn for advice: private industry.
• How to Keep Afghanistan on Track – Raj Shah Washington Post Op Ed – A review of what USAID assistance has accomplished and what is needed to ensure its sustainability.
• Afghanistan After the Drawdown – Alumnus Jerry Hyman provides insights into US civilian engagement beyond 2014.
• Will Pride 2014 Be the Time for Obama’s LGBT Workplace Non-Discrimination Order? (Huffington Post) – Alumnus Jeffrey Marburg-Goodman describes the implementation of LGBT policies and practices in USAID and its contractors and grantees.
• Four Ways USAID Must Reform its Procurement Practices (Brookings) – An increasingly failing US procurement and contracting process derives from a growing amount of implementation of USG programs that is carried out by decreasingly effective contractors. This problem is fixable.
• USAID Launching Fight Against Latin American Coffee Fungus (Washington Post) – The U.S. government is partnering with Texas researchers to drive out a coffee fungus that has caused $1 billion in damage to plants across Latin America and the Caribbean, which has helped to drive up prices for the commodity by 60 percent this year.
• Innovation – A Second Green Revolution in Rice (The Economist) – Technological breakthroughs in rice will boost harvests and cut poverty. They deserve support. A second Green Revolution could save lives.
• Bridging the Divide: How Can USAID and the DOD Integrate Security and Development More Effectively in Africa – From The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs by G. William Anderson.
• Development Cooperation: A Key Partner of  Diplomacy and Defense in Foreign Policy – Remarks given by Jim Michel at the April 2014 Santa Fe World Affairs Forum Symposium “Talking to the Enemy, Cultivating Friends: Diplomacy Revisited.”
• Big Budgets, Little Oversight in War Zones (Washington Post) – How a tiny nonprofit grew into a giant that paid its top staffers millions. International Relief and Development (IRD) received more grants and cooperative agreements from USAID in recent years than any other nonprofit relief and development organization in the nation.For additional details, click here.
• QDDR II Walks Into a Bar and Asks, What Happened to the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations? (Diplopundit) – How is the State Department going to fix QDDR I’s offspring, the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, an ill-conceived and executed USAID/OTI clone?
• Linking Growth and Governance for Inclusive Development and Effective International Cooperation, written by UAA Board member Jim Michel and published by The Center for International Private Enterprise, explores the multiple and intimate connections between growth and governance.
• QDDR 2.0: A Few ‘Big Ideas’ But No Complicated Working Groups (DevEx) – Speculation has focused on how the second review process may vary from the drawn-out and contentious internal debates of its predecessor. Key anticipated differences are that QDDR 2.0 is expected to push for more consultation with the foreign aid and NGO community and focus on fewer issues than its 2010 predecessor.
• Alan Gross, USAID Contractor Held in Cuba, Goes on Hunger Strike (Washington Post ) – He is protesting his treatment by both the Cuban and U.S. governments. Update: At the request of his mother, Gross has decided to end his hunger strike.
• In Switch, Development Agency Welcomes Business and Technology to Poverty Fight (NY Times) – Under Shah initiatives, rather than pouring billions of public dollars into programs to fight poverty, USAID is increasingly using loan guarantees to get local banks to finance big projects, giving its money directly to foreign development groups.
• USAID Created Secret Cuba Twitter Program (Associated Press) – A USAID supported program developed a bare-bones “Cuban Twitter,” using text messaging to evade Cuba’s strict control of information and its stranglehold restrictions over the Internet. Read a Washington Post Editorial on the same topic.
• Raj Shah to Become Ambassador to India? However, the rumor is denied by USAID.
• State Department’s OTI-Redundant, Mission-less ‘Conflict’ Bureau, Criticized by State/IG – The Bureau of Conflict Stabilization Operations was formed in November 2011 as “the institutional locus for policy and operational solutions for crisis, conflict, and instability.” However, OIG considers it directionless and unstable.
• African Demography – The Dividend is Delayed (The Economist) – Hopes that Africa’s dramatic population bulge may create prosperity seem to have been overdone.
