New Presidential Study Directive on Global Development Policy a Big Step for Smart Power
President Obama signed a Presidential Study Directive on Global Development Policy last week authorizing an across-the-board review of U.S. development efforts, which are currently carried out by more than sixty government agencies. This is another important step the Administration is taking to strengthen our civilian-led tools of foreign policy, and this review can help the U.S. system become more coordinated, effective, and accountable. The Directive will be a joint effort by the National Security Council and the National Economic Council at the White House and is expected to be completed in January. Developing a global development strategy was a major principle in the USGLC’s Impact ’08 campaign and one of seven key action steps outlined in the USGLC’s Report on Reports: Putting Smart Power to Work .
So who are the major players?
While National Security Advisor General Jim Jones and National Economic Council Chairman Larry Summers will oversee the study, it is expected that NSC Senior Director for Development, Gayle Smith, and new NSC Director for Democracy, Jeremy Weinstein, will be in charge of the effort. The Directive will likely involve input from every department and agency overseeing elements of U.S. development and foreign assistance, including State, Agriculture, Treasury, and Defense among others. The USGLC met with Ms. Smith earlier this year, and we are looking forward to working with her as the Directive moves forward.
Other Reform Efforts Underway
The Presidential Study Directive will work alongside other efforts to reform the U.S. foreign assistance structure that are currently underway. Bipartisan bills have been introduced in the Senate (S. 1524, “Foreign Assistance Revitalization and Accountability Act”) and the House (H.R. 2139, “Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act”) to begin a comprehensive foreign assistance reform process. In the State Department, a Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) was announced in June to assess diplomacy and development programs at the State Department and USAID. The commitment to development reform from Congress, the State Department, and now the White House is a clear indicator that policymakers are taking the issue seriously, and recognize the crucial importance of development to national security, economic prosperity, and humanitarian leadership around the world.
