United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Imagine you are the director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United States primary development organization that uses U.S. government funds to design and carry out development projects in LDCs (lesser developed countries). Your annual testimony to Congress is approaching where you outline for the Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee on the accomplishments of the previous year and USAIDs plan and areas of focus for the coming year. Given the ideas and lessons you have taken from our materials under the topic of international development, what would you recommend be the foci for USAID in the upcoming year? USAID has a multi-million dollar budget annually, so you can fund a wide range of projects and ideas. You are not expected to address specific LDCs, but rather outline at least three specific types of projects, innovations, and/or technologies that you would focus on funding across multiple LDCs and the evidence supporting these decisions. You can also address areas or projects that you would avoid.
Your writing should begin with an overview of your opinion and summary of data supporting it and rely on evidence from this week’s readings and any other pertinent course materials from this week, stated in a clear and organized manner. The writing should be approximately the equivalent of one page double-spaced with citations of our relevant sources to provide evidence for your argument.
Sample Answer
Testimony to the Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee
Chairman [Chairman’s Name], Ranking Member [Ranking Member’s Name], and distinguished members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on the accomplishments of USAID and our strategic vision for the coming year.
In the past year, USAID has made significant strides in addressing global challenges such as poverty, hunger, and disease. We have supported innovative programs in education, health, and economic development, and we have worked closely with partner countries to build resilience and sustainable development.