• Administrator Shah Speaks at the National Prayer Breakfast (video) – The Administrator eloquently describes how USAID is bringing diverse communities of business, science, government, and faith together to end extreme poverty in our lifetimes. His presentation begins about 47 minutes into the video.
• USAID Looks Ahead to Uncertain Operating Budget (Devex) – USAID will “exhaust” this year any carryover funding it has to help offset operating expenses budget cuts included in the fiscal year 2014 omnibus bill, according to an agency official. That means things could get rocky in 2015.
• USAID Cut Out of Cuba Programs –  USAID has been left out of the $17.5 million appropriated for Cuba democracy programs this fiscal year, amid complaints over partisan political fighting and agency mishandling of the programs.
•  Ending Extreme Poverty in Fragile Contexts is a USAID discussion paper that looks at how to achieve sustainable development outcomes in fragile states, recognizing the difficult hurdles these states face.
• Poverty and the Safety of the Poor (Washington Post) – As elites abandon the public security system, their impoverished neighbors are left relying on underpaid, under-trained, undisciplined and frequently corrupt police forces for protection and all-but-paralyzed courts for justice.
• The Case for Aid (Foreign Policy) – Piling onto the Bill/Melinda Gates statement, Jeffrey Sachs tells us all why he thinks foreign aid does a lot of good.
• US Pushes for Outside Oversight of World Bank, Opposes Push Toward ‘Big Hydro’ (Washington Post) – The United States is demanding stricter oversight of World Bank projects amid concern that the bank has slipped in how closely it guards against violence, forced resettlement and other conflict associated with the works that it funds.
• Mythbusters: Misconceptions About the U.S. and the Word (Politico) – A group of globally minded people—from diplomats and senators to economists and entrepreneurs—are asked: What myth about America’s role in the world most drives them crazy?
• Three Myths on the World’s Poor (Wall St. Journal) – Bill and Melinda Gates call foreign aid a phenomenal investment that’s transforming the world. Extreme poverty has been cut in half over the past 25 years, child mortality is plunging, and many countries that had long relied on foreign aid are now self-sufficient. Once you have read this, you may interested in this related interview with Gates.
• US Congress Sending Mixed Messages on Aid ‘Localization’ (Devex) – Conflicting language reflects what has been a clear partisan divide over a central pillar of the USAID Forward reforms. Senate Democrats generally support the “localization” effort, while House Republicans’ have sought to curtail the process.
• US Aid Reform in 2014: 8 Issues Congress May Tackle (Devex) – Congress has long avoided comprehensive reform of U.S. development cooperation, and 2014 will likely be no different. But there’s a good chance lawmakers will consider a number of issues that could affect international development.
• Kidnapped USAID Alum Pleas For Help – Held in Pakistan for more than two years by al-Qaeda militants, Warren Weinstein recorded a video message calling on the Obama Administration to negotiate with his captors. Also, read the response of Warren’s Family.
• USAID to Leave Ecuador (Christian Science Monitor) – USAID expects to close its doors in Ecuador by September 2014 due to an increasingly acrimonious relationship with President Rafael Correa. This comes six months after it was kicked out of Bolivia.
• Africa’s Aid Mess (Baron’s) –  Author Paul Theroux discusses why the philanthropy of Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, Bono, and Jeffrey Sachs largely fails. Here’s what works.
• The Charitable Industrial Complex – Warren Buffett’s son re-thinks the impact of foundation-based aid efforts.
• Senator Raises Questions About USAID Inspector General’s Independence – Managers in USAID’s inspector general’s office “routinely” pressure auditors to drop findings that would reflect poorly on their programs and punish those who don’t go along, according to whistleblower allegations cited in a recent letter to Sen. Tom Coburn.
• USAID Contractor Jailed in Cuba, Appeals to Obama to Intervene – On the fourth anniversary of his imprisonment in Cuba, former U.S. government contractor Alan Gross said he fears his country has “abandoned” him and appealed to President Obama to personally intervene in his case.
