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CIDC Now Spotlight
July 2024
With the height of summer here and folks heading for the (hopefully cooler) hills, our July 18 meeting will be a virtual-only meeting. We will have a recap and next-steps discussion regarding our July 10 EAB conversation with USAID’s Ruth Buckley and Sarah Rose on the agency’s recent FY23 Localization Progress Report. That conversation focused on areas of mutual interest including the importance of USAID project language better reflecting expectations of locally led development and an interest in how USAID is starting to track a broader set of actions that can elevate local leadership across all types of USAID programs.
Immediately following that we will have a second meeting of our CIDC Annual Conference Planning Committee. This is an ad-hoc group, and all are welcome to share their thoughts and ideas on speakers, themes, and panels related to our December 10 event.
Speaking of sharing, please see information requests below for member comments on the Department of State’s proposal for three FFRDCs and USAID’s draft Economic Growth and Trade policy. Please note the deadlines for each.
Finally, a reminder that we are in the throes of putting together our CIDC Fall Compendium: U.S. Development Companies – Meeting the Challenges of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. We will release this all-digital version in September, timing it with the presentations by the world’s leaders to the UN General Assembly. USAID leadership is aware of our efforts on this and has expressed appreciation and interest in our final product. Please contact Anna Nestler to ensure we include your work on the SDGs.
With that in mind, July’s From the Fields are Fall Compendium submissions from DT Global focusing on SDG Goal #8 – Economic Growth; and ECODIT on Goal #5 – Gender Equality in Development.
Paul Foldi Vice President, International Development Affairs
From the Field
SDG 8: Economic Growth – Creating an Easier Way for Businesses in Kosovo to Finance Exports
With growth in manufacturing and continued expansion of Kosovo’s exports, firms have seen an increased need to finance export contracts (i.e., to pay for the inputs, production, and shipping of exported goods before receiving payment in turn). The USAID Kosovo Compete Activity, implemented by DT Global — which promotes resilient, self-sustaining market systems and improves the private sector’s competitiveness in local, regional, and global markets — has worked to strengthen exporting businesses since launching in 2020. This includes exploring additional financing options that broaden coverage and are structured to meet exporters’ needs, such as cash flow agreements that provide bridge funding to exporters so that they have access to capital while they wait for buyers to pay invoices.
SDG 5: Gender Equality – Promoting Sustainable Development Through Gender Integration
In the land tenure and property rights field, Liberia is advancing women’s rights and strengthening secure land tenure. Through the USAID Liberia Land Management Activity, ECODIT provided training on land tenure to more than 300 community leaders, youth, members of marginalized groups, and town criers—half of whom were women. Participants engaged with each other in open discussions that ended up changing deeply held beliefs. For example, at the beginning of one training, 90% of participants expressed their view that women are not entitled to land rights. After the training, 85% of those same participants changed their mind and supported women’s land rights. This shift in attitudes paved the way for the emergence of new female leaders in the sector and ECODIT is now supporting these leaders with leadership tools and mentorship opportunities, as well as training on dispute resolution and land tenure processes.
Aug 20 GC Meeting on Overturning of Chevron
Please be sure your General Counsels register for this meeting. The main discussion topic will be the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo which signified a reversal of the long-standing Chevron deference and its potential impact on government contractors specifically. We will discuss:
PSC Discusses the Plethora of New Rules
On July 9, Stephanie Kostro, PSC’s Executive Vice President for Policy, discussed with Federal News Radio’s Tom Temin CISA’s proposed rule, “Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act (CIRCIA) Reporting Requirements”, the SBA Direct Final Rule on “Eliminating Self-Certification for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses,” and House-Passed NDAA Provisions. You can read the transcript of the interview here.
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USAID IG Says Climate Programs Lacked “Quality Data”
On July 17, the USAID Inspector General’s office issued a report USAID’s Climate Strategy: Limitations in Information Quality and Agency Processes Compromise Implementation. The report made five recommendations, including the development and implementation of “a process to ensure greenhouse gas reduction results are calculated and measured accurately.”
