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PRGI/MyFedAccess
Contract Activity & Project Profiles: Europe/EurAsia - Hungary

1.    Acquisitions & Assistance Training Course for Cognizant Technical Officers (CTOs)
2.    Records Management & Administrative, Secretarial, Clerical and Computer Skills Training


Contract Activity:    Acquisitions & Assistance Training Course for Cognizant Technical Officers (CTOs)


Background:    The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) routinely enters into contracts with vendors to acquire a variety of goods and services in support of its development projects and initiatives. When requirements that need to be fulfilled are identified, the requesting Program/Project Office submits its Scope of Work (SOW) to a Contract Officer. In turn, the Contract Officer incorporates the SOW into the resultant Request for Proposals/Quotations (RFP/Q).

To help ensure the agency receives responsive Proposals/Quotations, the SOW and RFP must clearly describe the technical requirements, as well as the rules and regulations that must be followed by all vendors. The next critical step in the Acquisitions & Assistance process is evaluating the Proposals/Quotations that are submitted by prospective vendors. Finally, after a contract is awarded, a Cognizant Technical Officer (CTO)--historically known as the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative--oversees the actual delivery of the goods and/or services that were procured.

Certain procurement policies are subject to change, and there is a constant turnover of Contract Officers and CTOs; hence, ongoing training must be provided in all phases of the Acquisition & Assistance/Procurement process to ensure compliance with the prevailing procurement policies.

Project Profile:    Professional Resource Group International, Inc. (PRGI) was contracted to design a curriculum and training manuals, provide Subject Matter Experts, and Professional Facilitators to assist government procurement personnel in delivering the Acquisition & Assistance training course for Contract and Cognizant Technical Officers in Hungary and other countries throughout Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America (including the Caribbean Basin), and the Middle East. Case studies, audio-visual materials, small group discussions, and other tools were used to enhance the effectiveness of the overall training presentation.

The course included instructions and guidance on how to write a comprehensive Scope of Work and how to evaluate responses to Request For Proposals/Quotations.

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Contract Activity:    Records Management & Administrative, Secretarial, Clerical and Computer Skills Training

Background:    The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) maintains Missions and Representative Field Offices within various developing countries throughout Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America (including the Caribbean Basin), and the Middle East. USAID Missions and Field Offices are typically staffed with Direct-Hires, Foreign Service Nationals (FSNs), and Third Country Nationals. It is critical that the entire staff is equipped with the requisite skills to effectively implement USAID's initiatives. Hence, there is an ongoing need for Records Management & Administrative, Secretarial, Clerical and Computer Skills Training. Historically, personnel assigned to overseas Missions were systematically rotated to the USAID training facilities in Washington, DC, for training.

However, the training needs spiked significantly in the early 90's when more robust Management Information Systems began to be installed at overseas Missions and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) dissolved, making way for the formation of more than a dozen New Independent States throughout Central & Eastern Europe and EurAsia. It became imperative that all employees assigned to work at the established and new overseas Missions receive training concurrently and in a timely manner. This required the services of a contractor with an in-depth knowledge of USAID's Policies, Standard Operating Procedures, and Management Information Systems, as well as one with significant experience training adult-learners who speak/read English as their second or third language.

Project Profile:    Professional Resource Group International, Inc. (PRGI) was contracted to conduct a pre-cursor survey to assess the training needs, develop curriculum and course materials, and then provide Direct-Hires, Foreign Service Nationals, and Third Country Nationals with expert Records Management & Administrative, Secretarial, and Computer Skills Training. These were instructor-lead heads-on training programs, requiring PRGI personnel to be on-site between two to eight weeks in each country where training was administered, including in Hungary.