Last week, the U.S. Agency for International Development launched its mission statement. And as we’ve noted here at Devex, it reflects many of today’s prominent themes in international cooperation, such as resilience and partnership.
Does this change matter? Yes, Devex Global Development Reporter Michael Igoe argued, particularly to the thousands of USAID staff members.
“USAID is getting closer to giving a name and unique mission to the type of professional who forges partnerships that can ease poverty and help build democratic institutions under those challenging conditions,” Igoe wrote in last week’s Development Buzz column. “USAID’s mission is still messy. But now the professionals tasked with carrying it out can better explain, and defend, what they’ve signed up for.”
What did the Devex community respond?
“I truly hope that the [USAID] management commits itself to implementing the new mission,” said Allan Furman.
Furman recalled his stint with USAID, first as a management intern in 1961 and later on as a foreign service officer serving in Pakistan and Haiti as well as at the USAID office in Rome before retiring in 1986. He said the agency “did its best work in those years.”
Victor Rivera-Burgos, who has likewise worked at USAID, also gave the thumbs-up to the new mission statement, but said he “can appreciate the challenge of partnering with the ‘right’ partner(s) and getting the really needed results.”
Adly Hassanein, meanwhile, wondered when USAID will change its name and acronym.
“It is unacceptable to be known as AID Agency with tiny little resources and big brain. It is always impossible to talk strategy while you execute your plans on a short notice,” wrote Hassanein, who said he has worked with the aid agency for three decades. “We ask our recipient community to plan for long term and we cannot guarantee them more than a year of financial support. What a petty!!”
What’s your take on the new USAID mission statement? Join the conversation by leaving a comment below.
About the author
Eliza Villarino
Eliza Villarino currently manages one of today’s leading publications on humanitarian aid, global health and international development, the weekly GDB. At Devex, she has helped grow a global newsroom, with talented journalists from major development hubs such as Washington, D.C, London and Brussels. She regularly writes about innovations in global development.
