The complex and intertwined nature of Malawi’s development context requires an integrated, strategic approach to deliver and sustain greater development results. USAID’s 2020‐2025 Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) embraces a holistic method to help our Malawian partners achieve their vision for governing effectively, unlocking youths’ full potential, and making the private sector an engine of wealth creation for all Malawians.
OUR WORK
USAID partners with the Government of Malawi (GOM) and local and international organizations on a shared development agenda to strengthen long‐term capacity and advance toward Malawi 2063’s vision for an inclusively wealthy and self‐reliant nation. Through our 2020‐2025 CDCS, USAID works closely with the government and civil society with the aim of realizing a more self‐reliant Malawi that is genderequitable and democratically accountable. The strategy focuses on three development objectives: (1) strengthening the accountability and effectiveness of the public sector; (2) helping Malawi’s youth lead healthy, informed, and productive lives; and (3) invigorating the private sector to increase inclusive and sustainable wealth generation. USAID manages a wide range of projects to reach these objectives through its education, health, economic growth, agriculture, democracy, and governance programs.
DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE 1: PUBLIC SECTOR IS MORE ACCOUNTABLE AND EFFECTIVE AT NATIONAL AND DECENTRALIZED LEVELS
“Independent judges, a vibrant civil society, a feisty press, a strong parliament…” are words The Economist used to hail Malawi as the only country in 2020 to advance democratically. The 2019‐2020 elections revealed that Malawi has what it takes to use government and civil society to meet the country’s democracy and governance standards spelled out in Malawi 2063. This vision includes effective governance systems and institutions built upon the rule of law, citizen participation, and strong public sector performance. USAID supports this priority through engagement with the GOM, partner donors, and civil society to help Malawi’s citizens engage with their government and insist upon publicsector performance and accountability. USAID pursues this work with a clear gender emphasis to help Malawi implement transparent and effective policies and deliver quality services for all its citizens. To accomplish this, USAID supports the GOM’s efforts to establish and execute on a strong government policy architecture, improve systems that drive effective government service delivery, and root out corruption that hobbles Malawi’s growth agenda. USAID’s work also assists the GOM design a tax structure that enables the government to deliver on its responsibilities.
DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE 2: YOUTH LEAD HEALTHY, INFORMED, AND PRODUCTIVE LIVES
Throughout the world, youth are stepping up to take leadership roles in pursuing environmental, educational, political, and economic change. Here, youth are identified in Malawi 2063 as key actors who must be prepared to create a better future for all Malawians. In support of this, USAID applies the Positive Youth Development Framework, employing integrated, multi‐sector approaches that reflect the complexity of helping young people grow, develop, and succeed. In USAID’s Positive Youth Development Framework, youth are vital actors who actively participate in their families, communities, economy, and national life. Through the CDCS, USAID will expand youth‐friendly health services, enhance primary through tertiary educational opportunities, bolster civic engagement at the national and community levels, and better prepare youth to contribute to the economy, especially in agriculture. The GOM and USAID are committed to the holistic approach required to help more and more youth reach their full potential, so that in turn, the country can reach its full development potential.
DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE 3: PRIVATE SECTOR INCREASES INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE WEALTH GENERATION
USAID believes that private enterprise is a powerful force for lifting lives, strengthening communities, and accelerating sustainable development. The GOM shares this belief and sees private sector investment and growth as foundational to its larger strategic vision. USAID supports Malawi’s efforts to inject market‐based dynamism into the economy, including in the agriculture and natural resources sectors. To boost equitable, vibrant wealth creation, USAID works to accelerate the adoption of resilient livelihoods and systems, increase economic competitiveness for Malawian businesses, and improve the business enabling environment. USAID’s investments will help unleash Malawi’s potential for environmentally sustainable and inclusive wealth generation for both women and men. In turn, this progress will support Malawi’s vision for improving the quality of health and education services and help expand the nation’s tax base to finance the delivery of vital public infrastructure, goods, and services. USAID is part of a whole‐of ‐U.S. government effort to make the private sector the engine that helps Malawi achieve its own vision of “an inclusively wealthy and self‐reliant nation.”
