Integrated Country Strategy Guidance & Instructions

priorities in a given country. The ICS sets Mission Goals and Mission Objectives through a coordinated and collaborative planning process among Department of State, USAID, and other U.S. Government agencies operating under Chief of Mission authority. The primary audiences for the ICS are the Country Team, Bureaus, State resource and policy, and senior leadership in the USG. The ICS serves as a "single, multi-year, overarching strategy that encapsulates USG priority, objectives, and objectives, and the means by which diplomatic, foreign assistance, and other tools will be used to achieve them." Specifically, the ICS articulates a common set of USG priority Mission Goals and Mission Objectives in the country, provides the basis for the annual Mission Resource Request, serves as a tool to coordinate activities within the Mission, links Mission Goals and Objectives to the Joint Regional Strategy, and coordinates USG actions to address challenges and opportunities in the country. The ICS is the Mission planning component of the broader planning, budgeting, and performance management process mandated by the QDDR. Planning at the agency level in the State-USAID Joint Strategic Plan is supported by more detailed planning at the Bureau and Mission level. Regional Bureaus at USAID and State, in collaboration with Functional Bureaus, identify region-specific guidance in the Joint Regional Strategy. Along with Functional Bureau Strategies, the Joint Regional Strategy informs Mission level planning in the ICS. The ICS is a strategy document built from a mission-based planning process. The multi-year ICS, Joint Regional Strategy, and Functional Bureau Strategy frame and inform the two components of the State-USAID annual budget request: the Mission Resource Request and the Bureau Resource Request. The ICS also serves as the backbone for Mission performance management. Missions will complete an ICS every three years, focusing on the upcoming three years. The ICS process involves gathering staff from USG agencies in country to analyze country context, the Joint Regional Strategy, and other USG guidance; set priorities for USG activities in the country; and document these in the ICS. The ICS framework articulates Mission Goals, Mission Objectives, Enabling Objectives (management platform), and Action Plans. The ICS is designed to focus on creating an opportunity for interagency planning dialogue rather than a narrated report. Missions are encouraged to build off existing processes for interagency dialogue and planning, but should include the following in their planning process: determining who is involved, consulting with the Regional Bureau, consulting with host country and other stakeholders, and deciding if further research is needed. The ICS is led by the Chief of Mission, who determines who is involved in leading and participating in the planning process. The Deputy Chief of Mission serves as the overall Coordinator for this process, and agencies represented at a Mission participate in the development of the ICS. The Mission consults with the Regional Bureau to better understand the significance of the Joint Regional Strategy for its Mission. The Mission may also consult relevant Bureaus and other agencies with functional expertise. The ICS is a collaborative effort among USG agencies, with the Chief of Mission leading the process. The ICS is a key component of the broader planning, budgeting, and performance management process, and serves as the backbone for Mission performance management. The ICS is a strategy document built from a mission-based planning process, and articulates a common set of USG priority Mission Goals and Mission Objectives in the country. The ICS process involves gathering staff from USG agencies in country to analyze country context, the Joint Regional Strategy, and other USG guidance; set priorities for USG activities in the country; and document these in the ICS. The ICS framework articulates Mission Goals, Mission Objectives, Enabling Objectives (management platform), and Action Plans. The ICS is designed to focus on creating an opportunity for interagency planning dialogue rather than a narrated report. The ICS is a key component of the broader planning, budgeting, and performance management process, and serves as the backbone for Mission performance management. The ICS is a strategy document built from a mission-based planning process, and articulates a common set of USG priority Mission Goals and Mission Objectives in the country. The ICS process involves gathering staff from USG agencies in country to analyze country context, the Joint Regional Strategy, and other USG guidance; set priorities for USG activities in the country; and document these in the ICS. The ICS framework articulates Mission Goals, Mission Objectives, Enabling Objectives (management platform), and Action Plans. The ICS is designed to focus on creating an opportunity for interagency planning dialogue rather than a narrated report. Missions are encouraged to build off existing processes for interagency dialogue and planning, but should include the following in their planning process: determining who is involved, consulting with the Regional Bureau, consulting with host country and other stakeholders, and deciding