• The Crucible: Iraq, Afghanistan and the Future of USAID –The evolution of USAID over the past 15 years and how the post 9/11 experience may have changed that.
• Philippine Typhoon Revives Debate on U.S. Food Aid Methods – Aid workers and antipoverty groups say that current laws governing American food aid could delay or hurt recovery efforts in the Philippines.
• Why Are Development Agencies Giving up on Development? – The World Bank has announced that their goal is to “eradicate extreme poverty.”This  is a shift from an organization that supports national development agendas towards an organization that just promotes cost-effective charity work.
• The Battle for Hearts and Minds: The Role of Aid in Foreign Policy – Humanitarian aid would seem to have no place in hard power geopolitics. But that, as it turns out, is far too simplistic.
• No Need to Dig (The Economist) – Many of Africa’s fastest-growing economies have not relied on oil or mining.
• The Economics of Sexual Inequality (The Economist) – New research hints at a better method to ensure girls in Africa stay in school.
• Perceptions of Democracy in Latin America(The Economist) – A new Latinobarometro report shows that, despite an economic slowdown, Latin Americans feel pretty satisfied with their lives, but they don’t give much credit for that to their democratic institutions.
• Pennies From Heaven(The Economist)– Giving money directly to poor people works surprisingly well. But it cannot deal with the deeper causes of poverty.
• Trends in the Practice of Development Cooperation – Strengthening Governance and the Rule of Law –  In recent decades, development economists have argued that good governance and the rule of law are essential for sustained economic growth, sustainable development and the eradication of poverty and hunger. Alumnus (and UAA Board Member) Jim Michel reviews what has been done in response to this conclusion.
• The Controversy Over Procurement Reform: Is Local Spending Better? – Efforts at USAID, to utilize other countries’ local governments and organizations to carry out its programs on the ground have triggered a debate that will ultimately affect millions of lives in the years to come.
• USAID Looks to Business for Funding  (MSNBC) – With budgets being squeezed across the board in Washington, funds for international development overseas are facing challenges–something USAID is trying to circumvent by seeking corporate partnerships.
•  Eliminating Extreme Poverty is No Longer a Dream (The Economist) – The record is there to prove it. But is the best approach through growth or safety nets?
• GAO Report on Global Food Security  – Under the Feed The Future initiative, GAO found that USAID leads the whole-of-government approach by better coordinating and integrating partner agencies’ knowledge and expertise.
• The Delivery Man – USAID’s Mark Ward is the State Department’s senior advisor on assistance to Syria, and from his perch across the border in Gaziantep, Turkey, he oversees a growing American assistance package. Much of it is humanitarian aid provided to Syrians in need of help during the civil war.
• A Death In the Family (Foreign Policy) -USAID’s first known war-zone-related suicide raises troubling questions about whether America is doing enough to assist its relief workers.
• Former USAID Senior Official to Pay Civil Penalty for Alleged Conflict of Interest Violation – David Ostermeyer, who retired from USAID in 2012, will pay the government a $30,000 penalty to settle allegations that he participated in a matter in which he had a financial interest that conflicted with his duties when he was Chief Financial Officer of the agency.
• Is it Nuts to Give to the Poor Without Strings Attached? (New York Times) – NGO GiveDirectly provides Kenyan poor with $1,000 in return for — nothing. What does it do to  alleviate their poverty?
• USAID: Destined to Disappoint –There is a fundamental mismatch between the United States’ foreign aid architecture, resources, and objectives. Aid is often expected to compensate for other US policy decisions. If we just provide the money and the expertise, policymakers reason, then capacity, development, and governance  will follow.Any development professional will tell you that this is simply not the case.
• Can Silicon Valley Save the World? (Foreign Policy) – Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are taking their can-do, failure-conquering, technology-enabled tactics to the challenge of global poverty. But is their really an app for that?
• U.S. has spotty record on law requiring it to cut aid after coups (Washington Post) – The Foreign Assistance Act, a U.S. law first enacted in 1961 says that the United States must cut aid to any country “whose duly elected head of government is deposed by military coup or decree.” Past cases suggests that, while the U.S. often does follow this law, it tends to ignore or bypass it when it sees key national security interests at stake – which may well apply in Egypt.
