Program Performance
USAID and Department of State: Joint Strategic Planning and Reporting
Given the close coordination and complementary efforts and goals of USAID and the Department of State’s foreign assistance programs, the agencies issued their second joint State-USAID Strategic Plan for FY 2007-2012 (http://www.usaid.gov/policy/coordination/stratplan_fy07-12.html), which supports the policy positions set forth by President Bush in his National Security Strategy. The Strategic Plan not only outlines five strategic goals that define the priorities and goals of U.S. foreign policy globally and regionally, but it also identifies key U.S. government partners and external factors that support or hinder the achievement of the goals. The Foreign Assistance Framework chart can be found in Appendix A.
Consistent with the Strategic Plan, in February 2008 the two agencies are presenting a joint Highlights document with summary budget, performance, and financial information, and a joint Congressional Budget Justification (CBJ) regarding the FY 2009 foreign assistance accounts.
Performance Management
Performance management represents the commitment of USAID to increase accountability of programs working towards the most advantageous development outcomes. Performance management is a four-part process: (1) planning to monitor results, (2) collecting and analyzing performance information, (3) using performance informa-tion to influence program decision-making and resource allocation, and (4) communicating results achieved. Operating Units are responsible for establishing systems to measure progress towards intended objectives in their Performance Management Plans, as well as reporting on key indicators in their annual performance reports. In USAID, the tools of assessing, learning, and sharing are interrelated through the concept of performance management. Performance management informs decisions from funding, program development, and implementation.
This year, an interagency working group comprised of USAID, the Office of the Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance within the Department of State (State/F), and the Department of State Office of Resource Management selected a representative set of about 50 indicators to illustrate the FY 2007 performance of U.S. foreign assistance. The indicators were validated by technical experts from the two agencies and vetted with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The indicators reflect major areas of U.S. government funding, earmarks/initiatives, and foreign policy priorities; link to foreign assistance objectives and areas; include medium-term indicators that reflect progress toward longer-term outcome/impact indicators. The data sources include the Operational Plans for annual output data and third-party sources, such as the World Bank, Freedom House, World Health Organization (WHO), Demographic and Health Surveys, etc., for higher level outcome data.
Data is only useful if the information collected is of high quality. As indicated in USAID’s Automated Directive System (ADS) Chapter 203.3.5, (http://www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/200/203.pdf), all USAID Operating Units are required to conduct Data Quality Assessments for any performance data reported to Washington, and also to verify the quality of data against the five standards of validity, integrity, precision, reliability, and timeliness. USAID has three data source categories: (1) primary data (data collected by USAID or where collection is funded by USAID), (2) partner data (data compiled by USAID implementing partners but collected from other sources), and (3) data from other secondary sources (data from other government agencies or development organizations). Overall, the more control USAID has over the data collection, the more requirements exist for the technical teams to ensure that the data meets data quality requirements. While data for some of the representative set of indicators come from secondary sources and therefore do not go through such USAID quality assessments, the sources utilized are carefully chosen based on the organization’s experience, expertise, and credibility.
Illustrative Accomplishments
The Agency’s Operating Units will not submit their annual performance reports until November 16, 2007, which is after the submission of this document. Therefore, major accomplishments will be reported in the joint State-USAID Highlights document and the CBJ in February 2008. Below, we present illustrative accomplishments achieved in FY 2007 in each of our five strategic goal areas and the indicators that represent these results.
Strategic Goal #1: Peace and Security
USAID and other U.S. government agencies and international organizations seek to achieve peace and security through diplomatic engagements and by providing development assistance to international partners. To date, 180 partner countries have been mobilized to help identify, disrupt, and destroy international terrorist organizations. Through our international diplomatic and assistance programs, we: (1) promote good governance and sustainable civil institutions; (2) fight terrorism and the proliferation of dangerous weapons; (3) combat criminal activities that undermine legitimate governments, (4) remove landmines and unexploded ordnances; and (5) protect American citizens and our legitimate national interests overseas.
Contributing to the indicator on the number of U.S. trained people in conflict mitigation, resolution skills, and leadership, the USAID/Indonesia’s Aceh Community Empowerment and Ownership (ACEO) training program empowers local leaders by helping them envision a shared future with their people and communities. ACEO conducted personal empowerment and awareness training courses, followed by leadership and conflict resolution training courses in 63 villages in eastern Aceh with more than 1,800 participants. As attested by Thaib, a participant of the ACEO program, the courses had a clear and tangible impact on participants.
Thaib, a former Free Aceh Movement combatant felt that, during the trainings, he was able to personally experience what he previously only had the opportunity to read in the books of philosophers John C. Maxwell and Zig Ziglar. According to him, “Everyone should attend this training because it broadens their minds. Through this course, I learned to know myself and gained valuable skills that I can use to help my community. I am now perceived to be a good leader. ” The course prepares communities throughout Aceh to develop their own Community Action Plans, blueprints for peaceful social and economic change designed by communities, for communities.
Strategic Goal #2: Governing Justly and Democratically
Nations that respect human rights, respond to the needs of their people, and govern by rule of law, are the same nations who are our allies and partners in the international community. Therefore, protecting human rights and building democracy are cornerstones of U.S. foreign policy, which seeks to end tyranny, combat terrorism, champion human dignity, and enhance homeland security. In order for democratization to be successful and sustainable, it must be a process driven by the people. USAID creates better lives by promoting democratic practices, free elections, a strong and independent judicial system, media freedom, and enhanced transparency and accountability of elected officials.
