Organizing U. S. Foreign Aid: Confronting the Challenges of the 21st Century (Global Economy & Development: Monograph Series on Globalizantion)

U.S. foreign aid has reached a crisis point. While the amount of aid has increased in recent years, the way it is organized and delivered by the U.S. government has become increasingly fragmented and chaotic. The proliferation of federal agencies engaged in foreign aid has created serious disconnects and inefficiencies in the use of this important tool of U.S. foreign policy. It is time for a change. Here, two well-known experts who have worked extensively in the international development field provide some keen observations on the current disorganization of federal assistance and offer advice on how to make U.S. aid more effective. Several models for streamlining the organization of foreign aid are detailed and recommendations proffered. The authors argue that dramatic change in the way U.S. aid is organized and provided is urgently needed.

Overwhelmed by a proliferation of foreign aid programs, the U.S. government is attempting to reorganize itself in order to manage them more effectively. This raises several critical issues that will shape U.S. foreign aid policy for the 21st century: Should existing foreign aid agencies be combined into a cabinet-level agency, ensuring a voice for development concerns during policy discussions, or should they be placed in the State Department to strengthen their foreign policy focus? How should aid agencies manage the planning, implementation, and evaluation of their aid? Is "managing for results" as currently practiced appropriate for what is often a highly experimental task of bringing about beneficial changes in foreign countries? How should the U.S. government educate its citizens on the issues of foreign aid and development as expenditures rise and as the ambitious goals driving aid—including nation building—expand? In Organ izing Foreign Aid, Carol Lancaster and Ann Van Dusen call for a fundamental reorganization of U.S. aid programs. They recommend a major increase in efforts at development education. The authors also provide insights into how other donor governments have dealt with these challenges. With the future of U.S. foreign aid policy at stake, this book will be essential reading for anyone interested in development, foreign aid, and the organization of government programs in these areas.

Overwhelmed by a proliferation of foreign aid programs, the U.S. government is attempting to reorganize itself in order to manage them more effectively. This raises several critical issues that will shape U.S. foreign aid policy for the 21st century: Should existing foreign aid agencies be combined into a cabinet-level agency, ensuring a voice for development concerns during policy discussions, or should they be placed in the State Department to strengthen their foreign policy focus? How should aid agencies manage the planning, implementation, and evaluation of their aid? Is "managing for results" as currently practiced appropriate for what is often a highly experimental task of bringing about beneficial changes in foreign countries? How should the U.S. government educate its citizens on the issues of foreign aid and development as expenditures rise and as the ambitious goals driving aid—including nation building—expand? In Organ izing Foreign Aid, Car ol Lancaster and Ann Van Dusen call for a fundamental reorganization of U.S. aid programs. They recommend a major increase in efforts at development education. The authors also provide insights into how other donor governments have dealt with these challenges. With the future of U.S. foreign aid policy at stake, this book will be essential reading for anyone interested in development, foreign aid, and the organization of government programs in these areas. " Overwhelmed by a proliferation of foreign aid programs, the U.S. government is attempting to reorganize itself in order to manage them more effectively. This raises several critical issues that will shape U.S. foreign aid policy for the 21st Should existing foreign aid agencies be combined into a cabinet-level agency, ensuring a voice for development concerns during policy discussions, or should they be placed in the State Department to strengthen their foreign policy focus? How should aid agencies manage the planning, implementation, and evaluation of their aid? Is ""managing for results"" as currently practiced appropriate for what is often a highly experimental task of bringing about beneficial changes in foreign countries? How should the U.S. government educate its citizens on the issues of foreign aid and development as expenditures rise and as the ambitious goals driving aidincluding nation buildingexpand? In Organ izing Foreign Aid, Car ol Lancaster and Ann Van Dusen call for a fundamental reorganization of U.S. aid programs. They recommend a major increase in efforts at development education. The authors also provide insights into how other donor governments have dealt with these challenges. With the future of U.S. foreign aid policy at stake, this book will be essential reading for anyone interested in development, foreign aid, and the organization of government programs in these areas. " Recommends Fundamental Reorganization Of U.s. Foreign Aid, Currently Based On Outsourcing And Management For Results, In Favor Of A More Unified Approach Emphasizing Development Education, Stringent Evaluation, And A New Approach To Contracting--provided By Publisher. A New Urgency: International Development And U.s. Foreign Policy -- The Nature Of Development -- What Is Foreign Aid? -- The Mission And Purposes Of U.s. Foreign Aid -- A Short History Of Aid -- Organizational Landscape Of U.s. Foreign Aid -- Structure And Processes Of The U.s. Agency For International Development -- The Political Context Of U.s. International Assistance -- Alternative Approaches: Other Aid-giving Donor Countries -- Foreign Aid In The Twenty-first Century -- Challenges And Opportunities: Recommendations And Options For Organizing U.s. Foreign Aid. Carol Lancaster And Ann Van Dusen. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 67-71) And Index. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover......Page 1 Title Page......Page 4 Contents......Page 6 Foreword......Page 8 A New Urgency: International Development and U.S. Foreign Policy......Page 14 The Nature of Development......Page 17 What is Foreign Aid?......Page 19 The Mission and Purposes of U.S. Foreign Aid......Page 20 A Short History of Aid......Page 23 Organizational Landscape of U.S. Foreign Aid......Page 26 Structure and Processes of the U.S. Agency for International Development......Page 45 The Political Context of U.S. International Assistance......Page 50 Alternative Approaches: Other Aid-Giving Donor Countries......Page 56 Foreign Aid in the Twenty-First Century......Page 58 Challenges and Opportunities: Recommendations and Options for Organizing U.S. Foreign Aid......Page 63 Conclusion......Page 77 Notes......Page 80 Index......Page 86 In September 2002 the White House published a new National Security Strategy for the United States.