USAID Terms

Question 1

A&A

Answer 1

Acquisition and Assistance: Acquisition is the purchase of goods and services through a contract. Assistance is the financial support from the U.S. Government to an organization, through a grant or cooperative agreement, to help carry out a project that benefits the community.

Question 2

M/OAA

Answer 2

MANAGEMENT BUREAU OFFICE OF ACQUISITION AND ASSISTANCE

Question 3

ADS

Answer 3

Automated Directives System: The operational policies and procedures that guide USAID’s programs and operations. The ADS contains over 200 chapters and is aligned with current Federal regulations.

Question 4

AIDAR

Answer 4

Agency for International Development Acquisition Regulations: USAID’s supplement to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). It includes Agency-specific contracting policies, procedures, processes, provisions, and clauses.

Question 5

AO / CO

Answer 5

Agreement Officer / Contracting Officer: The AO (for assistance awards) and the CO (for acquisition awards) are the people authorized to enter into a legal agreement with a partner.

Question 6

AOR / COR

Answer 6

Agreement Officer’s Representative / Contracting Officer’s Representative:
The technical experts who work directly with partners on the implementation of a project.

Question 7

APS

Answer 7

Annual Program Statement: A call to action that describes the need for specific types of programs. The “round” or “addendum” is the funding opportunity to address that need. The APS and any addenda or rounds contain important information to help you understand the specific expertise needed to address the challenge we want to solve.

Question 8

BAA

Answer 8

Broad Agency Announcement: A competitive and collaborative process that guides how we
research and develop innovative solutions with public, private, for-profit, and nonprofit partners of all
sizes and nationalities.

Question 9

BPA

Answer 9

Blanket Purchase Agreement: A method of acquiring goods and services under an agreement
when a task order is issued. BPAs simplify the government purchasing process.

Question 10

CDCS

Answer 10

Country Development Cooperation Strategy: The strategy of a USAID Mission––usually a
five-year plan––that provides a road map for development goals and projects. The RDCS––Regional
Development Cooperation Strategy––is the same as a CDCS, but for a region.

Question 11

FAR

Answer 11

Federal Acquisition Regulation: The primary regulations used by all Federal Executive Agencies
in their acquisition of supplies and services.

Question 12

IDIQ

Answer 12

Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity Contract: A contracting mechanism used to acquire
specific recurring supplies and/or services when the exact times and/or quantity of future deliveries
are not known at the time of the award.

Question 13

NICRA

Answer 13

Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement: An estimate of the indirect cost rate negotiated
between the Federal Government and a Grantee or Contractor’s organization. The rate reflects the
indirect costs and fringe benefit expenses incurred by the organization, and its NICRA rate will be
the same for all agencies of the U.S. Government.

Question 14

NOFO

Answer 14

Notice of Funding Opportunity: A solicitation that announces that assistance funding is
available to address a development challenge.

Question 15

RFI

Answer 15

Request for Information: A process to explore ideas and plan for future projects in a particular
area. Responding to an RFI is a great way to introduce your organization and expertise to USAID.

Question 16

RFP

Answer 16

Request for Proposal: A solicitation for acquisition funding that tells you what the Agency
requires for a specific project or activity and how bids will be evaluated.

Question 17

OSDBU (Pronounced Osdibu)

Answer 17

The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) is responsible for monitoring USAID’s implementation and execution of the small business programs and advising the Administrator and senior leadership.

Question 18

PSE

Answer 18

Private Sector Engagement (PSE) refers to the interest of donors and others to work more strategically and systematically with business to meet the SDGs. The private sector plays a vital role in addressing the root causes of development challenges through market-based solutions and investments across all areas of our work, from economic growth, power, agriculture, and global health to humanitarian assistance, women’s empowerment, education, and addressing crisis and conflict.

Question 19

LFT HUB (Pronounced Lift Hub)

Answer 19

LOCAL, FAITH, AND TRANSFORMATIVE PARTNERSHIPS. USAID is strengthening its ability to partner with nontraditional and diverse actors, including local, faith-based, and community organizations; schools and hospitals; minority-serving institutions; foundations; diaspora communities; cooperatives; and volunteer organizations.

Question 20

Faith-based Partnerships

Answer 20

Faith-based organizations serve some of the most vulnerable populations in the world. They are often the first in and the last to leave, and uniquely qualified to identify and meet local needs. USAID is looking to enhance collaboration with faith-based and community organizations.

Question 21

Locally Led Partnerships

Answer 21

When local partners own the agenda-setting and decision-making, development outcomes are often more successful and sustainable. USAID is strengthening its ability to collaborate directly with new and underutilized local stakeholders, and to partner in ways that enable local stakeholders to drive the development process.

Question 22

NPI

Answer 22

New Partnerships Initiative seeks to lower the barriers faced by nontraditional partners—including local actors, U.S. small businesses, faith-based organizations, cooperatives, diaspora groups, and civil society organizations—so that the Agency can embrace the diverse potential of the partnering community in pursuit of our shared development goals. NPI’s vision is to promote funding opportunities and capacity development that elevate local leadership to define the priorities that matter to their communities, design and implement solutions with the full range of development partners, mobilize resources across local systems, and foster accountability for the results.

