Dear Partners,

It is my pleasure to share with you our FY 2021 Annual Progress Report. This report represents the dedicated efforts of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) acquisition and assistance (A&A) workforce working worldwide to support USAID’s Mission, as well as that of our implementing partners.

Last fiscal year, once again, the Agency processed a record number of obligations, with $26.9 billion going through 20,711 A&A actions. The nearly $5.5 billion increase from FY 2020 was due to the Agency’s role in responding to COVID-19 around the world. I’m pleased that our team was able to exceed the Agency’s goals related to Category Management and U.S. Small Business utilization.

In addition to the obligations, there have been a significant number of important global efforts the A&Aworkforce has played a pivotal role in supporting. This has included helping our partners and the Agency effectively respond to COVID-19, implementation of Section 889, responding to the situation in Afghanistan, and more.

As we continue to advance our A&A processes and our team plays an increased role in working with new and local organizations, it is critical that we strengthen our A&A workforce. Earlier this year, while testifying before Congress, the Administrator noted that each of USAID’s Contracting Officers (COs) manage more than $65 million in awards, while COs at other U .S. government agencies manage around $15 million. Looking forward to the new year, we will place a heavy emphasis on adequately staffing our team to meet the needs of the Agency.

We have been conducting a stocktaking exercise of our A&A Strategy, which was released in December 2018. The first-ever A&A Strategy provided a catalyst to improve how we work. Important efforts like the launch of the New Partnerships Initiative (NPI), removing the requirement for contractor salary history to ensure gender pay equity, the creation of new positions within our office as well as a number of other accomplishments. In early 2022, we anticipate releasing a refresh of the strategy that incorporates lessons learned and our continued vision for improving how we do business – including the important efforts to work more with local partners, combat climate change, promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility across all of our partnerships, engage more with the private sector, and address the impacts of COVID.

In closing, I would like to give my deepest appreciation to all of our partners, A&A workforce, and the Office of Acquisition and Assistance (M/OAA) leadership team – Acting Director Luis Rivera, Deb Broderick, and Mike Ashkouri. I look forward to continuing our efforts in the new year.

All the best,

Mark Walther
Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Management

 

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