core sector communique

USAID Launches New Center to Promote Democracy, Human Rights

Washington - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched a new center aimed at advancing best practices in democracy, human rights and good governance.

The Center of Excellence on Democracy, Human Rights and Governance is part of the agency's reforms and will help ensure that USAID's investments are coordinated with U.S. diplomatic and defense efforts, USAID said in a statement.

The center's objectives include the following:

.. Work with USAID missions around the world to collect and compile information about the effectiveness of programs designed to support democracy, human rights and good governance.

.. Represent democracy, human rights and governance issues in interagency arenas.

.. Manage grants, contracts and funds having to do with democracy, human rights and governance programs.

"This center represents our agency-wide focus on measuring performance to determine what really works," USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah said in remarks at a press conference February 27. "Instead of driving our programming based [on] the conclusions of a handful of experts, we will conduct ongoing, in-depth oral histories, impact evaluations and country assessments to understand where and how we can be most effective."

Shah said that over the next three years, the center will perform more than two dozen detailed evaluations that will for the first time use public opinion surveys in a systematic way to capture data and establish measurable indicators.

"Instead of playing it safe in a field that demands constant innovation," Shah said, "we're going to reward calculated risks and creative approaches - whether that's a mapping platform designed to combat trafficking or procurement reforms that make it easier for us to partner with local civil society organizations.

"And instead of continuing an ineffective program, we'll bring it to an end - and publicly share our experiences so we can all learn," he said.

Shah added: "Development practitioners - myself included - sometimes fall victim to defining human welfare solely in terms of GDP [gross domestic product], hunger or mortality. But we know that progress is defined not solely by the quantifiable, but also by our ability to nurture dignity and advance human potential.

"Around the world every day, our staff is fulfilling this mission with commitment and ingenuity - helping to empower marginalized communities and expand democratic space," he said.

With the center's launch, Shah said, and "a robust new emphasis on evidence-based learning, we can help advance these efforts, ensuring they are more effective, cost-efficient and results-oriented than ever before."

The center will be housed in USAID's Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance.

USAID is an independent agency that provides economic, development and humanitarian assistance around the world in support of the foreign policy goals of the United States.

(This is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State.)