 |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
 |
| USAID
Information:
External Links:
|
|
|
|
 |
| USAID Information:
External Links:
|
|
|
|
|
Insights from Acting Administrator Alonzo Fulgham
FrontLines - October 2009
Challenge
Acting Administrator Alonzo Fulgham visited Afghanistan and Pakistan Sept. 5-11, along with Deputy Secretary of State Jacob Lew, Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs Rich Verma, Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Paul Jones, and USAID Acting Assistant Administrator for Management Drew Luten. Afterwards, he sat down with FrontLines Editorial Director Ben Barber to discuss the trip.
Q: What was your impression of USAID’s work in Peshawar, Pakistan, near the volatile tribal areas along the Afghan border?
FULGHAM: Our work in Peshawar is unquestionably some of the most innovative and courageous USAID is undertaking anywhere in the world. Despite the difficult circumstances and security concerns, we work with our partners in health, education, water, sanitation, and other basic needs in communities of the Tribal Areas and North West Frontier Province where the Pakistan government has had limited
access. Our support to the Swat area has been both courageous and effective and I am enormously proud of the work our Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance team has carried out in the region.
Q: Pakistani and Afghan officials say U.S. aid goes to costly U.S. contractors. Instead, they would like it to go to host government
officials. How do we begin to resolve this?
FULGHAM: We are undertaking a major review of our assistance to determine how to channel it through local authorities when they are capable of managing U.S. funds. For example, the Afghanistan Ministry of Health increased its aid budget by 800 percent and other ministries are rushing to emulate those efforts. In Pakistan, we are working with the Supreme Audit Institution and the Office of Acquisitions and Assistance to identify more local institutions capable of programming U.S. assistance.
Our efforts in Pakistan are emblematic of this administration’s desire to direct a greater percentage of our assistance dollars to local partners, where appropriate. As you know, development work begins with building the capacity of host-country governments, organizations,
and civil society. Still, we need to be sure that our partners—government or otherwise—are able to manage programs at the standards
we require for our assistance.
Q: What struck you as the most important thing you saw on this trip?
|
USAID Acting Administrator Alonzo Fulgham arrives at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province Sept. 8 during a trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
|
FULGHAM: The most important thing I saw, and continue to see—particularly in our work in Afghanistan—is the ability of the U.S. government
to come together through a whole-of-government approach. The civilian-military relationship in Afghanistan is stronger now than I’ve ever seen it before, resulting in a solid strategy and direct linkages between policies and resources. If we had had that match-up of financial
resources and policy previously, Afghanistan would probably be much further along on the development continuum.
Q: What are the greatest challenges facing USAID?
FULGHAM: One challenge we are facing is our ability to recruit mid-career and senior level officers for Critical Priority Country (CPC) assignments, in addition to asking our officers to do a second
tour (in a CPC) away from their families. We are currently in a multi-year effort to rebuild the Agency’s workforce with the Development Leadership Initiative. The primary goal of our rebuilding efforts is to restore our technical and intellectual
expertise as an agency and to enhance our ability to effectively deliver U.S. foreign assistance.
Q: Since you served as mission
director in 2005-2006 in Afghanistan, what has changed and what have we accomplished?
FULGHAM: The reconstruction
efforts in Afghanistan are incredible. The city of Kabul is vibrant and full of traffic, despite its security problems. Children are enrolled in school, clinics are helping those needing
medical services, businesses are growing as new office buildings are constructed, and markets are alive with shoppers, traders, and entrepreneurs seeking
opportunities.
Increased security is needed in the south and the east in order for additional reconstruction
to occur. We need to show the Afghan people that the United States and NATO are robust partners and are dedicated
to the mission.
Q: USAID is a civilian agency working in a war zone. How can the Agency operate? Can officers get out of the fortified compounds?
FULGHAM: In Kabul, people are getting out more and more to meet their counterparts
and are engaging at the highest levels. They are careful about security as it remains a challenge. We are working diligently with our military and State colleagues to alleviate potential bottlenecks
for future civilian deployments to the capital and the provinces.
★
FrontLines is published
by the Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs
U.S. Agency for International Development
To have FrontLines delivered
to you via postal mail, please subscribe.
Material should be submitted
by mail to Editor, FrontLines, USAID,
RRB, Suite 6.10, Washington, DC 20523-6100;
by FAX to 202-216-3035; or by e-mail to frontlines@usaid.gov
To view PDF files, download
the Adobe
Acrobat Reader.
Back to Top ^
|
