As part of USAID’s Digital Strategy, the Agency is committed to building a “USAID of tomorrow” – investing in the long-term professional development of its workforce.  The Digital Development Executive Fellowship (DDEF) plays a key role in fulfilling this commitment, creating a three-year professional development tour in which career USAID Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) focus on the intersection of technology, cybersecurity, and digital development. The DDEF offers new opportunities for USAID staff to engage with the private sector to collaborate and leverage one another's unique resources, assets, and skillsets.

During the fellowship, USAID staff spend one year in the Innovation, Technology, and Research (ITR) Hub's Technology Division, followed by a year in a large technology company before returning to their home bureau or operating unit. Learning from one another to better address global humanitarian and development challenges — while also working towards a future where digital technology promotes inclusive growth, fosters resilient and democratic societies, and empowers all, including the most vulnerable.