This week, USAID Administrator Raj Shah and other leaders will participate in several events during the 61st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Two of these events focused on the international Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement, which promotes country-led efforts in nutrition among leaders of national governments and development partners. Through Feed the Future and the Global Health Initiative, the United States Government is supporting SUN by addressing the root causes of global undernutrition and improving the potential of millions of people.
•Learn more about U.S. investments in global nutrition [PDF, 133KB].
•Read the USAID IMPACTblog post, Scaling Up Nutrition: Supporting country-led efforts to promote healthier lives, by Paul Weisenfeld, head of USAID's Bureau for Food Security.
•Watch the video Women and Agriculture: Behind the Scenes from Feed The Future at the UN General Assembly.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The Bellagio Initiative
The Future of Philanthropy and Development in the Pursuit of Human Wellbeing
Your ideas
The Bellagio Initiative wants to engage the maximum numbers of people with an interest in and knowledge of philanthropy and international development in the Bellagio debate. There are two ways in which to contribute.
•Submissions
Find out more about contributing papers, think pieces and comment to the Bellagio debate.
•Innovations
Find out more about contributing your practical new ideas in philanthropy and international development to the Bellagio debate.
Your ideas
The Bellagio Initiative wants to engage the maximum numbers of people with an interest in and knowledge of philanthropy and international development in the Bellagio debate. There are two ways in which to contribute.
•Submissions
Find out more about contributing papers, think pieces and comment to the Bellagio debate.
•Innovations
Find out more about contributing your practical new ideas in philanthropy and international development to the Bellagio debate.
Gates Foundation Nutrition Strategy Overview
Gates Foundation Nutrition Strategy Overview LINK
In developing countries, undernutrition leads to increased risk of mortality due
to infections such as diarrhea and pneumonia and is the underlying cause of onethird
of all deaths in children under 5 years of age. Among surviving children,
approximately one-third suffer from stunting, which is associated with poor
school performance and subsequent low economic productivity.1 Undernourished
women are at a greater risk of dying from pregnancy complications compared
to well-nourished women and have a higher risk of delivering low birth weight
babies. Their children are at higher risk later in life of physical and cognitive
impairments and nutrition-related chronic diseases.2 Data indicate that the
overwhelming majority of people who are undernourished live in South Asia
and sub-Saharan Africa, where 10 countries account for two-thirds of all stunted
children worldwide.
A set of key proven interventions exist, that if implemented at sufficient scale,
could reduce the burden of undernutrition and associated maternal and child
death and disability by one-quarter.3 These interventions include promotion of
optimal breastfeeding practices; age-appropriate complementary feeding that is
adequate in quantity and quality from 6-24 months; and interventions to ensure
sufficient intakes of key vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, zinc, iron, folic
acid, and iodine in the diet. Some of these have been successfully implemented,
with the global coverage of vitamin A supplementation rising from 16 to 79
percent between 1999 and 2009,4 and the global coverage of iodized salt reaching
71 percent in 2009.5
In developing countries, undernutrition leads to increased risk of mortality due
to infections such as diarrhea and pneumonia and is the underlying cause of onethird
of all deaths in children under 5 years of age. Among surviving children,
approximately one-third suffer from stunting, which is associated with poor
school performance and subsequent low economic productivity.1 Undernourished
women are at a greater risk of dying from pregnancy complications compared
to well-nourished women and have a higher risk of delivering low birth weight
babies. Their children are at higher risk later in life of physical and cognitive
impairments and nutrition-related chronic diseases.2 Data indicate that the
overwhelming majority of people who are undernourished live in South Asia
and sub-Saharan Africa, where 10 countries account for two-thirds of all stunted
children worldwide.
A set of key proven interventions exist, that if implemented at sufficient scale,
could reduce the burden of undernutrition and associated maternal and child
death and disability by one-quarter.3 These interventions include promotion of
optimal breastfeeding practices; age-appropriate complementary feeding that is
adequate in quantity and quality from 6-24 months; and interventions to ensure
sufficient intakes of key vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, zinc, iron, folic
acid, and iodine in the diet. Some of these have been successfully implemented,
with the global coverage of vitamin A supplementation rising from 16 to 79
percent between 1999 and 2009,4 and the global coverage of iodized salt reaching
71 percent in 2009.5
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Global Fund verdict could be devastating for the fight against Aids
Sarah Boseley's Global Health Blog LINK to Article
UK Gaurdian
9/20/11
A report from an independent high-level panel finds major flaws in the governance and oversight of the Global Fund in spite of its good work - which could give donors the excuse they want to cut its funding
The Global Fund must "change or wither". That is the devastating verdict of a very intelligent report by the high-level independent review LINK team brought in following a major crisis of confidence in the Fund, which channels money into developing country programmes for Aids, TB and malaria. Stories emerged at the end of last year of fraud and corruption among countries taking Global Fund money. In January, Germany suspended its payments and there was talk of other donor nations turning away.
UK Gaurdian
9/20/11
A report from an independent high-level panel finds major flaws in the governance and oversight of the Global Fund in spite of its good work - which could give donors the excuse they want to cut its funding
The Global Fund must "change or wither". That is the devastating verdict of a very intelligent report by the high-level independent review LINK team brought in following a major crisis of confidence in the Fund, which channels money into developing country programmes for Aids, TB and malaria. Stories emerged at the end of last year of fraud and corruption among countries taking Global Fund money. In January, Germany suspended its payments and there was talk of other donor nations turning away.
Monday, September 19, 2011
MFAN-From Policy to Practice
LINK to Document
At less than one percent of the federal budget, U.S. development programs save and improve millions of lives that would otherwise be lost or mired in poverty. We support these programs not only because it is right, but because it is in our vital national interest.
Both Republican and Democratic administrations have taken important steps toward reforming U.S. development policy and practice, and still more work needs to be done.
Ultimately, the full promise of this Administration’s emphasis on more effective development rests with its ability to partner with Congress to enact durable, bipartisan legislation that reflects current challenges and cuts through the layers of burdensome red tape that have made assistance efforts too slow and too bureaucratic. In doing this, the Administration and Congress must focus on the following:
•Maximizing efficiencies by eliminating wasteful regulations, better coordinating and leveraging work with partners, and demanding clear results through better evaluation;
•Increasing accountability to U.S. taxpayers as well as people in developing countries;
•Codifying a shared Executive-Legislative vision for the U.S. approach to development built around sound strategic planning, greater transparency, accountability for results, and the flexibility to spend resources according to needs and opportunities on the ground;
•Ensuring assistance is responsive to local priorities and supportive of local policy reforms that will lead to sustainable economic growth and reduce poverty;
•Recognizing and institutionalizing the distinctiveness between diplomacy and development so that short-term humanitarian and political goals and long-term development goals are complementary and work together to achieve U.S. objectives; and
•Empowering and strengthening USAID as a 21st-Century development agency.
At less than one percent of the federal budget, U.S. development programs save and improve millions of lives that would otherwise be lost or mired in poverty. We support these programs not only because it is right, but because it is in our vital national interest.
Both Republican and Democratic administrations have taken important steps toward reforming U.S. development policy and practice, and still more work needs to be done.