USAID Seeking Comments on Draft Economic Growth and Trade Policy
USAID is seeking comments on their draft policy by Wednesday, July 24. If members wish to, they may respond directly to the agency, or if they wish PSC to submit their comment, please have your information to Paul Foldi by 5pm Monday July 22. Please group comments in three buckets:
USAID Issues Letter on Procurement and Operations of Drones
On July 2, USAID Senior Procurement Exec Jami Rodgers issued a letter reminding Implementing Partners of recent legislation that bars, as of December 2025, the procurement of “a covered unmanned aircraft system that is manufactured or assembled by a covered foreign entity.”
Action Request - Need member feedback: State/FFRDC proposal
On May 17, 2024, the State Department published a notice in the Federal Register announcing its intent to establish and sponsor three Federally Funded Research Development Centers (FFRDCs) to provide support to the agency in three areas:
The establishment of these three proposed FFRDCs may conflict with services that are capably provided by the private sector including many PSC members. PSC intends to comment on the proposed rule by the due date of August 15 and seeks your feedback regarding the proposed scope of the work to be performed by the FFRDCs, and the presence of any existing private- or public-sector capabilities in these areas that the State Department should be considering. Please send any feedback you may have to the proposal to Paul Foldi before noon Tuesday, July 23, for consideration of inclusion in PSC's comments.
Conversations on AI
On June 27, 2024, PSC and several member companies participated in a Department of State meeting with the Office of the Procurement Executive (A/OPE) on the topic of “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Role It Can Play in Government Procurement.” The focus of this meeting was to solicit industry insights on AI applications and best practices to inform A/OPE polices and processes related to procuring AI products and services.
In line with our positions on AI through our member-driven Roundtable on AI, PSC communicated the need to harmonize agency acquisition practices on AI with administration guidance, include the OMB guidance on “Advancing Governance, Innovation, and Risk Management for Agency Use of Artificial Intelligence” and the need for the federal government to coordinate efforts with external stakeholders, such as the Congress. PSC also noted that strong data governance mechanisms must be implemented to address the many risks associated with overall AI and generative AI specifically. If you are interested in engaging on AI issues and topics through PSC’s Roundtable on AI, please reach out to PSC’s Senior Associate for Public Policy Christian Larsen.
PSC on the Hill
PSC President & CEO David Berteau testified before the House Homeland Security Subcommittees on Border Security and Oversight and Accountability on Tuesday July 9th. The subject of the hearing was Border Security Technology. Berteau emphasized to the members of the joint committees the challenges of acquisition and their impacts on getting innovative technologies to CBP agents. Other witnesses included Sherriff Thaddeus Cleveland of Terrell County, Texas and Carl Landrum, VP of Civilian Programs, Dedrone.
PSC Focus on LPTA Included in SASC Committee Report for FY25 NDAA
In conversations with Congressional leaders and their staffs on the need to continue to better understand the impact of Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable (LPTA) awards on the Industrial Base, PSC prevailed in achieving directive report language included in the Committee Report accompanying the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) version of the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which was passed by the Committee on July 8 by a vote of 22-3. The language calls on the Comptroller General to report back to Congress on the impact of such awards, average labor rates as awarded vs. as executed, and an analysis of obligations and expenditures over the life of the contract. While the GAO report is specific to the Naval Sea Systems Command and supporting warfare centers, PSC believes the data will illuminate similar challenges which impact the entire USG contracting space.
The Washington Post awarded several of PSC’s Council of International Development Companies in its 2024 Top Places to Work:
Abt Global acquired TPSi, a digital solutions firm.
DAI announced the appointment of Tine Knott as President, in which role she will partner closely with DAI Chief Executive Officer Jim Boomgard across the full range DAI’s leadership responsibilities.
EnCompass LLC welcomes New Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Jeanie Greenwell, to Executive Team
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