USAID reforms increase effectiveness of efforts against poverty

International relief and development organization Oxfam America praised USAID’s FORWARD Progress Report released today as an honest review of the reforms taken up by the agency to increase the effectiveness of America’s global poverty-fighting efforts.

In reaction, Gregory Adams, Oxfam America’s director of aid effectiveness made the following statement:

“The USAID FORWARD progress report shows the remarkable progress that USAID has made to improve the impact of America’s efforts to fight poverty. Oxfam’s own forthcoming research echoes these findings—that USAID’s reform progress has been significant and measureable, and that local partners are finding the US to be a better development partner.  The USAID FORWARD reforms are working to enlist local leaders and citizens as partners in making sure American aid dollars deliver the greatest impact to fight poverty.

“The progress demonstrated in the report, especially on promoting sustainable development through high-impact partnerships demonstrates a commitment to ensuring that people are the leaders of their own development but also that the US is taking on the challenges of direct partnerships with local leaders in a careful, rational way. Our own forthcoming report will show that reforms are enabling USAID staff to find ways to work with community leaders in effective ways, and enabling governments to respond to local needs.

“While USAID FORWARD has made remarkable success, USAID and the United States government as a whole still have much more to do to make US assistance a better tool for helping fight poverty. The US needs to live up to its commitments to releasing more information about where and how aid is being spent, and put more USAID personnel and effort towards building direct relationships with governments, NGOs and entrepreneurs in developing countries. We hope that USAID will accelerate the pace of USAID FORWARD reforms, to cut out wasteful contracts and put more dollars directly in the hands of the people driving change in their own countries.”