Effective assistance should be designed with a clear purpose and a path toward transition. American investments should help countries build the capacity and resources to sustain progress over time – not create dependency. The U.S. should also invest earlier where risks are more predictable, saving lives and money. For example, recent WFP research found that early response in Mali resulted in cost savings of up to 20% while limiting the impact of a crisis.

This Means:

• Establishing clear objectives and benchmarks for what U.S. assistance is intended to achieve.
• Investing early in resilience and preparedness – including proven early-warning tools like Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) – when more costly emergency responses can be anticipated and avoided.
• Planning from the outset for transition, graduation, or an evolving U.S. role as conditions and capabilities improve.
• Building the local capacity, institutions, and resources needed to sustain progress without indefinite U.S. support.

Effective assistance should have a clear connection to America's national interests and demonstrate how investments abroad contribute to our security and prosperity – and advance American values. Humanitarian response to disaster and conflict will always be an American priority, both to promote stability and save lives.

This Means:

• Applying a U.S. national and economic security lens to decisions about where resources can have the greatest impact.
• Addressing instability, disease, food insecurity, and other challenges to prevent greater threats and costs to Americans later.
• Regularly evaluating whether programs continue to advance U.S. interests as circumstances and strategic priorities change.

Effective assistance should reinforce shared responsibility at every level and align on locally identified priorities and implementation. Donor countries should share the burden alongside the United States, while partner countries should demonstrate local leadership, invest their own resources, make necessary reforms, and have a stake in achieving results.

This Means:

• Donor countries and other partners contributing alongside U.S. investments and sharing responsibility for addressing common challenges.
• Partner governments demonstrating political commitment and investing their own resources alongside American assistance wherever feasible.
• Designing programs that reflect both locally identified priorities and U.S. national interests.
• Strengthening local institutions, markets, and expertise so countries can take increasing responsibility for achieving outcomes rather than creating parallel systems that depend indefinitely on outside support.

Effective assistance should bring the right U.S. government agencies, programs, and partners together around shared objectives – reducing duplication and making the best use of America's resources and expertise.

This Means:

• Establishing clear priorities and roles across U.S. international assistance agencies to reduce bottlenecking and ensure programs reinforce rather than duplicate one another.
• Breaking down barriers between economic development, diplomacy, trade, finance, and other tools of American engagement when greater coordination can deliver better results.
• Sharing data, technology, expertise, and lessons learned across agencies and programs to improve decision-making and accountability.

Effective assistance means investing not only in programs but also in the people, partners, institutions, and infrastructure needed to implement programs effectively, strengthen monitoring and evaluation, and sustain progress. Where capacity is insufficient – inside or outside the government – it should be strengthened to ensure effective delivery of programs.

This Means:

• Maintaining sufficient U.S. government expertise and capacity to design, oversee, and evaluate investments.
• Working with capable and accountable implementing partners that can translate resources into results.
• Strengthening basic infrastructure, local institutions, systems, and expertise so countries can increasingly implement, monitor, and sustain progress themselves.