ACQUISITION & ASSISTANCE SUPPORT
We have an experienced team of Grants and Contract Specialists, and attorneys. We have experience in all phases of the acquisition and assistance life cycle: planning; solicitation; evaluation; negotiation, award and administration of both acquisition and assistance instruments. We've worked on projects that range from an individual cost analysis to longer-term provision of acquisition and assistance support services on an as needed basis; we have managed the GAO protest process on the Government side, and handled post-closeout audit findings. We have no conflicts because we only with directly with USAID. Because we only bill for time spent on a project (rather than charging a retainer or billing for full-time support), our services are cost-effective and provide the flexibility that our clients often need. Contact us to learn more about how this works.
We have provided acquisition & assistance support to the USAID missions in Zimbabwe, Central Asia, South Sudan, India, Kosovo, Vietnam, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine, South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Democratic Republic of Congo; and have trained USAID staff at the missions in Burma, Egypt, Colombia, Ghana, and the regional training center in Thailand.
STRATEGY AND PROGRAM SUPPORT
We provide a full range of program and project development services to accomodate both short- and long-term needs. Our consultant network of program and project design officers, technical officers (including Democracy, Human Rights & Governance, Health, Economic Growth, Education, Agriculture, and Environment), and former mission leadership has experience in all aspects of the program cycle: strategic planning, project/activity design and implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. Whether overseeing the strategic development process (CDCS or Strategic Framework), aligning technical portfolios, drafting operational policies, developing or reviewing program descriptions and statements of work, or coordinating and leading mission retreats (on various topics, including adaptive management and new procurement initiatives), we provide the expert surge support to help Missions bring their strategic and programmatic aspirations to life. Where possible, our support integrates training and mentoring to grow mission capacity and reduce future need for our services. Because we only bill for time spent on a project (rather than charging a retainer or billing for full-time support), our services are cost-effective and provide the flexibility that our clients often need.
PROCUREMENT STRATEGY & ADVICE
Not all of our clients are acquisition and assistance professionals. Many are technical experts that need help translating their programmatic concepts and strategies into a feasible procurement plan that will achieve results. We have experience in policy development, and in both strategic and procurement planning; and we are expert advisors on government acquisition and assistance regulations. We often serve as a liaison between the technical office and the Contracting Officer, advocating for the technical office's procurement goals and helping to streamline the procurement action lead time.
TRAINING
While we know that outsourcing is often necessary, we are also committed to building up the skills of Government employees to reduce your need to outsource work. With our experience in facilitating workshops and training courses, we create customized training plans for your staff members. We also review Acquisition and Assistance Specialists' work before it is sent to the Contracting Officer, and we provide guidance and feedback to enhance their understanding of their work for future improved performance and efficiency.
COVID-19 has made it harder for everyone to get the in-person training they need, but we have been training people remotely for years. We provide remote mentoring, webinars, and one-on-one training programs for new hires.
We also offer a training platform for self-paced, remote courses that are tailored to your mission’s needs. Contact us for a demonstration of how it works.