Page 1 GAO-17-563R Foreign Assistance Strategies

441 G St. N.W.

Washington, DC 20548

June 13, 2017 

The Honorable Ted Poe

Chairman

Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

House of Representatives 

The Honorable David A. Perdue

United States Senate

U.S. Foreign Assistance: Inventory of Strategies at Selected Agencies 

The U.S. government plans to spend approximately $35 billion on foreign assistance in 2017 to 

improve the lives and health of millions living in poverty, support democracy, enhance global 

security, and achieve other foreign policy goals. U.S. agencies that provide this assistance 

have developed a number of strategy documents to guide their efforts.

You asked us to compile an inventory of U.S. foreign assistance strategies. We focused on the 

six agencies that administer the largest amounts of foreign assistance1

: the Department of 

Defense (DOD), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Millennium 

Challenge Corporation (MCC), the Department of State (State), the U.S. Agency for 

International Development (USAID), and the Department of Agriculture (USDA). We identified 

these agencies by reviewing obligations data that the agencies reported to USAID’s U.S. 

Overseas Loans and Grants database for fiscal years 2011 through 2015, which represent the 

most recent and complete data available for all six agencies.2

To compile this inventory, we reviewed agency websites as well as our prior body of work on 

foreign assistance to identify and obtain available documents and statements relating to agency 

strategies. We asked key officials at each agency whether they considered the documents we 

identified to be strategy documents, and we asked them to identify and provide any additional 

strategy documents; we generally relied on each agency to define what it considered to be 

 1

Office of Management and Budget Bulletin No. 12-01—Guidance on Collection of U.S. Foreign Assistance Data—

issued on September 25, 2012, defines foreign assistance as tangible or intangible resources (goods, services, or 

funds) provided by the U.S. government to a foreign country or an international organization for the purpose of 

assistance to foreign entities or populations as authorized under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, or 

any other act. This includes, for example, security cooperation activities implemented by DOD and authorized under 

Title 10 of the United States Code, as well as security assistance authorized under Title 22 of the code, much of 

which is implemented by DOD.

2

As the lead U.S. government agency for international aid, USAID is responsible for reporting official U.S. 

government foreign aid to Congress and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. To fulfill this 

responsibility, USAID has maintained an official database for reporting U.S. government assistance to the world, from 

1946 to the present. We found this database to be sufficiently reliable for the purpose of identifying those agencies 

that administer the largest amounts of foreign assistance.
Page 2 GAO-17-563R Foreign Assistance Strategies

strategy documents.3 We categorized the strategy documents by sector and examined them to 

identify the agencies involved in developing and implementing them. We excluded two 

documents that one agency identified as strategy documents because we considered them to 

be reports on past efforts. Agencies noted that several of the documents we identified were 

being updated. We did not include country-specific strategies in the scope of our review.

We conducted this performance audit from December 2016 to June 2017 in accordance with 

generally accepted government auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and 

perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our 

findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that the evidence obtained 

provides a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives.

Summary 

We identified 63 strategy documents that DOD, HHS, MCC, State, USAID, and USDA have 

developed to guide their foreign assistance efforts. A number of these documents involved 

more than one agency. Enclosure I presents our inventory of strategy documents, including the 

name of each document, the sector involved, and the agencies named in each document as a 

party to the strategy. 

Agency Comments

We are not making recommendations in this report. We provided a draft of this report for 

comment to DOD, HHS, MCC, State, USAID, and USDA. Several of these agencies provided 

technical comments and corrections, which we have incorporated, as appropriate.

We are sending copies of this report to appropriate congressional committees and to the 

Secretaries of Agriculture, Defense, Health and Human Services, and State; the Administrator 

of USAID; and the Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation. In addition, 

the report is available at no charge on the GAO website at http://www.gao.gov.

 3

USAID officials distinguished between “strategy” and “policy” documents, stating that the agency updated its 

directives in October 2016 to clarify that it now defines “policy” as guidance that articulates the agency’s position and 

sets a specific priority direction for a sectoral or cross-cutting goal or issue and defines “strategy” as guidance that 

focuses on achieving specific programmatic targets in a sector or cross-cutting area within a specific time period.
Page 3 GAO-17-563R Foreign Assistance Strategies

If you or your staff have any questions about this report, please contact me at (202) 512-6991, 

or farbj@gao.gov. Contact points for our Offices of Congressional Relations and of Public 

Affairs may be found on the last page of this report. GAO staff who made key contributions to 

this report are listed in enclosure II. 

