In 2021, USAID set an ambitious target: By 2025, a quarter of the agency’s funds would be steered toward local organizations. But today, new USAID data revealed that just 9.6% of the agency’s eligible dollars were channeled toward local groups last year, down from 10.2% the year prior.
The move represents a major setback in USAID’s drive to implement what has become a flagship policy — but the agency’s leaders were keen to stress the areas where progress is being made.
“The work of shifting our systems — and our culture — so dramatically will take time to fully take hold,” wrote USAID Administrator Samantha Power in an opinion piece for Devex. “But at USAID, we are determined to make our work more responsive and equitable, which we know will make it more sustainable and impactful.”
About the author
Elissa Miolene
Elissa Miolene reports on USAID and the U.S. government at Devex. She previously covered education at The San Jose Mercury News, and has written for outlets like The Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Washingtonian magazine, among others. Before shifting to journalism, Elissa led communications for humanitarian agencies in the United States, East Africa, and South Asia.
