Three powerful United States lawmakers have asked USAID Administrator Samantha Power to explain why the agency hires so many contractors rather than career civil and foreign service officers.
In a Sept. 8 letter to Power, Massachusetts Sens. Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren, both Democrats, and independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders outlined their “concerns about long-standing workforce challenges and the increasing reliance on non-career, temporary hires” at USAID.
USAID leaders, including Power, have repeatedly acknowledged that the agency faces a “staffing crisis” that threatens its core priorities, and resulting conflicts have erupted in multiple parts of USAID’s overstretched bureaucracy. Power’s team has pledged to address these shortfalls, but some critics say they may be making things worse by placing temporary contractors in positions that should be filled by career employees and failing to implement workforce improvement recommendations put forward by independent watchdogs.
About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
