As Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton begins a seven-country African trip with a visit to Kenya, the main U.S. foreign aid agency is in limbo, entering its seventh month without a permanent director despite pledges by the Obama administration to expand development assistance and improve its effectiveness in poor countries.If a new Administrator were designated today, it would be at least a couple of months before he/she could go through the Congressional confirmation process, be sworn in, and assume office.
I share the article's concern that an Administrator be put in place quickly. I fear that the Obama administration will not hear nor accept information as readily from a temporary acting Administrator as from their own appointee, not to mention that I hope they will find someone who is really good!
The article goes on to express a concern that I share that the different aspects of foreign aid be pulled more together under a strengthened aid agency, and that that agency should be more independent of the State Department than it was under the Bush administration.
The Obama pledge to increase U.S. foreign aid is welcome, but there are real dangers in doing so without a strong institution to manage the foreign aid program.
I am especially concerned with the need for real expertise in the foreign aid agency. It needs, of course, people with broad understanding of the development process who bring understanding of economics, administration, culture, and politics in developing nations. However, the foreign assistance program also needs specialists in public health, education, agriculture, engineering, and many other fields in which projects are developed and implemented.
Thanks to the WP for front page attention to the problem!
Source of image: Statastic.com
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