Margaret R. Benavente, Contracting Officer

Margaret R. Benavente serves as a Contracting Officer for USAID/Afghanistan, overseeing the acquisition of professional, scientific, and technical services critical to advancing U.S. development objectives in Afghanistan. In this role, she manages the full lifecycle of procurement actions—from market research and solicitation to contract award and administration—ensuring alignment with federal regulations, USAID’s strategic priorities, and international development goals. Her acquisitions primarily support governance strengthening, institutional capacity building, and humanitarian resilience initiatives, often involving expert-led technical assistance, evaluation services, and program management support. She operates within a complex operational environment, balancing compliance, performance, and mission impact across a dynamic geopolitical context. While specific contractor names are not publicly available, Ms. Benavente maintains relationships with a broad spectrum of domestic and international firms qualified to deliver high-level professional services in development contexts. Her contracting patterns reflect a preference for experienced contractors with demonstrated expertise in post-conflict institutional development, education system reform, and health sector strengthening. She engages both large prime contractors and specialized subcontractors, fostering collaborative, performance-driven partnerships that emphasize technical rigor and adaptive implementation. Ms. Benavente’s procurement portfolio reflects a 100% non-set-aside approach, indicating a focus on open competition rather than socioeconomic set-asides such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB programs. This reflects the nature of the specialized services required—often necessitating highly qualified personnel with region-specific expertise—where broad competition among qualified firms is prioritized over socioeconomic preferences. Her primary procurement focus is on NAICS 541990, encompassing all other professional, scientific, and technical services. This includes contract vehicles for monitoring and evaluation, policy analysis, training design, civil society engagement, and technical advisory services. Her domain expertise lies in managing complex, mission-critical engagements that demand adaptive management, cultural competency, and deep sectoral knowledge in development economics, governance, and human capital strengthening.