High time to make the chief of USAID a member of the National Security Council

By Maj.
Jaron Wharton, U.S. Army

Best
Defense guest columnist

In
September 2010, President Obama's Policy Directive on Global Development offered
that development is a strategic, economic, and moral imperative for the United
States. Undeniably, it is a core pillar of our foreign policy, along with
diplomacy and defense, in an integrated, comprehensive approach to national
security. It follows that USAID's contribution to national security is vital --
but this has not been codified.

Because
we are living in times that require a fully integrated national security
approach, the USAID administrator should become the president's principal
advisor for development and assistance (akin to the chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff role and associated linkage to the secretary of defense, but
concomitant to the secretary of state) and a permanent member on the National
Security Council. This elevated position will provide the president with
unfettered development advice, while codifying the position that development is
on par with defense and diplomacy. Maintaining USAID's intimate relationship
with State recognizes the inherent ties of development assistance to foreign
policy.

While
historical trends, events, and statements have created numerous challenges to
elevating the administrator's role, the agency's comparative advantage as an
expeditionary organization which alleviates human suffering, develops markets
of tomorrow, and expresses American values, provides an invaluable perspective.
State's 2010 QDDR calls for USAID to play a greater role in the interagency
policy process, including making its mission directors primary development
advisors to the chiefs of mission. An elevated role for the administrator would
be a logical follow-on to these other shifts.

Just
over 25 years ago, Goldwater-Nichols changed the Defense Department in both a
fundamental and positive way. One of the main shifts was to empower the chairman
of the Joint Chiefs in two ways: (1) By expanding his staff into a large "Joint
Staff" that reports directly to him; and (2) identifying the chairman as the president's
senior military advisor. Over the last several decades, the newly powerful
position of chairman has helped elevate the role of professional military
advice to the president, while not compromising the secretary of defense's
civilian authority. The history of this aspect of the Goldwater-Nichols
legislation can apply to USAID in several ways: (1) It can help formally elevate
the role of development; (2) it can help preserve the secretary of state's
authority in foreign assistance; and (3) it improves the nature of development
assistance advice to the president. An elevated status would assuredly achieve
a more efficient use of development assistance resources and enhance their
effectiveness.

USAID
is undertaking a potent reform agenda, analogous to an internal
"Goldwater-Nichols-light" to forge a more modern development enterprise. This
change is as conscious and as basic a transformation in its 50-year history,
and it is desirable for the USG to build on this framework through a persistent
invitation for increased interagency engagement at the highest levels.

During
this administration, USAID's participation in senior-level NSS meetings has
dramatically increased. While data are not readily available to compare across
administrations, there has been a definite uptick in participation from
previous years. This demonstrates a need on behalf of senior NSS leadership to
hear from USAID, but also suggests USAID's contributions warrant continued
participation. Having resident development expertise on the NSS only helps to
better lead through civilian power, especially in issues that contribute to an
imbalance in defense representation.

USAID
should take internal steps to reinforce its relevance and further
professionalize its engagement in the national security apparatus. However, as
in Goldwater-Nichols, where the ramifications for the professionalization of
the Joint Staff were extreme, USAID is already fully-capable of the increased
level of responsibility. There is no longer a dichotomy within USAID between
those focused on altruistic development and assistance and those who understand
the necessity, practicality, and Hill-emphasized need for more targeted work to
support national security objectives.

Indeed,
the development portfolio is now facing critical challenges and is at
significantly increased risk given growing fiscal constraints. Despite being
elevated by the Global Development Policy to be on par with defense and
diplomacy, elements of any effort by the agency to demonstrate true relevancy
in national security must include improved and sustained engagement in the NSS.
This inherently makes the case USAID's activities are considered in the
national interest. Elevation of the administrator as a permanent member on the
NSC provides an additional forcing function on the broader USG to recognize
this point. At a minimum, the USAID administrator should be elevated and
maintain his presence at the principals' committee level beyond an "informal
member as appropriate."

Major
Jaron S. Wharton is an active-duty infantry officer in the U.S. Army who
served in Afghanistan (2002 and 2010) and in Iraq (2003-06). He previously
served as a White House Fellow at USAID. The views expressed in this article
are his own and do not reflect the official policy or positions of the U.S.
Government.