Millennium Challenge Corporation Funds Development and Good Governance with 21st Century Approach

Supporting country-led change and clear progress towards tangible governance benchmarks is key to the success of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), led by CEO Sean Cairncross. Through their work with partner countries over the past 15 years, the MCC has bolstered economic development while incentivizing policy and institutional reform.  

In conversation with more than 50 diplomats on January 14, 2020 at Meridian International Center, Mr. Cairncross discussed the MCC’s unique development model, the ways that the agency selects and works with partner countries, and how the agency is leveraging private sector financing to improve development outcomes around the world. Cairncross, who took his post in June 2019, was previously Deputy Assistant to President Trump, Senior Advisor to the White House Chief of Staff, and COO of the Republican National Committee for the 2016 election cycle. 

The conversation was moderated by Alonzo Fulgham, Non-Executive Director at Palladium Group and Meridian Counselor. Fulgham, who served in many roles at USAID over 20 years, including as Acting Administrator and Chief Operating Officer, helped contextualize the Millennium Challenge Corporation within the U.S. government’s 20 agencies that fund or execute foreign assistance activities.   

MCC Resources: 

Report on the Selection of Eligible Countries for FY2020 

2020 Country Scorebook 

Report on the Criteria and Methodology for Determining the Eligibility of Candidate Countries FY2020