MCC coordinated with other U.S. Government agencies and organizations throughout the donor community to leverage efficiencies and cost-effectiveness. Collaborating across the field allowed MCC to maximize impact, including supporting greater trade competitiveness in our partner countries.
Power Africa
More than two-thirds of the population in sub-Saharan Africa—about 600 million people—has no access to electricity. Inadequate, unreliable and unequal access to energy constrains the continent’s ability to connect globally, drives up the cost of business, hinders investment, and negatively impacts quality of life. MCC plays a critical role in Power Africa, the U.S. Government’s effort to double electricity access across sub-Saharan Africa. The agency is investing approximately $1.5 billion in countries like Ghana, Benin, Malawi, and Liberia to improve the quality and reliability of electricity and promote climate-smart measures, such as energy efficiency and renewable energy. The foundational principles of MCC – a laser focus on data, growth, and country demand – are squarely aligned with Power Africa. Across the continent, MCC’s partner countries themselves have identified power investments as the building blocks for sustainable economic development. They know, and the data supports the proposition, that widespread access to electricity will unleash growth that will help lift people out of poverty.
African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)
MCC is the largest U.S. Government funding contributor to trade and investment capacity building in AGOA countries through its investments in roads, ports, and power and improving the productivity of export-oriented industries, such as agriculture, that benefit small and medium-sized enterprises. MCC’s investments also contribute to the U.S. Government’s Trade Africa initiative, which seeks to encourage internal and regional trade within Africa, as well as expand trade and economic ties between Africa, the United States, and other global markets. MCC continued to explore opportunities for regional integration during Fiscal Year 2015 to facilitate trade and address trade barriers through policy and institutional reforms.
Global Health Data
MCC and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in April 2015 began to implement a three-year, $21.8 million Data Collaboratives for Local Impact Program (DCLI), which harnesses the data revolution to achieve greater transparency, mutual accountability, and local impact in sub-Saharan Africa. The program seeks to address some of the root causes of insufficient data use for decision-making around HIV/AIDS, broader health, gender equality, and economic growth. This will start with two of the four planned projects: a Tanzania-based physical and virtual co-working, training and collaboration space; and a platform to launch competitions that will identify, engage, and support local innovators and entrepreneurs who can contribute to strengthening the overall data ecosystem. The program is being implemented in collaboration with the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data. In 2015, DCLI hosted a successful side event at the first-ever government-led Africa Open Data Conference in Dar es Salaam to highlight the important linkage between local impact and open data, and to advocate for data use and capacity at the subnational level.
Gender and Education
MCC has been at the forefront of promoting gender equality to reduce poverty and promote economic growth. As an institution committed to women’s empowerment, MCC partners with other important efforts to advance gender equality. MCC joined forces with the Clinton Foundation, the Brookings Institution, NGOs, private-sector businesses and other donors around the world in the CHARGE Initiative – Collaborative for Harnessing Ambition and Resources for Girls’ Education. This five-year partnership aims to improve learning and leadership opportunities for young women and girls worldwide and reinforces MCC’s leadership in gender integration and education.
MCC also joined with the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Peace Corps and the U.S. Department of State to support Let Girls Learn, a U.S. Government effort that leverages the investments and successes we have achieved in primary school education and expands them to help adolescent girls go on to complete their education. For example, in El Salvador, MCC has invested $100.7 million to improve the quality of education and skills development for Salvadoran students, and support the development and institutionalization of the Ministry of Education’s Gender Policy and Gender Unit, which will provide input and guidance on the ministry’s vision, strategies, plans, and processes to help improve the education of adolescent girls.
Open Government and Transparency
The Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data was launched on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015, mobilizing a range of data producers and users to harness the data revolution. Working together, the U.S. and other Global Data Partnership contributors address the barriers that prevent greater access and use of development data. MCC is a recognized leader in evidence-based decision making and transparency, and as part of its Data2x commitment—a partnership with the Hewlett Foundation and the UN Foundation to advance gender equality—MCC and other donors are increasing the amount of publicly shared gender data and helping to improve international data transparency standards.
Global Community Support
MCC and the Peace Corps signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) in Fiscal Year 2015 to renew and expand upon five years of successful collaboration between the two development agencies. The MOA aims to boost the impact both agencies have on the communities they serve around the world by bringing together MCC’s model of country-led, results-oriented development with Peace Corps’ grassroots, community-focused reach.