Ultimately, the full promise of this Administration’s emphasis on more effective development rests with its ability to partner with Congress to enact durable, bipartisan legislation that reflects current challenges and cuts through the layers of burdensome red tape that have made assistance efforts too slow and too bureaucratic. In doing this, the Administration and Congress must focus on the following:
•Maximizing efficiencies by eliminating wasteful regulations, better coordinating and leveraging work with partners, and demanding clear results through better evaluation;
•Increasing accountability to U.S. taxpayers as well as people in developing countries;
•Codifying a shared Executive-Legislative vision for the U.S. approach to development built around sound strategic planning, greater transparency, accountability for results, and the flexibility to spend resources according to needs and opportunities on the ground;
•Ensuring assistance is responsive to local priorities and supportive of local policy reforms that will lead to sustainable economic growth and reduce poverty;
•Recognizing and institutionalizing the distinctiveness between diplomacy and development so that short-term humanitarian and political goals and long-term development goals are complementary and work together to achieve U.S. objectives; and
•Empowering and strengthening USAID as a 21st-Century development agency.
USAID Policy Framework 2011-2015
Rajiv Shah Statement to USAID-
On the eve of the first anniversary of the President's Policy Directive on Global Development, I am pleased to announce the release of the USAID Policy Framework 2011-2015 LINK. This document is the first in what will become a regular strategic exercise every four years, reflecting the hard work our Agency has engaged in to become a policy and thought leader in development. The President's Directive recognized the importance of international development to our nation's security and called on the U.S. Government to strengthen our capabilities to deliver effective development assistance. In particular, the President made clear his vision for strengthening USAID in order to establish it as the world's leading development Agency. Secretary of State Clinton has also strongly echoed this vision, articulating a path toward strong partnership in the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review. I am proud of the steps that we have taken as an Agency to reflect on, strengthen and deliver real results towards this vision. Drawing on extensive consultation with colleagues in Washington and in our field missions, this document provides our staff and partners worldwide with a clear sense of our core development priorities; translates the President's Directive and the Secretary's Review into more detailed operational principles; explains how we will apply these principles across our entire portfolio; and lays out our agenda for institutional reform—USAID Forward—that is preparing the Agency to respond to the development challenges of the coming decades.
Promote Global Health and Strong Health Systems:
From Treating Diseases To Treating People
Reduce Climate Change Impacts and Promote Low Emissions Growth:
Building Resilience On Multiple Fronts
--Through Feed the Future (FtF), assist 18 million vulnerable women, children, and family members over the next five years to escape hunger and poverty by significantly increasing their purchasing power
--Lift 7.5 million people out of extreme poverty (defined as those living on less than $1.25 a day)
--In conjunction with the Global Health Initiative (GHI), help seven million children through nutrition interventions that prevent stunting and child mortality
--Generate $2.8 billion in agricultural GDP in our focus countries through investments in research and technology
--Leverage up to $70 million in private investment to create sustainable market opportunities
--Help developing countries increase their exports; for each dollar we spend on trade capacity-building, exports can increase by $43 over a two-year period
--Reduce the cost of doing business for the private sector in developing countries; for every dollar we spend on programs to improve the business-enabling environment, private sector firms’ costs of complying with regulation can be reduced by $29 per year, which helps stimulate entrepreneurship and private sector led growth
--Improve reading skills for 100 million children in primary grades by 2015 and improve the ability of tertiary and workforce development programs to generate workforce skills
--Through Partnerships for Growth (PFG), reduce the growth-inhibiting effect of key constraints to broad-based economic growth beginning in a small number of countries with high growth potential
--Extend credit guarantees to mobilize private sector financing through the Development Credit Authority
(DCA); for every dollar of loan guarantees made through the DCA, we can mobilize $28 of private capital
--Use our microenterprise programs to empower the poor; our programs have benefited close to one million very poor people per year, a majority of whom are women and over three-quarters of whom live in rural areas
--Reduce maternal mortality by 30 percent, reduce under-five child mortality by 35 percent across assisted countries, and prevent 54 million unintended pregnancies; reduce child mortality through investments in water, sanitation, and health (WASH)
--Halve the burden of malaria for 70 percent of the at-risk population in Africa through the President’s Malaria
Initiative (PMI)
--Support the prevention of more than 12 million new HIV infections, provide direct support to more than four million people on treatment, and support care for more than 12 million people, including five million orphans and children through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
--Contribute to the treatment of a minimum of 2.6 million new sputum smear-positive turberculosis (TB) cases and 57,200 multidrug-resistant cases of TB; contribute to a 50 percent reduction in TB deaths and disease burden relative to the 1990 baseline
--Reduce the prevalence of seven neglected tropical diseases, contributing to the elimination of onchocerciasis in Latin America, and the elimination of lymphatic filariasis and leprosy, globally
On the eve of the first anniversary of the President's Policy Directive on Global Development, I am pleased to announce the release of the USAID Policy Framework 2011-2015 LINK. This document is the first in what will become a regular strategic exercise every four years, reflecting the hard work our Agency has engaged in to become a policy and thought leader in development. The President's Directive recognized the importance of international development to our nation's security and called on the U.S. Government to strengthen our capabilities to deliver effective development assistance. In particular, the President made clear his vision for strengthening USAID in order to establish it as the world's leading development Agency. Secretary of State Clinton has also strongly echoed this vision, articulating a path toward strong partnership in the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review. I am proud of the steps that we have taken as an Agency to reflect on, strengthen and deliver real results towards this vision. Drawing on extensive consultation with colleagues in Washington and in our field missions, this document provides our staff and partners worldwide with a clear sense of our core development priorities; translates the President's Directive and the Secretary's Review into more detailed operational principles; explains how we will apply these principles across our entire portfolio; and lays out our agenda for institutional reform—USAID Forward—that is preparing the Agency to respond to the development challenges of the coming decades.