Question 23

MSI

Answer 23

Partnerships with Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), play an essential role in supporting and connecting with indigenous and underrepresented communities in the U.S. USAID looks to harness the unique perspective and capabilities of MSI for international development and humanitarian assistance.

Question 24

USAID Background

Answer 24

USAID leads international development and humanitarian efforts to save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance and help people progress beyond assistance. USAID is the world’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. USAID works to help lift lives, build communities, and advance democracy. USAID’s work advances U.S. national security and economic prosperity; demonstrates American generosity; and promotes a path to recipient self-reliance and resilience. President John. F. Kennedy created the United States Agency for International Development by executive order in 1961 to lead the US government’s international development and humanitarian efforts. On November 3, 1961, USAID was born and with it a spirit of progress and innovation.

Question 25

Where does USAID work?

Answer 25

USAID works in over 100 countries to:

Promote Global Health
Support Global Stability
Provide Humanitarian Assistance
Catalyze Innovation and Partnership
Empower Women and Girls

Question 26

DIV

Answer 26

Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) is USAID’s open innovation program that funds breakthrough solutions to the world’s most intractable development challenges. By funding innovation and focusing on rigorous evidence, DIV impacts millions of lives at a fraction of the usual cost.

Question 27

ISSO

Answer 27

Information Systems Security Officer

Question 28

M/IRM

Answer 28

Bureau for Management, Office of Information Resources Management

Question 29

LPA

Answer 29

The Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs (LPA) is responsible for managing and coordinating the Agency’s external affairs. LPA serves as USAID’s central point of contact with Congress, the media, interested stakeholders from the international development community, and the American people regarding the Agency’s international development programs and policies. In exercising this leadership role, LPA works closely with the Agency’s Bureaus and Independent Offices, as well as its Federal Advisory Committees.

Question 30

COP

Answer 30

Chief of Party (COP) provides strategic vision for managing the Components and Tasks of this activity, and will oversee activity tasks to ensure quality work and compliance with contractual obligations and results. The COP is responsible for the quality and performance of work that is sub-contracted to other partners.

Question 31

SAM.gov

Answer 31

The System for Award Management (SAM.gov) is an official website of the U.S. Government. There is no cost to use SAM.gov. You can use this site to:

Register to do business with the U.S. Government
Update, renew, or check the status of your entity registration
Search for entity registration and exclusion records
Search for assistance listings (formerly CFDA.gov), wage determinations (formerly WDOL.gov), contract opportunities (formerly FBO.gov), and contract data reports (formerly part of FPDS.gov).
View and submit BioPreferred and Service Contract Reports
Access publicly available award data via data extracts and system accounts

Question 32

Grants.gov

Answer 32

Federal funding opportunities published on Grants.gov are for organizations and entities supporting the development and management of government-funded programs. Using the Grants.gov system makes it faster, easier and more cost effective for grant applicants to electronically interact with federal grant-making agencies.

Question 33

USAID Business Forecast

Answer 33

The Business Forecast provides information about potential funding and partnership opportunities at USAID and offers partners the opportunity to engage with us early in the procurement process. The Business Forecast is issued while activities are still in the planning phase, so the information in it may change over time.

Question 34

IAE

Answer 34

The Integrated Award Environment (IAE) is a government-wide initiative administered by GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service (FAS). We manage the suite of systems, including SAM.gov, that are an essential part of the federal awards lifecycle. The goal of the IAE is to continue to evolve and integrate the existing shared portfolio of multiple online systems used for awarding and administering federal financial assistance (i.e., grants, loans) and contracts.

Question 35

FSN

Answer 35

Foreign Service Nationals (FSNs)represent the largest segment of USAID’s workforce, and are critical to achieving Agency goals. FSNs navigate the local, cultural and political realm in which USAID Missions work, speaking the local languages and providing connections throughout the country. Despite the essential role they play at USAID, FSNs continue to face long-standing barriers to empowerment.

Question 36

DUNS

Answer 36

Data Universal Numbering System

As of April 4, 2022, the nine-digit DUNS number will no longer be used in federal systems, and a new 12-digit alphanumeric code will take its place: the Unique Entity Identifier (SAM), or UEI (SAM).

Question 37

CAGE

Answer 37

Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code supports a variety of mechanized systems throughout the government and provides a standardized method of identifying a given legal entity at a specific location. Agencies may also use the code for a facility clearance, or a pre-award survey.

Question 38

NCAGE

Answer 38

The Commercial and Government Entity Code also known as CAGE Code, is a code assigned to businesses providing a product or service to the United States (U.S.) Government. In the NATO Codification System community, it’s referred to as NATO Commercial and Government Entity Code also known as NCAGE Code.

Question 39

HISP

Answer 39

High Impact Service Provider (HISP), a designation based on the scale and impact of the agency’s public-facing services.

Question 40

PII

Answer 40

Personally identifiable information (PII) refers to information which can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s
identity, such as their name, social security number, biometric records, etc., alone or when combined with other personal or identifying information which is linked or linkable to a specific individual, such as date and place of birth,
mother’s maiden name, etc.

Question 41

DDI

Answer 41

The Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (DDI) is USAID’s central resource for providing world-class technical assistance to its Missions. DDI’s cross-cutting, global perspective will enable the Agency to anticipate and respond to evolving trends and issues, catalyze innovation and financing, and broaden our partnership base, all with the goal of sustainably meeting USAID’s development and humanitarian goals.