Here’s your Daily Brief for December 7th: The Next Generation of Microfinance: Microfranchising (via Allyu and BeyondProfit) – One of the challenges for microfinance institutions is covering their overhead expenses. I’ve written about my friend Ben Lyon’s approach to integrating mobile platforms that deliver microfinance services at much lower cost (See FrontlineSMS: Credit). Melissa Richer, [...]

The year 2009 has ushered in a new executive administration in the United States, and with it a rejuvenation of all administrative bodies of government at the federal level. Such a rejuvenation is exactly what the US foreign assistance system needs. There are a lot of important questions to be answered about the future of how the US manages its foreign aid, among them:

 

• What role will the Department of Defense play in foreign assistance in the years to come? Particularly, how will AFRICOM evolve?
• Will we see greater centralization of foreign assistance programs (e.g. rolling MCC and PEPFAR into USAID)?
• What will happen to State/f? Will it be strengthened? Or will USAID regain its autonomy as the ultimate agency of foreign aid?
• And most importantly, what priority will the Obama Administration give to foreign assistance? Can we expect sweeping reforms? A cabinet-level position?

 

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