Promote Global Health and Strong Health Systems:
From Treating Diseases To Treating People
Reduce Climate Change Impacts and Promote Low Emissions Growth:
Building Resilience On Multiple Fronts
--Through Feed the Future (FtF), assist 18 million vulnerable women, children, and family members over the next five years to escape hunger and poverty by significantly increasing their purchasing power
--Lift 7.5 million people out of extreme poverty (defined as those living on less than $1.25 a day)
--In conjunction with the Global Health Initiative (GHI), help seven million children through nutrition interventions that prevent stunting and child mortality
--Generate $2.8 billion in agricultural GDP in our focus countries through investments in research and technology
--Leverage up to $70 million in private investment to create sustainable market opportunities
--Help developing countries increase their exports; for each dollar we spend on trade capacity-building, exports can increase by $43 over a two-year period
--Reduce the cost of doing business for the private sector in developing countries; for every dollar we spend on programs to improve the business-enabling environment, private sector firms’ costs of complying with regulation can be reduced by $29 per year, which helps stimulate entrepreneurship and private sector led growth
--Improve reading skills for 100 million children in primary grades by 2015 and improve the ability of tertiary and workforce development programs to generate workforce skills
--Through Partnerships for Growth (PFG), reduce the growth-inhibiting effect of key constraints to broad-based economic growth beginning in a small number of countries with high growth potential
--Extend credit guarantees to mobilize private sector financing through the Development Credit Authority
(DCA); for every dollar of loan guarantees made through the DCA, we can mobilize $28 of private capital
--Use our microenterprise programs to empower the poor; our programs have benefited close to one million very poor people per year, a majority of whom are women and over three-quarters of whom live in rural areas
--Reduce maternal mortality by 30 percent, reduce under-five child mortality by 35 percent across assisted countries, and prevent 54 million unintended pregnancies; reduce child mortality through investments in water, sanitation, and health (WASH)
--Halve the burden of malaria for 70 percent of the at-risk population in Africa through the President’s Malaria
Initiative (PMI)
--Support the prevention of more than 12 million new HIV infections, provide direct support to more than four million people on treatment, and support care for more than 12 million people, including five million orphans and children through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
--Contribute to the treatment of a minimum of 2.6 million new sputum smear-positive turberculosis (TB) cases and 57,200 multidrug-resistant cases of TB; contribute to a 50 percent reduction in TB deaths and disease burden relative to the 1990 baseline
--Reduce the prevalence of seven neglected tropical diseases, contributing to the elimination of onchocerciasis in Latin America, and the elimination of lymphatic filariasis and leprosy, globally
Friday, September 9, 2011
Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Guidance
MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
The President has defined our fiscal challenge as demonstrating that we can live within our means so that we can invest in job creation and economic growth now and in the long term. In April, he proposed a balanced framework for $4 trillion in deficit reduction that would put us on path to achieve fiscal sustainability by the middle of this decade. Over the summer, in negotiations with the Congress, the President pursued deficit reduction of this magnitude. Once it was clear a bipartisan agreement could not yet be reached, the President signed into law a down payment toward this goal: the Budget Control Act of 20 11. This legislation set ceilings on total discretionary spending and a target of $2.4 trillion in total deficit reduction over the next decade.
The President has defined our fiscal challenge as demonstrating that we can live within our means so that we can invest in job creation and economic growth now and in the long term. In April, he proposed a balanced framework for $4 trillion in deficit reduction that would put us on path to achieve fiscal sustainability by the middle of this decade. Over the summer, in negotiations with the Congress, the President pursued deficit reduction of this magnitude. Once it was clear a bipartisan agreement could not yet be reached, the President signed into law a down payment toward this goal: the Budget Control Act of 20 11. This legislation set ceilings on total discretionary spending and a target of $2.4 trillion in total deficit reduction over the next decade.
Foreign Assistance Reform
Discussion Draft: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS ACT OF 2011
Proposed by Ranking Member Howard L. Berman
Overview:
Today, more than ever, our health, security, and prosperity depend on a world in which basic human needs are met, fundamental freedoms are respected, conflicts are resolved peacefully and the world's resources are used wisely. There is no escaping our obligations to help foster this environment. Not only are we morally bound to do so, but our economic and political interests demand that we address widespread poverty and chaos in the world.
Aid is not a gift. The United States provides foreign assistance because it serves OUR interests. Helping countries become more democratic, more stable, more capable of defending themselves and better at pulling themselves out of poverty is just as important for us as it is for them. Our task therefore, is to make sure that we provide this assistance in the most efficient and effective way possible.
The Global Partnerships Act of 2011 is a discussion draft of a bill to replace the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, which serves as the foundation for U.S. international aid programs, as well as the Arms Export Control Act, which contains additional authorities for arms sales and military assistance. This proposal modernizes the full spectrum of foreign assistance programs, from development to democracy to self-defense.
Proposed by Ranking Member Howard L. Berman
Overview:
Today, more than ever, our health, security, and prosperity depend on a world in which basic human needs are met, fundamental freedoms are respected, conflicts are resolved peacefully and the world's resources are used wisely. There is no escaping our obligations to help foster this environment. Not only are we morally bound to do so, but our economic and political interests demand that we address widespread poverty and chaos in the world.
Aid is not a gift. The United States provides foreign assistance because it serves OUR interests. Helping countries become more democratic, more stable, more capable of defending themselves and better at pulling themselves out of poverty is just as important for us as it is for them. Our task therefore, is to make sure that we provide this assistance in the most efficient and effective way possible.
The Global Partnerships Act of 2011 is a discussion draft of a bill to replace the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, which serves as the foundation for U.S. international aid programs, as well as the Arms Export Control Act, which contains additional authorities for arms sales and military assistance. This proposal modernizes the full spectrum of foreign assistance programs, from development to democracy to self-defense.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Round 8 of Grand Challenges Explorations
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is now accepting grant proposals for Round 8 of Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative to encourage innovative and unconventional global health and development solutions. Applicants can be at any experience level; in any discipline; and from any organization, including colleges and universities, government laboratories, research institutions, non-profit organizations and for profit companies.
Grant proposals are being accepted online until November 17, 2011 on the following topics:
NEW - Protect Crop Plants from Biotic Stresses From Field to Market
NEW - Design new approaches to optimize immunization systems
NEW - Explore New Solutions in Global Health Priority Areas
Explore Nutrition for Healthy Growth of Infants and Children
Apply Synthetic Biology to Global Health Challenges
Initial grants will be US $100,000 each, and projects showing promise will have the opportunity to receive additional funding of up to US $1 million. Full descriptions of the new topics and application instructions are available at:
LINK to GRAND CHALLENGES SITE
We are looking forward to receiving innovative ideas from around the world and from all disciplines. If you have a great idea, apply. If you know someone else who may have a great idea, please forward this message.
Thank you for your commitment to solving the world's greatest health challenges.
###
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people - especially those with the fewest resources - have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.
Grant proposals are being accepted online until November 17, 2011 on the following topics:
NEW - Protect Crop Plants from Biotic Stresses From Field to Market
NEW - Design new approaches to optimize immunization systems
NEW - Explore New Solutions in Global Health Priority Areas
Explore Nutrition for Healthy Growth of Infants and Children
Apply Synthetic Biology to Global Health Challenges
Initial grants will be US $100,000 each, and projects showing promise will have the opportunity to receive additional funding of up to US $1 million. Full descriptions of the new topics and application instructions are available at:
LINK to GRAND CHALLENGES SITE
We are looking forward to receiving innovative ideas from around the world and from all disciplines. If you have a great idea, apply. If you know someone else who may have a great idea, please forward this message.
Thank you for your commitment to solving the world's greatest health challenges.
###
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people - especially those with the fewest resources - have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Info on Partner Vetting System
Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development Announce Public Briefing on Partner Vetting System Pilot Program
On July 17, 2007, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced its intention to create the Partner Vetting System (PVS). Under PVS, USAID partners funded under contracts, grants and cooperative agreements will be required to provide personal information on staff for the purpose of vetting by the U.S. government.
Information collected will include personally identifiable information collected from potential or current USAID partners such as: Name, date of birth, place of birth, county of origin, Social Security Number or other ID type or ID number, nationality, address, phone number, email address, and organizational affiliations.
This database will allow USAID to review Non-Government Organizations and individuals to ensure that USAID-funded assistance does not inadvertently provide support to entities or individuals associated with terrorism.
Department of State (DOS) and USAID officials will be providing a public briefing on the PVS pilot program. The objective of the briefing is to provide information about the PVS pilot program. Members of the public may attend in person or join via teleconference. The briefing will be followed by an open forum for discussion where public participation is encouraged.
The agenda is subject to change. The briefing will take place on Thursday September 8, 2011, from 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. E.D.T.
