Putting the Pieces Together at USAID

Over at The Cable, Josh Rogin has a smart post up about the interactions between the search for a U.S. Agency for International Development Director, the State Department's first Quadrennial Review, and a raft of bills pending in Congress that would improve funding and support for the agency. Perhaps most importantly, he notes:

Development-community sources said that the administration has its pick for USAID administrator in mind, but that person has told the White House he won't accept the job until questions about his role and authorities are settled.

More generally, the independency of the agency, its ability to have an intellectual identity, and its control over its own funding are all at stake in State's ongoing review, which is called the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, or QDDR.

This seems like a real double-bind for the administration. It might be better for the agency to have a head--and thus a champion--during the Quadrennial Review. And what happens if the Quadrennial Review doesn't turn out the way this potential nominee would like? That leaves the Obama administration back at zero for a second time, given their earlier tango with Paul Farmer. It may not be a lot of fun to take a job and to have its requirements and powers change afterwards. But in this case, it could be a real act of public service to give USAID some leadership through what could be a complicated if rewarding time.