Lunch hour at ONE tends to vary. Sometimes we go out for sandwiches, sometimes we stay in and heat up frozen and pre-cooked meals, and sometimes we sit down with partners and talk about innovative ways to combat extreme poverty. Today was the latter, as ONE staff shared a lunch hour with staffers from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).

The MCC is a government agency created to be unlike any other foreign assistance program. By focusing on country ownership and sustainable long-term economic growth, the MCC represents a new, transparent, accountable, and results oriented approach to development aid. So what is it that makes MCC different?

MCC uses a series of 17 economic indicators to determine which countries meet a minimum standard to receive funding, known as the “threshold.” From this, eligible countries create program “compacts” based on what they see as their needs. It is true country ownership. The MCC then picks the best programs and funds them for a multi-year period while monitoring progress.

What this adds up to is the funding of the commonly overlooked, but incredibly necessary, long-term growth mechanisms that are developed by the recipient country and accountable to show results. In addition, the threshold that countries must meet provides clearly laid out goals for non-eligible countries to strive for. The Millennium Challenge Corporation is a functioning example of foreign assistance done in a smart and successful way.

For some success stories, check out some of the progress reports on our issues pages, including a report on the MCC program in Tanzania.

ONE would like to thank Aaron Sherinian, Neneh Diallo, Sherri Kraham, Jonathan Bloom, and Jim Mazzarella for a wonderful lunch session!

-Ian McGroarty, US Field Intern