USAID's top women-owned contractors

Each year, the U.S. Agency for International Development counts on dozens of women-owned contractors to help carry out its development work around the world. Based on Devex analysis, USAID has awarded, on average, 5.9 percent of its annual contract spending to women-owned contractors over the past five years. In fiscal 2015, that figure stood at 4.8 percent, down from 6.4 percent the year before. Only last month, USAID awarded a $16.7 million, five-year contract for the Ethiopia Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Service project to Social Impact, one of USAID’s top women-owned contractors. The vast majority of USAID’s women-owned contractors are small businesses. In fiscal 2013, USAID for the first time met its long-standing statutory goal of awarding 5 percent of contract dollars to women-owned small businesses. After meeting that target two years in a row, USAID fell short of achievement in fiscal 2015, according to recently released figures from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Despite USAID's history of working with women-owned contractors, some stakeholders in the international development community believe that the agency is simply not aiming high enough with its 5 percent target. "[The target] means that 95 percent of the work is not going to women-owned small businesses," said Siobhan Green, co-owner of Sonjara, a women-owned small business which has previously worked with USAID. “There are amazing women-owned businesses providing international development services.” Women-owned small businesses also stressed that USAID’s long-standing preference for partnering with more experienced implementers may be putting them at a competitive disadvantage in both the prime contracting and subcontracting business. “It is difficult to establish a reputation on past performance if USAID and primes are not willing to take the chance. In fact I would support USAID giving credit to primes willing to offer new [women-owned small businesses] a chance to demonstrate value,” said Jane Obbagy, managing director of Obbagy Consulting, another women-owned small business which has previously worked with USAID. Which organizations count among USAID’s primary women-owned contractors? Based on our analysis of U.S. government contract data, Devex ranks USAID’s top 20 women-owned contractors worldwide for fiscal 2015. In determining these rankings, we relied on the U.S. government’s classification of women-owned business, as provided by USAspending.gov. 1. Fintrac Founded: 1975 Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States President: Claire Starkey Obligated USAID contract funding: $44 million Currently implementing projects in Cambodia, Honduras, Kenya and Zimbabwe, Fintrac is a development consulting company specializing in agriculture and food security. Gender integration, environmental protection, health, and nutrition are among the cross-cutting themes incorporated in Fintrac’s work. In fiscal 2015, USAID’s single largest contract obligation to Fintrac was $14 million for the Kenya Agriculture Value Chain Enterprises (KAVES) project. 2. Creative Associates International Founded: 1977 Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States President: Charito Kruvant Obligated USAID contract funding: $43.1 million Comprising more than 1,000 staff, Creative Associates International provides consulting, grant management and other services in 20 countries worldwide. The international development company has over a dozen areas of technical expertise including education in emergencies, economic growth and post-conflict stabilization. In fiscal 2015, USAID’s single largest contract obligation to Creative Associates International was $12 million for transition initiatives in Nigeria through the Support Which Implements Fast Transitions indefinite quantity contract. 3. IBI Founded: 1996 Headquarters: Arlington, Virginia, United States Owner and Chairman: Lucie Phillips Obligated USAID contract funding: $20.9 million Consulting and training services provider IBI implements projects across eight practice areas including public financial management, human and institutional performance improvement, and communications and outreach. While sub-Saharan Africa is the principal geographic focus of IBI, the firm has experience working in over 40 countries worldwide. In fiscal 2015, USAID’s single largest contract obligation to IBI was $10.1 million for the Governance and Economic Management Support Program in Liberia. 4. QED Group Founded: 1998 Headquarters: Arlington, Virginia, United States Owner and Chairperson: Neelima Grover Obligated USAID contract funding: $14.4 million With a presence in 15 countries and 160 full-time staff, the QED Group is an international development consulting firm which provides five core services: monitoring, evaluation, knowledge management, organizational learning and technical support. Democracy and governance, economic growth, and health count as the firm’s areas of expertise. In fiscal 2015, USAID’s single largest contract obligation to the QED Group was $15.4 million for a monitoring support project in the eastern region of Afghanistan. 