• Egyptian Court Sentences 43 NGO Workers (Wall Street Journal) – An Egyptian court convicted 43 nongovernmental-organization employees, including at least 16 Americans, of using unregistered foreign funding, worrying some Egyptian groups who fear the precedent could hinder their own efforts.
• Smart Power Agenda for Advancing America’s Global Interests – Since the September 11th attacks, a growing and broadening consensus has emerged that global development and diplomacy, alongside defense, are essential components of American national security. The question no longer is whether to strengthen diplomacy and development, but how to best shape, elevate, and reform U.S. civilian agencies to advance America’s global interests.
• World Poverty Cut (Economist) – In September 2000, the heads of 147 governments pledged that they would halve the proportion of people on the Earth living in the direst poverty by 2015. It was the first of a litany of worthy aims enshrined in the United Nations “millennium development goals.” Many of these aims have not been met. But the goal of halving poverty has been. Indeed, it was achieved five years early.
• Post-2015 UN Millennium Goals Report – Download a copy here.
• Agriculture, Structural Change and the Urban Imperative in African Development – Read a recent  blog post by alumnus Owen Cylke.
• Putin’s War on NGOs (Washington Post) – Vladimir Putin has methodically removed challenges to his authority since he returned to the presidency a year ago.  Now, his critics say, he has taken aim at a wide swath of civic organizations in an attack that could hamper democracy-building efforts for years to come.
• Give Sam Walton the Nobel Prize (Foreign Policy) – There is much to dislike about Walmart. But for all its manifold offenses, Walmart may have done more for poor consumers in the United States and around the world than any other business in American history.
• The Deliverologist (Washington Post) – If a narrow monopoly interferes with service delivery, break it; then track the performance relentlessly and ride whoever is responsible until it does. A new philosophy guides the conduct of World Bank programming.
• DAI Settles with the Family of Alan Gross (Miami Herald), who continues to be held captive in a Cuban jail.
• FY 2014 Development and Humanitarian Assistance Budget – USAID fact sheet.
• Food and Flexibility (Washington Post) – Michael Gerson OpEd piece on the reasoning for changes to to food aid programs.  For The Economist’s reporting on the subject, click here.
• UAA in the FSJ – The April issue of the Foreign Service Journal includes an interesting piece on the USAID Alumni Association. You can also take a look at the related UAA ad directed at  potential new members. In the same issue is an interesting letter to the editor supporting the unification of all the USG development programs (e.g. MCC, OPIC, TDA) under USAID.
• What Went Right? (Foreign Policy) – Critics of the war are missing the big picture: Afghanistan is much better off today. USAID has had a hand in much of it.
• A Political War Brews Over ‘Food For Peace’ Aid Program (NPR) -Washington is awash in rumors that the White House is planning major changes in the way that the U.S. donates food to fight hunger in some of the world’s poorest countries.It’s set off an emotional debate. Both sides say that they are trying to save lives.
•  Is It a Phone, Is It a Bank? (The Economist) – M-PESA is a thriving money-transfer system run by Safaricom, a Kenyan mobile-phone operato. rHaving persuaded millions of Kenyans to send cash through an SMS network, Safaricom is now trying to tempt them into a savings-and-loans service.
• The European Endowment for Democracy is a new EU foundation that aims to get funding quickly to democracy struggles so as to maximize impact. The endowment will focus on giving grants to democracy activists and groups with fewer strings attached than the more rigid requirements of established EU programs.
• On March 20, USAID released its first ever USAID Forward Progress Report . The report focuses on the Agency’s work to deliver measurable results, promote sustainable development through partnerships, and scale up innovation.
• Conditional Aid: Carrots All Around (The Economist) – A controversial approach to helping poor countries seems to work after all: the MCC dispenses aid based on merit.
