Six Evans School alumni work at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and four were able to take time from their busy schedules to respond to questions about their work and reflect on their time at the Evans School. We heard from:
- Aaron Stern (MPA ‘95), project development officer for the Philippines
- Heather D’Agnes (MPA ’05), population-health-environment technical advisor at the Public Health Institute (which operates the Global Health Fellows Program for USAID)
- Roopa Karia (MPA ’02), governance advisor, Office of Energy and Environment, USAID/Philippines
- Andrea Sternberg (MPA ‘07), public health advisor/program and management analyst
What do you like most about working for USAID?
Karia: In part, I like the variety of work that’s available. For example, I’ve moved from working on environmental partnerships in Asia and the Middle East to good governance and crime prevention in Central America to working now on natural resources management in the Philippines. Within USAID, it’s possible for a generalist to have a lot of opportunities.
D’Agnes: I like the fact that when you are based in Washington, D.C., you have the ability to design development projects, work with partners to implement them, and have the opportunity to act as a technical expert to provide guidance both within my office and for our offices (Missions) in the field. I also enjoy having the opportunity to travel to our field Missions and see the projects we are funding working on the ground.
Sternberg: I enjoy diving into and struggling with fascinating policy and programmatic questions . . . and ones that could potentially have a very important and beneficial impact on people living in awful conditions. I’ve been given a lot of responsibility very quickly, am often asked my opinion, and allowed space to develop new skills. Additionally, my colleagues continually impress me and the travel benefits aren’t too shabby!
What is the biggest challenge facing a government aid organization today?
Stern: For USAID, the main challenge is trying to incorporate President Obama’s priorities into its programs while handling the major new influx of Foreign Service Officers hired over the past year or so.
For government aid organizations more broadly, working in situations with active armed conflicts (or the strong possibility of active armed conflict) is often cited as the major challenge. Another major issue is coordinating efforts across different sectors. For example, programs to work on climate change adaptation must be closely linked with agriculture, water, and disaster management efforts.
Sternberg: I just switched positions after working in USAID’s budget and planning shop (Office of the Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance), and for me, the biggest challenge facing USAID as a development agency is its mission and how that gets translated into action. For example, how does that “D” of development relate to the other 2 D’s – defense and diplomacy . . . especially in this new paradigm where our development officers are being asked to work in dangerous and non-traditional environments such as Iraq and Afghanistan? What are our strategic goals, how do we move countries along a trajectory of development? How do we become more effective and efficient at what we do? Major development initiatives in the past few years (U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief [PEPFAR] and the Millennium Challenge Corporation) were intentionally not housed at USAID. The Agency had strained the confidence of its stakeholders and is only recently beginning to get that back.
Karia: One challenge we face day-to-day is the conflict between doing what is right for the country we work in and what is right for the U.S. – trying to balance U.S. foreign policy objectives with development objectives.
What skills from your Evans School degree have been the most useful in your current position?
D’Agnes: Definitely project management skills—budgeting, learning to deal with competing priorities, managing workflow, and managing people and organizations for effectiveness. I think back to a lot of those case studies we used and apply the approaches from those case studies in my own work. Also, I appreciate the skills I gained from the international development certificate program, which gave me the important theoretical background on development that allows me to see the bigger picture of how USAID operates vis-à-vis other donors or organizations. Finally, the basics of program evaluation have come in handy when I now review other organization’s monitoring and evaluation plans.
Karia: The critical thinking and policy analysis skills we learned have been very useful at USAID. And (though it was sometimes painful!), all the emphasis on working in teams at the Evans School has been helpful at USAID, where we usually work on projects in teams and decisionmaking is often by consensus.
Sternberg: I use skills from my conflict and mediation coursework constantly. I’m often in the position of having to bring people together who don’t share the same point of view, trying to reach consensus, or at least a solution that everyone can live with. I’ve also found my statistics courses helpful, as well as anything that would assist with programmatic monitoring and evaluation.
What advice do you have for people who want to work in an organization like yours?
Stern: Hone your interview skills, learn how to work effectively in teams, and (perhaps revealing a personal bias) meditate regularly to keep your mind calm, clear, and focused.
D’Agnes: Getting experience in the field is very important – be sure to use your summers working for an international organization either in D.C. or in one of the countries where they work. Also, in my office I find that people highly value technical skills so try to pick up as much technical expertise in an area as you can while in the Evans School. This could mean working on a project that gives you some in-depth contact with certain technical areas or trying to take extra coursework outside of the Evans School that complements what you are learning by giving you a focus in a certain technical area.
Sternberg: Apply to the PMF! It’s a great way to get in, and one of the only direct, civil service hiring mechanisms currently. Also, I’d highly recommend doing a State Department Internship during graduate school. That experience introduced me to working for a large government agency in an international setting—and gave me some great professional contacts (my former boss is now the chief of staff for the deputy secretary). Lastly, travel, learn a foreign language (Arabic or French would be great!), or join the Peace Corps!
How has being a part of the Evans School network benefited you in your current position?
Sternberg: Well, being in the “other” Washington makes networking with other Evans School graduates a bit more difficult, as this town and development in particular, seems to be dominated by graduates from Princeton, SAIS, and the Fletcher School. But, that also makes us special! And so, I’ve really tried to reach out to other alums, such as Chris Runyan, who have more experience working at USAID and excellent insights into the agency.
D’Agnes: I really appreciate knowing the Evans School students that are here at USAID—we are closer colleagues because of that connection. Also, I enjoy the networking opportunities with other Evans School alumni in the greater Washington, D.C. area, since they are colleagues that do similar work, just in a different organization. Finally, on a personal note, a lot of my friends now in D.C. are folks that I have met through the Evans School network!
We are pleased to bring you this series of articles highlighting organizations where a number of Evans School alumni work. If you have comments or would like to suggest an employer with six or more Evans School graduates as employees, please contact us at evansalum@u.washington.edu.
Published on November 20, 2009
