Category: US Federal Government

Source: USAID

Today, at the Africa Food Systems Forum in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, USAID Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman and Assistant to the Administrator for the Bureau for Resilience and Food Security Dina Esposito announced new investments to support inclusive and resilient food systems in Africa, including $15 million to provide targeted support to women, smallholder farmers, and small- and medium-sized businesses in food systems across the continent. These investments are part of the supplemental funds deployed by the U.S. government through Feed the Future, a whole-of-government initiative to address food insecurity and fertilizer price spikes in Africa. 

Supporting women in agribusiness

During the opening session of the Forum’s Deal Room – a match-making venue to drive new agribusiness deals and commitments – Deputy Administrator Coleman announced a $4 million investment in VALUE4HER, Africa’s first agribusiness digital marketplace specifically for women. Seventy percent of women-owned small- and medium-sized businesses in developing countries cannot access financial services that meet their needs – a finance gap that drives gender inequality. VALUE4HER, implemented by AGRA, will help women-led agribusiness overcome these barriers by enabling them to build business networks, raise capital, and connect with buyers, financiers, and other service providers. 

Strengthening resilience to shocks

During a Forum roundtable on the vision for Africa’s fertilizer and soil health, Assistant to the Administrator for Resilience and Food Security Esposito announced a $5 million investment in Sustain Africa, an initiative that coordinates public and private sector partners to help smallholder farmers access affordable fertilizer, strengthen resilience to future fertilizer shocks, and ensure a stable and nutritious food supply. With USAID’s support, the program will expand and improve its ability to track fertilizer price trends and signal when help is needed. This investment enables USAID and its private sector partners to help six million farmers in sub-Saharan Africa successfully grow crops, even in the face of shocks.

Investing in nutrition

During an event at the close of the Forum’s first day, Deputy Administrator Coleman announced a $6 million investment, in partnership with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and Incofin Investment Management, in the Nutritious Foods Financing Facility (N3F). The first of its kind, N3F is an investment fund focused explicitly on improving diet quality and nutrition in sub-Saharan Africa through financing to small- and medium-enterprises involved in the provision of affordable, safe, and nutritious local food. The fund also prioritizes investments that advance gender equality and provide at least 30 percent of all loans to woman-owned or led small- and medium-sized businesses.

Source: USAID

On August 24, the United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), announced a Php283-million ($5 million) project to help the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd) address education challenges, including boosting its capacity to assess the quality of education among Filipino learners.    

With the support of various implementing partners, USAID’s five-year project “Improving Learning Outcomes for the Philippines” or ILO-Ph will aid DepEd in designing, implementing, and evaluating its full range of education programs, from early childhood education to workforce development.   

Through ILO-Ph, USAID will provide DepEd with on-demand technical assistance, regular consultations, and trainings to improve its strategic communications and data analysis systems.  This will enable DepEd to better track the progress of Filipino learners in standardized examinations and measure learning recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.  ILO-Ph will also support DepEd in conducting policy-relevant research to help Filipino educators enhance their teaching methods and positively impact learning outcomes. 

“As an enduring friend, partner, and ally, the U.S. government, through USAID, will continue to work with local partners to make quality education accessible to all educators and learners wherever they are in the Philippines so we can build stronger and more prosperous communities,” USAID Philippines Deputy Education Director Yvette Malcioln said. 

Vice President and DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte called the new partnership a “significant milestone” that would strengthen DepEd’s goal of addressing basic education challenges under its new “MATATAG: Bansang Makabata, Batang Makabansa” agenda. 

“The impact of policy-relevant research and technical assistance on educators and young learners can be profound.  These can alter the fate of their future and consequently, the course of our nation,” Vice President Duterte said, in remarks delivered by DepEd Assistant Secretary G.H. Ambat during the launch.  “In the face of challenges and changes, initiatives like ILO-Ph offers hope and inspiration. I wholeheartedly support this noble project and encourage all stakeholders to tap into its transformative potential.”

