Breaking Up with Ivory Towers - the New Age of Foreign Aid Actors

In the ever-evolving landscape of development professional services firms and NGOs, the old ways are meeting their well-deserved demise. COVID-19 has torn down the ivory towers of extravagant downtown offices, challenging the very essence of how we work in the USAID sector.

The emerging young workforce rejects the notion that yoga classes and endless pandering meetings and training are enough to satisfy their ambitions – no matter what some out-of-touch relic executives might believe. It's high time to shatter the old mold, merging the cutting-edge innovations of the tech industry with the noble objectives of humanitarian work. It's about time employees are treated as valuable contributors rather than being relegated to the role of glorified potted plants. The tech industry sets the pace, and the professional services sector, heavily reliant on computer-bound roles, should liberate itself from the drudgery of cubicles and the lure of three-martini lunches.

The 21st century has ushered in a new era where remote work has become a way of life rather than just a necessity. It presents a remarkable opportunity to harness global talent without the exorbitant costs and logistical hassles associated with relocation. In this paradigm shift, the concept of traditional headquarters is ripe for reinvention, as they can be transformed into smaller, fun-ner, vibrant hubs for local employees, while the rest of the workforce seamlessly joins in remotely.

Embracing the wonders of technology, we can create virtual office environments in a matter of minutes, complete with multi-screen conference rooms that beam the smiling faces of remote employees. This setup not only enhances connectivity but also fosters a sense of togetherness despite physical distances. Quarterly in-person gatherings can replace the need for extravagant office spaces, which often serve as little more than costly status symbols.?

Consider, for example, the innovative trend of granting professional employees unlimited personal time off, provided they consistently meet the company's performance standards. This approach empowers professionals to take control of their work-life balance, enabling them to plan their work around their lives, rather than the other way around. Such a policy cultivates autonomy and trust.

Talking of scopes and goals. Professional goals and performance indicators are useless if they remain within the usual corporate jargon of "aligning with the company's mission and values." Instead, under such new conditions, they should provide a clear roadmap for employees, outlining what's expected in exchange for a fantastic and flexible location workplace, highly competitive compensation, opportunities for promotion, travel, continuous learning, and a plethora of other enticing perks. We should aim to breed GOATs, not sheep.

Innovative solutions abound. Explore the idea of hosting quarterly "together" weeks for all key remote home office and program professionals in various international locations, where detailed project performance reviews, strategic business development discussions, mandatory training updates, and team-building events can take place. Surprisingly, even with the investment in these gatherings, the cost pales in comparison to maintaining the opulent glass and cement edifices that line Connecticut and Pennsylvania Avenues.

As we move forward, it's clear that the world of work is transforming rapidly, and companies that embrace these innovative work environments are poised to thrive in this new era of flexibility and adaptability.

It's time for development companies to shed the baggage of excess overhead and armies of executives inventing meeting after meeting. Do we truly need 50 diversity meetings in a year? The professionals working in challenging development environments already understand diversity and inclusion better than anyone else.

The ideal development company's "back office" should consist of a lean team of key individuals, well-compensated for their work and given clear scopes with realistic performance goals. Achieving “team cohesion” is not a performance goal; it's a natural outcome of a well-structured team.

?Envision an ideal "dream football" key executive team, comprised of only 10-15 "indirect" positions. They are handsomely compensated, recognizing the specialized skill of managing public funds. Armed with meticulously outlined scopes of work, these professionals are driven by purpose, not quotas. Their mission: is to streamline systems, offer effective and timely training, introduce easy-to-use templates, engage in process reengineering, and maintain vigilant oversight, all while embracing digital project management. This strategic approach in turn empowers local and international field personnel to assume full responsibility for achieving concrete project outcomes in their respective countries, sparing them the pitfalls of bad habits of the Western Corporateocracy (ever heard of "hostile work environment" complaints?).

Transparency plays a pivotal role in this transformation. Reducing management overhead ensures that the once-mysterious indirect cost pool is now transparent.

Directly charging field or “project” positions required for contract and grant implementation enhance accountability and highlights efficient personnel management (or not). The key to success lies in having the right personnel – confident, highly qualified professionals who can negotiate favorable contractual arrangements with the Government and establish realistic and meaningful work plans. Firms can finally compete based on transparent cost structures and employee retention rates, rather than who can absorb more risk due to excessive executive overhead.

Shifting our focus to the Agency side, it's high time we reconsider the role of contracting officers within USAID. I am sure we can all agree that managing 200% more public funding with 50% fewer COs than NASA is clearly not the answer.

The procurement workforce is the linchpin here and should be the Agency's focus. Why? Because their expertise is Government-originated and can be sustainably maintained within the Government's employ through ongoing training and innovation practices.

Contrast that with technical experts. USAID can never have enough relevant, up-to-date technical expertise, because the "technical" side is in a perpetual state of evolution. It's worth noting that technical experts in any private field tend to lose their relevance within a mere 6-12 months after stepping away from their respective industries. Now consider the extensive onboarding process for Government positions, which often extends well beyond 18 months (collective eye roll). By the time they are onboarded, their expertise is already stale.

The private sector often leads in these areas, making it essential to leverage well-placed contractors for coming up with program design for development objectives, leveraging local private and public sector landscape analysis.

Statements of Objectives (SOOs) should replace Statements of Work (SOWs) to tap into the private sector's expertise.

For USAID, investing instead in the qualified and innovation-driven procurement workforce is paramount, along with reevaluating outdated systems that impose unbreakable ceilings of GS-13/14 for COs and AOs. A skilled and motivated contracting workforce can seamlessly align with efficient implementing partners and drive real impact.

In the world of USAID, change is not merely a buzzword; it's an imperative. The future of development professional services firms and NGOs hinges on their ability to embrace innovation, foster efficiency, and uphold accountability.

As the world undergoes transformative shifts in the way we work, those clinging to outdated practices will find themselves battling to attract the brightest talent and forward-thinking innovators. Meanwhile, their more adaptable competitors, the trailblazers of change, will surge ahead, capitalizing on the potent blend of flexibility, creativity, and adaptability.

The choice is clear: evolve or be left behind in the wake of progress.