Although the briefing is free and open to the public, registration is required for attendance. Please e-mail USAID_RSVP4@usaid.gov to register and receive location or call-in information.
For further information, contact Glenn P. Wicks or Ronce Almond at (202) 457-7790.
Issue Brief: USAID Must Consider Alternative Vetting Approaches
Posted on February 20, 2009
LINK to Final Rule
On Jan. 2, 2009 the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) released a final rule for its "Partner Vetting System" (PVS) for nonprofit and charitable groups. The PVS would require grant applicants to submit detailed personal information on "key individuals" to be shared with the intelligence agencies. Despite criticism from nonprofits that the PVS would create unnecessary and potentially dangerous barriers for humanitarian groups providing relief in global hot spots, the substance of the final rule remains unchanged. The Obama administration has delayed implementation of PVS until April 3, 2009, allowing public comments for 30 days.
This Issue Brief provides background information on PVS, analyzes problems with the final rule and recommends that USAID revisit this approach to vetting its partners. The first question for the Obama administration is not how PVS should operate, but whether it is the right overall strategy for ensuring USAID resources are used for humanitarian purposes, and not to support terrorist violence.
On July 17, 2007, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced its intention to create the Partner Vetting System (PVS). Under PVS, USAID partners funded under contracts, grants and cooperative agreements will be required to provide personal information on staff for the purpose of vetting by the U.S. government.
Information collected will include personally identifiable information collected from potential or current USAID partners such as: Name, date of birth, place of birth, county of origin, Social Security Number or other ID type or ID number, nationality, address, phone number, email address, and organizational affiliations.
This database will allow USAID to review Non-Government Organizations and individuals to ensure that USAID-funded assistance does not inadvertently provide support to entities or individuals associated with terrorism.
Department of State (DOS) and USAID officials will be providing a public briefing on the PVS pilot program. The objective of the briefing is to provide information about the PVS pilot program. Members of the public may attend in person or join via teleconference. The briefing will be followed by an open forum for discussion where public participation is encouraged.
The agenda is subject to change. The briefing will take place on Thursday September 8, 2011, from 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. E.D.T.
Although the briefing is free and open to the public, registration is required for attendance. Please e-mail USAID_RSVP4@usaid.gov to register and receive location or call-in information.
For further information, contact Glenn P. Wicks or Ronce Almond at (202) 457-7790.
Issue Brief: USAID Must Consider Alternative Vetting Approaches
Posted on February 20, 2009
LINK to Final Rule
On Jan. 2, 2009 the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) released a final rule for its "Partner Vetting System" (PVS) for nonprofit and charitable groups. The PVS would require grant applicants to submit detailed personal information on "key individuals" to be shared with the intelligence agencies. Despite criticism from nonprofits that the PVS would create unnecessary and potentially dangerous barriers for humanitarian groups providing relief in global hot spots, the substance of the final rule remains unchanged. The Obama administration has delayed implementation of PVS until April 3, 2009, allowing public comments for 30 days.
This Issue Brief provides background information on PVS, analyzes problems with the final rule and recommends that USAID revisit this approach to vetting its partners. The first question for the Obama administration is not how PVS should operate, but whether it is the right overall strategy for ensuring USAID resources are used for humanitarian purposes, and not to support terrorist violence.
International Affairs Budget Update, 7-29-11
By Molly Lester at 1 August, 2011, 1:43 pm
LINK to Story
1. House State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee Passes FY12 Bill; Full Committee Markup Schedule for Next Week
The full House Appropriations Committee is currently scheduled next week to take up the FY12 State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill, which was passed out of subcommittee earlier this week by voice vote. As reported in our July 27th Budget Update, the subcommittee’s $47.2 billion mark makes dramatic reductions in non-war related programs – overall 20% below FY10 levels, but in some specific accounts, the funding is more than 30% below current levels.
In speaking about the legislation, Subcommittee Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX) said, “this bill asks the most important question we can ever ask: how does each program we fund impact our national security interest? If that question couldn’t be answered, we reduced the spending, added restrictions, or cancelled the program altogether.” She also stated that the bill “reforms and refocuses the way we deliver our foreign aid.”Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY) expressed her serious concerns about the significant cuts in the bill saying, “this legislation would be a step back from U.S. leadership and substantially weaken the United States’ efforts overseas by decreasing economic opportunity, stability, and access to critical services for millions of the world’s poorest people.”
The markup lasted roughly an hour, with limited debate by both parties but additional opening statements from Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) and Ranking Member Norm Dicks (D-WA). Representative Jerry Lewis (R-CA) spoke candidly, saying, “None of us are happy with this [302(b)] allocation.” Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) expressed his concern with the cuts to State Department and USAID operations and the impact it would have on U.S. national security interests, citing former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates’ consistent calls to boost these capabilities. Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) stated his intentions to offer amendments eliminating aid to Pakistan, noting that those funds are “a treasure trove of offsets” to address deep cuts to other accounts in the bill.
2. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Kerry Releases FY12-FY13 State Department Authorization Bill
Also on Wednesday, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) released his State Department Authorization Bill. Senator Kerry stated that his legislation “demonstrates our commitment to building our nation’s civilian capacity and providing our diplomatic corps with the essential tools, authorities, and resources to succeed in the demanding jobs we continually require of them.” On both funding and policy, the bill is a marked improvement from the authorization bill (H.R. 2583) passed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee last week.
Highlights on Funding Levels
On funding issues, the Senate bill generally authorizes appropriations at levels requested by the Administration for FY12, levels much higher in most cases than the House authorization bill. In total, the Senate measure provides $21.4 billion in spending authorization for next year, including those for most State Department operations, contributions to international organizations and peacekeeping, and related activities. As a State Department authorization bill, the legislation provides authorization for the State Department and related accounts, while selectively providing authorization for four foreign assistance accounts: USAID’s Office Transitions Initiative, State Department’s regular and emergency refugee accounts, and the Peace Corps. For those programs that the House and Senate bills both provide authorizations, the Senate measure is $4.1 billion higher than the House and $161 million less than the President’s request.
Highlights on Policy and Reform
LINK to Story
1. House State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee Passes FY12 Bill; Full Committee Markup Schedule for Next Week
The full House Appropriations Committee is currently scheduled next week to take up the FY12 State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill, which was passed out of subcommittee earlier this week by voice vote. As reported in our July 27th Budget Update, the subcommittee’s $47.2 billion mark makes dramatic reductions in non-war related programs – overall 20% below FY10 levels, but in some specific accounts, the funding is more than 30% below current levels.
In speaking about the legislation, Subcommittee Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX) said, “this bill asks the most important question we can ever ask: how does each program we fund impact our national security interest? If that question couldn’t be answered, we reduced the spending, added restrictions, or cancelled the program altogether.” She also stated that the bill “reforms and refocuses the way we deliver our foreign aid.”Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY) expressed her serious concerns about the significant cuts in the bill saying, “this legislation would be a step back from U.S. leadership and substantially weaken the United States’ efforts overseas by decreasing economic opportunity, stability, and access to critical services for millions of the world’s poorest people.”
