Report to Congress on Rewarding USAID Staff Skills and Commitment to Local Partnerships
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) submits this report pursuant to Section 7019(e) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024 (Div. F, P.L. 118-47) and Senate Report 118-71, , which reads as follows:
Not later than 45 days after the date of enactment of the Act, the USAID Administrator shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations, and post on the USAID website, a copy of USAID's policies and procedures for rewarding agency personnel who demonstrate the skills and commitment to building lasting partnerships with local government officials and community leaders to implement programs that encourage and support local initiative and local ownership, including, but not limited to, Centroamerica Local and Local Works.
In fiscal year (FY) 2024, USAID instituted new professional evaluation and promotion performance criteria for Foreign Service Officers focused on their application of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in their work (see Foreign Service and Senior Foreign Service Skills Framework, Mandatory Reference for Automated Directives System Chapter 461). With this new criteria, employees will be evaluated on how they advance these principles along the “5 Ps” dimensions: people, partnerships, programs, policies, and processes.
The partnerships and programs elements, in particular, reflect efforts to support locally led and inclusive development. Proficiency indicators related to programs include the extent to which staff elevate or hold subordinates to account for elevating local knowledge and local leadership throughout the Program Cycle. Proficiency indicators related to partnerships include the extent to which staff pursue programmatic and strategic partnerships with diverse actors, including local actors. By explicitly valuing those approaches, the new skill helps reinforce incentives for staff to advance work in locally led ways. The publically available Foreign Service (FS) Skills Framework, which outlines these skills, serves as the basis for FS Officer promotions and tenure decisions.
In addition to formal performance criteria, there are a number of other ways USAID recognizes staff efforts to advance locally led development.