Making U.S. Foreign
Assistance More Transparent:
USG Agenda for Action
Presented to IATI Steering Commitee
February 9, 2011
USG Commitments made on Aid Transparency
o Transparency is a signature element of the Administration’s governing
philosophy, as evidence by the Open Government Directive;
o At the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, the U.S. joined other countries in committing to
enhance international aid transparency in 2010;
o This pledge is consistent with our commitments in the Paris Declaration and Accra
Agenda for Action;
o Enhanced U.S. leadership can catalyze global progress made on aid
transparency (e.g. International Aid Transparency Initiative);
o An Interagency Policy Committee on Aid Transparency convened by NSC
and OSTP approved a policy in April 2010 to make U.S. foreign
assistance more transparent.
Objectives of the USG Aid Transparency Policy
– Make foreign aid more useful for development
(allow governments to better manage their aid flows and empower citizens to hold
governments accountable for how assistance is used);
– Increase the efficacy of our foreign assistance
(clearer understanding of what we are doing where/to what effect = better position to ensure
that investments are consistent with broader objectives; to coordinate and target assistance
with other agencies and donors; to generate stock knowledge of what works and what
doesn’t);
- Promote international accountability
(greater access to information about assistance helps countries and civil society hold donors
accountable for quantity and quality of aid flows).
Guiding Principles
• Presumption in favor of openness;
• Initial focus on publication of existing, raw data in open, machinereadable format in a central location;
• Detail, Timeliness, and Quality;
• Prioritization;
• Comprehensiveness & Comparability;
• Accessibility;
• Institutionalization.
Next Steps and the Way Ahead
Phase 1 (Within next 6-12 months)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Country Pilots (USAID)
Statistical Directive (OMB)
Aid Dashboard (State/USAID)
Apps for Development Challenge
Illustrative Country Pilot
Selection Criteria:
-Level of host country demand;
-Host country capacity;
-USG and donor presence;
-Regional Diversity
Phase 2 (2011-2012)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Scale Up Country Pilots
Build Single Interface Backed by Common Framework
Exercise Leadership in Achieving an International Standard
Investigate Greater Flexibility for Forward Commitments
Develop Agency and Partner Capacity to Measure and Publish Results