DAI Global, LLC is a privately held development company with corporate offices in more than a dozen countries, including in Bethesda, Maryland, in the United States; London and Apsley, Hertfordshire, in the United Kingdom; Abuja and Lagos, in Nigeria; and Brussels, Vienna, and other European capitals.
In 2015, it received US$272,429,308 of contract funding by USAID to deliver development services; in 2014, it received £58.3 million from the U.K. Department for International Development for such services.[1]
DAI operates worldwide, with a particularly strong presence in Central America, South America, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, and the Asia-Pacific region. It has worked in 160 developing and transition countries in the areas of water and natural resources management, energy and climate change, governance and public sector management, private sector development and development finances, economics and trade, agriculture and agribusiness, crisis mitigation and stability operations, digital acceleration, and global health.
DAI's early work mostly consisted of analytical studies for government clients. In 1973, DAI won a contract to conduct a comparative study of 36 USAID projects in Latin America and Africa. Two years later, the company's study, Strategies for Small Farmer Development, established the concept of a "process approach" that enabled the pursuit of development objectives while allowing enough leeway to adapt to evolving conditions on the ground. The study consolidated DAI's reputation in the development community and led to further business.
In 1980, DAI opened its first regional office in Jakarta, Indonesia. In 1985, Jim Boomgard, current CEO, then a Ph.D. agricultural economist, played a key role in developing an approach to small business promotion in developing countries. He managed a multicountry study on the emerging field of microenterprise development, which led to DAI winning a major new worldwide contract: Growth and Equity through Micro-enterprise Investments and Institutions (GEMINI).[2]
At the start of the 1990s, DAI moved its headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Bethesda, Maryland. In 1995, DAI invested in London, UK-based Graham Bannock & Partners Ltd., which as the now wholly owned DAI Europe would go on to give DAI a presence as an implementing partner for the U.K. Department for International Development, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and other European clients. In South Africa, DAI established Ebony Development Alternatives in 1994 as a joint venture with Ebony Financial Services, the first black accounting firm in South Africa. This company was renamed Ebony Consulting International and subsequently ECIAfrica.[2]
Following the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., on September 11, 2001, the United States invaded Afghanistan and DAI was chosen to lead a variety of development projects in the midst of the counterinsurgency. A Philadelphia Inquirer journalist who visited one of DAI's projects in 2010 described it as a "model of success".[3] After the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, DAI won a project to help provide effective governance in the country. Other projects in Iraq covering agriculture and the restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands were to follow.[4][5][6][7] For his work on the later project, DAI's Peter Reiss was awarded the Lourdes Arizpe award by the American Anthropological Association.[8] The company established DAI Palestine in 2004.
Following the Asian tsunami in December of that year DAI was recognized for its efforts in both Indonesia and Sri Lanka by then USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios in testimony before Congress: "In this environment, the international relief community, including USAID, the U.S. military, and other U.S. Government agencies, displayed remarkable ingenuity. Despite the great size and complexity of the response, flexibility became the rule of the day. A good example of this is the partnership between USAID and two of its partners, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Development Alternatives (DAI). Prior to the earthquake, humanitarian organizations were not permitted into Aceh province without express permission by the Government of Indonesia. Despite this restriction, IOM and DAI had managed to retain a strong relationship with provincial officials through a network of local staff in every district. In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, USAID and other donors capitalized on these relationships by providing relief funding to IOM and DAI to immediately move relief commodities into Aceh from Medan on 80 trucks contracted by USAID/Indonesia."[9]
In 2005 the employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) became the sole owner of the company. The ESOP, a retirement plan in which all corporate employees are automatically enrolled, now represents hundreds of employees, none of whom owns more than 3 percent of the company.[9] In 2006, DAI was named Government Contractor of the year in an annual award sponsored by Washington Technology magazine, the Professional Service Council, and GovCon.
