USAID: an agency without leader and direction

摘要

Last week, the rumours that Paul Farmer was no longer in the running to take over the US Agency for International Development (USAID) became all but certain. The reasons are unclear, but one explanation mooted persistently is that he was offered the position but was dismayed by the prolonged vetting procedure and withdrew. After 7 months without a leader, the USAID staff's morale has plummeted, and a vacuum has been created to be filled by others with vested interests. In July, at a town hall meeting at USAID, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton aired her frustration with the process when asked about the problems with the appointment.