The Foreign Service Journal, February 2008

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 8 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 9 Transforming Diplomacy: A Status Report In documenting the progress of “transformational diplomacy,” the Congressional Research Service has performed an important service. Its report, “Diplomacy for the 21st Cen- tury: Transformational Diplomacy,” released in August, is available online at Open CRS ( http://opencrs.com/ document/RL34141 /). The Bush administration’s signa- ture foreign policy prescription, an- nounced by Secretary of State Rice in a Jan. 18, 2006, address at George- town University, is intended to bring American foreign policy practice into line with the needs of an international system undergoing rapid and funda- mental change. The doctrine elevates democracy-promotion activities and shifts emphasis from relations among governments to support of change within countries. Apart from some institutional changes — people and positions were moved from Washington and Europe to “strategic,” mainly developing countries and a new position of Di- rector of Foreign Assistance (F) was created — foreign policy profession- als have struggled to identify any real implications of the policy. And except for appropriations, Congress has not been involved in its implementation. In its FY 2009 budget request, however, the State Department is seeking legislative authority to author- ize funding and personnel for some aspects of the plan, prompting the study. Written by CRS foreign policy analysts Susan B. Epstein and Ken Nakamura (AFSA’s former legislative affairs director), the report provides an overview of Sec. Rice’s plan, the concerns that have been expressed regarding specific elements of the proposal and a sampling of reactions from other countries. Foreign Aid: The View from the Field The Republican staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee added a vital element to the debate over improving U.S. foreign assistance with a new report evaluating the delivery of foreign aid in the field ( www.access.gpo.gov/congress/se nate/senate11cp110.html ). “Embassies Grapple to Guide For- eign Aid,” released on Nov. 16, is based on SFRC minority staff mem- bers’ visits to embassies in 24 coun- tries to examine how increased fund- ing and new programs are being implemented and, in particular, how the new State Department-based aid coordination process is working. The report’s first finding sets the tone for its no-nonsense assessment: “From the field, it is clear that we have failed as a government and as a community of international develop- ment supporters to agree on either the importance or the content of a foreign aid strategy.” The report identifies the critical disconnects between Washington and the field and other factors, such as agency rivalries and a misunder- standing of the role of USAID, that impede the effective delivery of U.S. foreign assistance. A detailed analysis of the findings and a set of recom- mendations complete the report. The Case for Revamping Foreign Assistance On Dec. 10, at an event sponsored by the Brookings Institution, the Helping to Enhance the Livelihood of People Around the Globe Com- mission released its report, “Beyond Assistance,” the comprehensive, 215- page product of its two-year-long investigation of the current system of providing foreign aid ( www.help commission.gov ). Established by Congress in 2004, the 20-member group’s mission was to “develop and deliver actionable proposals to the president, Secretary of State and Congress to enhance and leverage the efficiency and effective- ness of U.S. foreign assistance pro- C YBERNOTES I am going to speak an inconvenient truth. My own country, the United States, is principally responsible for obstructing progress in Bali. I don’t know how you can navigate around this enormous elephant in the room, which I’ve been undiplomatic enough to name. But I’m asking you to do it. — Former Vice President Al Gore, addressing delegates to the Bali Summit, Dec. 13, www.reuters.com