The U.S. Agency for International Development released a request for proposals, or RFP, in March for a contract worth up to $4.1 billion over 10 years — one of the biggest it has ever put out.
The contract — known as Integrated Procurement Service Agent, or Integrated PSA — covers the purchase and delivery of health supplies for malaria, family planning, and reproductive health.
But more could be done within the contract to promote innovation and transparency, such as changing cost models and committing to publishing more information, according to a review conducted by specialist procurement analysts on behalf of the group Unlock Aid. Members of Unlock Aid — which formed last year to lobby for reform in how aid is delivered — are chiefly contractors interested in innovative service delivery, some of whom are delivering services to USAID.