- What We Do
- Agriculture and Food Security
- Democracy, Human Rights and Governance
- Economic Growth and Trade
- Ending Extreme Poverty
- Environment and Global Climate Change
- Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment
- Global Health
- Water and Sanitation
- Working in Crises and Conflict
- U.S. Global Development Lab
- Cornerstone Partners
- Work with the Lab
- Development Innovation Ventures
- Data & Analytics for Development
- Digital Development
- Global Development Alliances
- Global Partnerships
- Grand Challenges for Development
- Higher Education Solutions Network (HESN)
- International Research & Science Programs
- Research and Innovation Fellowships
- Science at USAID
- Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning Innovations Program (MERLIN)
Since 2001, Global Development Alliances (GDAs) have been USAID’s premiere model for public-private partnerships, helping to improve the social and economic conditions in developing countries and deepen USAID’s development impact.
As the private sector plays an increasingly critical role in shaping sustainable economic and social development, USAID continues to engage corporations, local businesses, financial institutions, investment firms, private foundations and others as core partners in our efforts to drive economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve business outcomes in developing countries.
By working together to jointly identify, define, and solve key business and development challenges, USAID and the private sector are building mutually beneficial partnerships that leverage our respective expertise, assets, technologies, networks and resources to achieve greater development impact. In many cases, these transformational partnerships take the form of Global Development Alliances (GDA).
What is a Global Development Alliance (GDA)?
A GDA is a partnership involving USAID and the private sector—and may also include a range of other partners—in which we work together to develop and implement activities that leverage and apply our respective assets and expertise to advance core business interests, achieve USAID’s development objectives, and increase the sustainable impact of USAID's development investments.
In addition to a strong and essential focus on development impact, GDAs have several other core characteristics, including but not limited to:
1. Based on Complementary Interests and Objectives: GDAs are built at the intersection of business interests and USAID development objectives. This alignment of our respective priorities and concerns provides a promising opportunity for the private sector and USAID to explore how we can leverage our respective expertise, capabilities, networks and other resources to address business challenges and opportunities while also fostering or accelerating sustainable, transformational development impact.
2. Market-Based Approaches and Solutions: In order to promote ongoing, sustainable, and steadily expanding results, GDAs foster and advance market-based or market-driven approaches to development, including but not limited to “shared value” approaches that promote sustainable development results.
3. Extensive Co-Creation and Shared Responsibility: GDAs are co-created, co-developed, and co-implemented and entail extensive partnering and collaboration between USAID and the private sector. Ideally, USAID and the private sector jointly identify and define compelling business and development challenges before collaborating to determine whether and how we can solve those problems and achieve the greatest degree of transformational and sustainable impact. We share risks and responsibilities, and we work together to mobilize, leverage, and more effectively apply our respective assets, expertise, and resources.
4. Private Sector Contributions for Increased Impact: GDAs must mobilize and effectively apply significant private sector resources. The value of private sector expertise, capabilities, and resources contributed to an alliance must equal and, in general, should significantly exceed the value of resources provided by the U.S. Government. These contributions should generate significant development results and impact that would otherwise be difficult or impossible for USAID to achieve in the absence of private sector involvement.
These characteristics enable USAID and its partners to work together to leverage business expertise and advance core business interests in a manner that achieves transformational development impact.
Interested in Building a GDA?
If interested in exploring a GDA, please contact email@example.com or the GDA Point of Contact at the USAID Mission, Bureau, or Independent Office with which you want to develop an alliance. Interested organizations may also review the GDA Annual Program Statement (APS) for additional details on the GDA model and its value to USAID and the private sector.
Last updated: September 13, 2016