Jessica Farb

Director, International Affairs and Trade

Enclosures – 2 
Page 4 GAO-17-563R Foreign Assistance Strategies

Enclosure I: Inventory of Six U.S. Agencies’ Foreign Assistance Strategy Documents, by Sector 

 Sector/strategy documenta Agency

DOD HHS MCC State USAID USDA Other Comments

General strategy documents covering multiple sectors or not specific to any single sector

Department of Defense Guidance for Security 

Cooperation (August 29, 2016)

✔ ✔ In addition to naming DOD, this document 

refers to “interagency” stakeholders or 

partners, including “the Department of 

State,” (State) “and other interagency 

stakeholders." The document names no 

other agencies. 

NEXT: A Strategy for MCC’s Future (February 24, 

2016)b ✔

State Department Office of U.S. Foreign Assistance 

Resources, Functional Bureau Strategy (2016)

✔ State officials described this document as 

an internal management process and 

improvement strategy.

Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, 

Enduring Leadership in a Dynamic World (2015)

✔ ✔

USAID Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Strategy 2014-2025 

(May 2014) 

✔ USAID officials noted that this strategy 

document encompasses multiple sectors, 

including food security and health. 

State/USAID Strategic Plan FY2014-2017 (March 

17, 2014) 

✔ ✔

U.S. Global Development Policy (September 22, 

2010)

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ This document is addressed to multiple 

agencies and other U.S. government 

entities involved in foreign assistance. It 

highlights three priorities: food security, 

health, and addressing climate change.
Page 5 GAO-17-563R Foreign Assistance Strategies

 Sector/strategy documenta Agency

DOD HHS MCC State USAID USDA Other Comments

General regional strategy documents – not specific to any single sector

State Bureau of East Asian and Pacific 

Affairs/USAID Bureau for Asia Joint Regional 

Strategy (approved May 24, 2016)

✔ ✔

State Bureau of African Affairs/USAID Bureau for 

Africa Joint Regional Strategy (approved April 5, 

2016)

✔ ✔

State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs/USAID 

Bureau for Middle East Joint Regional Strategy, FY 

2016-2018

✔ ✔

State Bureau of European and Eurasian 

Affairs/USAID Bureau for Europe and Eurasia Joint 

Regional Strategy, FY 2015-2018 (approved April 

2015) 

✔ ✔

State and USAID Joint Regional Strategy for South 

and Central Asia, and Afghanistan and Pakistan, 

FY 2015-2018 (June 2014)

✔ ✔

State Bureau of Western Hemisphere 

Affairs/USAID Bureau for Latin America and the 

Caribbean Joint Regional Strategy, FY 2015-2018 

✔ ✔

Business, financial services, and trade-related 

State Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, 

Functional Bureau Strategy (approved December 

2015) 

✔
Page 6 GAO-17-563R Foreign Assistance Strategies

 Sector/strategy documenta Agency

DOD HHS MCC State USAID USDA Other Comments

Conflict prevention and resolution, peace, and security 

Department of State & USAID Joint Strategy on 

Countering Violent Extremism (May 2016) 

✔ ✔

Conventional Weapons Destruction Strategic Plan, 

2017-2019, State Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, 

Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement

✔

Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, State 

Functional Bureau Strategy (approved December 

2015) 

✔

U.S. Global Peace Operations Initiative Strategy: 

Strengthening the Effectiveness of United Nations 

and Regional Peace Operations, State Bureau of 

Political-Military Affairs, Office of Plans & Initiatives, 

Peace Operations Capacity Building Division 

(October 2015)

✔ ✔

National Security Strategy (February 2015) ✔ This document was issued by the Office of 

the President and provided by State. The 

document does not name any agency but 

refers to the U.S. military, defense, and 

homeland security in general terms. 

According to USAID officials, USAID, State, 

and DOD are responsible for implementing 

the strategy. 

State Bureau of International Security and 

Nonproliferation, Functional Bureau Strategy, FY 

2015-2018 (January 2015) 

✔

State Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Functional 

Bureau Strategy, FY 2015-2018 (January 2015) 

✔

State Bureau of Counterterrorism, Functional 

Bureau Strategy, FY 2015-2017 (January 2015) 

✔

National Strategy for Counterterrorism (June 2011) ✔ This document was issued by the Office of 

the President and was provided by State. It 

does not refer to any agency by name.

Security Sector Reform (February 2009) ✔ ✔ ✔

Education

USAID Education Strategy 2011-2015: Opportunity 

Through Learning (February 2011)

✔ According to USAID officials, USAID 

formally extended this strategy to 

September 30, 2017. 

