USAID Administrator Shah Opens Annual InterAction

Forum
This entry was posted on Monday, June 7th, 2010 at 8:22 pm

Last week, MFAN Partner InterAction hosted its annual forum, “2010: Moving at the Speed of
Change” in DC.  U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Rajiv Shah delivered
remarks during the plenary session on Tuesday.  He spoke in detail about USAID’s new policy,
planing, and learning bureau that takes important steps to restoring policy planning and budget
capacity at the agency.  More importantly, he made a commitment to work with Congress on
foreign assistance reform.  Following an energized speech from Congressman Gerald Connolly
(D-VA), Shah said, “…I think we have a unique opportunity to work with the Congress to have
that be part of this administration’s legacy and part of this administration’s partnership with
Congress. And so we’re excited to take you up on that offer and that challenge.”  See more
excerpts from the speech below:

“I believe the next 12 to 18 months is a unique point in time. I don’t think the window will last
much longer than that. And I think we have to do this in this moment.  Part of this opportunity is
driven by political opportunity. This is a president who deeply believes in development. And in
his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech and more recently in the administration’s national
security strategy, very clearly outlined how development is the common basis – shared
prosperity is the common basis of our long-term security and our deep partnerships with
populations all around the world.”

“These are the types of insights that we need to do a very effective job of learning and building
into all of our practices across USAID.  And so I would ask this community to focus more
aggressively on evidence-based development, on country-owned planning and alignment, on
creating the incentives for good and accountable governance and on building real local capacity
in the institutions where we want to work.”

“The reform agenda starts with building out real policy and budget capability at the agency. We
absolutely have to have the ability to speak with one voice and communicate a strong
development perspective not just in the interagency or not just at the NSC but, frankly, all around
the world where development partners and development practitioners look to this agency and this
community of leaders to offer thoughts and insights that will take our field forward and take the
practice of this discipline forward.”

“We need you to do some things differently. We need you to be transparent about getting more
money out of the Beltway and into the countries and into the communities where we’re trying to
serve. We need you to make the decision to invest in training local resources, instead of choosing
to fly in American experts, wherever you’re given that choice. And we frankly need to ask your
governing boards to do something different and brave.”
MFAN member Todd Shelton, senior director of policy and communications at InterAction, was
quoted in the National Journal about the forum.  On restoring autonomy to USAID, Shelton said,
“Development and humanitarian relief should be seen as a distinct discipline with its own
thinking and budgeting capacity.  For our policy decisions regarding developing countries to be
effective, there has to be a stronger, clearer empowered voice at the interagency table than there
currently is or has been in recent years.”

Stay tuned for more coverage of the InterAction forum!