Susan K. George Lako

Susan K. George Lako serves as an Acquisition and Assistance Specialist with USAID/South Sudan, where she plays a critical role in executing procurement and assistance actions that sustain U.S. government operations in a high-risk, resource-constrained environment. She manages a diverse portfolio of contracts and cooperative agreements focused on life support, infrastructure maintenance, and technical services essential to diplomatic and development mission continuity. Her work ensures the operational resilience of U.S. presence by securing mission-critical services aligned with USAID’s strategic priorities in humanitarian stability and institutional capacity building. While no specific contractor relationships are currently identifiable in the dataset, Susan routinely engages with a broad spectrum of professional service providers, including international firms and local implementing partners, to deliver specialized technical assistance and operational support. Her procurement approach emphasizes flexibility, compliance with FAR guidelines, and alignment with USAID’s mission-driven objectives, fostering partnerships that prioritize performance, adaptability, and local engagement in complex operational contexts. Susan’s contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 95% of awards issued without set-asides, indicating a focus on merit-based selection in a limited vendor environment. Nevertheless, she maintains a consistent 5% commitment to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a deliberate effort to include small businesses where feasible and competitive, even amid operational constraints. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541990 (All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services), encompassing advisory, logistical, and technical support functions critical to mission execution. She also regularly procures commercial and institutional construction services (NAICS 236220) and facilities support (NAICS 561210), reflecting expertise in integrating infrastructure, environmental consulting, and personnel services to sustain operations in fragile settings.