A Briefing and Q&A with Deputy Secretary of State Heather Higginbottom, Assistant Administrator Alexander Thier and Special Representative for QDDR Thomas Perriello
| 24 June 2014 |
| 1230-1330 |
| Hart Senate Office Building – Room 902
Located on Constitution Avenue, between 1st and 2nd Streets, NE
|
Learn more about the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) process and how Congress can engage on this key briefing.
This is an opportunity to find out about this and to engage with key State Department and USAID figures about crucial QDDR issues
Lunch Refreshments will be served at 12.00. Discussion will begin promptly at 12.30 
The QDDR
The Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) is the Department of State’s signature review to guide a modern State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as they move into the future. As a joint effort by the Department of State and USAID, the review will identify policy priorities and the organizational capabilities needed to maximize the effectiveness of our diplomats and development professionals
At its core, the QDDR aims to provide a blueprint for strengthening U.S. development and diplomatic efforts to best advance our national interests.
The 2014 QDDR builds upon the 2010 QDDR, the first quadrennial review in the history of the Department and USAID, begun by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The 2010 review launched a series of reforms in both government agencies, elevated policy priorities such as energy, economic diplomacy, and support to women and girls; reestablished USAID as a premier development agency; improved budget management and strategic planning; and increasedcooperation among U.S. government agencies and with non-governmental actors. As part of a process of continuous improvement, implementation of the 2010 QDDR continues. The 2014 QDDR will advance the spirit and mission of the first review while focusing on a few key priorities to foster a State Department and USAID that are more nimble, innovative and responsive. Deputy Secretary of State Heather Higginbottom, along with the USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah, oversee the implementation of the QDDR; Thomas Perriello is the Special Representative for the QDDR.
Speakers
Heather Higginbottom was confirmed by the US Senate in December 2013. In her current role as Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, she shares in the global responsibilities for US foreign policy and has programmatic oversight responsibilities for both the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development. She is the first female to become Deputy Secretary, and prior to joining the State Department, served as Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Ms. Higginbottom was also the first executive director the American Security Project.
Alex Thier is USAID’s Assistant to the Administrator for Policy, Planning, and Learning (PPL). The PPL Bureau is USAID’s center for policy development, strategic planning, learning and evaluation, and partner engagement. From June 2010- June 2013, Thier served as Assistant to the Administrator for Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs, overseeing USAID’s two largest missions in the world. Before joining USAID, Thier served with the U.S. Institute of Peace as senior rule of law adviser and director for Afghanistan and Pakistan from 2005- 2010
Tom Perriello is the Special Representative for the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), appointed by Secretary of State John Kerry in February 2014. Mr. Perriello previously served as a Congressman to Virginia’s Fifth District, Special Advisor to the Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, a conflict analyst, and CEO of Center for American Progress Action. He has worked and conducted research in a dozen countries and taught courses on transitional justice at the University of Virginia School of Law and University of Sierra Leone. He was a founding member of Leader Hoyer’s National Security Working Group, and received the Truman National Security Project’s annual award for wise leadership on foreign policy.
Resources:
ASP QDDR Briefing Note
Text of the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review
Fact Sheet on the QDDR Remarks at the 2014 QDDR Launch
Opinion: The QDDR and the Future of Diplomacy
