Lourdes Valones

Lourdes M. Valones serves as a Senior Acquisition & Assistance Specialist at USAID/Afghanistan (720306), where she leads the planning, solicitation, and award of complex procurement and assistance instruments to advance sustainable development and institutional capacity building. Her work directly supports USAID’s mission by securing technical expertise and infrastructure services critical to governance, economic resilience, education, and health system strengthening. She manages a diverse portfolio of contracts and cooperative agreements, primarily in construction, engineering, and professional services, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and U.S. foreign assistance policy. Her role requires close coordination with technical offices, legal counsel, and implementing partners to align procurement strategy with program outcomes. Valones engages with a broad spectrum of domestic and international contractors, including civil engineering firms, construction contractors, and professional service providers specializing in infrastructure development and technical assistance. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she fosters long-term partnerships with firms possessing proven expertise in post-conflict reconstruction, water systems, and institutional capacity building. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, risk mitigation, and accountability, ensuring that vendor deliverables meet stringent programmatic and compliance standards. Lourdes maintains a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions issued without set-aside designations. This reflects a strategic focus on maximizing technical capability and global competitiveness rather than socioeconomic categorization. While she does not prioritize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, her procurement process remains fully compliant with all socioeconomic reporting requirements and promotes equitable access through transparent, merit-based evaluations. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 236220 (Commercial and Institutional Building Construction), 237310 (Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction), and 541990 (All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services), reflecting her specialization in infrastructure development and technical advisory services. She routinely procures engineering design, construction management, water supply systems, and civil engineering support services, demonstrating deep expertise in delivering mission-critical infrastructure in complex operational environments.