The markup lasted roughly an hour, with limited debate by both parties but additional opening statements from Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) and Ranking Member Norm Dicks (D-WA). Representative Jerry Lewis (R-CA) spoke candidly, saying, “None of us are happy with this [302(b)] allocation.” Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) expressed his concern with the cuts to State Department and USAID operations and the impact it would have on U.S. national security interests, citing former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates’ consistent calls to boost these capabilities. Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) stated his intentions to offer amendments eliminating aid to Pakistan, noting that those funds are “a treasure trove of offsets” to address deep cuts to other accounts in the bill.
2. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Kerry Releases FY12-FY13 State Department Authorization Bill
Also on Wednesday, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) released his State Department Authorization Bill. Senator Kerry stated that his legislation “demonstrates our commitment to building our nation’s civilian capacity and providing our diplomatic corps with the essential tools, authorities, and resources to succeed in the demanding jobs we continually require of them.” On both funding and policy, the bill is a marked improvement from the authorization bill (H.R. 2583) passed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee last week.
Highlights on Funding Levels
On funding issues, the Senate bill generally authorizes appropriations at levels requested by the Administration for FY12, levels much higher in most cases than the House authorization bill. In total, the Senate measure provides $21.4 billion in spending authorization for next year, including those for most State Department operations, contributions to international organizations and peacekeeping, and related activities. As a State Department authorization bill, the legislation provides authorization for the State Department and related accounts, while selectively providing authorization for four foreign assistance accounts: USAID’s Office Transitions Initiative, State Department’s regular and emergency refugee accounts, and the Peace Corps. For those programs that the House and Senate bills both provide authorizations, the Senate measure is $4.1 billion higher than the House and $161 million less than the President’s request.
Highlights on Policy and Reform
Cellphones Could Help Doctors Stay Ahead Of An Epidemic
by Christopher Joyce
LINK to NPR Radio Pod Cast
The year 2010 was a very bad one for Haiti. It started with an earthquake that killed over 300,000 people, mostly in the crowded capital of Port-au-Prince. After that, cholera originating in a U.N. camp broke out in a northern province and eventually spread to the city.
But public health researchers learned something useful from the tragedy: Cellphones can help stem an unfolding epidemic and funnel aid to the needy.
Shortly after the quake, Linus Bengtsson at Sweden's Karolinska Institute helped put together a team to capitalize on Haiti's cellphone system. "When people start to move around, as they often do after a natural disaster, it's very difficult to know where to deliver supplies," Bengtsson says.
But about a third of Haiti's population has cellphones. So Bengtsson and colleagues collaborated with the cellphone company Digicell to track calls by the SIM cards in the phones.
The phone owners remained anonymous, but their whereabouts showed that some 600,000 fled Port-au-Prince within three weeks of the quake. That relieved pressure on aid groups in the city, but not for long. Soon, the phone maps showed, most of those refugees returned because there was no food in the countryside.
While the quake experience was more a proof of principle for disaster relief, the team actually got results when it applied the tracking system to the cholera epidemic months later. The researchers describe their experiment in the journal PLoS Medicine.
LINK to NPR Radio Pod Cast
The year 2010 was a very bad one for Haiti. It started with an earthquake that killed over 300,000 people, mostly in the crowded capital of Port-au-Prince. After that, cholera originating in a U.N. camp broke out in a northern province and eventually spread to the city.
But public health researchers learned something useful from the tragedy: Cellphones can help stem an unfolding epidemic and funnel aid to the needy.
Shortly after the quake, Linus Bengtsson at Sweden's Karolinska Institute helped put together a team to capitalize on Haiti's cellphone system. "When people start to move around, as they often do after a natural disaster, it's very difficult to know where to deliver supplies," Bengtsson says.
But about a third of Haiti's population has cellphones. So Bengtsson and colleagues collaborated with the cellphone company Digicell to track calls by the SIM cards in the phones.
The phone owners remained anonymous, but their whereabouts showed that some 600,000 fled Port-au-Prince within three weeks of the quake. That relieved pressure on aid groups in the city, but not for long. Soon, the phone maps showed, most of those refugees returned because there was no food in the countryside.
While the quake experience was more a proof of principle for disaster relief, the team actually got results when it applied the tracking system to the cholera epidemic months later. The researchers describe their experiment in the journal PLoS Medicine.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Radio Interview Radio Australia--Global health funding dries up amid debt woes
LISTEN ONLINE
Updated August 23, 2011 14:35:32
One of the world's biggest aid providers says the sovereign debt crises across North Atlantic economies are jeopardising fundraising capacity for crucial development and public health work.
The Global Fund is certainly a big player - in 2009, it provided 21 per cent of international public HIV funding and 65 per cent of international funding for both tuberculosis and malaria.
So far this year, donors have pledged almost $US12 billion but the Global Fund says this is not enough to meet millennium development goal targets relating to HIV, TB and malaria.
Presenter: Liam Cochrane
Speaker: Dr Christophe Benn, Geneva-based director of external relations for the Global Fund
Updated August 23, 2011 14:35:32
One of the world's biggest aid providers says the sovereign debt crises across North Atlantic economies are jeopardising fundraising capacity for crucial development and public health work.
The Global Fund is certainly a big player - in 2009, it provided 21 per cent of international public HIV funding and 65 per cent of international funding for both tuberculosis and malaria.
So far this year, donors have pledged almost $US12 billion but the Global Fund says this is not enough to meet millennium development goal targets relating to HIV, TB and malaria.
Presenter: Liam Cochrane
Speaker: Dr Christophe Benn, Geneva-based director of external relations for the Global Fund
Roll Back Malaria Progress & Impact
Investing in malaria control pays off
Involvement in the fight against malaria helped build these companies' reputations for social responsibility and good corporate citizenship. It also had a significant leveragig effect. These companies used their diverse competencies and infrastructure to attract partners and resources, securing funding from external donors and jumpstarting scale-up interventions that otherwise would not have taken place.
Strong models now exist for the involvement of the private sector in malaria control:
•Three companies in Zambia 3 Mopani Copper Mines, Konkola Copper Mines, and Zambia Sugar—have made dramatic progress in a ten-year period. The number of malaria cases in company clinics dropped 94%, from 27 925 per year to 1631 and the number of malaria-related lost work days also dropped 94%, from 19 392 per year to 1133 (see Figure 1).
•In 2004, in the Ghanaian community of Obuasi, gold producer AngloGold Ashanti was seeing as many as 6800 malaria patients per month at the company's hospital, out of a total workforce of 8000 people. AngloGold partnered with Ghana's National Malaria Control Programme, among others, to implement indoor residual spraying, distribution of bednets, and rapid diagnosis and treatment. By 2009, only 1100 patients were visiting the hospital each month and monthly malaria medication costs at the company had fallen from US$ 550 000 to US$ 9800.
•In Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea, Marathon Oil partnered with business partners and the Guinean Government to develop a five-year US$ 15.8 million initiative that increased the percentage of young children protected by bednets or indoor spraying of insecticides from 4% to 95% and reduced malaria parasite prevalence in children by 57% in just four years. The project, which won several high-profile awards for social responsibility and good citizenship, was extended through 2013 to develop local capacity and enable the programme to reach the mainland.
•During the first two years aluminum smelter BHP Billiton was operating in Mozambique, the company reported 6000 malaria cases, 300 medical evacuations, 13 fatalities, and incurred US$ 2.7 million in malaria costs while it was being built. The company partnered with the Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative to help reduce malaria infections from 625 cases per 1000 population to fewer than 200 cases per 1000 in the Maputo Province of Mozambique. In addition to savings from absenteeism and health care costs averted, the initiative's success helped secure two grants totalling US$ 47 million from the Global Fund for regional control of malaria.
