USAID Digital Strategy (2020-2024)

Now more than ever, as the global development community works to deliver life-saving assistance and relay crucial information via COVID-19 Digital Response, the role of digital technology is undeniable.

• Teachers deliver lessons remotely to homebound classes;
• Health care workers diagnose patients via telemedicine to minimize their risk of exposure;
• People worldwide seek out online information about the pandemic’s impact on their
  lives and livelihoods.

Across all of these activities, digital technology is what allows us to remain connected even while physical distancing requires us to be apart. It is more important than ever for USAID to help communities be resilient in the face of threats like this global pandemic, by ensuring all countries have robust digital ecosystems that are open, inclusive, secure, and of benefit to all.

In light of this, the USAID Digital Strategy (2020-2024) will position the Agency to advance its mission – to end the need for foreign assistance – through digitally supported programming that fosters the Journey to Self-Reliance in its partner countries and maximizes the benefits, while managing the risks that digital technology introduces into the lives of the communities it serves.

Building on decades of USAID leadership in digital development, the strategy outlines USAID’s deliberate and holistic commitment to improve development and humanitarian assistance outcomes through the use of digital technology and strengthen open, inclusive, and secure digital ecosystems.

In doing so, the strategy charts how USAID will change the way it does business – including embracing digital technologies by default in certain instances – in a manner that reflects best practice and is evidence-based. Digital ecosystems, consisting of stakeholders, systems, and enabling environment, empower people and communities to use digital technology to access services, engage with others, and pursue economic opportunities in partner countries.

The goal of the USAID Digital Strategy is to achieve and sustain open, secure, and inclusive digital ecosystems that contribute to broad-based, measurable development and humanitarian-assistance outcomes and increase self-reliance in emerging market countries.

The Digital Strategy centers around two core, mutually reinforcing objectives:

• Improve measurable development and humanitarian assistance outcomes through the
  responsible use of digital technology in USAID’s programming; and
• Strengthen the openness, inclusiveness, and security of country-level digital ecosystems.

These objectives, and USAID’s approach to achieving them, support the goals and principles outlined in key US government policy documents, including the USAID Policy Framework, the Department of State-USAID Joint Strategic Plan, and the U.S. National Cyber, National Security, and Counterterrorism Strategies.

USAID will work to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of foreign assistance through the consistent and responsible use of digital technology in our development and humanitarian programming.

Through its programmatic investments, USAID will work to strengthen the critical components of digital ecosystems that enable sustainable growth in a digital age:

• A sound enabling environment and policy commitment;
• Robust and resilient digital infrastructure;
• Capable digital service providers and workforce;
• Empowered end-users of digitally enabled services.