Quarterly Report: Fiscal Accountability and Sustainable Trade (FAST) Project

It enables USAID to bring a systems approach to addressing public financial management (PFM), trade capacity building (TCB), macroeconomic planning and policies, and other economic governance issues. FAST supports missions to improve host-country capacity to mobilize revenue and provide public services, policy climate for investment that generates more productive employment and inclusive growth, host-country ability to recover from and mitigate the impact of conflict, natural disasters, or fiscal crises, and host-country institutional capacity to identify, design, and implement better economic policies. During the second quarter of FY 2021, FAST made progress on several tasks, including the Public Financial Management for Payment for Ecosystem Services (PFM for PES) tasks in the Dominican Republic and Peru, support for PFM and DRM programming in Sudan, procurement reform in Kyrgyzstan, the TCB study in Kenya, the Financing for Self-Reliance (FSR) tracker and repository, initiation of the tax policy reform primer, and updated the COVID-19 macroeconomic resilience model. FAST employed teleworking platforms while social distancing, conducting many activities remotely, while local experts operated from the field. The FAST project is demand-driven, as requested by USAID and approved by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR). The FAST team provides the Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (DDI) and the Center for Economics and Market Development (EMD) with a dedicated core staff of experts who provide on-call analysis and expertise on issues of PFM, trade, macroeconomic planning and policies, and other areas of economic governance. FAST rapidly mobilizes to provide constructive technical assistance in PFM and trade to USAID missions and partner countries, serves as a training resource, and serves as a communication resource. The FAST project core management includes the Chief of Party (COP) and the Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP), with access to a Trade Advisor and project management support staff. The COP or DCOP report on all aspects in a weekly meeting with the COR and ACOR. DevTech Systems, Inc. is the prime contractor for the FAST project, with a dedicated core staff of experts who provide on-call analysis and expertise on issues of PFM, trade, macroeconomic planning and policies, and other areas of economic governance. Workstream 1 of the FAST project focuses on technical leadership, including strengthened understanding of leading practices and tools. This workstream includes activities such as updating the COVID-19 macroeconomic resilience model, providing training at the USAID's Economic Growth training, and initiating the tax policy reform primer. Workstream 2 of the FAST project focuses on USAID operating unit and partner country support, including activities such as support for PFM and DRM programming in Sudan, procurement reform in Kyrgyzstan, and the TCB study in Kenya. Throughout the reporting period, FAST made significant progress on several tasks, including the PFM for PES tasks in the Dominican Republic and Peru, support for PFM and DRM programming in Sudan, and procurement reform in Kyrgyzstan. FAST also provided training at the USAID's Economic Growth training and updated the COVID-19 macroeconomic resilience model. The FAST project core management includes the COP and DCOP, with access to a Trade Advisor and project management support staff.