Partners’ Day 2015: Working with USAID

2015 Partners' Day

Partners’ Day: Working with USAID

On December 1, 2015 the Management Bureau’s Office of Acquisition and Assistance hosted a Partners’ Day event called Working with USAID.

About the Event:

USAID Partners' Day

Date: December 1, 2015
Time: 8:15am to 5:00pm
Location: Ronald Reagan Building, Atrium Hall
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004

The purpose of this event was to share with and engage partners on the topics, challenges, and best practices for working with USAID.

The day was broken up into short plenary sessions, followed by more in depth breakout discussions. Throughout the event, a Marketplace was open to meet with and learn more about the work USAID is doing around the world.

There were two tracks for partners attending -- one for organizations that have never worked with USAID or are new to working with the Agency, and one for existing USAID partners. 

Materials from the Event: USAID will be posting all of the presentations as well as hand-outs provided during the event on this page. 

Questions: Contact the Management Bureau’s Office of Acquisition and Assistance at m.oaa.comms@usaid.gov.

Agenda:

8:15am to 9:00am --Registration (Atrium)

9:00am to 9:05am -- Event Welcome:  Mark Walther, Acting Director of the Management Bureau’s Office of Acquisition and Assistance (M/OAA)

9:05am to 9:25am -- USAID’s Vision for Ending Extreme Poverty: Alex Thier, Assistant to the Administrator, Bureau for Policy, Planning, and Learning (PPL)
>> Ending Extreme Poverty (PDF 2.7 MB)

9:25am to 9:40am -- FY 2015 in Review: Mark Walther, Acting-Director, M/OAA  
>> Materials from event (PDF 890 KB )

9:40am to 9:55am -- U.S. Global Development Lab: Lona Stoll, Director, Center for Global Solutions   
>> Materials from event (PDF 2.7 MB )

9:55am to 10:25am – Remarks by Partner Associations: InsideNGO, InterAction, Professional Services Council (PSC),
Small Business Association of International Development Companies (SBAIC), Society for International Development--
Washington (SID-W)   >> Materials from event (PDF  6.2 MB)

10:25am to 10:45am -- Break & Marketplace Opens  

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

10:45am to 11:45am -- Round 1 of Breakout Sessions

Session 1: 
New Partners Track

 Session 2: Session 3:

Working with USAID 101: This session provided new partners tips, resources, and info on how to begin working with USAID. It will covered some of the many acronyms at USAID and provide tips on how to read an RFP and NFO.

>> Working With USAID 101 (PDF  2.5 MB)

>> Notes from Working with USAID 101 Breakout Session (PDF 38 KB)

>> Working With USAID 101 Handout (PDF  208 KB)

Understanding PALT: The session examined the milestones that USAID tracks in Procurement Action Lead Time (PALT). It will examined best practices and discussed on how PALT impacts partners.

>> PALT (PDF 3.7 MB)

>> Notes from Understanding PALT  (PDF 40 KB)

Innovations in Acquisitions & Assistance (A&A):
USAID has begun using new and creative A&A tools. This session covered some of the new instruments like the Broad Agency Announcement.

>> Innovations in Acquisitions & Assistance (A&A) (PDF 732 KB)

>> Notes from Innovations in Acquisition and Assistance (PDF 205 KB)

12:00pm to 1:05pm – Networking Lunch

Remarks by Angelique Crumbly, Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Management

Keynote Remarks by USAID’s Associate Administrator Eric Postel

1:15pm to 2:15pm -- Round 2 of Breakout Sessions

Session 1:

New Partners Track

 Session 2: Session 3:

Requirements of New Partners: During this session New Partners learned about the requirements of receiving USAID funds -- including SAM, financial stmts, DUNS, etc.

>> Requirements of New Partners (PDF 7.9 MB )
 
 
 

Streamlining Assistance & Flexible Contracting: This session helped partners understand how the streamlined assistance and flexible contracting is being used and how it is impacting their partnership with USAID. 

>> Streamlining Assistance _ Flexible Contracting (PDF 3.3 MB)

>> Notes from Streamlining Assistance and Flexible Contracting (PDF 47 KB)

Choice of Instrument: The session will be to discuss how USAID makes Choice f Instrument (Acquisition vs. Assistance) determinations.

>> Choice of Instrument (PDF 612 KB)

>> Notes from Choice of Instrument (PDF 43 KB)

 

2:25pm to 3:25pm -- Round 3 of Breakout Sessions

Session 1:

New Partners Track

 Session 2: Session 3:

Mission Perspectives: This session covered best practices for working with USAID’s Missions.

 

Policy Brief: USAID is regularly putting out new policies that impact partners. The purpose of this session was to review new policies implemented over the last year and to discuss upcoming policy changes. 

>> Policy Brief (PDF 713 KB)
 
>> Notes from Policy (PDF 44 KB)
 
 
 

Small Business at USAID: This was a briefing by OSDBU providing info and resources for small business wanting to/working with USAID. It also included a discussion of USAID Small Business goals and steps being taken to achieve them.

>> Small Business (PDF 1.2 MB)

3:25pm to 3:45pm -- Coffee & Tea Break

3:45pm to 4:45pm -- Round 4 of Breakout sessions

Session 1:

New Partners Track

 Session 2: Session 3:

Briefing by the Ombudsman and Business Forecast 101: During this session the Agency’s Ombudsman discussed her role and responsibilities and shared how partners can use the Ombudsman. In addition, USAID will discussed how the Business Forecast is created and shared how partners can use the Forecast.

 
>> Notes from Ombudsman (PDF 39 KB)

Working with Compliance & Ethics Concerns: During this session partners learned more about USAID’s Compliance Division, including key factors in staying compliant with USAID. There was also a discussion with USAID’s General Counsel on common ethics concerns with partners and USAID.

>> Compliance Ethical Concerns (PDF 453 KB)

>> Notes from Working with Compliance and Ethical Concerns (PDF3 8 KB)



>> Compliance Division Role (338 KB)

Ask the Procurement Executive: We realize that partners may have many other questions. This was an open session with USAID for partners to ask questions about working with USAID.