Ken Seifert

Ken Seifert serves as Executive Officer for USAID/Ethiopia (720663), providing strategic oversight of procurement operations that advance the agency’s mission of sustainable development and institutional strengthening. In this capacity, he ensures alignment between contracting activities and program priorities in public health, education, governance, and resilience-building. He oversees the acquisition of professional services critical to technical assistance, capacity development, and program implementation, with a focus on consulting services that support Ethiopia’s long-term institutional capacity. His role involves guiding contract strategy, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations, and fostering transparent, results-driven procurement practices that reflect USAID’s development objectives. While specific contractor names are not disclosed in available data, Seifert’s procurement portfolio reflects consistent engagement with professional services firms offering management consulting, technical advisory, and program evaluation expertise. He cultivates partnerships with both large international consultants and domestic Ethiopian firms, emphasizing locally led solutions and knowledge transfer. His contracting patterns prioritize performance-based outcomes, with a strong emphasis on quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and adaptive management approaches. Seifert demonstrates a pronounced commitment to socioeconomic inclusion, with 31.8% of awards directed to 8(a) competed contracts, reflecting a deliberate strategy to empower small, disadvantaged businesses. While the majority of acquisitions (68.2%) are unrestricted, his office actively integrates small business participation into the procurement lifecycle, ensuring competitive opportunities for firms certified under the 8(a) Business Development Program. His primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541611 (Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services) and 541990 (All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services), underscoring expertise in program design, organizational development, and technical advisory support. He regularly procures services related to health system strengthening, governance reform, and mental health programming, relying on consultants with deep contextual knowledge of Ethiopia’s public sector landscape and development challenges.