USAID Needs Leadership and Funding

An article in today's Washington Post mentions that as Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton begins a trip to Africa, U.S. foreign aid agency USAID (United States Agency for International Development) commences its seventh month without a permanent director. While USAID's staff has been shrinking, its costs have been growing: USAID's full-time staff decreased by 40 percent over the past 20 years, but the assistance it oversees doubled, to $13.2 billion in 2008. President Obama has proposed more U.S. funding for foreign assistance, but some frustrated USAID employees are still asking when they will be getting leadership for their organization.

I thought it would interesting to pull up some fairly current USAID assessments by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and Government Accountability Office (GAO):

• USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives After 15 Years: Issues for Congress (CRS, May 2009)
• USAID Acquisition and Assistance: Challenges Remain in Developing and
  Implementing a Strategic Workforce Plan (GAO, April 2009)
• Foreign Assistance: State Department Foreign Aid Information Systems Have Improved Change Management Practices but Do Not Follow Risk Management Best Practices (GAO, November 2008)
  
• Global Health: Appropriations to USAID Programs from FY2001 through FY2008 (CRS, July 2008)

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