Reply to Help - Former USAID contractor -- zero interviews in a year

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I say this with respect because I know there’s a lot of affected people here (in addition to the OP), but could someone please explain how/why the people at this org were paid so much before when it seems like their actual skills just didn’t warrant that high level of pay? Is this typical in government orgs? I knew government positions paid a lot more than I originally expected, but I was told that they need to pay those salaries (in addition to the security that has historically also come with government positions) in order to staff the positions.[/quote]

This is because the whole industry was dependent on federal funding, so the floor dropped out, and all experts were suddenly redundant.  However I think it’s very questionable to have been using taxpayer dollars to essentially create an industry that has no transferable value.  It is tough to set appropriate compensation in the non-profit world as there is no ‘buyer’ to set prices.  Practically and ethically, billionaires, like the gates foundation or true missionaries should be footing that bill instead of taxpayers. [/quote]

You could say the same thing about the defense industry. And that's much bigger and employs far more people.[/quote]

Well nobody has been saying what these nebulous skills are. Is it just grant writing? Making policy? Writing white papers? Won't somebody please be brave and say what people did? I'm sure some of it is transferable.

As for the denfense industry, I have only a good sense for IT and the different systems and needs are vast. But perhaps contracts management and procurement would be a highlighted feature in this industry? It seems that nobody in government is very good at it. If they are then their hands are tied with ridiculous regulations on how to choose and oversee contractors since it seems that there's no spending limit and no rules these days. [/quote]

Np here. Here is some of What We Did/Skills We Have:
-managing multimillion dollar global contracts, ensuring contract compliance and delivering technical results (in health, education, and more)
- managing large international teams, including across continents
- designing cutting edge programs
- managing grants and subcontractors
-diplomacy and managing counterpart relationships with foreign govs and global organizations
-public speaking and representing the USG
- extensive writing (reports, briefing materials, technical guidance etc etc)
- condicting projecr auditd and evaluations
- responding to requests from Congress, the GAO, the White House (whomever was in there)
- collaborating with USG colleagues at the Depts of State, Treasury, Commerce, Justice, and many more

This is just a taste. Lots of it is highly transferable.[/quote]

Did he have any contracts with concrete deliverables? Metrics for health and education are extremely subjective. Does he have accounting or law degree or MBA?

So managing international teams, was he the direct supervisor of those international teams responsible for for hiring and firing?

Drop the cutting edge program, that is weasel word filler

I would drop grant work — giving away money without a contract in place doesn’t really match to corporate experience

Diplomacy? You should speak to the level he interacted with of acting on behalf of USG — negotiating with Ambassadors from Haiti and Senegal etc

Public speaking and extensive writing is default skill/table stakes for any corporate role; calling it out looks amateurish.

Conducting audits — CPA or accounting degree or certificates?

The last two bullets sound kind of silly, so you responded to your orgs leadership and coordinated with other departments? That is standard corporate expectations, I would be concrete if you spoke to Congress or wrote MOU between Commerce and USAID etc. [/quote]

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