The Devil is in the Details: From the Millennium Challenge Account to the Millennium Challenge Corporation

The devil will be in the details in the establishment of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and the implementation of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA)--as it is with most organizational innovations. The special challenge with this venture will be not just figuring out how the MCC should be organized, but managing the political environment to ensure that it is able to achieve its goals and function effectively. There are five major issues that must be addressed: the political process by which the MCC will be established; how the MCC will be funded; the criteria for eligibility; implementation of programs; and the management of the organization, including the role of the Board. This paper touches on some of the major challenges in these categories.