Will McKitterick

Foreign Assistance Dashboard Tweaks and New Data

5/2/13

If you haven’t looked at the Foreign Assistance Dashboard lately, I’d suggest you do so. The government’s online platform and (eventual) one-stop-shop for storing and visualizing US aid data has some new features. There are new displays of existing data, plus the first set of USAID and MCC quarterly financial data. These tweaks and more timely data are a step in the right direction, but more US federal agencies need to leap onboard and start adding their data to the mix.

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Another Cheat Sheet for Kerry’s Confirmation Hearing (Written by Kerry)

1/23/13

Will McKitterick

Sen. John Kerry will be questioned by his Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) colleagues this week during his confirmation hearing to become the next Secretary of State. My colleague Jenny Ottenhoff shared what she’d like to hear members ask Kerry, including a question on the future of US foreign aid. Turns out Sen.

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Poe Transparency & Accountability Bill: Will it Pass?

12/21/12

Will McKitterick

The House was expected to vote on the Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act of 2012 (H.R. 3159) this week but didn't quite get to it before concluding business. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), requires standard monitoring and evaluation across all US foreign aid agencies and would make the Foreign Assistance Dashboard a lasting—and required—tool to track US aid spending.

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Top 10 Rethinking US Foreign Assistance Blogs in 2012

12/18/12

Will McKitterick

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 (think: MCC). Budget battles and the more troubling aid stories in aid get a lot of interest, too.

Take a look at our top 10 list below. We look forward to bringing you more analysis and commentary from our CGD experts in 2013. Leave a comment and tell us what you’d like to see more (or less of) in 2013.

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SFRC Pre-Recess Action on Foreign Aid

9/21/12

Will McKitterick

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee gave a stamp of approval to two pieces of US aid reform legislation before heading out for pre-election recess this week.

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DAC Data Doesn’t Tell All

4/12/12

Will McKitterick

Global aid flows fell by nearly 3 percent in 2011 according to a recent announcement from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The drop in development assistance is considered a result of the global recession and fiscal-tightening as governments trim expenditures to balance budgets. Altogether, aid flows fell by $3.4 billion to a total of $133 billion, the first decrease in development assistance since 1997 (disregarding years of exceptional debt relief).

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Ryan Budget Out of Sync with Foreign Assistance Congressional Committees

4/4/12

Will McKitterick

This is a joint post with Casey Dunning.

Representative Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) Congressional budget alternative was launched last week to the dismay of the development community. The 99-page Path to Prosperity anticipates a very small role for development and diplomacy in America’s foreign policy. Both areas of the budget take heavy cuts – a near 10 percent reduction from fiscal year 2012.

The Ryan budget is already taking serious heat with its proposals to eliminate Feed the Future and merge USAID development assistance programs with the Millennium Challenge Corporation. But who didn’t see that level of contention coming? What’s really interesting is comparing the Ryan budget against Congressional reaction to recent USAID hearings with Administrator Raj Shah earlier in March. Congressmen on both sides of the aisle asked nuanced questions that demonstrated an understanding of the role of development as a part of robust U.S. foreign engagement. Moreover, Congressional leaders in both chambers were supportive of administrative efforts to reform and enhance our foreign assistance.

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Strategy Tracker Update: USAID Publishes Two New Policies

3/13/12

Will McKitterick

USAID is moving full steam ahead in its efforts to hammer out Agency-wide policy guidelines with two new reports: a Counter-Trafficking in Persons policy and a Gender Equality and Female Empowerment policy. As part of our USAID Monitor Strategy Tracker, I’ve dissected the documents to determine whether the Agency’s Bureau of Policy Planning and Learning (PPL) is living up to its promise to rewire the USAID policymaking process.

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Clinton Defends International Affairs Budget on the Hill

3/2/12

Will McKitterick

Earlier this week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton withstood a grueling marathon of Congressional committee hearings in defense of the FY2013 international affairs budget request. As expected, the briefings ran the gamut of U.S. priorities in national security and foreign policy, touching on everything from U.S. engagement in the frontline states to crises in Egypt, Iran, and Syria, to cuts to PEPFAR and procurement reform.

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Ideas to Action:

Foreign Assistance Dashboard Tweaks and New Data

Another Cheat Sheet for Kerry’s Confirmation Hearing (Written by Kerry)

Poe Transparency & Accountability Bill: Will it Pass?

Top 10 Rethinking US Foreign Assistance Blogs in 2012

SFRC Pre-Recess Action on Foreign Aid

DAC Data Doesn’t Tell All

Ryan Budget Out of Sync with Foreign Assistance Congressional Committees

Strategy Tracker Update: USAID Publishes Two New Policies

Clinton Defends International Affairs Budget on the Hill

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