Poverty, inequality, and ongoing instability in Haiti, one of the United States’ closest neighbors, directly impact the United States, promoting irregular migration and exacerbating illegal trafficking in persons (TIP), substances, and wildlife. Seeking to redirect Haiti’s development trajectory in alignment with the principles of the Journey to Self-Reliance (J2SR), the USAID/Haiti Strategic Framework (SF) advances the United States’ interests and outlines a path for Haiti to begin to take charge of its own development. The shared strategic goal of having Haitian citizens more engaged in creating and sustaining a more resilient, prosperous, and democratic future supports broader U.S. Government (USG) objectives related to health and infectious disease control, crime and violence, market-based solutions, and engagement with new and underutilized partners. Inefficiencies in governance in Haiti have exacerbated natural, economic, and human vulnerabilities; repelled investment; and stifled economic growth. This SF thus represents a significant strategic and tactical change, emphasizing a resilience-based approach and refocusing Government of Haiti (GOH) engagement toward the local level. USAID’s work thus seeks to build a Haiti that is more resilient to environmental, political, and economic shocks and stresses (Development Objective [DO]1); advances more inclusive, locally driven economic growth and social development (DO2); and promotes governance that is more responsive to citizens’ needs (DO3) to develop the capacities in people, households, communities, and systems that build inclusive prosperity and create local demand for improved governance.
Country Roadmap metrics place Haiti as the lowest performer in the Latin America and Caribbean region in terms of Capacity and Commitment. Capacity measures highlight low per capita gross domestic product (GDP), deep poverty, and governance systems that limit the provision of quality education, negatively impact child health, and restrict investment in productive capital or technology. Commitment measures indicate severe social group inequality, which erodes democracy; continued natural resource degradation; and a restrictive business and investment environment. The Country Roadmap for Haiti suggests a country caught in a poverty trap, requiring increased human and economic capacities and significant institutional reform to initiate and catalyze movement toward self-reliance.
Developed following consultations with civil society stakeholders, GOH counterparts, the private sector and, U.S. government interagency colleagues and Congressional staff, and several former U.S. Ambassadors and USAID Mission Directors to Haiti, and with extensive discussion within the Mission, this SF summarizes USAID’s commitment to a different approach to development in Haiti that lays the groundwork for the development of a complete Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) and generates measurable progress toward self-reliance. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the emphasis on resilience in this SF is especially relevant, as the impacts of economic restrictions, particularly for those in the informal economy, and limitations in the nutritional supply chain, have exacerbated hunger and poverty for a population already experiencing extreme vulnerability. This SF also acknowledges the multifaceted and interconnected nature of challenges in Haiti and takes an integrated approach to development programming, explicitly seeking to leverage efforts across sectors, include the widest possible array of stakeholders, and generate sustainable positive momentum. In the time period of this SF, USAID expects measurable results that indicate an improved ability for Haitians to be active and positive participants in shaping the direction of Haiti’s development path.
Instability in Haiti imposes on all stakeholders a short-term planning horizon, focused on immediate needs without planning for long-term investment or growth. DO1 thus focuses on building resilience in people, households, communities, and systems in response to ongoing shocks and stresses in Haiti. Interventions in DO1 seek to build the capacity to provide for basic human needs that improve fundamental living conditions and enhance productive human capital, including a healthy environment and functioning ecosystems. Activities at the individual level will help ensure affordable housing, access to health care and water and sanitation facilities, and improved quality and continuity of learning that together promote more secure livelihoods. At the community level, activities build the capacities of local stakeholders—communities; private sector; civil society organizations (CSOs), including faith-based organizations (FBOs); as well as local and national government—to jointly identify and prioritize development needs, seek local solutions, and better mobilize resources. System-level activities will enhance the ability of local, municipal, and national government entities to respond and adapt in times of crisis, serve as a social safety net for Haitians, and amplify local successes. DO1 fortifies people, communities, and systems to better face challenges and adopt strategies that advance inclusive and stable growth.
Sustainable and inclusive growth must be based on a country’s human capital, local assets, and comparative advantage. Thus, in conjunction with and building on resilience efforts, under DO2 USAID will advance more inclusive, locally driven economic growth and social development in Haiti. Activities at the individual level will promote a more inclusive and productive workforce by improving workforce readiness and health outcomes; reducing barriers for women, youth, and vulnerable populations to join the workforce; and helping Haitians find stable, diversified, and sustainable livelihoods. Community activities will build capacities for market-driven growth, promoting inclusive economic opportunities that identify local needs and demand, stimulate competitive local supply, and develop local markets. System-level activities will work toward lessening the barriers that impede markets and the business enabling environment (BEE), including increasing access to finance and credit and improving land tenure and property rights.
This SF adopts the perspective that meaningful and lasting institutional reform in Haiti must be demand-driven to create the space for those with the political will to invest in development to overcome institutional inefficiencies and build public trust. The DO3 goal of bolstering governance that is more responsive to citizens’ needs is thus intimately tied to improved resilience and locally driven economic growth, as improved conditions for Haitians and market-based opportunities justify a need for governance that is more effective and responsive and promotes continued competitiveness. DO3 also represents the nexus of the Mission’s redefined relationship with the GOH, explicitly focusing on strengthening local and municipal levels of government that may similarly serve as demand-drivers for improved governance at the national level. Focused on systems, activities in DO3 will help strengthen the capacity to deliver quality and accessible basic public services, promote the implementation of strategies to support transparency and accountability in GOH decision-making processes, and establish a foundation for improved domestic resource mobilization (DRM).
Across the portfolio, the Mission will partner with committed and results-focused partners across Haiti’s rich landscape of development stakeholders to successfully implement this integrated, locally driven strategy. Strengthened private sector engagement (PSE) recognizes the private sector as a key player in resilience, locally driven economic growth, and governance, and the Mission will seek opportunities to leverage private sector resources, co-identify challenges, and co-create solutions. The strategic change in focus toward local resilience, growth, and systems also means a redefined relationship with GOH entities, emphasizing local and municipal entities where measurable changes in capacity can lead to specific examples of commitment that directly benefit Haitians. The local lens also necessitates an expanded focus on partnering with a wide range of new and underutilized partners, such as CSOs, including FBOs, that have existing resources; local networks; and specialized expertise that can help carry forward USAID’s activities in the field. Religious freedom is protected in Haiti, and the 2020 Annual Report from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom does not identify Haiti as a Country of Particular Concern or as a Special Watch List country. The constitution provides for the free exercise of all religions; however, the Catholic church does receive preferential treatment, and non-Christian groups, particularly Muslim and Voudou, face significant challenges to achieve official recognition or state support for schools.
Implementation of the SF will support women’s economic empowerment, advance religious freedom, and work to incorporate the principles of procurement reform and it will support Haiti as it develops the capacity to lead its own development journey to the point where there is no longer a need for foreign assistance.