Source: USAID

Overview

Reducing plastic waste is a global issue. Clean Cities, Blue Ocean (CCBO) is USAID’s five-year, flagship global initiative to target ocean plastics at their source in cities and towns. Managed and funded through USAID headquarters in Washington, D.C. and implemented through a consortium of partners, CCBO is piloting solutions in Sri Lanka to stop the flow of plastic pollution to the waters within and surrounding the country through work in Colombo, the southern coastal city of Galle, and the northern coastal city of Jaffna. CCBO is supporting holistic strategies that address each step in the waste value chain – from production to end use – through critical site-level research, grants to local organizations, and additional technical assistance and capacity building support. 

Implementing Partner: Tetra Tech; Total Estimated Global Cost: $48 million (part of which is allocated to Sri Lanka); Period of Performance: October 2019 – September 2024

Objectives

To keep plastic and other waste out of Sri Lanka’s marine environments and maintain healthy and clean cities throughout the island, CCBO seeks to:

• Develop, test, and implement new models that promote reducing, reusing, and recycling (3R) practices and enhance solid waste management.
• Facilitate partnerships and investment around key needs, such as infrastructure. 
• Strengthen local systems to build Sri Lanka’s resiliency and self-reliance.

Areas of Focus

• RESEARCH: CCBO conducts critical site-level research to understand engagement sites’ specific challenges in solid waste management and enforcement, behavior change, and barriers to private  sector investment.
• GRANTS: The project awards grants to local partners to pilot solutions to stop the flow of plastic pollution into the waters within and surrounding the country.
• CAPACITY BUILDING: CCBO provides technical assistance and capacity building support for local partners by offering state-of-the-art international and local technical expertise.
• WOMEN’S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT: Across its approach and activities, CCBO works to support and enhance the livelihoods of informal waste collectors, of which a large portion are women, and advance women’s economic empowerment by improving social and economic conditions that impede women’s ability to work successfully in solid waste management and recycling jobs.  

Results

• Awarded a grant to the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce to enhance the enabling environment to promote the Extended Producer Responsibility policy approach in partnership with the government.
• Awarded a grant to the Public Interest Law Foundation to help to create guidelines for the disposal of non-hazardous plastic waste, strengthen local solid waste management, and support recycling and disposal of plastic waste.  

Source: USAID

USAID has zero tolerance for sexual misconduct, including harassment, exploitation or abuse of any kind among staff or implementing partners.

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Sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) occurs when people in power exploit or abuse vulnerable populations for sexual purposes. According to the U.N. Secretary-General’s Bulletin on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, sexual exploitation refers to “any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another.” Sexual abuse refers to “actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions.” All USAID awards (e.g., contracts, cooperative agreements, grants, etc.), regardless of financial account, include the following three provisions that address SEA:

• Employee Misconduct : USAID implementing partners must ensure their employees conduct themselves in a professional manner when carrying out awards, consistent with the standards for United Nations (U.N.) employees in Section 3 of the U.N. Secretary General’s Bulletin – Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse . In the event that an employee’s conduct is not consistent with these standards, our partners must consult with the cognizant Agreement Officer/Contracting Officer (AO/CO) and Mission Director. The U.S. Ambassador may direct the removal of any U.S. citizen from the country and require termination of any employee from an award.
• Counter-Trafficking In Persons (C-TIP) : USAID prohibits trafficking in persons, the procurement of commercial sex acts, or the use of forced labor, consistent with Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) requirements. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provides the policy and clause for all federal acquisition awards, and USAID’s Automated Directives System (ADS), specifically sections 303maa and 303mab, contains clauses for assistance awards. USAID incorporated U.S. Government regulations, TVPA requirements and the Palermo Protocol to create its C-TIP Policy. Violations of USAID’s C-TIP Policy must be addressed by implementing partners and USAID staff, and credible allegations of C-TIP violations must be immediately reported to the cognizant AO/CO and USAID’s Office of Inspector General. For awards above $500,000, partners must certify that they have compliance plans in place.
• Child Abuse, Exploitation Or Neglect : As a condition of receiving funding, Child Safeguarding Standards , included in all USAID awards other than contracts for commercial items, require recipients to abide by core principles that prohibit personnel from engaging in child abuse, exploitation or neglect; incorporate child safeguarding in project planning and implementation; and institute procedures to prevent and address violations. These protections stem from the U.S. Government Action Plan on Children in Adversity and the Assistance for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children Act of 2005 .

