Congressional Budget Justification
Volume 2
FOREIGN OPERATIONS
Fiscal Year 2011
Cuba
Foreign Assistance Program Overview
U.S. assistance focuses on providing humanitarian assistance to prisoners of conscience and their
families, strengthening civil society, supporting issue-based civic action movements and coalitions,
and promoting fundamental freedoms, especially the freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
Request by Account and Fiscal Year
FY 2009
Actual
20,000
20,000
($ in thousands)
TOTAL
Economic Support Fund
FY 2010
Estimate
20,000
20,000
FY 2011
Increase/
Request
Decrease
20,000
0
20,000
0
Request by Objective by Account, Program Area and Fiscal Year
FY 2009
Actual
20,000
20,000
20,000
1,550
18,450
($ in thousands)
Cuba
2 Governing Justly and Democratically
Economic Support Fund
2.1 Rule of Law and Human Rights
2.4 Civil Society
FY 2010
Estimate
20,000
20,000
20,000
2,000
18,000
FY 2011
Increase/
Request
Decrease
20,000
0
20,000
0
20,000
0
2,000
0
18,000
0
Request by Program Area and Fiscal Year
FY 2009
Actual
20,000
20,000
1,550
18,450
2,100
2,100
($ in thousands)
Cuba
2 Governing Justly and Democratically
2.1 Rule of Law and Human Rights
2.4 Civil Society
of which: Objective 6
6.2 Administration and Oversight
FY 2010
Estimate
20,000
20,000
2,000
18,000
2,100
2,100
FY 2011
Increase/
Request
Decrease
20,000
0
20,000
0
2,000
0
18,000
0
2,100
0
2,100
0
Governing Justly and Democratically
Cuba is the only non-democratically elected government in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the
most politically repressed countries in the world. In view of these challenges, U.S. assistance for
Cuba aims to empower Cuban civil society to advocate for greater democratic freedoms and respect
for human dignity.
Economic Support Fund (ESF): To encourage civic participation in Cuba, U.S. assistance focuses on
strengthening independent Cuban civil society organizations, including associations and labor groups.
Programs aim to increase the capacity for community involvement in, and networking among, civil
society organizations. The goal is to build up the capacity of communities to identify and respond to
local challenges. U.S. assistance supports information sharing into and out of Cuba, as well as
among civil society groups on the island. To advance the cause of human rights in Cuba, U.S.
assistance provides humanitarian assistance to political prisoners and their families. Programs also
raise greater awareness of human rights and support Cuban efforts to document human rights
violations. The United States supports nascent pro-democracy groups, the use of technology, and
new information sharing opportunities.
679
Performance Information in the Budget and Planning Process
The United States’ Cuba program included several program evaluations and assessments in FY 2009
to evaluate programmatic and financial performance, which significantly served to inform FY 2010
and FY 2011 budget and planning decisions, as highlighted below. Monitoring and evaluation
centered on ensuring programs were focused on direct impact on the island.
Performance Monitoring and Evaluation: Conducting performance monitoring and evaluation in
Cuba presents unique challenges. Traditional monitoring and evaluation mechanisms cannot be
relied upon. Thus, the program works closely with implementing partners to ensure accurate and
complete reporting of project activities, identify ways to triangulate information obtained from
different sources about the services delivered by grantees and contractors, and measure outputs and
program impact through alternative means.
In FY 2009, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of State
worked closely with grantees and contractors to ensure performance management is incorporated both
in the program design and program implementation stages. During the lifetime of programs,
implementing agencies work closely with implementing organizations to ensure outputs and outcomes
are measured and on target to be achieved. Additionally, USAID and the Department of State
conduct internal quarterly program reviews to discuss challenges and successes and ensure programs
are on track to meet goals and objectives.
Use of Performance Information to Inform Budget and Programmatic Choices: The Department of
State and USAID worked throughout FY 2009 jointly to identify the most successful programming
areas to date, as well as topics for future year programming most likely to achieve impact in Cuba.
In particular, supporting enhanced communication and coordination among Cuban civil society have
been identified as priority activities for current and future-year assistance funds, based upon overall
program performance to date.
Moving forward, the U.S. Cuba program will continue to include several implementing bureaus from
the Department of State and USAID, which offer complementary strengths best to ensure a robust
program focused on outcome-based achievement.
Relationship Between Budget and Performance: FY 2011 resources will be used to fund those
activities that have demonstrated greatest success and impact. In response to increasingly more
vibrant and vocal pro-democracy movement on the island, U.S. assistance would be used to support
nascent pro-democracy groups while enhancing information sharing opportunities through the use of
technology and new media.
680