40 years of DAI

Barclay could not have known then that within
just a few years, DAI would more than triple in
size, much of its growth fueled by its strong
performance in post-conflict environments. With
that rapid growth came the opportunity to build
the firm’s reputation as a go-to service provider
for USAID in the most difficult settings, and
enhance its leadership role in the development
community.
Working in the Wake of
Conflict
OTI had been formed with a mandate for flexible
programming because USAID recognized
there was a gap in its toolkit—the gap between
disaster relief delivered on a short-term basis
and longer-term social and economic development
programs. Like other donor agencies,
its business model was not equipped to help
countries through the complex transition period
after conflict ceased, when political, social, and
economic structures were shaky and early gains
could soon be lost. These situations required
immediate funding—much faster than the traditional
project planning cycle—and increased
flexibility, as it would be impossible to know in
advance exactly where to allocate funds and
which local organizations merited support. OTI’s
Barton compared his new approach to venture
capital investing, because it put a premium on
creativity and prudent risk-taking by OTI’s team
and its implementing partners. DAI quickly embraced
the concept.
Photo by Orin Hassan, DAI
DAI’s informal presentation in Barton’s office
went well, probably because there were experienced
Congo hands on both sides of the table.
Although DAI had proposed to run just one of
the four or five regional offices in the new Congo
program, OTI told Barclay, “Yours was the
only group that demonstrated both knowledge
and a genuine affection for the country, so we’re
asking you to manage the whole program.” Just
two weeks after the contract was signed, the
first members of DAI’s project team (including
several who had done Peace Corps service in
Congo) arrived in country, fanned out to open
four regional offices, and began engaging local
organizations to develop ready-made projects
for OTI grant funding. Soon funds were being
disbursed and grants implemented at a pace
and scale that dwarfed previous OTI efforts in
other countries.
SWIFT projects could
involve a wide variety
of work—the key was
to cooperate with
local citizens and act
quickly.
67