40 Facts About USAID

USAID was established by the executive order of President John F Kennedy, who sought to unite several existing foreign assistance organizations and programs under one agency.

USAID became the first U S foreign assistance organization whose primary focus was long-term socioeconomic development.

USAID's programs are authorized by Congress in the Foreign Assistance Act, which Congress supplements through directions in annual funding appropriation acts and other legislation.

USAID has missions in over 100 countries, primarily in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe.

USAID's decentralized network of resident field missions is drawn on to manage U S Government programs in low-income countries for a range of purposes.

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USAID manages relief efforts after wars and natural disasters through its Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance which is the lead federal coordinator for international disaster assistance.

USAID has helped manage food aid provided by the U S Department of Agriculture.

Also, USAID provides funding to NGOs to supplement private donations in relieving chronic poverty.

USAID provides financial assistance to local and international NGOs who in turn give technical assistance in developing countries.

USAID has closed missions in a number of countries that had achieved a substantial level of prosperity, including South Korea, Turkey, and Costa Rica.

USAID missions are led by Mission Directors and are staffed both by USAID Foreign Service Officers and by development professionals from the country itself, with the host-country professionals forming the majority of the staff.

Independent oversight of USAID activities is provided by its Office of Inspector General, U S Agency for International Development, which conducts criminal and civil investigations, financial and performance audits, reviews, and inspections of USAID activities around the world.

The technical offices that are frequently found in USAID missions include Health and Family Planning, Education, Environment, Democracy, and Economic Growth.

Some USAID missions have specialized technical offices for areas like counter-narcotics assistance or assistance in conflict zones.

USAID's Contracting Officer would then advertise for bids, manage the selection of a contractor from among the competing bidders, sign the contract, and assign a technical-office staff member as the Contracting Officer's Representative to oversee the performance under the contract.

Contractor supplies technical assistance directly to the government agency, so that in monitoring contractor performance USAID relies substantially on the agency's evaluation of the contractor's work.

Non-governmental organizations are, like their government counterparts, usually already engaged in service provision in areas where USAID wants to assist, and they often have unique abilities that complement public programs.

USAID grants require recipient NGOs to contract for external audits.

Where necessary, USAID can devote part of the grant to the NGO's internal strengthening to help the NGO qualify for USAID's financing and build the capacity of the organization in the process.

USAID manages the award and implementation processes in the same way as for local NGOs.

Also, international NGOs frequently make unsolicited proposals to USAID, requesting funding for their own planned assistance activities.

USAID's role was to assist the national government in strengthening its local governance and service capabilities, and in providing direct services to local residents.

In each of these countries, USAID administered substantial conventional assistance programs that were not under the U S military chain of command.

Story of how the base for USAID's structure was built is described below, along with an account of changes that have been made since 1961.

In September 1970, President Nixon proposed abolishing USAID and replacing it with three new institutions: one for development loans, one for technical assistance and research, and one for trade, investment and financial policy.

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In 1995, legislation to abolish USAID was introduced by Senator Jesse Helms, the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who aimed to replace USAID with a grant-making foundation.

Cost of supplying USAID's assistance includes the agency's "Operating Expenses, " $1.

USAID has provided nearly $42 million to help combat cholera, helping to decrease the number of cases requiring hospitalization and reduce the case fatality rate.

Subsequently, USAID played a major role in the USG's reconstruction and development effort in Iraq.

USAID has periodically supported the Lebanese American University and the American University of Beirut financially, with major contributions to the Lebanese American University's Campaign for Excellence.

USAID subcontractor was arrested in Cuba in 2009 for distributing satellite equipment to provide Cubans with internet access.

USAID has been used as a mechanism for "hastening transition, " i e regime change in Cuba.

Between 2009 and 2012, USAID ran a multimillion-dollar program, disguised as humanitarian aid and aimed at inciting rebellion in Cuba.

USAID engineered a subversive program using social media aimed at fueling political unrest in Cuba to overthrow the Cuban government.

On 3 April 2014 the Associated Press published an investigative report that revealed USAID was behind the creation of a social networking text messaging service aimed at creating political dissent and triggering an uprising against the Cuban government.

USAID officials realized they needed an exit strategy to conceal their involvement in the program, at one point seeking funding from Jack Dorsey, the Twitter co-founder, as part of a plan for it to go independent.

In light of the AP's report, Rajiv Shah, the head of USAID, was scheduled to testify before the Senate Appropriations State Department and Foreign Operations Subcommittee on 8 April 2014.

In 2008, the coca growers union affiliated with Bolivian President Evo Morales ejected the 100 employees and contractors from USAID working in the Chapare region, citing frustration with U S efforts to persuade them to switch to growing unviable alternatives.

Folha de S Paulo, Brazil's largest newspaper, accused USAID of trying to influence political reform in Brazil in a way that would have purposely benefited right-wing parties.

USAID requires NGOs to sign a document renouncing terrorism, as a condition of funding.