Theresa Peta

Theresa Peta serves as an Acquisition and Assistance Specialist at USAID/Zimbabwe, where she plays a pivotal role in designing and managing procurement strategies that align with the agency’s mission of advancing sustainable development and public health outcomes. She oversees the full lifecycle of non-construction acquisitions, from needs assessment and solicitation to award and contract administration, with a focus on technical assistance, institutional capacity building, and community-based programming. Her work directly supports USAID’s priorities in HIV, malaria, nutrition, and local governance by ensuring timely access to high-quality professional services that drive measurable impact. Theresa collaborates with a diverse array of contractors, primarily domestic and international professional services firms specializing in public health, monitoring and evaluation, and technical advisory services. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages firms with demonstrated expertise in development programming, data-driven decision-making, and adaptive management. Her working relationships emphasize performance-based outcomes, rigorous compliance with federal acquisition regulations, and strong collaboration with implementing partners to ensure programmatic alignment. Theresa demonstrates a clear preference for open, competed acquisitions, with 80% of her awards issued without set-aside designations. However, she actively incorporates 8(a) competed contracts into her strategy, reflecting a deliberate commitment to fostering small business participation and expanding opportunities for socioeconomically disadvantaged firms. Her contracting patterns balance broad competition with intentional inclusion, ensuring equitable access while maintaining programmatic rigor. Her procurement focus centers on NAICS 541990 (All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services), with significant activity in 541490 (Specialized Design Services) and 541690 (Scientific and Technical Consulting Services). She regularly procures expertise in public health system strengthening, behavioral change communication, data analytics for development, and institutional capacity assessments, underscoring her deep technical alignment with USAID’s core programming domains.