The Global Fragility Act, a law meant to overhaul U.S. policy in conflict zones and prevent violence before it begins, has already changed how the government operates in some of the most difficult parts of the world, according to officials responsible for putting it into practice.
The new guidelines have already improved interdepartmental relations to help the pace of communication and coordination both on the ground in complex nations and at headquarters in Washington, D.C., officials say. But large challenges remain to overhaul a slow-moving bureaucracy and ensure clear discourse and aligned expectations in parts of the world where conditions can evolve extremely quickly.
Robert Jenkins, assistant administrator for the Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization at USAID, said his agency is “working together better than I’ve ever seen” with the U.S. State Department and Defense Department.