Ellen Zehr

Ellen Zehr serves as Supervisory EXO at USAID/Iraq, where she leads the planning, execution, and oversight of technical assistance acquisitions aligned with the agency’s mission to strengthen institutional resilience and governance capacity. In this role, she manages a portfolio of performance-based contracts for expert advisory services, capacity-building programs, and public administration support, ensuring alignment with U.S. foreign assistance priorities. Her acquisitions focus on delivering sustainable outcomes through localized expertise, emphasizing outcomes-based contracting and performance metrics to drive accountability and long-term impact. Zehr collaborates closely with a diverse array of contractors specializing in governance, economic development, and public sector reform, including U.S.-based consulting firms, international development contractors, and Iraqi-led entities with technical capacity in institutional strengthening. Her contracting patterns reflect a preference for performance-based, task-order contracts that enable flexible, adaptive implementation in complex operating environments. She maintains strong working relationships with vendors capable of delivering high-level technical assistance, training, and systems design tailored to Iraq’s evolving institutional needs. A strong advocate for socioeconomic inclusion, Zehr consistently prioritizes 8(a) competed set-asides, directing 75% of her acquisitions to small businesses certified under the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program. This commitment reflects USAID/Iraq’s strategic emphasis on empowering underrepresented firms and building local entrepreneurial capacity. Her contracting approach integrates socioeconomic goals with technical outcomes, ensuring that small business participation enhances both program effectiveness and long-term market development in Iraq. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 812990 (All Other Personal Services), reflecting a heavy reliance on expert consultants for governance, performance management, and democratic institutional support. She also regularly procures NAICS 611430 (Professional and Management Development Training) services to build the capacity of Iraqi civil servants and local organizations. Zehr’s expertise centers on deploying specialized technical personnel to advance institutional reform, with a clear emphasis on locally led, sustainable development outcomes.