DIGITAL FRONTIERS Scaling Digital Development at USAID 2019 Annual Report

The agreement, which spans from 2017 to 2022, seeks to help USAID programs make a greater impact by leveraging digital technologies. In the 2019 annual report, Digital Frontiers highlights its achievements in establishing itself as a trusted mechanism at USAID and securing 15 new buy-ins, including the Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership (DCCP) portfolio. The organization also announced the winners of the Fall armyworm Tech Prize and the WomenConnect Challenge (WCC) Round 1, and launched Round 2 of the W-GDP WomenConnect Challenge. Digital Frontiers' network consists of 7 core project staff, 54 experts and consultants, and over 75 consultants with relevant expertise. The organization issued 11 subawards to various partners, including AFAP, Alaurus, AMZ, Assyst, CIAT, Cultural Practice, Headlight Consulting, Nesta, NetHope, Ramundo Media, and Strategic Impact Advisors. One of the key highlights of the year was the successful implementation of the ICTforAg event, which led to a strategic partnership between USAID, the World Bank, and the Gates Foundation on digital agriculture. Digital Frontiers also played a key role in the development of USAID's Agency-wide Digital Strategy, reviewing USG cybersecurity policies and developing a two-pager to inform the strategy. The organization's work on the WomenConnect Challenge (WCC) has seen over $12 million awarded to 12 grantees working to bridge the gender digital divide. Digital Frontiers launched W-GDP WCC Round Two and managed nine grants from WCC Round One, aiming to meaningfully change the ways women and girls access and use technology. Digital Frontiers' role in the development of the Digital Strategy involved reviewing USG cybersecurity policies, managing and facilitating workshops to think through complex challenges in digital development, and organizing and facilitating workshops to get feedback on the digital strategy. The organization also captured all relevant takeaways during facilitated workshops and meetings. The first Agency-wide Digital Strategy has been drafted and gone through several rounds of comments from both internal and external stakeholders. Lessons learned from the process include the importance of targeted engagement and championing from leadership to support the core team assigned in drafting and pushing the development of the Strategy forward in a more efficient way.