In addition, awards that involve International Disaster Assistance (IDA), Transition Initiative (TI), and Food for Peace Title II (Title II) funds must also adopt the following:

• Code of Conduct in Humanitarian Relief Operations : In advance of receiving funding, partners with awards involving the above-mentioned accounts must adopt a code of conduct to protect beneficiaries from sexual exploitation and abuse in humanitarian relief operations consistent with the six core principles adopted by the U.N. Inter-Agency Standing Committee on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Humanitarian Crises . Partners who receive IDA funds from USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance are also required to provide details on how the code of conduct will be implemented within a specific field project.

USAID is exploring the possibility of revising its future award requirements related to acquisition and assistance awards, consistent with applicable U.S. law and regulations, to provide additional protections against SEA, including by strengthening reporting requirements, addressing the needs of survivors, and requiring appropriate accountability for perpetrators in accordance with due process. USAID is also working with other donors and public international organizations to encourage multilateral organizations and their implementers to take appropriate steps to prevent and address incidents of SEA under donor-supported activities. USAID anticipates engaging with the implementing partner community on any proposed changes to award requirements.

How Do I Report SEA?

Implementing partners should consult their award requirements (and the list above) to determine how best to report SEA allegations. USAID encourages implementing partners to report credible allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse to the USAID Office of Inspector General (OIG), as well as to closely consult with the cognizant AO/CO and Mission Director. Complaints can be submitted anonymously to the OIG with an online form through the OIG General Hotline website ( https://oig.usaid.gov ), by telephone at 1-800-230-6539 or +1 202-712-1023, by email at ig.hotline@usaid.gov , by fax at +1 216-3801, or by mail to the following address: U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of Inspector General, P.O. Box 657, Washington, DC 20044-0657. Once USAID receives a report, it may direct partners to take specific steps to address an actual or alleged violation and to ensure that survivors are protected, and may impose special conditions as part of its awards or take other remedial actions. The USAID OIG may also investigate and take action. The OIGl may also investigate and refer an investigation for consideration of criminal, civil, and/or administrative remedies.

Source: USAID

Hanoi, January 18, 2022 – Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) launched a new project focused on building the competitiveness of Vietnam’s small and growing businesses. The five-year, up to $36 million project was first announced during U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to Vietnam in August 2021. The project will be implemented in cooperation with MPI’s Agency for Enterprise Development.

Small and growing businesses are key contributors to Vietnam’s economic growth, accounting for 40% of GDP and 60% of total employment in 2018. However, these businesses face barriers and constraints impeding their continued and sustained growth, including new technologies, networking, market linkages, and lack of access to management training and skills building opportunities.

USAID’s new Improving Private Sector Competitiveness project will encourage broad-based, inclusive economic growth through improved business practices, innovation and technology adoption, policy reform, and increased market access. This project will foster locally-led, locally-owned solutions that leverage the strength of the Vietnamese talent pool, including the promotion of “Made by Vietnam” products, services, and technologies, as well as solutions that contribute to improving the business enabling environment.

“This new project is USAID’s flagship effort to help Vietnam harness its entrepreneurial spirit in facilitating a dynamic, Vietnam-led transformation of the private sector into one that can compete globally, and provide more equal opportunity for all,” said USAID Mission Director Ann Marie Yastishock at the launch event. Mission Director Yastishock lauded MPI for its long-running partnership with USAID. She called on key stakeholders, from policymakers to the private sector, to “work hand-in-hand” with USAID and MPI to achieve the project’s ambitious targets.

Over the life of the project, the Improving Private Sector Competitiveness project aims to support 5,000 small and growing businesses, with 240 businesses successfully participating in domestic, regional and international markets, and 60 pioneering these businesses successfully creating value-added products and positioning their “Made by Vietnam” brands in regional and global markets.

For more information on this project and USAID’s economic development activities in Vietnam, please visit https://www.usaid.gov/vietnam/improving-governance-for-economic-growth.

For event photos, visit: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzz1BA

Source: USAID

From September 4 through 8, USAID Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman will travel to Tanzania and Malawi to emphasize and advance the U.S. government’s work to support inclusive, climate-smart, market-driven economic growth in Africa, and strong democratic governance that advances civil liberties and protects universal human rights. 

