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| >> Regional Overview >> REDSO Overview | |||||||||
IntroductionThe Regional Economic Development Services Office for East and Southern Africa (REDSO/ESA) directly supports three of the U.S. International Affairs Strategic Goals: (1) Economic Development, (2) Regional Stability, and (3) Health. REDSO/ESA advances these goals by implementing regional activities that assist African organizations in taking greater responsibility for solving their problems with solutions that are tailored to the region and that enhance bilateral USAID programs. Based in Nairobi, Kenya, REDSO/ESA fulfills two roles in the region. First, it provides technical and implementation support, such as procurement, legal and financial services, to 23 USAID missions. Second, it implements the regional development program presented and discussed below. The interplay between the provision of technical services and the regional program is very important. In fact, REDSO's strategy, approaches and specific activities were developed from USAID's experience from implementing the Greater Horn of Africa Initiative (GHAI), the cornerstone of the East Africa regional program. In the past year, REDSO/ESA redesigned its strategy, taking the key lessons learned from implementing GHAI and applying them to its entire program and region served, no longer just to the countries in the Greater Horn. At its core, the strategy focuses on "strengthen, use, and link." USAID works first to "strengthen" the technical and managerial capabilities of African organizations, and then to support the organizations' "use" of their new capabilities to achieve mutually sought development results. Finally, USAID works to "link" these organizations together into networks that, using their multiple perspectives and bases of support, can address problems whose solutions depend in part on better regional cooperation. These solutions complement and create other positive synergies with the bilateral programs of USAID missions. REDSO/ESA focuses on how African organizations' improved capabilities are helping play greater roles in finding locally-adapted solutions, whether the development results shared by these organizations and USAID are being achieved, and how these results are advancing USAID's other programs and goals in the region. The Development ChallengeAt the same time that civil and cross-border conflict has subsided in a number of east and southern African countries (e.g., Eritrea, Ethiopia), both internal and cross-border violence has emerged in others (Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe). Mechanisms to address conflict at the regional, national, sub-national and local levels are being identified, refined and employed, but often these are more art than science. Efforts to mitigate and reduce tensions using techniques that are more robust continue. Nevertheless, the impact of conflict in the region serves to delay or reverse development efforts. Economic performance throughout the East and Southern Africa region has been uneven due in part to continued conflicts and political will. Economic growth appears to have resulted primarily from improved policies rather than good weather or other external factors. However, the quality of that growth raises concerns. Unsustainable resource exploitation threatens the environmental wealth of East and Southern Africa which contains many of the world's protected areas (the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, the Rwenzori Mountains) and biodiversity hot spots (the Eastern Arc Mountains, the Ethiopian Highlands). HIV/AIDS is now the leading cause of death in Africa and impacts national productivity at levels comparable to those seen in Europe after World War I. The U.S. government considers HIV/AIDS not only an African public health threat, but also a threat to U.S. national interests, due both to the economic disruption and impoverishment caused by the disease and to the resulting pressures that can lead to conflict. A significant gap remains in East and Southern Africa between men's and women's opportunities and participation in economic and social development. Women and children are most vulnerable to conflict in the region, although women are assuming increasingly important roles as peacemakers and mediators. Finally, the technology gap between the region and the rest of the world continues to grow. While problems are severe, not all is gloom. Substantive successes have been made in some areas, particularly in countries that have enacted appropriate policies. African leaders are increasingly engaged in peace processes, regional forums and new regional treaties. Regionally oriented organizations, both inter- and non-governmental, have emerged or been strengthened, thus laying the base for meaningful, positive outcomes. The importance of regional economic and political integration, critical for success in the global economy, is increasingly cited as key by national leaders. A regional approach is vital, not only to encourage trade flows between African countries themselves, but also, and perhaps more importantly, to provide a wider platform from which to encourage investment. Infrastructure, information and communications technology, and financial services are key to this process. Regional information sharing, critical in solving health, conflict, and food security challenges, has begun. Rapid global advances in information and communications technologies have opened windows of opportunity for accelerated social and economic development. With the launching this past year of a major free trade area, a number of regional organizations are focusing on the task of building a regional economic and eventually political community. Other DonorsThe European Union is the only other leading donor providing direct support to regional institutions such as the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD), the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the Association for Support of Agricultural Research in East and Central Africa (ASARECA). Other key donors supporting regional activities include the World Bank, Canada, African Development Bank, Germany and the World Health Organization. FY 2002 ProgramUSAID's new five-year strategy focuses on enhancing African capacity to (a) achieve food security, (b) prevent, mitigate and respond to conflict and (c) improve health services. GHAI's core activities are fully integrated into each of the new Strategic Objectives and its principles shaped the strategy and tactics. This new regional strategic framework promotes greater cooperation and coordination among the missions of the Horn, East Africa, and the Great Lakes. It outlines structures for cooperation including developing program and procurement mechanisms that can respond to regional/cross-border approaches to dealing with HIV/AIDS, conflict/crisis, and economic integration. During FY 2001, REDSO/ESA will continue to expend funds under the old strategy and activities as it makes the transition to the new one. Thus, this year is the only year for which reporting will be submitted on Activities under both strategies. In the FY 2001 Budget Justification the major "nonpresence country" programs managed by REDSO/ESA-Burundi, Somalia, and Sudan-were presented as part of REDSO/ESA under one Activity Data Sheet. Given the growing importance of all of these countries, each program now will be justified and reported on separately. Consequently, over the past year, a transition plan (Burundi) or strategy (Somalia and Sudan) has been developed and approved for each. Activity Data Sheets
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