5. Jefferson Consulting Group Founded: 1998 Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States Chairman and CEO: Julie Susman Obligated USAID contract funding: $12 million A professional services firm catering to the U.S. federal contracting market, Jefferson Consulting Group has several practice areas including government consulting, federal business development, and lobbying. In fiscal 2015, the vast majority of USAID’s contract obligations for the firm were for procurement support activities in the United States. 6. Social Solutions International Founded: 2005 Headquarters: Rockville, Maryland, United States Founder and CEO: Susanna Nemes Obligated USAID contract funding: $10.4 million Social Solutions International is a development consulting firm which provides four core services: research and evaluation, program development and implementation, training and technical assistance, and institutional support services. Global health, gender, environment and emergency preparedness count among the firm’s areas of expertise. In fiscal 2015, the bulk of USAID’s contract obligations for Social Solutions International were for monitoring and evaluation services in the United States. 7. Insight Systems Corp. Founded: 2001 Headquarters: Arlington, Virginia, United States President and CEO: Nancy Abramson Obligated USAID contract funding: $10.4 million A business and technology solutions provider, Insight Systems Corp. provides a range of services including Web development, knowledge management, and business consulting. In fiscal 2015, USAID’s single largest contract obligation to the firm was $5.8 million for the implementation of the Feed The Future Knowledge-Driven Agricultural Development Project in the United States. 8. International Business & Technical Consultants Founded: 1987 Headquarters: Vienna, Virginia, United States President and CEO: Ajay Kalotra Obligated USAID contract funding: $8 million International Business & Technical Consultants, Inc. or IBTCI implements projects in five key areas: financial markets, financial management and accountability, monitoring and evaluation, procurement reform, and sector development. The development consulting firm has worked in over 100 countries and has project offices in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Caribbean. In fiscal 2015, USAID’s single largest contract obligation to IBTCI was $3.1 million for monitoring and evaluation services in Syria. 9. Social Impact Founded: 1996 Headquarters: Arlington, Virginia, United States President and CEO: Rolf Sartorius Obligated USAID contract funding: $4.5 million With experience working in over 100 countries, Social Impact provides a wide range of management consulting, technical assistance, and training services including capacity development, project design, performance evaluation and impact evaluation. The firm has four main practice areas: democracy and governance, health and education, environment, and economic growth. In fiscal 2015, USAID’s single largest contract obligation to Social Impact was $3.6 million for the implementation of the agency’s Food Security Service Center in the United States. 10. Perez Founded: 1940 Headquarters: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States President: Angela O’Byrne Obligated USAID contract funding: $4.4 million Perez is an architectural firm which provides design, construction and real estate development services. Outside the United States, the firm’s geographic experience includes U.S. government facilities in Germany, Afghanistan and Burkina Faso. In fiscal 2015, USAID’s single largest contract obligation to Perez was $4 million for the design and construction of a dormitory building for the American University of Afghanistan. 11. eGlobalTech Headquarters: Arlington, Virginia, United States Obligated USAID contract funding: $4.3 million 12. CounterTrade Products Headquarters: Arvada, Colorado, United States Obligated USAID contract funding: $3.3 million 13. ADR Vantage Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States Obligated USAID contract funding: $3.3 million 14. EnCompass Headquarters: Rockville, Maryland, United States Obligated USAID contract funding: $3.2 million 15. Making Cents International Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States Obligated USAID contract funding: $3.1 million 16. Development & Training Services (recently acquired by Palladium) Headquarters: Arlington, Virginia, United States Obligated USAID contract funding: $2.6 million 17. The Manoff Group Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States Obligated USAID contract funding: $2.5 million 18. Millennium DPI Partners Headquarters: Charlottesville, Virginia, United States Obligated USAID contract funding: $2.5 million 19. Cultural Practice Headquarters: Bethesda, Maryland, United States Obligated USAID contract funding: $2.1 million 20. Sightcomm STARS II Partnership Joint Venture Headquarters: McLean, Virginia, United States Obligated USAID contract funding: $1.9 million Check out more practical business and development advice online, and subscribe to Money Matters to receive the latest contract award and shortlist announcements, and procurement and fundraising news.