The much ballyhood, long awaited Presidential Study Directive–the guidance on where the administration thinks we should be going long-term with our foreign assistance programs has finally arrived.   Well, it didn’t actually arrive.   It was leaked to the media.  

The fact that it slid out from under the door of the NSC instead of being delivered with much fanfare says a great deal about the apparent conflict within the administration over how foreign assistance programs should be reorganized and–much more importantly in a town where power and control counts for everything–who should be in charge.

While the development community has  nervously awaited the arrival of the other study on foreign assistance reform–the QDDR, or Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review being conducted by the State Department–not much was known about where the PSD might come down–whether it might favor USAID, State Department or the White House–as the lead agency for policy, budget and implementation of assistance programs.   Now we know.   While the PSD makes the obligatory acknowledgement of”development…as a key pillar of U.S. foreign policy” and calls for the U.S. to resume its historic leadership position, the direction seems clear: restore USAID as the lead agency, put its administrator into  an NSC chair when it seems appropriate, and give it responsibility for policy, budget and field authority.       All this is music the ears of the development community.

Meanwhile, down the road a piece in Foggy Bottom, the QDDR seems still to be shrouded in, well, fog.    The interim report was expected to be released a week ago, but then was held up.   Conspiratorial minds, of which there are many in Washington, might conclude the QDDR was going in a different direction from the PSD.   Indeed, the word from State has been that  when all the multiple working groups put their piece together, the QDDR would call for consolidation of authority and  responsibility in the State Department.

So where does that leave the process?   Ironically, Congress, usually the least willing to lean forward on reform of the foreign assistance machinery, may end up  taking charge.   Both Senator Kerry and Congressman Berman have expressed their frustration at the delay in the PSD/QDDR process and appear chomping at the bit to start marking up a bill  to make reforms.   While neither committee has laid all its cards on the table yet, both have suggested they want to go further  than either the PSD or  QDDR in strengthening USAID and creating a single center of excellence, professionalism and transparency  to design and deliver development programs.

Perhaps the development community needs to change its own mindset.   For years it has focused all of its attention on the executive branch for leadership.   This was understandable in light of the inertia, inaction and inattention of Congress to aid reform.   But Congress may be the best hope now for real change.

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