Performance Evaluation of the Standards Alliance

The main goal of the Standards Alliance was to prevent unnecessary technical barriers to trade and promote the adoption of international standards. The Standards Alliance implemented over 100 projects in 25 countries, including Central America, Colombia, East African Community, Indonesia, Mexico, Middle East/North Africa, Peru, Southern African Development Community, Vietnam/ASEAN, and Yemen. In 2016, USAID modified the agreement to expand activities to five additional countries, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mozambique, Senegal, and Zambia, as part of the Trade Africa Initiative. The evaluation team conducted a desk review, field visits, stakeholder interviews, and a survey questionnaire to evaluate the effectiveness, impact, and sustainability of the Standards Alliance. The team reviewed assessments, work plans, quarterly and annual reports, and event materials to provide background information and qualitative and quantitative data. The team chose Indonesia, Peru, and Zambia as countries for evaluation field visits using selection criteria to ensure diversity in geographic influences. The Standards Alliance achieved several successes, including the publication of a uniform plumbing code (UPC) for Indonesia and the first Indonesia National Standard for plumbing – SNI 8513:2015, which was completed in March 2015. The opening of IAPMO testing and certification laboratory in Indonesia was another significant achievement. Additionally, 17 Standards Alliance countries increased their total number of notifications compared to the previous year (between 2016-2017). One of the greatest successes of the Standards Alliance was the ability to bring U.S. regulators to foreign governments and allow for regulator-regulator dialogue. This type of interaction marked a new and strengthening level of engagement by the U.S. government. Despite its many successes, the Standards Alliance also faced some challenges, including financial constraints. The five-year budget allocated to the Standards Alliance was significantly less than the European Union's annual spending on similar activities, which was $13 million in 2010. The Standards Alliance's collaboration with other USAID projects, regional organizations, and government counterparts helped to promulgate U.S. perspectives on standards and technical barriers to trade worldwide and helped broaden the U.S. trade footprint. The Standards Alliance's work also contributed to the increased understanding of the WTO TBT agreement through trainings, official visits, and conferences. The evaluation team identified several areas for improvement, including the need for more robust and transparent engagement with the private sector in standards development and use. The team also recommended that the Standards Alliance continue to focus on the implementation of the WTO TBT Agreement and the Code of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption, and Application of Standards.