In Tanzania, Deputy Administrator Coleman, together with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will lead the U.S. government delegation to the Africa Food Systems Forum 2023 Summit, the world’s largest meeting of major stakeholders in Africa’s food systems. The Deputy Administrator will meet with Forum attendees to discuss the impact of the global food security crisis in Africa. Deputy Administrator Coleman will also meet with senior Tanzanian government officials to build upon the United States’ growing partnership with Tanzania, a Feed the Future target country, to help break the cycle of hunger and poverty through producing more food, improving nutrition, and attracting private sector investments.

Deputy Administrator Coleman will also travel to Lilongwe, Malawi where she will meet with a range of partners and stakeholders to gain a deeper understanding of the macroeconomic challenges and economic policies affecting Malawians. While in Malawi, the Deputy Administrator will engage with key members of the Malawian government to reinforce the U.S. government’s commitment to advancing private sector-led inclusive economic growth in the country.

Source: USAID

In his State of the Union address this year, President Biden described workers as the backbone of our country. At USAID, we know this to be true, not just in the U.S., but for all nations around the world. Workers are the foundation of strong societies—boosting prosperity, driving innovation, and creating opportunity that benefits everyone. 

On Labor Day, we honor these contributions—and the courageous workers who have advocated for centuries for fair wages, just treatment, and a voice for all in how they are treated. Throughout history, workers have successfully organized to secure rights such as retirement benefits and insurance; overtime pay and health and safety standards in the workplace; and paid holidays, including this one.

But the fight for workers’ rights is far from over. Here at home, we still have significant progress to make in securing more good paying jobs; eliminating labor rights abuses, including wage theft, forced labor, and child labor; and establishing safe and healthy working conditions, including for people working outdoors who are enduring record temperatures resulting from climate change.

Around the world, millions of workers face deplorable conditions and live in fear of retaliation if they attempt to organize into unions or speak out in defense of their rights. In May, Cambodian labor leader Chhim Sithar, recipient of the U.S. Department of State’s 2022 Global Human Rights Defender Award, was detained and sentenced to two years in prison for exercising basic rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly, along with eight other union workers arrested and jailed alongside her. In June, Bangladeshi labor organizer Shahidul Islam was brutally murdered in the garment industry hub of Gazipur, after advocating on behalf of workers who had gathered to demand outstanding wages. And in the People’s Republic of China, the government continues to brutally subject people to forced labor based on their ethnicity, religion, or political views. 

USAID supports local labor and civil-society partners working to improve respect for workers, fair wages, and decent work in 28 countries around the world. In collaboration with our partners, we train workers on the organizing, advocacy, and collective bargaining skills that help them stand up for their rights effectively. We provide legal aid to protect advocates and organizers who are wrongfully detained for exercising their rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. We connect workers with one another to share knowledge, build solidarity, and test strategies for organizing in various sectors. And for those workers who seek decent work outside their home countries, we partner with national ministries to ensure that they are recruited in a manner that protects their rights. We also partner with private companies, promoting the inclusion of workers with disabilities and fighting discrimination in the workplace. 

The Biden administration is calling on the U.S. government to advance workers’ rights globally through our diplomatic and programming efforts. Even if you are not working on these specific efforts, as USAID staff you can help promote, protect, and advance workers’ rights. You can stress the importance of labor rights in your exchanges with government partners, private-sector leaders, and local organizations; invite worker representatives to the table during in-country discussions; issue Mission statements in response to threats against labor leaders or violence against workers; and conduct due diligence to avoid supporting forced labor in USAID awards or procurement. And with respect to our own workforce, USAID is working to improve conditions across all staffing mechanisms, while striving to build and nurture a diverse workforce that looks like America. I urge you to continue identifying ways we can strengthen equity and inclusion, uphold rights, and respect dignity for everyone in the global USAID workforce.

Workers’ rights are the foundation of healthy, democratic societies, and supporting the world’s workers helps to advance so many of our key priorities at USAID. When we empower workers—the backbone of strong societies everywhere—they in turn help to unlock economic growth, promote fair competition, and advance basic human rights and dignity for all people.