2008 annual report - US Trade and Development Agency

Project Definition and Investment Analysis
• Project Definitional Missions and Desk Studies:
One of the earliest stages of project planning is the
development of the scope of an activity that must
be addressed before an investment decision can
be made. USTDA helps to ensure that a project is
appropriately conceived by contracting with technical
specialists to perform this due diligence. Using
U.S. private sector resources and expertise, these
activities provide preliminary assessments of the
economic viability of proposed projects and determine
whether they meet USTDA’s funding criteria.
• Early Investment Analysis and Sector Development:
USTDA provides grants for overseas infrastructure
project planning assistance, such as technical assistance
and feasibility studies. These grants assist in
the development of market-oriented reforms undertaken
by overseas governments and the evaluation
of the technical, financial, environmental, legal, and
other critical aspects of infrastructure development
projects that are of interest to potential lenders and
investors. Further, USTDA supports procurement
assistance to overseas partners as they undertake
fair and open competitive bidding on international
tenders for infrastructure development projects.
Host country project sponsors select the U.S. companies,
normally through open competitions that
perform USTDA-funded activities.
• Orientation Visits: Orientation visits bring foreign
project sponsors to the United States to observe the
design, manufacture, demonstration, and operation
of U.S. products and services that can potentially
help them achieve their development goals. USTDA
uses U.S. firms to assist in the preparation and management
of these customized visits.
• Workshops and Conferences: USTDA organizes workshops,
conferences, and technical symposia worldwide.
These events are sector or project-oriented
and are aimed at connecting overseas project sponsors
with U.S. firms and entities that supply project
finance, technology, and industry expertise that may
be useful in project implementation.
CA
WA
NV
TX
MN
Building Alliances with Other Agencies
As a foreign assistance agency that delivers commercially-based
results for trade and development initiatives,
USTDA works in coordination with numerous
U.S. government agencies. In addition, USTDA’s interagency
cooperation continues in the reconstruction of
Afghanistan and Iraq. USTDA also participates in the
Trade Policy Coordinating Committee process, working
closely with the USTR in delivering trade capacity-building
assistance in connection with ongoing
free trade and World Trade Organization negotiations
and agreements.
• Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC): Working
closely with MCC, USTDA has focused its program
on developing complementary programs in Compact
countries to ensure that development gains are
broad-based and sustainable. In addition, USTDA
has highlighted procurement opportunities under
MCC funding to U.S. industry.
• Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR):
USTDA coordinates with USTR on trade capacitybuilding
activities designed to support bilateral and
multilateral negotiations, such as the U.S.-Colombia
Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) and Trade and
Investment Framework Agreement discussions
around the world. USTDA also coordinates with
USTR on activities that support the implementation
of the U.S.–Dominican Republic-Central America
Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the U.S.–Chile FTA,
the U.S.–Morocco FTA, the U.S.–Jordan FTA,
the U.S.–Peru TPA, and the African Growth and
Opportunity Act.
IA
MO
States visited by USTDA‑sponsored delegations in FY 2008.
OK
LA
WI
IL
AL
MI
TN
OH
GA
FL
PA
VA
NY
CT
NJ
MD
DE
DC
Annual Report 2008 21
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