United States Agency for International Development

www.usaid.gov

Overview

The U.S. Agency for International Development administers billions of dollars of aid programs around the world, including food and medical aid, disaster aid, and economic development.

USAID was established in 1961 by President Kennedy. The agency has field offices in many countries, and many of its employees worldwide are foreign nationals.

In FY06, its budget was $9.2 billion. The agency, which falls under the State Department, is the principal organization for extending assistance to countries “recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms.” 

As humanitarian aid becomes more and more linked to foreign policy, the Agency has played a primary role in developing countries of strategic interest to the United States. Since 2003, it has played a major role in the reconstruction effort in Iraq.

In practice, most USAID projects are run by independent contractors, and this can provide good regional story angles if a group from your area is, for example, setting up a hospital in Afghanistan. Some projects have environmental, small business, or cultural angles if you are planning a trip to a certain region of the world, and project lists may also be a source for finding people from your area who are about to go to a "hot spot," or who have just returned from one.

With increased funding to combat AIDS in the pipeline, also look for more projects in that area in coming years. Some projects have also gone to faith-based organizations, and that trend may increase under the Bush administration.

Agency Structure

The agency has offices or “missions” in 84 countries.  Each “mission” decides its own development priorities, and coordinates with the appropriate bureau in DC to get what it needs. Most AID employees in DC are responsible for managing the contracts, be it for water or road development, building schools, organizing elections, etc.  USAID chooses from an array of businesses – huge construction, electrical and engineering companies that contract primarily with the government -- to implement those projects, and then monitors the contracts to ensure they are completed in a timely manner.  The regional bureaus in DC provide administrative work and oversight for the missions.

USAID in the News

For any reporter covering international news, USAID runs fascinating projects all over the world, including an HIV/AIDS initiative in Africa, and ongoing reconstruction in Afghanistan, Iraq and Haiti. In Cuba, USAID supports opposition groups by handing out shortwave radios and funding anti-Castro newspapers. The press office might help provide access to regions that may be difficult to enter alone. If you can find out how much money USAID is spending on various government projects, it can give you a good sense of the pace of reconstruction within a country.  The website yields a trove of interesting international story ideas. The web site is http://www.usaid.gov:

Another source for news is the agency publication "Frontlines," issued monthly.
It contains brief articles about projects and people:

Does this agency's information need updating? programs@nationalpress.org