The Foreign Service Journal, December 2019

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2019 21 Transforms to better meet the challenges of this evolving world. Through a series of interconnected, employee-led reforms, we are chang- ing how we are structured; how we work; and how we support our people to better achieve our national goals. Changes in USAID’s Structure and How We Work With congressional approval, we are reforming our struc- tures to improve effectiveness. I will focus on three of the important changes here. First, USAID is standing up a new Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization, bringing together the agency’s conflict prevention expertise and integrating it throughout our development programs. The CPS bureau will allow USAID to better respond to the challenges of preventing and mitigating violent conflict by strengthening our capacity to address fragil- ity, respond to crises and act as a stabilizing force in times of transition. Second, we are elevating USAID’s core humanitarian function through the new Bureau for Humanitarian Assis- tance. Creating a strong platform for humanitarian policy and operations, the HA bureau will optimize resources to ensure coordinated and effective humanitarian programs. It allows for a more cohesive approach to disaster preparedness, mitigation and risk reduction, safeguarding communities and allowing them to recover more effectively. Third, the new Bureau for Resilience and Food Security builds on USAID’s successes in reducing global hunger, pov- erty, malnutrition and water insecurity. Despite development gains, shocks and stresses can cause backsliding and perpetu- ate a cycle of chronic vulnerability, poverty and hunger. The RFS bureau’s focus on building resilience will help break this cycle, reducing the need for costly humanitarian responses and mitigating state fragility. These new bureaus (CPS, HA and RFS) represent USAID’s work in relief, response and resilience. Standing up these new entities underscores a strategic shift in how USAID addresses the challenges presented by increasing state fragility, conflict and complex humanitarian issues. This shift is not only about elevating USAID’s expertise in these areas but also integrat- ing it across other core processes such as strategic planning, program design and program evaluation. USAID is implementing other important structural changes that improve how we operate, such as standing up a new Bureau of Development, Democracy and Innovation. For more detailed information on this change and others in the area of Standing up these new entities underscores a strategic shift in how USAID addresses the challenges presented by increasing state fragility, conflict and complex humanitarian issues.