“Commitment and Capacity” – these are the two legs of USAID’s new framework for partner countries’ Journeys to Self-Reliance. Is this old wine in a new bottle, or might this new approach focus attention on the capacity of systems of governance, and on the capacity of people in government?
This event explored the components of self-reliance and the connections to underlying theories of accountable governance. Drawing on case studies from South Sudan and Nigeria, speakers, including Results for Development Executive Vice President Nathaniel Heller, analyzed the tension inherent in promoting self-reliance in societies characterized by rampant corruption, broken social contracts, elite capture, and various forms of inequality. The following questions were addressed:
- How central to self-reliance are USAID’s existing approaches to accountable governance?
- Does the self-reliance framework prompt innovation in how outsiders, such as USAID, interact with local groups and individuals?
- What does the framework suggest that USAID and others stop doing?
- How can a thinking and working politically lens inform the implementation of the framework?
Panelists:
- Evan Smith, Vice President, Democracy International
- Chas Cadwell, Urban Institute
- Nathaniel Heller, Results for Development
- Morgan Simpson, Democracy International
- Elaine Baruwa, Abt Associates
