USAID launches assessment, strengthening programme

 ISLAMABAD: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched a five-year assessment and strengthening programme for capacity building of the officials in government and private sector to ensure full implementation on the USAID money for the improvement of living standard in Pakistan, an agency official said on Wednesday.

Inaugurating the project, which will cost $45 million, USAID Chief Financial Officer David Ostermeyer expressed the hope that the programme would be helpful in ensuring the spending of the USAID funds on various projects.


“This programme will enable us to work directly with numerous Pakistani organisations, which are getting financial assistance from the United States.”During the next five years, the USAID, planned to provide a major portion of its assistance directly through local organisations, he said.

The assessment and strengthening programme will help organisations develop their administrative, financial and procurement management systems to handle funds provided by the United States.

Ostermeyer said that the training programme is an important step in expanding the share of local organisations in the implementation of the assistance programme. The programme will assess capacity needs of local organisations, design and provide training courses, research and develop best practices in financial management, administration and procurement functions work to simplify and streamline the process for effective management of funds and help incorporate these practices in the daily operations of the local organisations, he said.