Energy

State Bureau of Energy Resources, Functional 

Bureau Strategy (approved January 7, 2016) 

✔
Page 7 GAO-17-563R Foreign Assistance Strategies

 Sector/strategy documenta Agency

DOD HHS MCC State USAID USDA Other Comments

Environmental protection 

State Bureau of Oceans and International 

Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Functional 

Bureau Strategy (approved March 22, 2016)

✔

United States Climate Action Report 2014 ✔

USAID Climate and Development Strategy: Clean 

Resilient Growth (January 2012)

✔ According to USAID officials, USAID 

formally extended this strategy to 

September 30, 2018.

Food aid

A Food Secure 2030: Feed the Future, A Global 

Vision and Call to Action (September 2016)

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ These strategy documents were jointly 

issued by the agencies shown as well as by 

the African Development Foundation, the 

Department of Commerce, the Executive 

Office of the President of the United States, 

the U.S. Geological Survey, the Overseas 

Private Investment Corporation, the Peace 

Corps, and the Department of the Treasury. 

U.S. Government Global Food Security Strategy, 

FY 2017 – 2021 (September 2016)

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

USDA Strategic Plan FY 2014-2018 ✔ This strategic plan covers five strategic goals, 

one of which addresses foreign assistance.

Government and civil society (including human rights and women’s empowerment) 

The Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, 

State Functional Bureau Strategy (approved March 

27, 2017)

✔

U.S. Department of State Strategy for Women’s 

Economic Empowerment (June 2016) 

✔

United States National Action Plan on Women, 

Peace, and Security (June 2016) 

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ This document was issued by the Office of 

the President. In addition to the agencies 

shown, other agencies referenced in the 

document as implementers of the strategy 

include the Departments of Commerce, 

Homeland Security, Justice, and the 

Treasury; the U.S. Mission to the United 

Nations; and the U.S. Trade Representative

(USTR).

United States Global Strategy to Empower 

Adolescent Girls (March 2016)

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ This document includes implementation 

plans for the agencies shown as well as for 

the Peace Corps.

State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and 

Labor, Functional Bureau Strategy, FY 2015-2018 

(approved 2014)

✔

USAID Strategy on Democracy, Human Rights and 

Governance (June 2013)

✔

U.S. Government Approach on Business and 

Human Rights, 2013 

✔

United States Strategy to Prevent and Respond to 

Gender-based Violence Globally (August 2012)

✔ ✔
Page 8 GAO-17-563R Foreign Assistance Strategies

 Sector/strategy documenta Agency

DOD HHS MCC State USAID USDA Other Comments

Health

2016-2020 CDC Strategic Framework for Global 

Immunization (May 2016) 

✔

U.S. Government Strategy for Reducing 

Transmission of the Ebola Virus Disease in West 

Africa (draft strategy, September 30, 2015)

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔c ✔c The National Security Council, the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB), USAID, and State 

developed an interagency strategy that has been 

revised over time to reflect new information about 

the 2014 Ebola outbreak and changes in 

international response efforts. The document names

DOD, State, and HHS’ CDC.

President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) Strategy 2015-

2020 (April 2015) 

✔ ✔ ✔

President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief 

(PEPFAR) Human Resources for Health Strategy 

PEPFAR 3.0 (February 2015) 

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ The primary PEPFAR implementing agencies are 

the agencies shown as well as the Departments of 

Commerce, Labor, and the Treasury; and the Peace 

Corps. 

CDC Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria 

Strategic Priorities 2015-2020

✔ According to HHS officials, this strategy document 

covers domestic as well as international programs. 

HHS Global Strategy (2015-2019) ✔ HHS officials clarified that this strategy document

includes foreign assistance and other programs. 

Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, State 

Functional Bureau Strategy 2015-2018

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ The primary PEPFAR implementing agencies are 

the agencies shown as well as the Departments of 

Commerce, Labor, and the Treasury; and the Peace 

Corps.

PEPFAR 3.0 Controlling the Epidemic: Delivering 

on the Promise of an AIDS-free Generation 

(December 2014)

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

HHS Strategic Plan 2014-2018 (updated March 10, 

2014)

✔ This is not a discrete document but a series of links 

on HHS’s website. According to HHS officials, the 

foreign assistance content includes points related to 

PEPFAR and PMI.

HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and 

Response Strategic Plan (February 2014)

✔ HHS officials noted that this strategy document is 

domestically focused but includes foreign 

assistance.

PEPFAR Blueprint: Creating an AIDS-free 

Generation (November 2012)

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ The primary PEPFAR implementing agencies are 

the agencies shown as well as the Departments of 

Commerce, Labor, and the Treasury; and the Peace 

Corps. 

