U.S. international development companies launch coalition

WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than 50 of the nation’s top international development companies announced the formation of the Coalition of International Development Companies (CIDC), a new voice in the international development community. CIDC was created to raise awareness about the impact American development assistance has overseas and the role the private sector plays in bringing innovative and cost-effective solutions to development problems around the world. Members of the coalition are eager to work with partners in the federal government and the NGO community to ensure that U.S development assistance continues to effectively target the neediest recipients and support U.S. policies.

CIDC engineering firm members include Louis Berger Group, AECOM, Cardno Emerging Markets, CH2M HILL, and Tetra Tech.

Because of the experience and expertise of its member companies in delivering efficient, transformative, and sustainable results in social, economic, health, and governance programs, the new coalition believes it can serve as a valuable resource to key decision-makers and the media in the ongoing debate about how to optimize U.S. foreign assistance, including results-driven approaches.

International development companies bring highly skilled, entrepreneurial assistance to partners in the developing world through transparent, accountable projects. CIDC will highlight those and other achievements to better educate policymakers and the public about the extraordinarily positive impact American development assistance has through the work these companies perform.

CIDC aims to maximize U.S. tax dollars so that communities abroad get the best and most cost effective American assistance. “The debate over who should implement our foreign aid programs — nonprofits or development companies — misses the point,” said Charito Kruvant, CEO of Creative Associates International and chairperson of CIDC. “The issue is not who performs development work in a foreign country. It’s how well the work is done and whether it lasts. That should determine what manner of funding a project receives and who leads the effort.”

CIDC’s enhanced participation in the debate about U.S. foreign assistance will help policymakers and other influencers make better decisions, both for American taxpayers and the foreign communities that benefit from American help. Decisions about American’s international development strategy should be based on facts, not anecdotes, assumptions or myths.

American international development companies are dedicated to building the capacity and skills of organizations and people in the developing world, and, while doing so, promoting American values. CIDC looks forward to engaging in this timely debate and helping America invest in what works best. Examples of programs being implemented by CIDC members are on the coalition’s website, www.AmericanIngenuityAbroad.org.

“From helping grape growers in Afghanistan to training the independent-minded journalists in Egypt, from instructing education ministry workers in Iraq to preventing malaria in Uganda or developing licit agriculture in Colombia or modernizing agriculture in Haiti, our work helps transform societies in permanent ways, helping those who need it most and supporting US policies overseas,” Kruvant said.