MFAN - Crafting Modern Legislation

FLE Consolidate, Prioritize, and Refocus Assistance Today, foreign assistance is "guided" by a muddle of more than 140 goals, mandates, and overlapping directives-far too many to deliver foreign assistance in a focused and strategic way. A dizzying array of agencies (+27) and offices (+60) manage U.S. foreign assistance. Modern legislation must bring ORDER to the CONFUSION of America's outdated foreign assistance statutes by creating clear lines of authority and working to CONSOLIDATE, PRIORITIZE, and FOCUS the government's foreign assistance infrastructure. Create a Strong, Empowered 21st Century U.S. Development Agency Our former and current Secretaries of State are fond of saying that the stool of U.S. foreign policy contains three legs: defense, diplomacy, and development. A stool can only stand upright if all three legs are secure. While our nation's defense capability is enduring and our diplomatic corps is strong, USAID is continuously starved of resources and personnel and relegated to a secondary role in the formulation and execution of U.S. foreign policy. USAID has made significant progress in transforming itself to meet the challenges of the 21st century, but the agency's internal reforms cannot succeed without external support. Modern legislation must ELEVATE USAID's voice in policy and resource debates, and strengthen development's role as KEY PILLAR of U.S. foreign policy. Prioritize Accountability ► Eve, For decades, lawmakers and the public were frustrated when trying to track down information on U.S. spending on foreign assistance, making it difficult to gain a clear picture of where assistance was going, for what purposes, and to what results. Partner nations that were the recipients of U.S. aid also lacked access to this critical information. The creation of the Foreign Assistance Dashboard, a public database that publishes data from USAID and the State Department, was a positive first step towards increasing transparency. However, other agencies that are involved in foreign assistance must be included, along with more detailed information on funding levels, evaluation metrics, and results. These efforts will strengthen accountability by streamlining Congress' ability to evaluate the impact of development policies and programs. Modern legislation should build on progress already made to move away from a confusing LABYRINTH to a ONE STOP SHOP for information on U.S. foreign assistance. Enable Local Priorities to Shift the Aid Dynamic Toward Partnership ► For too long, mismatched priorities between donor and recipient countries have hindered development progress. U.S. foreign assistance programs must create the conditions for better engagement with the governments and civil societies of developing countries. This will ensure that U.S. activities and policies sustainably address the priorities of our partners in the developing world. Modern legislation will shift the aid dynamic toward PARTNERSHIP by ensuring that countries move from dependence on aid towards self-sufficiency. Maximize Efficiencies by Slashing Red Tape ► Today, Congressional funding directives and Presidential initiatives-often created with the best intentions-tie the hands of our development experts in the field. Congress and the Executive Branch together can remove burdensome conditions on aid, harmonize our priorities with those of our partners in the developing world, and makes aid flows more predictable. Modern legislation must reduce the STRAIGHTJACKET of reporting requirements and focus on SLASHING RED TAPE. RENCY