40 years of DAI

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the mid- and late 2000s, the company under- took some promising initiatives with PEPFAR funding. In Zambia, the Market Access Trade and Enabling Policies Project provided HIV/ AIDS training for businesspeople; in Lesotho, ECIAfrica organized a powerful grassroots group, the Lesotho Apparel Alliance, to fight HIV/AIDS in the clothing industry; and in Ethiopia, DAI administered a novel “urban agriculture” program that gave women affected by HIV/AIDS the tools they needed to raise their standards of living and nutrition. As these initiatives unfolded, DAI was learning to respond to yet another international health threat. H5N1, the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, seemed to emerge suddenly. In the mid-2000s, a series of outbreaks hit Asia, especially China, Indonesia, and Turkey. In 2005, USAID transformed a long-term project in Armenia—adjacent to Turkey, one of the outbreak countries—into an avian influenza initiative, and suddenly DAI personnel had an unexpected challenge on their hands. In a classic case of give and take between donor and implementer, DAI urged USAID to focus less on veterinary issues and more on cultural problems. “We’re not going to change the behavior of chickens,” insisted Gary Kilmer, Chief of Party at the time, “we’re going to change the behavior of people.” That fall, DAI converted a livestock health program into one of USAID’s largest avian influenza response programs, mapping poultry sectors, designing compensation schemes for DAI’s work to combat HIV/AIDS went beyond medical concerns to address economic and legal issues, as well. Above: A march organized by a DAI project in Zimbabwe publicizes a program to provide legal services to HIV/AIDSaffected people. Below: Orphans in DAI’s urban agriculture program show off the food they have grown using an innovative growbag system. 99
DAI built on its experience in agriculture, animal and plant health, community engagement, and emergency response to launch a successful practice in avian influenza control. It has expanded to cover a wide range of emerging infectious diseases. 100 producers who lost their birds, and coordinating basic assistance. DAI also established the Bethesda-based Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards (SPS) project team to work in tandem with a USAID global task force helping farmers, processors, and marketers to develop and follow basic sanitary and hygiene practices. When USAID announced a three-year contract to build up international capacity for avian and pandemic influenza response, DAI had the experience and capability to win. Work began on the $35 million Stamping Out Pandemic and Avian Influenza (STOP AI) Project in 2007, with DAI providing the interface between federal agencies and international entities. As often happens, one DAI professional emerged as a leader as the practice developed. In this case it was Jerry Martin who, during the 2000s, parlayed 25 years of development experience into a specialty in disease-related work. With the full support of top management, Martin established DAI’s newest practice area by consolidating DAI’s avian influenza and HIV/ AIDS expertise into a single health sector in the spring of 2009. With that step, Martin noted, “DAI is taking a leadership role at the crucial intersection where human health, animal health, and economic development come together.” Intersections of another kind—crossroads where development opportunities and development professionals could come together—had long been of interest to DAI. Don Mickelwait had long ago decided that a presence abroad might generate new contacts and new contracts. By
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2 DAI, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA www.
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FOreWOrd There are three reasons we
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chapter One Something to believe In
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Chapter One Something to Believe In
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Development By 1979, the notion tha
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It was Charles Franklin “Charlie
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law in Delaware, where many small c
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ects in Africa. Hatch held a newly
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Most staff members who joined DAI i
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tise, energy, and especially money.
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Barclay encountered Charlie Sweet,
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after Barclay. In early 1978, he be
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norm after this. The offering docum
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gathered in the well-appointed surr
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Chapter Two Learning by Doing, 1981
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spending, and demand in the technic
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several senior managers, including
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Back on the Growth Path Don Mickelw
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second was that the firm was ready
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spurs and become assets in the firm
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A Different Direction By 1981, soon
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in rural enterprise development and
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cided to begin providing annual cas
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DAI began to grow again, he grew re
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front, it seemed likely that ICF wo
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Chapter Three The Fresh Faces of De
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household word. USAID had commissio
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Page 74 and 75: Chapter Four Farther and Faster, 20
Page 76 and 77: Barclay could not have known then t
Page 78 and 79: Tactical deployment of grants was t
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Page 84 and 85: highly successful. Said Abu Hijleh,
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Page 88 and 89: When new projects first appeared in
Page 90 and 91: Transformation and Transition The e
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Page 94 and 95: Chapter Five Pulling Together, 2005
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Page 98 and 99: Ownership, however, could be figura
Page 100 and 101: advantage, USAID would favor a comp
Page 102 and 103: As Jim Boomgard noted, “Developme
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Page 106 and 107: In his role as COO, empowered by Ba
Page 110 and 111: the mid-1990s, DAI had begun to ext
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Page 117: DAI Advancing Human Prosperity
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