• Global Development’s Star Player Hangs Up Her Jersey (Devex) – Hillary Clinton surprised many by eschewing the usual path for this country’s top diplomat. Instead, she focused much of her attention and energy on international development. For Clinton, these weren’t “soft” issues but part of a “smart power” agenda crucial to U.S. economic and national security interests.
• The Hidden Costs of Outsourcing Diplomacy and Development (Foreign Service Journal) – Outsourcing State and USAID’s engagement with the world has become the new normal, but should it be?
• Want to speak fluent USAID? You can now with an up to date USAID Acronym List.
• Can You Fight Poverty With a Five-Star Hotel? (Foreign Policy) – A story of how the IFC, The World Bank’s investment arm, hands out billions in loans to wealthy tycoons and giant multinationals in some of the world’s poorest places.
• DEVEX on Hillary Clinton’s Development Legacy – Clinton helped to write the script for a new type of U.S. engagement abroad, one in which international development is a central pillar. But has a higher profile for development led to better results? On this point, her record is mixed.
• Top Priorities for Africa in 2013 On January 9, the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings hosted a discussion with leading African experts on what the most pressing issues and challenges are for the continent in 2013. The panel included: Professor Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University; Laura Seay, assistant professor at Morehouse College; Steve Radelet, distinguished professor at Georgetown University; and Senior Fellow Mwangi Kimenyi, director of the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings.
• $10 Million Bounty for Sudanese Killers of USAID Employees Killed in 2008  Almost five years to the day a USAID officer and FSN were killed in Khartoum, the U.S. Government announced a $10 million reward for information leading to the capture of two of their killers.
• Alumnus Kiert Toh writes occasional columns for a Thai newspaper. See an interesting example here.
•  USAID: America, the Mensch relates the success stories of USAID and the Agency’s modesty in telling them.
• Alumnus Jerry Zarr recently published an article on the Marshall Plan in History Magazine.  The post-World War II reconstruction of Europe still stands as one of the major achievements of U.S. foreign assistance.
• Top 10 Rethinking US Foreign Assistance Blogs in 2012 – What were the most popular Rethinking US Foreign Assistance blog posts in 2012? White House development initiatives get a lot of attention. Major evaluation and learning efforts do too.
  
• The Politics of Corruption (The Economist) – Global anti-corruption efforts are growing in scope and clout. A culture of denial has given way or at least lip-service to the cause.
• Aid Reaches Far to Buck Global Warming (Washington Post) – The U.S. spends nearly $1.4 billion over 3 years to gird poor nations for climate change, but some wonder if it is enough.
• It Doesn’t Take a Village (The Economist) – Channeling development aid directly to local decision-makers sounds like a good plan. However, a new report by the World Bank warns against relying on decisions made at the most local level of government.
• Possible Replacements Should A/AID Shah Depart – The article is from Devex. The relevant portion begins at the first sub-heading, about 14 lines down.
• The Future of British Aid (The Economist) – Britain’s ambitious overseas development policy needs to be savvier if it is to survive.
• USAID in Russia: A Celebration of Partnership (The Huffington Post) – Carol Peasley provides an overview of the outstanding sustainable partnerships developed by the soon to be closed USAID/Russia Mission.
• Corporate Transparency – Measuring Mud (The Economist) – How transparent are the world’s biggest companies? The results of a recent Transparency International Survey indicate that the response is not always clear cut.
• Please Don’t Send Food (Foreign Policy) – A new study suggests that food aid could actually prolong conflict rather than resolve it.
• 5 World Events That Could Swing the U.S. Presidential Election (Foreign Policy) – Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are slugging it out over the economy, but the world may have a trick or two up its sleeve. Every politician lives in fear of that 3 a.m. phone call that can upend the best-laid campaign plans. This article weighs five global events that could send the U.S. election careening along a very different path than the one it’s traveling down today.
• African Child Mortality: The Best Story in Development (The Economist) – The huge decline in child mortality now gathering pace across Africa. Sixteen of the twenty African countries which have had detailed surveys of living conditions since 2005 reported falls in their child-mortality rates.
