Promoting Competitiveness in Practice - Economic Growth - usaid

USAID’s more recent experience in implementing activities that are explicit efforts to
promote cluster development.
Lastly, this compilation provides a snap-shot of USAID’s portfolio as of January 2003. In the
interim, many USAID missions have expanded or added new competitiveness initiatives;
indeed, many of these activities were obligated in September 2003 at the end of USAID’s
fiscal year. The portfolio is definitely growing – and growing very rapidly. In light of this
growth, USAID may wish to consider up-dating this compilation on a regular basis.
Key Findings
As of January 2003, USAID had carried out cluster-based competitiveness activities in 26
developing countries. The total value of these activities was nearly $60 million. These activities
range from introduction of competitiveness principles and bench-marking a country’s
competitive position (relatively small-scale and low-budget activities) to full-scale cluster-based
competitiveness initiatives. The chart below reflects the number of countries in which USAID
has undertaken competitiveness activities and their value by USAID’s Regional Bureaus.
USAID Regional Bureau
Number of Countries Value
Africa Bureau 2 $2,746,182
Asia and Near East (ANE) 9 $25,211,888
Europe and Eurasia (E&E) 13 $29,352,089
Latin America & Caribbean (LAC) 2 $2,652,927
Total USAID Portfolio 26 $59,963,086
Clearly, most of USAID’s cluster-based competitiveness work has taken place in the Europe and
Eurasia region, as well as the Asia and Near East region. However, it is important to note that in
both regions, the portfolio is dominated by a few major initiatives. Specifically:
In the Europe and Eurasia region, three of the thirteen countries comprise 82% of the
portfolio. The portfolio is dominated by these three country initiatives:
Macedonia: $11,674,375
Georgia: $ 9,000,000 12
Croatia: $ 3,280,716
Similarly, in the Asia and Near East region, three of the nine countries comprise 75% of
the portfolio. The portfolio is dominated by these three country initiatives:
Sri Lanka: $11,343,067
Mongolia: $ 4,650,928
Lebanon: $ 2,826,925
12 Estimated amount as of January 2003. At the time of the desk review, USAID had not begun to implement the
initiative in Georgia; implementation was scheduled to begin in spring 2003. As a result, this initiative is not
included among the seven major and/or most mature USAID initiatives described on the next page.
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