At the start of 2009, Boomgard succeeded Tony Barclay as DAI's new CEO and the company, launched new offices in Amman, Mexico City and Islamabad. The next year, Julian Lob-Levyt—formerly CEO of the GAVI Alliance—joined the firm to lead its international operations from the London office, DAI was named the #1 company in the state of Maryland,[10] and the company celebrated its 40th birthday with a series of community events at its locations around the world, publishing a history of the company to mark the occasion. In his foreword to the book, Jim Boomgard looked ahead to the next chapter in DAI's history: "The next 10 years will determine whether we can make an American success story into a global success story. Over the next 10 years, we'll execute a new strategy designed to bring our strengths, our experience, and our commitment to a changing and in many ways expanding landscape of international development—a landscape that will see more development driven from the ground up, more decision making in countries that have traditionally been the recipients of donor assistance, and a more diverse and influential array of local actors in the development arena."[2]
In 2011, DAI was named a Devex Top 40 Development Innovator, one of only 10 consulting firms so honored globally. The award was based on a poll of 100,000 Devex members, who comprise the world's largest network of international development professionals.[11]
On September 26, 2010, Linda Norgrove and three Afghan colleagues were kidnapped in the Chawkay (aka Tsawkay, Sawkay) district of eastern Kunar Province. Ambushed by members of the Taliban on the main highway from Jalalabad to Asadabad, Norgrove and others were eventually taken into the Dewegal Valley within the Chowkai District by their captors.[12][13] Eventually, a rescue attempt was carried out by Navy SEALs, from the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (also known as Navy SEAL Team 6), a unit used for high-risk counter-terrorist operations. Norgrove was wounded in the action, received emergency medical treatment and was evacuated by helicopter, but died from her injuries.
In December 2009, Alan Phillip Gross was detained by Cuban authorities after attempting to distribute satellite communications equipment.[14] He was principal of a small business called JBDC, working as a subcontractor on a USAID project.[15] The Supreme Court of Cuba sentenced Gross to 15 years of imprisonment despite diplomatic pressure from high level American officials.[16][17] Gross was released in December 2014 at the same time as other prisoners were released on both sides (US and Cuba) and announcement of planned resumption of diplomatic relations.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is a United Nations related organization working in the field of migration. The organization implements operational assistance programmes for migrants, including internally displaced persons, refugees, and migrant workers.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the United States government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $50 billion, USAID is one of the largest official aid agencies in the world and accounts for more than half of all U.S. foreign assistance—the highest in the world in absolute dollar terms.
A Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) was a unit introduced by the United States government, consisting of military officers, diplomats, and reconstruction subject matter experts, working to support reconstruction efforts in unstable states. PRTs were first established in Afghanistan in early 2002, and were used in Iraq as well. While the concepts are similar, PRTs in Afghanistan and Iraq had separate compositions and missions. Their common purpose, however, was to empower local governments to govern their constituents more effectively.
Investment in post-2003 Iraq refers to international efforts to rebuild the infrastructure of Iraq since the Iraq War in 2003. Along with the economic reform of Iraq, international projects have been implemented to repair and upgrade Iraqi water and sewage treatment plants, electricity production, hospitals, schools, housing, and transportation systems. Much of the work has been funded by the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund, and the Coalition Provisional Authority.
Andrew S. Natsios is an American public servant and Republican politician originally from Massachusetts, who served in a number of positions in the administrations of Governor Paul Cellucci and President George W. Bush.
Frederick C. Cuny was an American humanitarian whose work spanned disaster relief and recovery from war and civil conflict. He was a practitioner, author, and a researcher.
Haiti—an island country 600 miles off the coast of the U.S. state of Florida—shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. Haiti has received billions in foreign assistance, yet persists as one of the poorest countries and has the lowest human development index in the Americas. There have been more than 15 natural disasters since 2001 including tropical storms, flooding, earthquakes and hurricanes. The international donor community classifies Haiti as a fragile state. Haiti is also considered a post-conflict state—one emerging from a recent coup d'état and civil war.
Louis Berger is a full-service engineering, architecture, planning, environmental, program and construction management and economic development firm based in Morristown, New Jersey. Founded in 1953 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania by Dr. Louis Berger, the firm employed nearly 6,000 employees in more than 50 countries worldwide. The company was acquired by WSP Global in 2018.
AED, formerly the Academy for Educational Development, was a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that focused on education, health and economic development for the "least advantaged in the United States and developing countries throughout the world." AED operated more than 250 programs in the United States and in 150 other countries.
