Putting Performance at the Center of U.S. Development Programs

By Rob Mosbacher and Mark Green | JUNE 2, 2016

As co-chairs of the Consensus for Development Reform (CDR), and as Republicans committed to advancing American national security and economic interests, we know how critical U.S. leadership is in an increasingly interconnected, complex, and competitive world. America’s leadership role is based on many factors: Our military is the world’s strongest and most technologically advanced, our economy sets the pace for international markets, and our private sector sets us apart when it comes to innovation and advances in technology.

Another important, yet often overlooked, aspect of American leadership are our foreign assistance tools that both advance our democratic values and create global economic opportunity. Our best foreign assistance programs have achieved some remarkable results in the 21 st century, saving and improving millions of lives and supporting U.S. interests across the globe.  However, in this era of budget deficits and critical funding priorities that compete against one another, the only way to maintain our robust leadership is to apply rigorous program measurement and accountability in order to determine what is most effective for those we seek to help and what provides greatest value for taxpayer funds.

Therefore, as the House and Senate move towards final passage of the Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act (FATAA), it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on the five-year effort that Congressman Ted Poe and Senator Marco Rubio have led to get this critical legislation to the finish line. Performance measurement and results should always drive U.S. foreign assistance investments, and the FATAA legislation ensures that U.S. development agencies employ the best and most transparent methods to evaluate the impacts of our taxpayer investments.

FATAA is a foundation for reforming U.S. foreign assistance, and it forms a core pillar within a forward-looking U.S. development strategy is guided by accountability, catalyzing private capital, and strong U.S. leadership that promotes American values of democracy and free markets.  U.S. foreign assistance needs champions in Congress who are focused on accountability and sustainability, and Congressman Ted Poe and Senator Marco Rubio deserve tremendous praise for leading the way and staying the course with their Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act.

—

Rob Mosbacher formerly served as the President and CEO of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and Mark Green is the President of the International Republican Institute and a former Congressman and U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania. Mosbacher and Green also serve as the Co-Chairs for the Consensus for Development Reform, a project dedicated to reforming U.S. foreign assistance programs.