MFAN Co-Chairs Letter to General McMaster on National Security Strategy

By: George Ingram, Tessie San Martin, and Connie Veillette
February 2, 2018

Download a formatted version of the letter here. *** January 31, 2018 Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear General McMaster: We are writing as the Co-Chairs of the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN), a coalition of foreign policy … Continue reading MFAN Co-Chairs Letter to General McMaster on National Security Strategy

Dots Unconnected: The Trump Administration National Security Strategy and American Foreign Assistance

By: James Kunder
January 25, 2018

What are those who care about the role of U.S. foreign assistance in the world to make of the Trump Administration’s National Security Strategy, recently released by the White House? On one level, this important document, mandated by Congress and generally viewed as an administration’s highest order statement of defense and foreign policy, can be … Continue reading Dots Unconnected: The Trump Administration National Security Strategy and American Foreign Assistance

Five Criteria for Redesign to Succeed in the Field

By: Susan Reichle and Patrick Fine
January 24, 2018

As we begin 2018, the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) are reportedly putting the finishing touches on their proposals for a major “redesign” of our foreign affairs institutions. Hopefully, the reorganization will equip State and USAID to respond to the seismic shifts agitating the international landscape, trends that simultaneously create opportunities … Continue reading Five Criteria for Redesign to Succeed in the Field

Year in Review: Reform Takes Center Stage

By: George Ingram, Tessie San Martin, and Connie Veillette
December 14, 2017

As 2017 draws to a close, the Trump Administration is reviewing redesign proposals submitted by the State Department and USAID, Congress is completing its Fiscal Year 2018 funding negotiations and beginning the FY2019 process, and the MFAN community is actively engaging to ensure aid effectiveness priorities are reflected in both processes. Last year, with the … Continue reading Year in Review: Reform Takes Center Stage

Community Rallies Behind MFAN Effectiveness Principles

By: Jill MacArthur
December 13, 2017

Since the Trump Administration announced its intentions to reorganize the federal government – including the State Department and USAID – MFAN has garnered broad support from the development community to ensure that the redesign effort enhances the effectiveness and efficiency of U.S. foreign assistance. In May, MFAN put forth five Guiding Principles for Effective U.S. … Continue reading Community Rallies Behind MFAN Effectiveness Principles

New Study from MFAN and TLC Finds Evaluation Quality on the Rise, But Barriers to Use Remain

By: George Ingram, Tessie San Martin, and Connie Veillette
December 8, 2017

December 5, 2017 (WASHINGTON) – This statement is delivered on behalf of the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) by Co-Chairs George Ingram, Tessie San Martin, and Connie Veillette. Today MFAN and The Lugar Center release a new study, From Evidence to Learning: Recommendations to Improve U.S. Foreign Assistance Evaluation, examining the evaluation policies and practices of the … Continue reading New Study from MFAN and TLC Finds Evaluation Quality on the Rise, But Barriers to Use Remain

Redesigning U.S. National Security Institutions

By: J. Brian Atwood and Andrew Natsios
December 4, 2017

In December 2016, we made a case in Foreign Affairs for consolidating development and humanitarian relief operations under a single U.S. Government roof.  We argued that growing instability in the developing world was complicating our capacity to manage the great power relationships with China and Russia and creating fertile ground for non-state terrorist organizations. We … Continue reading Redesigning U.S. National Security Institutions

Redesign Should Support an Independent USAID

By: Peter McPherson
November 13, 2017

I congratulate those who worked on the Redesign Consensus: A Plan for U.S. Assistance.  Though there will be some disagreement on the details within the development community, the document provides core concepts for the immediate and needed advocacy on Capitol Hill and with the Administration. These themes include a substantially independent USAID with authority and responsibility … Continue reading Redesign Should Support an Independent USAID

Redesign Consensus: Advancing the Conversation on Effective US Assistance

By: Cindy Huang and Jeremy Konyndyk
November 3, 2017

We are pleased to join 12 colleagues in signing the Redesign Consensus: A Plan for US Assistance that launched today. The four main recommendations are to empower USAID as the lead independent aid agency, to create a full-fledged development finance institution, to establish a global development and humanitarian strategy, and to upgrade systems to better manage personnel, procurement, … Continue reading Redesign Consensus: Advancing the Conversation on Effective US Assistance