• USAID plan to double direct aid to overseas groups could hurt American contractors (Washington Post 5/21/12)– American contractors risk losing business under a U.S. plan to double the share of international aid awards given to overseas entrepreneurs and governments.
• Hope Springs a Trap (The Economist) – An absence of optimism plays a large role in keeping people trapped in poverty. Esther Duflo, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology argues that the effects of some anti-poverty programs go beyond the direct impact of the resources they provide. These programs also make it possible for the very poor to hope for more than mere survival.
• Why Nations Fail (Washington Post Book Review) – Why are some countries rich and others poor? Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson make the case that it is man-made political and economic institutions that underlie economic success (or lack of it).
• Africa and the Need for a New Development Discourse – USAID Alumnus Owen Cylke offers a concise analysis of the current crossroads of development efforts in Africa and provides some suggestions.
  
• USAID Administrator’s Annual Letter – In his second annual letter, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah outlines his vision for how the Agency is striving to respond tocalls from the President and Secretary of State to elevate development as an integral part of the nation’s foreign policy arsenal.
• How to Rig an Election – The only poll that counts, supposedly, is election day. But for the sophisticated vote-rigger that is terrible advice.The Economist provides a simple guide for you, the aspiring autocrat.
• On February 15, along with USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton led a town hall event for Agency staff.  They spoke about the progress and challenges in implementing two major development reform initiatives: the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review and USAID Forward.   To see the town hall meeting, click here
• The FY ’13 State and USAID Budget Fact Sheet offers a summary of the details. Click here for written and video (including Administrator Shah) briefings on the budget. Finally, for an assessment of the budget by the the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, click here .
• President Obama Makes the Case for Foreign Aid – Video clip. During a Google+ “hangout,”  President Obama explains the strategic role of American foreign assistance, calling out the national security, economic, and humanitarian importance of U.S. international affairs programs.
• Foreign Aid – It’s What We Americans Do – This is a pro-foreign aid public service message. Its source is not attributed. You’ll love it anyway.
• The Big Push Back (The Economist Dec 12, 2011) Could Jeff Sachs possibly be wrong?! What heresy! Read all about it!
• Busan Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation-This declaration for the first time establishes an agreed framework for development cooperation that embraces traditional donors, South-South cooperators, the BRICs, CSOs and private funders. This marks a turning point for international development cooperation.
•  America Really Was That Great – (Foreign Policy Nov. 2011) Thomas Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum ask: Is America still exceptional? The question not only has become a contentious issue in American politics, it also affects the stability and prosperity of the entire world.
• USAID Is Foreign Policy’s Best Dollar Value – From Politico, four former USAID administrators explore the many benefits that have resulted from the United States’ relatively low investment in international development.
• Bill Gates’ Plan to Assist the World’s Poor – A Washington Post op ed piece by the Microsoft board chair makes the strategic case for the importance of foreign aid. To read Gates’ full report to the G20, click here.
• The Shape of U.S. Global Development Reforms – This Brookings policy brief highlights those reforms that are under way, those that are not and those that are still missing from the agenda. It also offers specific recommendations to the Obama administration
• MFAN Statement: Gutting USAID’s Operating Budget Would Repeat Painful Mistakes of the Past – The House of Representatives has proposed to cut nearly 27% from USAID’s operating budget for fiscal year 2012. Such a drastic cut would cripple the Agency’s ongoing and aggressive internal reform effort.
• New Sources of Aid – Charity begins abroad. Big developing countries, such as India and Brazil, are becoming donors. (The Economist, August 11, 2011)
• Aid and Extremism – Giving aid to poor people is good in and of itself. But if we’ve been doing that to prevent them from becoming Islamic fundamentalists, then a new study suggests we’ve been aiming at the wrong target.
• Fortress Embassies – Designing buildings for America’s diplomats is getting ever trickier. (The Economist, July 30, 2011)
• The War on Soft Power – Joseph Nye, Foreign Policy, April 12, 2011. Even the U.S military does not want to cut the State Department and foreign aid budgets.

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