USAID/CA Human Resources

The HR Section within USAID/Central Asia/Kazakhstan plays a critical support role in advancing the agency’s mission of fostering sustainable, locally led development through strategic procurement of professional and personal services. While not a formal contracting officer, this function facilitates the administrative and operational backbone of acquisition activities, ensuring alignment with USAID’s technical priorities in governance, health, education, and economic resilience. The section coordinates requirements definition, vendor engagement, and contract administration for non-clinical, capacity-building services, often interfacing with program officers to translate development objectives into actionable procurement actions. Their work ensures compliance with federal acquisition regulations and USAID’s policy framework for locally led development. Contractor relationships are primarily with professional service providers offering technical advisory, institutional strengthening, and capacity-building expertise. The HR Section collaborates with a diverse pool of international and local firms specializing in public sector reform, economic policy analysis, and organizational development. While no single contractor dominates the portfolio, partnerships tend to be project-based and performance-driven, emphasizing flexibility, cultural competency, and alignment with Kazakhstani institutional contexts. Vendor engagement is typically conducted through competitive solicitations, with a preference for firms demonstrating prior experience in Central Asian development environments. The HR Section does not utilize any socioeconomic set-asides, with 100% of procurements conducted under open competition. This reflects a strategic focus on technical merit and operational efficiency over socioeconomic preferences, consistent with USAID’s emphasis on results-driven, transparent procurement in complex international contexts. Primary procurement activity centers on NAICS 541990 (All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services), encompassing technical assistance in governance, public finance, and enterprise development. The remaining 20% falls under NAICS 812990 (All Other Personal Services), supporting logistics, training delivery, and administrative support for field-based programs. The section’s expertise lies in procuring high-impact, knowledge-intensive services that build local institutional capacity without creating dependency.