CDC Global Health Strategy 2012-2015 (June 29, 

2012)

✔

USAID’s Global Health Strategic Framework: Better 

Health for Development, FY 2012-2016

✔ According to USAID officials, this strategy expired on 

September 30, 2016. Agency officials are working 

with USAID’s Global Health Bureau to determine if 

this strategy should be extended, updated, or 

revised.
Page 9 GAO-17-563R Foreign Assistance Strategies

 Sector/strategy documenta Agency

DOD HHS MCC State USAID USDA Other Comments

Refugee assistance

State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and 

Migration, Functional Bureau Strategy (approved 

February 15, 2017) 

✔

2016-2017 Framework for Cooperation Between 

the United States Department of State’s Bureau of 

Population, Refugees, and Migration and the Office 

of the United Nations High Commissioner for 

Refugees (UNHCR) (signed jointly by State and 

UNHCR March 14, 2016) 

✔ 

Water and sanitation

USAID Water and Development Strategy 2013-2018 ✔

Sector not specified (countering illicit activities)

National Drug Control Strategy 2016 (released 

January 11, 2017)

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ This document was issued by the Office of the 

President. In addition to DOD, HHS, and State, this 

document also names the Departments of Education, 

Homeland Security, Housing and Urban 

Development, Justice, Labor, Transportation, and 

Veterans Affairs; the Internal Revenue Service; the 

Office of National Drug Control Policy; and the Small 

Business Administration. A “Companion to the 

National Drug Control Strategy,” dated December 

2016, mentions most of these agencies as well as 

USAID, USDA, and the Department of the Interior.

United States Department of State Bureau for 

International Narcotics and Law Enforcement 

Affairs International Narcotics Control Strategy 

Report: Volume I, Drug and Chemical Control 

(March 2016)

✔

United States Department of State Bureau for 

International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs 

International Narcotics Control Strategy Report: Volume II, 

Money Laundering and Financial Crimes (March 2016)

✔

State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in 

Persons, Functional Bureau Strategy (approved 

January 29, 2016)

✔

State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law 

Enforcement Affairs, Functional Bureau Strategy, 

Calendar Year 2015-2018 (approved January 2015) 

✔

National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking 

(February 2014) 

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ This document was issued by the Office of the President. 

Agencies referenced in an implementation plan 

associated with this document include the agencies shown 

as well as the Departments of Commerce, Homeland 

Security, Interior, Justice, Transportation, and the 

Treasury; the Director of National Intelligence; OMB; and 

USTR.
Page 10 GAO-17-563R Foreign Assistance Strategies

 Sector/strategy documenta Agency

DOD HHS MCC State USAID USDA Other Comments

Sector not specified (working with international organizations)

State Bureau of International Organization Affairs 

Functional Bureau Strategy, FY 2015-2017 

(February 2015)

✔

Legend: 

✔= Agencies named in the strategy document or otherwise involved in the strategy, as noted in the “comments” column.

CDC = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Department of Health and Human Services)

DOD = Department of Defense 

FY = fiscal year

HHS = Department of Health and Human Services

MCC = Millennium Challenge Corporation

PEPFAR = President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

PMI = President’s Malaria Initiative

State = Department of State

USAID = U.S. Agency for International Development

USDA = U.S. Department of Agriculture

Source: GAO review of agency strategies and related information available on agency web sites and agency input. | GAO-17-563R

a

We classified the strategy documents by sector using the sectors developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development –

Development Assistance Committee; by reviewing the organization charts of USAID and State, the primary U.S. foreign aid and foreign policy 

agencies, respectively; and by reviewing the strategy documents we received from each of the agencies. Strategy documents shown for each 

sector are listed from most to least recent, to the extent that we could identify a date or time frame associated with each document. The list 

excludes a classified State strategy related to countering Boko Haram. 

b

MCC’s mission is to reduce poverty through country-led economic growth. Its policy is to select countries through a competitive process based on 

specific criteria and to allocate resources by using data-driven analysis, including cost-benefit analysis, rather than by targeting certain sectors. 

MCC has also collaborated on several multiagency strategies focused on specific sectors, such as empowering women and girls and food aid.

c

Prior GAO work confirmed the involvement of USAID and several other agencies not named in the Ebola strategy document. See GAO,

Emergency Funding for Ebola Response: Some USAID Reimbursements Did Not Comply with Legislative Requirements and Need to Be 

Reversed, GAO-17-35 (Washington, D.C.: Nov. 2, 2016).
Page 11 GAO-17-563R Foreign Assistance Strategies

Enclosure II: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments

GAO Contact 

Jessica Farb, (202) 512-6991 or farbj@gao.gov

Staff Acknowledgments 

In addition to the contact named above, James Michels (Assistant Director), Kay Halpern, and 

Gergana Danailova-Trainor made key contributions to this report. 

101302
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