USAID has issued a blanket stop-work order to all its implementing partners — one that states organizations must “take immediate action” to pause implementation of USAID-funded activities, and immediately acknowledge they’ve done so with their contracting officers at USAID.
The notice flips how stop-work orders have been handled since last Friday. Previously, contracting officers alerted implementing partners on a case-by-case basis if they needed to halt their work. Now, implementing partners are required to independently pause all USAID-funded activities and report back to the agency.
The notice came after USAID slashed hundreds of staff positions, from those at the senior executive level to institutional support contractors at the bureaus of global health and humanitarian assistance.