Dear Friends of MFAN,
As we close out the first quarter of 2026, the U.S. international assistance landscape continues to undergo significant and rapid transformation. Building on the major shifts of the past year, attention is now turning from structural change to implementation – raising critical questions about whether the State Department has the capacity, systems, and strategy needed to deliver results at scale.
At the same time, the U.S. government’s shift toward increased government-to-government (G2G) assistance is moving from policy to practice. Ensuring that this transition leads to effective, accountable, and sustainable outcomes – while strengthening local leadership – has been central to MFAN’s work this quarter.
Strengthening Accountability and Effectiveness in G2G Assistance: As the State Department expands direct G2G partnerships and advances new global health agreements, MFAN has played a leading role in shaping how this approach can be implemented effectively and responsibly. In February, MFAN released our flagship report “Delivering on the Promise of Government-to-Government Assistance: A Roadmap for the U.S. Government’s International Assistance Pivot” – which draws on lessons from PEPFAR, USAID, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), and the CDC to provide a practical implementation guide for managing risk, strengthening partner country systems, and achieving measurable results. The report calls for a clear strategic framework from the State Department and increased congressional engagement through hearings and briefings.
In tandem with the report, MFAN convened an off-the-record roundtable with ten current U.S. government officials – primarily from the State Department’s Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy, alongside representatives from other State bureaus, the Global Fund, and the MCC. Other former USAID and PEPFAR staff shared technical insights and practical approaches for implementing G2G agreements. Complementing these efforts, MFAN has actively engaged policymakers and practitioners to emphasize the safeguards, transparency, and technical oversight required for success. As underscored in a recent Devex op-ed, this new era of foreign assistance – faster, larger in scale, and higher risk – demands strong systems and meaningful civil society engagement to ensure accountable, durable outcomes.
Highlighting the Critical Role of Local Civil Society: MFAN’s latest Situation Report, highlights a rare example of meaningful civil society engagement in the design of a major bilateral health agreement. While this case demonstrates the value of integrating local expertise, it remains the exception rather than the norm. In most agreements, civil society participation is not systematically incorporated – underscoring the need to institutionalize more inclusive approaches to ensure G2G assistance delivers equitable and sustainable results.
Convening Policymakers on the Hill: In January, MFAN convened policymakers and congressional staff, in partnership with the Congressional Caucus for Effective Foreign Assistance, to examine how the State Department can translate an expanding portfolio of global health agreements into measurable outcomes. The discussion underscored the importance of realistic program design, strong incentives for partner governments, robust monitoring and verification systems, and sustained investment in in-country capacity.
These priorities are increasingly reflected in broader discussions on Capitol Hill, where attention has already begun to shift toward FY27 appropriations and the Foreign Service Act, with a growing focus on State Department capacity, effectiveness, and accountability. Legislative efforts related to the foreign assistance workforce, oversight, and locally led development will continue to play an important role.
Supporting Bipartisan Progress on Locally Led Development: MFAN welcomed the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s recent passage of the Locally Led Development and Humanitarian Response Act (H.R. 6196), bipartisan legislation that would shift more resources and decision-making power to local partners. The bill advances long-standing MFAN priorities by promoting more accessible funding mechanisms, strengthening local partner capacity, and increasing transparency and accountability around localization efforts. At a time of significant transition, this legislation represents a pragmatic, bipartisan step toward more effective and sustainable U.S. foreign assistance.
Expanding the MFAN Coalition: MFAN continues to grow its cross-sector network, welcoming three new members – IREX, Pact, and Partners in Health – further strengthening collaboration across organizations committed to advancing more effective, accountable, and locally led U.S. foreign assistance.
Blog Series on Strengthening State Department’s Core Capacities on Foreign Assistance: Building on MFAN’s September report, this quarter's blog series emphasized that as the State Department expands its foreign assistance role, it must urgently rebuild technical development expertise and strengthen evidence-driven systems – including monitoring, evaluation, learning, and cost-effectiveness – to deliver effective, accountable, and impactful programs.
Partner Spotlight: Friends of Publish What You Fund has launched a new website and renewed its focus on strengthening transparency, accountability, and data access in U.S. foreign assistance. Learn more about their work online or reach Executive Director Sally Paxton: sally@friendsofPWYF.org.
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Your partnership makes this work possible. We are grateful for your continued engagement and look forward to working together to advance a more effective, accountable, and resilient U.S. foreign assistance system.
Tod Preston
Executive Director
Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network
