Program Profile
Photo: USAID/Angola, Cathy Hamlin
Overview
Angola's low level of human development is at odds with its potential for economic prosperity, evident in the country's wealth of natural resources. Much of this paradox is explained by the social disruption and physical destruction generated by 27 years of civil war. Angola is continuing the transition toward national reconciliation and peace that was begun in earnest in 2002. As a potential powerhouse for regional trade and investment- Angola is sub-Saharan Africa's second largest oil producer and has tremendous agricultural resources to benefit a food-deficit region. The country has the potential to make an important contribution to regional growth and stability. To help the country realize its potential, USAID focuses on strengthened democratic governance, economic growth, and health. Its specific goals are to:
- USAID Angola Strategy Statement 08/05 (pdf,167kb) Portuguese (pdf,187kb)
- 2007 Congressional Budget Justification (pdf,1mb)
- 2007 Congressional Budget Justification
- reinforce Angolan efforts to improve people's lives through increased economic opportunity and improved health services; and,
- help Angolans make the systemic reforms that will lock Angola onto a path of broad-based growth and long-term stability.
The program consists of three elements:
1. Democracy & Governance
Good governance is the linchpin of USAID's programs in Angola. Each of our activities, including those to improve the delivery of better health services and to expand economic opportunity, seeks to address one or more of the following aims:
- improved quality of dialogue and more productive interaction between government and civil society on issues related to good governance, economic growth and health;
- increased transparency and accountability; and,
- more effective vertical linkages among the various levels of Government, with a focus at the national level on systemic reform; a focus at the municipal level on improving health and increasing economic growth; and, to the extent resources allow, a focus at the provincial level on increasing capacity to serve as an effective intermediary between the national and municipal levels on key topics, such as budgeting, planning and data collection and analysis.
Programs in the Governance area include: the Municipal Development Program, the Civil Society Strengthening Program, the Angola Electricity Support Program, and the Elections Support Program. We also have smaller efforts to strengthen the media and promote court reform.
Chevron and Lazare Kaplan International partner with us in different provinces in implementing the Municipal Development Program. Banco de Fomento Angola (BFA) partners with us on the Angola Electricity Support Program.
2. Economic Growth
USAID supports activities to improve both the macro- and micro-level economic environment. At the macro-level, USAID is complementing efforts of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the European Commission to help build the capacity of the Ministry of Finance to manage the national budget in a more effective, open and transparent manner. USAID also continues to support the Catholic University's independent economic think tank in order to stimulate dialogue on issues of national concern.
At the micro-level, USAID supports both people-focused and systems-focused efforts to increase access to productive resources, especially finance and property rights. For a near-term impact on people's lives, we are supporting the Agriculture Development and Finance Program that is activating the value chain (from production through processing and transport to marketing) for selected agricultural products. The program places a special emphasis on linking producers and entrepreneurs in the agriculture sector to sources of finance. We are also assisting farmers to register their land titles. To promote systemic reform and ensure sustained economic growth, we are working with the Central Bank and the commercial banks on policies, procedures and capacity building that will encourage the commercial banks to expand the number of products they offer that are relevant to small and medium enterprises and to increase their willingness and ability to reach out to small and medium sized borrowers. With regard to land, we are providing small amounts of technical assistance to Government and civil society related to getting new land registration regulations in place.
In seeking to enhance economic opportunity, we have introduced Junior Achievement, a program to bolster confidence and entrepreneurship among Angola's youth.
Programs to support Economic Growth include: the Agriculture Development and Finance Program, the Angola Land Reform Program, the Fiscal Program Unit Program, the Catholic University Think Tank Activity, and Junior Achievement.
Chevron and Banco de Fomento Angola (BFA) partner with us on the Agriculture Development and Finance Program. ExxonMobil, Coca-Cola, Odebrecht, Chevron, Alcatel-Lucent Technologies, and Ginásio Konceito have joined us on the Junior Achievement Program.
3. Health
USAID promotes the increased provision of better health care and services. USAID/Angola was selected as one of the first three countries to participate in President's Malaria Initiative (PMI). The PMI is helping to reduce malaria-related mortality by 50 percent through spraying, the provision of bed nets, and the distribution of malaria treatment. USAID is also strengthening interventions to curb the spread and mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS; and improving the quality of reproductive health programs.
At the systemic level for health care, USAID is supporting efforts to: 1) improve technical capabilities and help with selected systemic reform; 2) increase civil society's ability to address social service needs through community mobilization and improved access to Government channels; and 3) promote more productive interaction between the Government and civil society.
Programs in the Health Portfolio include: the President's Malaria Initiative, the HIV/AIDS Behavior Change Program, the HIV/AIDS Voluntary Counseling and Testing Program, and the Essential Health Services Program.
ExxonMobil partners with us on the President's Malaria Initiative. Banco de Fomento Angola (BFA) partners with us on the HIV/AIDS Behavior Change Program.
Past Program Areas (Ended September 30, 2005)
Improved Food Security
From 2002 to 2005, USAID worked extensively on food security and agricultural production and marketing programs aimed at boosting Angola's path to agricultural recovery. USAID-supported activities included providing communities with direct food relief, complementary seeds and tools needed to recapitalize their farms operations, as well as opportunities to engage in food-for-work and food-for-agriculture activities. In addition USAID supported a project aimed at increasing agricultural productivity in key provinces by (1) facilitating small and medium sized farmers' access to credit, (2) helping farmers to form and manage producer groups and cooperatives, (3) improving access to and dissemination of market information, and (4) facilitating farmers' access to agricultural inputs. USAID's work in helping to improve food security was bolstered through a partnership with Chevron.
Civil Society Strengthening
USAID activities help strengthen civil society by (1) supporting the establishment of an independent Angolan media entity, "MultiPress," to produce timely and accurate news to be broadcast through the Voice of America, (2) implementing three activities on conflict mitigation and peace building, (3) promoting and supporting a credible election process with the establishment of civil society organization electoral networks, (4) providing technical assistance and sub-grants for advocacy work, (5) strengthening the capacity of political parties to effectively participate in the electoral process, and (6) providing training and consultative services to Angolan judges and court clerks.
Maternal and Child Health and HIV/AIDS
USAID worked closely with the Ministry of Health (MOH) in its effort to improve child, maternal, and reproductive health, and reduce abortion and disease, with particular emphasis on HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. USAID provided training to strengthen non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations and government institutions to respond to protection and psychosocial issues regarding children. USAID supported the training of health providers in the diagnosis and treatment of malaria and other infectious diseases, and established additional Voluntary Counseling and Testing clinics. USAID continued facilitating community outreach and education on family planning and services.
Market-oriented Economic Analysis
USAID supported the Ministry of Finance's efforts to build institutional capacity and improve accountability and transparency of fiscal accounts and programming practices. USAID encouraged improved economic analysis and governance with its support to an independent think-tank, Center for Economic Studies and Scientific Research, at the Catholic University of Angola. USAID, together with Chevron, also worked toward strengthening the financial services sector and increasing access to capital by supporting the largest solidarity lending microfinance program for poverty alleviation in Angola.