Malaria control is a cost-effective business investment that offers a rapid rate of return. Both small and large businesses have proven to be critical contributors in the fight against the malaria, whether they work independently or partner with national governments. Supporting malaria control is a contribution that the private sector can and should make; strengthening their businesses while savings lives.
Involvement in the fight against malaria helped build these companies' reputations for social responsibility and good corporate citizenship. It also had a significant leveragig effect. These companies used their diverse competencies and infrastructure to attract partners and resources, securing funding from external donors and jumpstarting scale-up interventions that otherwise would not have taken place.
Strong models now exist for the involvement of the private sector in malaria control:
•Three companies in Zambia 3 Mopani Copper Mines, Konkola Copper Mines, and Zambia Sugar—have made dramatic progress in a ten-year period. The number of malaria cases in company clinics dropped 94%, from 27 925 per year to 1631 and the number of malaria-related lost work days also dropped 94%, from 19 392 per year to 1133 (see Figure 1).
•In 2004, in the Ghanaian community of Obuasi, gold producer AngloGold Ashanti was seeing as many as 6800 malaria patients per month at the company's hospital, out of a total workforce of 8000 people. AngloGold partnered with Ghana's National Malaria Control Programme, among others, to implement indoor residual spraying, distribution of bednets, and rapid diagnosis and treatment. By 2009, only 1100 patients were visiting the hospital each month and monthly malaria medication costs at the company had fallen from US$ 550 000 to US$ 9800.
•In Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea, Marathon Oil partnered with business partners and the Guinean Government to develop a five-year US$ 15.8 million initiative that increased the percentage of young children protected by bednets or indoor spraying of insecticides from 4% to 95% and reduced malaria parasite prevalence in children by 57% in just four years. The project, which won several high-profile awards for social responsibility and good citizenship, was extended through 2013 to develop local capacity and enable the programme to reach the mainland.
•During the first two years aluminum smelter BHP Billiton was operating in Mozambique, the company reported 6000 malaria cases, 300 medical evacuations, 13 fatalities, and incurred US$ 2.7 million in malaria costs while it was being built. The company partnered with the Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative to help reduce malaria infections from 625 cases per 1000 population to fewer than 200 cases per 1000 in the Maputo Province of Mozambique. In addition to savings from absenteeism and health care costs averted, the initiative's success helped secure two grants totalling US$ 47 million from the Global Fund for regional control of malaria.
Malaria control is a cost-effective business investment that offers a rapid rate of return. Both small and large businesses have proven to be critical contributors in the fight against the malaria, whether they work independently or partner with national governments. Supporting malaria control is a contribution that the private sector can and should make; strengthening their businesses while savings lives.
Innovative low-cost approach to health care service delivery in India
Revolutionising healthcare for the poorAn Indian doctor's mission to deliver low-cost hospitals could revolutionise the provision of healthcare in poorer countries
Rosalind Miller
guardian.co.uk, Friday 21 January 2011 12.00 GMT
Shetty's vision of low-cost healthcare is not confined to his native country. He believes African healthcare systems need new mechanisms to deliver better care. When he has established his model in India, he plans to take both the model and his expertise to Africa.
"In India, we have hope because we produce the largest number of doctors and nurses in the world," he says. "We have a built-in capacity to make medicine for the whole world. Our only missing link is the capacity to pay for the healthcare. With micro-health insurance taking off on a large-scale, that will be addressed. But when we look at African countries, they don't have medical or nursing colleges, so I strongly believe that the western world has to create institutions in Africa rather than giving them money. They should create institutions to train staff and build hospitals... that will be a long-lasting solution to the healthcare issues.'"
Shetty is searching for a local partner and a co-operative government in Africa to undertake a largescale project of this nature. Narayana Hrudayalaya is involved in India's flagship information technology initiative – the Pan-African e-Network Project. This partnership between the Indian and African governments, and private institutions, allows specialists at his hospitals to share their expertise with doctors in Africa through video-conferencing.
Revolutionising healthcare for the poorAn Indian doctor's mission to deliver low-cost hospitals could revolutionise the provision of healthcare in poorer countries
Rosalind Miller
guardian.co.uk, Friday 21 January 2011 12.00 GMT
Shetty's vision of low-cost healthcare is not confined to his native country. He believes African healthcare systems need new mechanisms to deliver better care. When he has established his model in India, he plans to take both the model and his expertise to Africa.
"In India, we have hope because we produce the largest number of doctors and nurses in the world," he says. "We have a built-in capacity to make medicine for the whole world. Our only missing link is the capacity to pay for the healthcare. With micro-health insurance taking off on a large-scale, that will be addressed. But when we look at African countries, they don't have medical or nursing colleges, so I strongly believe that the western world has to create institutions in Africa rather than giving them money. They should create institutions to train staff and build hospitals... that will be a long-lasting solution to the healthcare issues.'"
Shetty is searching for a local partner and a co-operative government in Africa to undertake a largescale project of this nature. Narayana Hrudayalaya is involved in India's flagship information technology initiative – the Pan-African e-Network Project. This partnership between the Indian and African governments, and private institutions, allows specialists at his hospitals to share their expertise with doctors in Africa through video-conferencing.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Fee under assistance instruments
Pursuant to 22 CFR 226.81 it is USAID's policy not to award fee to for profits under assistance instruments, such as grants or cooperative agreements.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Feed the Future Focus Countries
Feed the Future Focus Countries
We are prioritize and concentrating our efforts and resources on Focus Counties where the Feed the Future principles can best be realized in practice. Those principles were first articulated at the G8 summit in L'Aquila and endorsed unanimously as the Rome Principles for Sustainable Food Security. The principles are as follows:
--Invest in country-owned plans that support results-based programs and partnerships, so that assistance is tailored to the needs of individual countries through consultative processes and plans that are developed and led by country governments
--Strengthen strategic coordination to mobilize and align the resources of the diverse partners and stakeholders - including the private sector and civil society - that are needed to achieve our common objectives
--Ensure a comprehensive approach that accelerates inclusive agricultural-led growth and improves nutrition, while also bridging humanitarian relief and sustainable development efforts
--Leverage the benefits of multilateral institutions so that priorities and approaches are aligned, investments are coordinated, and financial and technical assistance gaps are filled
--Deliver on sustained and accountable commitments, phasing-in investments responsibly to ensure returns, using benchmarks and targets to measure progress toward shared goals, and holding ourselves and other stakeholders publicly accountable for achieving results.
Focus Countries are selected based on five factors related to the needs and opportunities for fulfilling the Feed the Future principles: Level of need, opportunity for partnership, potential for agricultural-led growth, opportunity for regional synergies, and resource availability. For a more detailed explanation please see the Feed the Future Guide. Potential and selected focus counties must demonstrate that they will follow the Feed the Future Principles by producing documents detailing how they will implement their programs.
We will continue to provide assistance for agricultural development to some other counties where the overall political and investment environment may not be conducive for a major scale-up in investments, or where other donors are playing a major role in food security. In these counties, we commit to align our programs with our objectives and to invest according to Feed the Future principles to the extent possible.
