USAID reportedly enters the year with about 170% of its funds pre‑earmarked by Congress, stacking conflicting mandates on the same dollars. This leaves little discretion to scale what works, complicates evaluation, and makes the portfolio brittle when political winds shift.
— If legislative over‑earmarking paralyzes adaptation, the real aid reform lever is congressional design, not just agency leadership swaps.
eugyppius
2025.08.05
65% relevant
The EU’s NDICI channeling €1.2M since 2020 to #defyhatenow in a low‑internet country exemplifies earmarked, fashion-driven mandates that crowd out locally adaptive spending and produce brittle, low‑impact portfolios.
Santi Ruiz
2025.07.31
100% relevant
The interview explicitly asks, "Why does 170% percent of USAID funds come already earmarked by Congress?" and ties this to difficulty prioritizing effective programs.
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