Barakat Shakir

Barakat Shakir serves as a Contract Specialist within the Contracts and Acquisitions Management unit of the U.S. Department of Education, where they play a pivotal role in executing strategic procurements that advance federal education policy and institutional capacity. Specializing in professional services acquisitions, Barakat manages the full lifecycle of contracts supporting evidence-based research, regulatory compliance, and the modernization of federal student aid and data collection systems. Their work directly enables the agency’s mission to strengthen the infrastructure underpinning postsecondary education through targeted, compliant, and efficient contracting practices. Barakat maintains a consistent working relationship with LPE-STRATEGIES LLC, a primary contractor providing analytical and policy support services. Their procurement approach emphasizes long-term vendor partnerships grounded in performance-based outcomes and clear statement of work definitions. Barakat collaborates closely with contractors to ensure alignment with federal standards and mission-critical deliverables, fostering transparent, accountable, and results-driven vendor engagements. Barakat demonstrates a balanced commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with an equal split between open competitions and Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. This pattern reflects a deliberate strategy to promote equitable access to federal opportunities while maintaining competition and value. While no other set-aside categories dominate their portfolio, their consistent use of small business set-asides underscores a strong dedication to expanding participation by small, disadvantaged firms in education research and technology services. Barakat’s procurement focus is heavily concentrated in NAICS 541720 (Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities), reflecting a deep specialization in academic research, policy analysis, and evaluation services for federal education programs. A smaller but significant portion of their portfolio falls under NAICS 541511 (Custom Computer Programming Services), indicating engagement with data system modernization and analytical software development. Their technical domain expertise centers on supporting federal education data integrity, research methodology, and compliance-driven technology solutions.