As multilateral institutions, project and policy decisions of the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) are taken by stakeholder country appointees called Executive Directors. The individuals on the front line of the US relationship with the MDBs are the US Executive Directors (USEDs) and Alternate Executive Directors who are posted to their Bank's headquarters and represent the United States in executive board meetings.
The USEDs also represent their MDB to Congress, which has the authority to determine how much and under what conditions US funds will be allocated to MDBs. As the United States voice at these institutions, the USEDs for each MDB are advised by staff from the US Department of Treasury, Commerce, US Agency for International Development (USAID), Environmental Protection Agency, State Department, and occasionally other federal agencies.