While the U.S. State Department has taken control of foreign aid programs, America’s global development engagement remains in a state of flux, according to experts who spoke in a Devex Pro Briefing on Wednesday.
On one hand, the looming end of the fiscal year has forced a rapid increase in aid spending. On the other hand, U.S. development advocates are still watching and waiting for clearer signals about the overall strategy that will guide foreign aid programs — or if one even exists.
“Right now, it’s chaotic,” said Jim Kunder, a long-time aid expert and principal at Kunder/Reali Associates. “You would expect it to be chaotic. A bunch of new people are being hired. Offices have been destroyed. We’ve just fired 6,000 Foreign Service National foreign staff who helped run our foreign aid program overseas.”