To read more about Focus Countries in general please read the Country Fact Sheets LINK.
We are prioritize and concentrating our efforts and resources on Focus Counties where the Feed the Future principles can best be realized in practice. Those principles were first articulated at the G8 summit in L'Aquila and endorsed unanimously as the Rome Principles for Sustainable Food Security. The principles are as follows:
--Invest in country-owned plans that support results-based programs and partnerships, so that assistance is tailored to the needs of individual countries through consultative processes and plans that are developed and led by country governments
--Strengthen strategic coordination to mobilize and align the resources of the diverse partners and stakeholders - including the private sector and civil society - that are needed to achieve our common objectives
--Ensure a comprehensive approach that accelerates inclusive agricultural-led growth and improves nutrition, while also bridging humanitarian relief and sustainable development efforts
--Leverage the benefits of multilateral institutions so that priorities and approaches are aligned, investments are coordinated, and financial and technical assistance gaps are filled
--Deliver on sustained and accountable commitments, phasing-in investments responsibly to ensure returns, using benchmarks and targets to measure progress toward shared goals, and holding ourselves and other stakeholders publicly accountable for achieving results.
Focus Countries are selected based on five factors related to the needs and opportunities for fulfilling the Feed the Future principles: Level of need, opportunity for partnership, potential for agricultural-led growth, opportunity for regional synergies, and resource availability. For a more detailed explanation please see the Feed the Future Guide. Potential and selected focus counties must demonstrate that they will follow the Feed the Future Principles by producing documents detailing how they will implement their programs.
We will continue to provide assistance for agricultural development to some other counties where the overall political and investment environment may not be conducive for a major scale-up in investments, or where other donors are playing a major role in food security. In these counties, we commit to align our programs with our objectives and to invest according to Feed the Future principles to the extent possible.
To read more about Focus Countries in general please read the Country Fact Sheets LINK.
Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance III RFA
USAID has released a draft for comments for the Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance III RFA, this draft (enclosed) gives the industry and new partners a chance to comment on how well USAID is including Implementation and Procurement Reform (IPR) objectives.
Please note that this is not a formal Request for Applications and USAID is not accepting applications. Please also note that this posting does not commit the Government to any future RFA.
Please provide comments to Shanon Krause (skrause@usaid.gov) via email only by September 9, 2011. Any comments submitted after that date will not be received.
More information is available at this link to grants.gov
Please note that this is not a formal Request for Applications and USAID is not accepting applications. Please also note that this posting does not commit the Government to any future RFA.
Please provide comments to Shanon Krause (skrause@usaid.gov) via email only by September 9, 2011. Any comments submitted after that date will not be received.
More information is available at this link to grants.gov
OIG Financial Audit Guidelines
Any foreign nonprofit organization or subrecipient that expends $300,000 or more in USAID awards during its fiscal year has an annual audit conducted of those funds in accordance with the Guidelines for Financial Audits Contracted by Foreign Recipients, published by the Office of Inspector General.
Link to OIG
As stipulated by USAID’s Automated Directives System (ADS) 591.3.2.1, subrecipients submit copies of their audits to the prime recipient for review as part of the prime recipient’s annual audit. If the audit firm conducting the annual audit determines that the subrecipient is not performing audits or that the audits are deficient or defective, the firm will include a recommendation in the prime recipient’s audit report to have the defective issues corrected.
Financial Audit Requirement Chart
Link to OIG
As stipulated by USAID’s Automated Directives System (ADS) 591.3.2.1, subrecipients submit copies of their audits to the prime recipient for review as part of the prime recipient’s annual audit. If the audit firm conducting the annual audit determines that the subrecipient is not performing audits or that the audits are deficient or defective, the firm will include a recommendation in the prime recipient’s audit report to have the defective issues corrected.
Financial Audit Requirement Chart
AusAID's revised framework for foreign aid
The revised framework: “An Effective Aid Program for Australia Making a real difference—Delivering real results” was released last month.
Quick highlights include:
5 Strategic goals: saving lives, promoting opportunities for all, sustainable economic development, effective governance, and humanitarian and disaster response.
These goals are supported by 10 more specific objectives, which include public health through watsan; maternal/child access to health services; basic education; empowering women; food security (through ag productivity, infrastructure, social protection and opening markets); improving livelihoods (income, employment, entrepreneurship) of rural and urban poor, climate change, governance to deliver services, improve security, and human rights; and disaster preparedness.
Primary geographic focus: Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and East Timor.
Also increasing aid to South Asia and Africa and continuing to support international efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Rolling 4-year whole-of-aid budgeting process
Involve more Australians in the aid program and improve links with Australian business
More assistance through host government systems and processes
Tailoring assistance to specific country requirements
Quick highlights include:
5 Strategic goals: saving lives, promoting opportunities for all, sustainable economic development, effective governance, and humanitarian and disaster response.
These goals are supported by 10 more specific objectives, which include public health through watsan; maternal/child access to health services; basic education; empowering women; food security (through ag productivity, infrastructure, social protection and opening markets); improving livelihoods (income, employment, entrepreneurship) of rural and urban poor, climate change, governance to deliver services, improve security, and human rights; and disaster preparedness.
Primary geographic focus: Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and East Timor.
Also increasing aid to South Asia and Africa and continuing to support international efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Rolling 4-year whole-of-aid budgeting process
Involve more Australians in the aid program and improve links with Australian business
More assistance through host government systems and processes
Tailoring assistance to specific country requirements
MyINPUT
MyINPUT®
Get the government market and procurement information you want quickly
MyINPUT allows you to personalize your INPUT experience. Set up your personal profile in just a few minutes to have a customized view of only the government market and procurement information important to you.
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•Get a weekly e-mail update so you never miss important news
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Get the government market and procurement information you want quickly
MyINPUT allows you to personalize your INPUT experience. Set up your personal profile in just a few minutes to have a customized view of only the government market and procurement information important to you.
Benefits
•Stay on top of your territory with a one-stop view of all the information relevant to you
•Get a weekly e-mail update so you never miss important news
•Cut market research time to allow your team to focus on bringing in business
11th Annual Global Health Mini-University
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) along with the George Washington University Center for Global Health is pleased to announce:
11th Annual Global Health Mini-University
Date: Friday September 30, 2011 Time: 8:00am – 4:30pm Eastern
Venue: Cloyd Heck Marvin Center
800 21st Street, NW
Washington, DC 20052
http://www.mini-university.org/
For directions to the Marvin Center click here
The Mini-University is a day-long forum offering over 70 different sessions highlighting evidence-based best practices and state-of-the-art information from a variety of technical areas across the Global Health field.
The forum is divided into hour-long blocks, each offering a variety of concurrent presentations from technical areas like HIV/AIDS, family planning and reproductive health, maternal and child health, infectious diseases, health systems, and cross-cutting issues. In addition, there are exciting brown bag sessions offered during the lunch break.
This event is free and open to the public. Past participants include students, medical professionals, public health experts, members of the military, NGOs, USG staff, and others interested in learning about what is happening in the global health world.
11th Annual Global Health Mini-University
Date: Friday September 30, 2011 Time: 8:00am – 4:30pm Eastern
Venue: Cloyd Heck Marvin Center
800 21st Street, NW
Washington, DC 20052
http://www.mini-university.org/
For directions to the Marvin Center click here
The Mini-University is a day-long forum offering over 70 different sessions highlighting evidence-based best practices and state-of-the-art information from a variety of technical areas across the Global Health field.
