Yesterday on Capitol Hill, MFAN co-hosted a Congressional Briefing on Innovation and Global Development in partnership with the bipartisan Congressional Caucus for Effective Foreign Assistance. This event was a deep dive into the critical role of innovation in foreign assistance, especially at a time when maximizing the impact of development programs is more important than ever.
After opening remarks from MFAN Executive Director Tod Preston, the briefing began with remarks from Congressman Ted Yoho (R-FL), who was a co-chair of the caucus and a lead champion for the creation of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. The briefing featured a panel of distinguished experts who are at the forefront of innovation in foreign assistance: Sasha Gallant, the Chief of Development Innovation Ventures at USAID; Daniel Handel, the Lead Specialist in External Engagement at 3ie; Dia Martin, the Managing Director of the Office of Catalytic Investments at DFC; and Alix Peterson Zwane, the former CEO of the Global Innovation Fund and now an Executive in Residence at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability. Annette Brown, Ph.D., Chief Strategy and Evidence Officer at FHI 360, moderated the panel.
The discussions underscored the necessity of spreading innovation across all levels of development work, not just centralizing it within specific offices or sectors, and nurturing cultures of innovation within development sectors. Emphasis was placed on scaling existing innovations to enhance their cost-effectiveness and broader applicability. The briefing also highlighted the importance of supporting risk-taking and patience in the pursuit of new solutions, as well as the need to invest in producing evidence to guide future innovations.
This is the third congressional briefing MFAN has hosted in partnership with the Congressional Caucus for Effective Foreign Assistancesince it was relaunched in 2023 under the leadership of Congresswoman Kim(R-CA) and Congressman Smith (D-WA). MFAN looks forward to continuing these conversations and further collaborating with the Caucus.