Unity Resources Group is an American-owned private military and security consulting company headquartered in Los Angeles, USA.
Devex is a social enterprise and media platform for the global development community. It aims to connect with and inform development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals through news, business intelligence, funding and career opportunities related to international development. As an independent news organization, Devex employs more than 100 staff members in different locations, including Washington, D.C., where the organization is headquartered. It also maintains offices in Barcelona and Manila.
On 26 September 2010, British aid worker Linda Norgrove and three Afghan colleagues were kidnapped by members of the Taliban in the Kunar Province of eastern Afghanistan. She was working in the country as regional director for Development Alternatives Incorporated, a contractor for US and other government agencies. The group were taken to the nearby Dewegal Valley area. United States and Afghan forces began a search of the area, placing roadblocks to prevent the group from being moved east into Pakistan.
Alan Phillip Gross is a former United States government contractor employed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
International Relief and Development, Inc. (IRD), renamed Blumont, is an organization that purports to provide relief, stabilization, and development programs worldwide. In 2015, IRD was the subject of a Washington Post investigation that highlighted the organization's performance and management of taxpayer money. Among other irregularities, the organization had charged the US Government $1.1 million for staff parties and retreats at exclusive resorts. In January 2016, IRD announced that it was changing its name to Blumont and relocating to Madison, Wisconsin.
Chemonics International, Inc. is a private international development firm based in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1975 by Thurston F. (Tony) Teele as a subsidiary of Erly Industries. The employee-owned company offers a variety of services globally and with more than $1.5 billion in USAID contracts in 2019 is the largest for-profit recipient of U.S. government foreign aid. As of 2019 the company has approximately 5,000 employees in 100 countries.
ZunZuneo was an online social networking and microblogging service created by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and marketed to Cuban users. It followed recommendations by the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba and was covertly developed as a long-term strategy to encourage Cuban youths to revolt against the nation's government, fomenting a political spring The service officially began operating in 2010 but ran out of money two years later. Because of its clandestine and subversive nature, it became a target of criticism.
The Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) was an organizational unit within the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) charged by the President of the United States with directing and coordinating international United States government disaster assistance. USAID merged the former offices of OFDA and Food for Peace (FFP) in 2020 to form the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA).
Synergy International Systems, Inc. (SIS) is an information technology and consulting company based in Washington, D.C. that provides web-based software to international development agencies, country governments, NGOs and private sector partners. Their key products are focused on monitoring and evaluation (M&E), national development effectiveness, aid management, judicial system modernization, social protection, public financial management, disaster relief and reconstruction, environment, education, and public health. There is a company-maintained global learning center in Yerevan, Armenia. The company's services include software development and customization, IT strategy consulting, systems integration, capacity development and technical support. Synergy has developed management information systems for public and private sector clients in 65 countries.
International Business Initiatives Corp. akaIBI is an economic development and public financial management consulting firm based in Arlington, Virginia with projects throughout the developing world. It is well-known for its implementation of the Governance and Economic Management Assistance Program (GEMAP) in Liberia from 2005-2010, its implementation of a follow-on project called the Governance and Economic Management Support (GEMS) project, and most recently its recognition as USAID’s 2015 Small Business of the Year. It uses performance improvement methodologies to design and implement Information & Communications Technology solutions adapted to local conditions.
Palladium is an international development sector advisory, management and implementation firm, representing the combination of seven prior companies: GRM International, Futures Group, Palladium, the IDL Group, Development & Training Services, HK Logistics and CARANA Corporation. As of October 2016, Palladium employs over 2,500 persons operating in 90 countries. At the end of 2015, Palladium International was the fourth-largest private sector partner for the UK Government's Department for International Development (DFID). During 2011, Palladium International members Futures Group and Carana were USAID's fourteenth and sixteenth largest private sector partners, respectively. At the end of 2012, GRM International was the third largest private sector partner for AusAID.
1 2 Congressional Testimony of Andrew S. Natsios, USAID Administrator, on US relief efforts to tsunami-affected countries Source: http://reliefweb.int/node/164652
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