Center for Transformational Partnerships Institutional Support Services

Increasing development impact through public-private partnerships.

Context

Over the past decade, the global development landscape has evolved to include many new change-makers, including local entrepreneurs, multi-national firms, social enterprises, and private philanthropies. This shift has resulted in new partnerships that bring together the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to address key development challenges such as employment, financial inclusion, and gender disparities.

Approach

In response to the changing environment, USAID is harnessing the power of multi-sector approaches to global development through private sector engagement, public-private partnerships, and its Global Development Alliances (GDA) model. Since 2001, USAID has formed over 1,600 alliances and mobilized more than $20 billion in private funding to enhance foreign aid programs.

Dexis assisted USAID’s Center for Transformational Partnerships (CTP) to build new, ground-breaking partnerships with the private sector. Dexis’ experts embedded within USAID provided the CTP team with technical support and implementation services for program strategy, data and research, learning and training, and communications.

Achievements

Dexis assisted USAID in creating new processes, messaging, and mindsets to successfully launch and manage partnerships. Dexis’ support to CTP built on the legacy of its work under the previous USAID GDA contract.

• Strategy Development: Working closely with the CTP’s senior leadership, Dexis developed, informed, and guided the project’s partner engagement strategy and approach.
• Communications: Dexis designed and implemented the CTP’s messaging and communications strategy for external partners, internal agency stakeholders, corporate executives, and Congress. Dexis developed messaging, created digital and print content, launched social media campaigns, prepared Agency staff for speaking engagements, and assisted in launching partnerships.
• Data and Research: Dexis enabled stronger monitoring and evaluation systems for CTP’s activities. The team collected and analyzed data to ensure the validity of partnerships.usaid.gov. Dexis also worked with Mission Measurement to measure the value of alliances.
• Learning, Training, and Knowledge Management: Dexis worked closely with CTP staff to create a core set of training products that included case studies, training webinars, multi-day forums, and practical guidance materials. Dexis planned and organized the biennial Private Sector Engagement Forum in Washington, D.C., an intensive peer-learning opportunity for USAID staff involved in private-sector engagement. Dexis also designed and delivered an Agency-wide private-sector engagement course at USAID missions and regional offices.