In May, 2001, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell announced the establishment of the Global Development Alliance (GDA) as a key part of a new business model for USAID. The GDA cooperative agreements aim to launch best practices in public-private partnerships around the world. The model is designed to encourage economic growth, develop businesses and workforces, address health and environmental problems, and expand access to education and technology by helping to broaden development assistance beyond the traditional international donor agencies through the leveraging of resources, alternative approaches, and new technologies of public-private alliances. GDA interventions aim to multiply the overall impact by mobilizing the ideas, efforts, and resources of governmental and nongovernmental organizations, foundations, and private businesses to assist those in greatest need.

The GDA program coordinated by the Academy for Educational Development (AED) consists of five activities. One of these is a U.S.-based global program aimed at furthering the “Education for All” initiative through the use of an education Internet portal. The other three components are field programs based in Nigeria (an accelerated learning program for out-of-school youth); Bangladesh (development of an Asian University for Women); and Nicaragua (a school quality program closely allied to the EXCELENCIA and former BASE Basic Education Program in Nicaragua). Private and NGO alliance partners presently include USAID, AED, Sun Microsystems, Chevron/Texaco of Nigeria, the American Chamber of Commerce of Nicaragua, the American Nicaraguan Foundation, the Asian University for Women and its partners, the Open Society Institute, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with board members from Smith College, Wellesley College, University of Chicago, BRAC University, and Jawaharlal Nehru University.