Charushila Lal

Charushila Lal supports the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID/India) in managing technical assistance and capacity-building acquisitions aligned with the agency’s mission of fostering resilient public systems in health, environment, education, and infrastructure. She plays a critical role in executing procurement strategies that prioritize evidence-based solutions and local institutional strengthening, typically overseeing contracts for professional, scientific, and educational support services. Her work ensures that USAID’s development objectives are met through high-impact, locally led interventions, often involving complex performance-based contracting approaches that emphasize sustainability and outcomes measurement. Lal collaborates with a diverse range of service providers, including international consulting firms, Indian civil society organizations, and technical experts specializing in public sector reform. While no specific contractor relationships are currently identifiable in the data, her procurement patterns suggest a preference for partners with demonstrated experience in adaptive program management, data-driven policy analysis, and community-based implementation. Her working relationships are characterized by long-term, performance-oriented engagements rather than transactional procurement, reflecting USAID’s emphasis on capacity transfer and local ownership. Lal’s contracting activity reflects a strong orientation toward open competition, with 100% of acquisitions classified as “No Set-Aside,” indicating a focus on merit-based selection rather than socioeconomic set-asides. This approach aligns with USAID/India’s strategic emphasis on leveraging the broadest possible pool of technical expertise, including both domestic and international providers, to achieve high-quality development outcomes. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541990 (All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services), encompassing technical advisory services, monitoring and evaluation, and institutional diagnostics. She also regularly procures educational support services under NAICS 611710, including curriculum development, teacher training systems, and learning analytics platforms. Her domain expertise centers on climate-resilient infrastructure, forest governance, and pandemic preparedness, with a consistent emphasis on locally adapted, data-informed solutions.