What Is a Policy Framework?

The Policy Framework serves as the guiding policy document for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It takes its direction from the United States’ National Security Strategy (NSS) and the Department of State and USAID Joint Strategic Plan ( JSP). The Policy Framework translates the goals outlined in the NSS and JSP specifically for USAID.

This is the third Policy Framework USAID has released, following ones in 2006 and 2011. As USAID’s operational policy explains, a Policy Framework articulates USAID’s approach to providing development and humanitarian assistance and the Agency’s programmatic and operational priorities that follow from it. These, in turn, inform issue-specific development policies, strategies, and vision papers; budget requests and allocations; country and regional strategic plans; good-practice documents and project designs; evaluations and learning agendas; and overall engagement with partners.

The Policy Framework speaks to multiple audiences, including: USAID personnel, implementing and other program partners, partner-country governments and other recipients of USAID assistance, U.S. interagency colleagues, intergovernmental and multilateral counterparts, and stakeholders in the U.S. Congress, the development community, and the public.

Why Issue a New Policy Framework?

The world is undergoing an era of remarkable development progress but is also facing emerging and increasingly complex challenges. At this pivotal moment, many providers of foreign assistance are adjusting to shifting circumstances abroad and new demands at home. The Policy Framework explains USAID's ongoing Transformation and how it will strengthen our ability to confront future needs for and obstacles to development and humanitarian assistance and to make USAID a more effective provider of foreign assistance on behalf of the American people.