Egypt is a strategic and key partner of U.S. government (USG) in the Middle East. Political reform and moderni-zation of the Egyptian judiciary is critical to promoting good governance and the expansion of civil liberties in Egypt as well as in the region. Unequal access to government forums restrains women and their potential contributions to good governance, economic and social development. Contributing to the indicator on the number of justice sector personnel who received U.S. government training, Egypt’s appointment of 30 women judges is a major accomplishment for USAID’s Administration of Justice Support II program (AOJS II). The program began in 2004, and is the second phase in a broad-based effort to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of civil and commercial courts in Egypt.
Women’s exclusion from judgeships severely undermined Egypt’s efforts to modernize its court system. Building on the confidence gained from the earlier AOJS I, USAID/Egypt: (1) engaged the Alliance for Arab Women and the Ministry of Justice in dialogue about the issues related to women serving as judges; (2) organized a Ministry visit to Morocco to observe women serving as judges in an Islamic country; and (3) facilitated women’s participation in professional training programs. All of this contributed to the historic appointment of 30 women to the judiciary, and reinforced the judiciary’s reputation as one of the most trusted democratic institutions in Egypt.
Strategic Goal #3: Investing in People
Disease, poverty, displacement, irregular migration, and lack of education destroy lives, ravage societies, destabilize regions, and cheat future generations of prosperity. We are extending the basic values American citizens hold dear: prosperity, good health, and a knowledge-based society. U.S. investments have stimulated a rapid expansion of treatment, prevention, and care in high-priority countries. To ensure the future development of countries, USAID is creating and maintaining strong educational programs, from primary education and literacy programs, to strengthening institutional capacities of higher educational institutions. By managing risks and developing and reforming country safety nets, we help establish frameworks to track and provide assistance for those especially vulnerable.
According to UNICEF, insecticide-treated net (ITN) coverage at least tripled between 2000 and 2005 in 16 of the 20 African countries where data were available. Since 2006 and contributing to the indicator on the percentage of households in malaria-endemic areas with at least one ITN, the USAID-led President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) significantly expanded ITN programs, and accelerated the transition from regular ITNs to long-lasting nets. By the end of next year, over half of PMI focus countries will likely have achieved 70 percent household net ownership. In Mozambique, Senegal and Uganda, the PMI has supported campaigns that will retreat over 1 million conventional nets with insecticide. In total, PMI has procured and supported the distribution of over 2 million ITNs and helped attract other donor contributions of more than 1 million nets.
Strategic Goal #4: Promoting Economic Growth and Prosperity
Continued economic prosperity for the U.S. depends on the expansion of prosperity, freedom, and economic opportunity worldwide. We seek to promote prosperity at home and abroad by opening markets through ambitious trade and investment agendas, strengthening development efforts through private sector participation and recipient country accountability, and supporting U.S. businesses through outreach and advocacy. We work closely with other agencies, businesses, labor groups, and non-governmental organizations (NGO) to build a strong and dynamic international economic system that creates new opportunities for U.S. businesses, workers, and farmers.
Contributing to the indicator on percent of U.S. government micro-finance institutions that have reached operational sustainability, USAID is helping Nicaragua take advantage of the opportunities offered through the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) through an emphasis on rural economic diversification and trade capacity building. Through the market-led assistance program by USAID and its partners, some 5,200 micro-farmers graduated from being food aid recipients and subsistence farmers to producing their own food needs and supplying goods for international fresh produce markets.
The trade agreement now covers seven activities and 59 products. In many cases, annual incomes doubled or tripled; for the first time, these farmers can count on a stable monthly income for their families. USAID programs are providing technical and financial support to more than 20,000 producers throughout the country. In just the first year since CAFTA-DR took effect, from April 2006 to March 2007, USAID-assisted producers had $24.2 million in sales. For the three years preceding, the same producers only had $47.2 million in accumulated sales.
Strategic Goal #5: Providing Humanitarian Assistance
The United States’ commitment to humanitarian response demonstrates the country’s compassion for victims of natural disasters, armed conflict, forced migration, human rights violations, widespread health and food insecurity, and other threats. The strength of this commitment derives from both our common humanity and our responsibility as a global leader. When responding to displacement and human-made disasters, the United States complements efforts to promote democracy and human rights. The U.S. provides substantial resources and guidance through international and NGOs for worldwide humanitarian programs with the objectives of saving lives and minimizing suffering in the midst of crises, increasing access to protection, promoting responsibility-sharing, and coordinating funding and implementation strategies.
Contributing to the indicator on the percent of targeted disaster-affected households provided with basic inputs for survival, recovery, or restoration of productive capacity, in FY 2007, USAID emergency humanitarian assistance programs responded to more than 70 disasters in 56 countries, providing over $368 million to help those in need. In addition to responding to disasters, USAID works to build local capacity and expertise that prepares for disasters, mitigates and responds to the impact of disasters and rebuilds after disasters. Since 1998, USAID has funded more than $102 million in preparedness and mitigation programs around the world.
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