International Development Firms: Producing Sustainable Results

USAID wanted to build local agricultural and trade capacity in Afghanistan. A project called IDEA-NEW was implemented through a contract with PSC member company DAI. Using a staff of 370 Afghans and only two U.S. managers, the team consulted with local leaders to get community buy-in for a project to show women how to set up businesses. The team opened a packinghouse where women crate local fruit for export. They installed a micro-hydro electricity plant to power a textile mill and area homes. And they provided English language and computer skills training to Afghan government ministry personnel so they can sustain these efforts after the contract ends. Read about the project here.

Whole-of-Government Approach Proves Successful in Haiti. Read the full story.

ITT Systems Employees in Iraq Team Up With U.S. Military to Provide Local Children with School Supplies. Read the full story.

USAID wanted to help El Salvador address tax evasion and improve tax collections to increase needed revenue. Through contracts with PSC member companies, the project modernized administrative and information technology systems, installed an automated case management system to select audit candidates fairly, set up walk-in centers to assist taxpayers and trained Salvadoran personnel to operate them. The project helped the country bring in just over $3 billion in tax revenue in 2008-up from $1.9 billion in 2004 before the program began. Read about it here.

IBM and US State Department Lead Telemedicine Project in Pakistan. Read the full story.

The Re-Greening of Iraq: How Government-Contractor Collaboration Helped Restore Critical Wetlands. Read the full story.