Deborah G. Perlman

As a Contracts/Grants Officer at several overseas USAID Missions, I was responsible for:

• Awarding and Managing Agreements: developed and authorized solicitations that led to contracts, grants, and other agreements with non-profit and for-profit organizations in a wide range of technical areas, including health, education, civil society, economic development, peacebuilding, and the environment.

• Partner Selection: played a key role in selecting implementing partners (organizations that carry out USAID-funded projects) and ensuring the integrity and fairness of the selection process.

• Financial Management: conducted cost and price analysis, negotiated contracts, and ensured that funds were used efficiently and effectively.

• Compliance and Oversight: monitored the performance of partners, ensuring compliance with contract terms and USAID regulations.

• Strategic Planning and Program Design: worked with technical teams to integrate acquisition and assistance strategies into program design and strategies.

• Supervising local staff and overseeing the work of project managers.

• Overseas postings: USAID/West Bank and Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel; USAID/Caucasus, Tbilisi, Georgia, with additional responsibility for Armenia and Azerbaijan; USAID/Guatemala, Guatemala City.

• Provided program design, implementation and closeout support on the USAID Syria Regional Program, based in Turkey. Mentored program development officers and grants managers in designing activities, reviewing budgets and grants documentation, and writing final reports.

• Drafted reports, participated in strategy reviews, ensured contractual compliance, and tracked budgets and expenditures for multi-million dollar contracts.

• Business Development: Served in leadership roles for proposals including leading proposal teams; writing technical proposals; mentoring junior staff; and providing input on innovations and best practices in democracy and governance proposals. Conducted in-country assessments, including extensive meetings with government counterparts, civil society leaders, private sector, and representatives from U.S. Government agencies and international donors in Timor-Leste, Vietnam, Thailand, Malawi, Sri Lanka, Armenia, and Kosovo.

• Facilitated internal knowledge sharing among Democracy & Governance and Conflict & Disaster Management practitioners around the world.

Monitored political developments in East Asia and tracked; assessed governance and anticorruption indicators in the region; managed internal budgeting and program planning; and reviewed consultant deliverables.

• Researched and wrote policy memos; tracked and analyzed legislation and current events on a wide range of foreign policy issues; and met with constituents and lobbyists to discuss foreign affairs and legislation.

• Coordinated legislative and advocacy work on Darfur, including convening NGO groups, meeting with legislative staff, and writing policy memos, and accompanied a delegation of Members of Congress to meetings at the United Nations.