Center for Global Development’s “U.S. Development Policy”: Good Faith or Hostile Takeover? How to Judge a Development Re-org Plan
Jeremy Konyndyk and Cindy Huang, both senior policy fellows at CGD, discuss the potential reorganization of the State Department and USAID, writing, “Any review of the U.S. foreign assistance structure should focus on how to enable that assistance to be deployed as effectively as possible. So, how to judge whether this process is truly focused on improving effectiveness, rather than just justifying cuts or rationalizing a predetermined re-org? We have our eyes on six key elements to watch: Does it address the changing global context? … Does it roll back aid fragmentation? … Does it engage the full State/USAID team? … Does it set clear targets and emphasize cost-effectiveness? … Does it have buy-in beyond the administration? … Does it seek reasonable efficiencies or debilitating cuts?” (5/16).