The forum is divided into hour-long blocks, each offering a variety of concurrent presentations from technical areas like HIV/AIDS, family planning and reproductive health, maternal and child health, infectious diseases, health systems, and cross-cutting issues. In addition, there are exciting brown bag sessions offered during the lunch break.
This event is free and open to the public. Past participants include students, medical professionals, public health experts, members of the military, NGOs, USG staff, and others interested in learning about what is happening in the global health world.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
DfID’s Top NGO Partners: A Primer
By Eliza Villarino on 24 August 2011
LINK to Full Article
When disaster strikes, British NGOs are usually among the first on the scene. Why? Because of their global reach and their support from one the world’s most generous donors, the U.K. government.
The United Kingdom’s relief and development arm, the Department for International Development, spent more than $12 billion on aid activities in 2010, making it the second-largest bilateral aid agency in the world. DfID is one of only a handful that has opened up all funding opportunities to worldwide competition, although the bulk still goes to domestic groups.
No wonder, then, that the U.K. NGO scene is highly influential with DfID. For smaller institutions looking to subcontract on DfID-sponsored projects, and for consultants and aid workers eying a U.K. government job, it pays to work with one of DfID’s NGO implementing partners first. The reward: crucial networking opportunities and experience in collaborating with a donor that, with the Cameron administration’s focus on aid transparency and value for money, has emerged as a leading global aid reformer.
Here are DfID’s leading NGO partners based on the volume of funding they received from May 12, 2010 — when Mitchell assumed his role as head of the bilateral donor agency — to June 30, 2011. DfID, along with seven of the organizations below, made the list of Devex Top 40 Development Innovators.
LINK to Full Article
When disaster strikes, British NGOs are usually among the first on the scene. Why? Because of their global reach and their support from one the world’s most generous donors, the U.K. government.
The United Kingdom’s relief and development arm, the Department for International Development, spent more than $12 billion on aid activities in 2010, making it the second-largest bilateral aid agency in the world. DfID is one of only a handful that has opened up all funding opportunities to worldwide competition, although the bulk still goes to domestic groups.
No wonder, then, that the U.K. NGO scene is highly influential with DfID. For smaller institutions looking to subcontract on DfID-sponsored projects, and for consultants and aid workers eying a U.K. government job, it pays to work with one of DfID’s NGO implementing partners first. The reward: crucial networking opportunities and experience in collaborating with a donor that, with the Cameron administration’s focus on aid transparency and value for money, has emerged as a leading global aid reformer.
Here are DfID’s leading NGO partners based on the volume of funding they received from May 12, 2010 — when Mitchell assumed his role as head of the bilateral donor agency — to June 30, 2011. DfID, along with seven of the organizations below, made the list of Devex Top 40 Development Innovators.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
USAID Swears-In Assistant Administrator for Global Health
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Dr. Ariel Pablos-Méndez was sworn in as the new Assistant Administrator for the Global Health Bureau at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Dr. Pablos-Méndez shared, “It is an honor to join USAID at such an important time for global health. I look forward to working with USG colleagues and partners to ensure the success of the Global Health Initiative to save lives and foster peace and prosperity throughout the world."
Nominated by President Obama in March, Dr. Pablos-Méndez joins the USAID leadership team with a vision to shape the Bureau for Global Health's programmatic efforts to accomplish sustainable, scalable and measurable impact on the lives of people in developing countries. He hopes to further advance the goals and reformatory recommendations expressed in the Presidential Policy Directives (PPD), Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) and USAID Forward (USAID Forward Overview). By fostering new working relationships and maintaining existing partnerships, Dr. Pablos-Méndez will direct the Bureau's activities and approach toward a standard of technical excellence.
Ariel PPablos-Méndez is an experienced public health physician. Dr. Pablos-Méndez most recently served as Managing Director at The Rockefeller Foundation where he led the Foundation's global health strategy on the transformation of health systems in Africa and Asia. He first joined the Rockefeller Foundation in 1998, spearheading public-private partnerships in research and development for diseases of poverty, the Foundation's strategy on AIDS care in Africa, and the Joint Learning Initiative on Human Resources for Health. Dr. Pablos-Méndez also served as Director of Knowledge Management at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, where he established WHO's first eHealth unit.
Dr. Pablos-Méndez is a Board-certified internist and until recently was practicing as a Professor of Clinical Medicine and Epidemiology at Columbia University. He received his M.D. from the University of Guadalajara's School of Medicine and his MPH from Columbia University.
USAID is pleased to welcome Dr. Ariel Pablos-Méndez to lead the Bureau for Global Health.
For more information about USAID and its programs around the world, please visit www.usaid.gov.
Dr. Pablos-Méndez shared, “It is an honor to join USAID at such an important time for global health. I look forward to working with USG colleagues and partners to ensure the success of the Global Health Initiative to save lives and foster peace and prosperity throughout the world."
Nominated by President Obama in March, Dr. Pablos-Méndez joins the USAID leadership team with a vision to shape the Bureau for Global Health's programmatic efforts to accomplish sustainable, scalable and measurable impact on the lives of people in developing countries. He hopes to further advance the goals and reformatory recommendations expressed in the Presidential Policy Directives (PPD), Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) and USAID Forward (USAID Forward Overview). By fostering new working relationships and maintaining existing partnerships, Dr. Pablos-Méndez will direct the Bureau's activities and approach toward a standard of technical excellence.
Ariel PPablos-Méndez is an experienced public health physician. Dr. Pablos-Méndez most recently served as Managing Director at The Rockefeller Foundation where he led the Foundation's global health strategy on the transformation of health systems in Africa and Asia. He first joined the Rockefeller Foundation in 1998, spearheading public-private partnerships in research and development for diseases of poverty, the Foundation's strategy on AIDS care in Africa, and the Joint Learning Initiative on Human Resources for Health. Dr. Pablos-Méndez also served as Director of Knowledge Management at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, where he established WHO's first eHealth unit.
Dr. Pablos-Méndez is a Board-certified internist and until recently was practicing as a Professor of Clinical Medicine and Epidemiology at Columbia University. He received his M.D. from the University of Guadalajara's School of Medicine and his MPH from Columbia University.
USAID is pleased to welcome Dr. Ariel Pablos-Méndez to lead the Bureau for Global Health.
For more information about USAID and its programs around the world, please visit www.usaid.gov.
House Committee Releases Foreign Operations Spending Bill With State, USAID Funding Cuts
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday released the FY12 Foreign Relations Authorization Act "that slashes State Department funding and foreign aid," The Hill's "On The Money" blog reports (Wasson, 7/26).
The proposed bill (.pdf) includes funding for the U.S. Global Health Initiative (GHI) of $7.1 billion, which is $1.6 billion below the President's FY12 budget request and approximately $700 million below FY11 levels
The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday released the FY12 Foreign Relations Authorization Act "that slashes State Department funding and foreign aid," The Hill's "On The Money" blog reports (Wasson, 7/26).
The proposed bill (.pdf) includes funding for the U.S. Global Health Initiative (GHI) of $7.1 billion, which is $1.6 billion below the President's FY12 budget request and approximately $700 million below FY11 levels
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