6 Quarter: April – June 2007

V. CONTRACTS AND GRANTS
Accomplishments during Q6
During Q6, a total of 19 instruments were signed, representing about 20% of the total
instruments (contracts and grants) signed to date. No new task orders were signed during this
period.
In terms of the value of the grants signed during this past quarter, this amount represented
about 42% of the total amount awarded since the beginning of the Program. In terms of the value
of the contracts signed during Q6, this amount represented about 28% of the total amount
contracted since the beginning of the Program. During the period in reference, Alternative
Development Component activities represented about 26% of the instruments signed and about
63% of the total awarded.
The Office of Contracts and Grants (OCG) developed two training sessions during the
quarter for technical and regional office personnel. The training encompassed themes such as
contracts and grants’ basics, Pre-Award Surveys and Evidence of Responsibility studies, as well
as preparation of Terms of Reference and budgets.
Also during the past period, the OCG developed 16 responsibility studies, including Pre-
Award Surveys and Evidence of Responsibility. This amount represents about 18% of the amount
of studies performed since the beginning of the Program.
At the end of the current period, a significant amount of activities have been submitted to
USAID for CTO and/or CO approval, or are being reviewed by the technical components; all
these activities will be contracted during Q7.
Objectives and Future Activities in Q6
During the next quarter, the Program will see a significant increase in the amount of
instruments signed and total value awarded, as a consequence of the different activities being
developed to improve the performance of the OCG, which were stated in the report for the
previous period.
The OCG will double its capacity of production of instruments within the office staff,
incorporating one more grants specialist and another contracts specialist. Given the substantial
number of public tenders being developed by the OCG and the significant number of PADF
activities to be processed, one person has being assigned almost full-time for each responsibility.
These personnel re-assignments will allow the OCG to process instruments in a more timely and
adequate manner.
In addition to the improvements being implemented within the OCG, a separate Quality
Committee has been created and has started operations under the supervision of the Director of
Operations. This group is working towards the simplification of documents and improving the
coordination between different offices. The fruits of their work will also benefit the OCG work
and improve Program’s performance.
A set of Performance Standards are being prepared to be proposed to USAID. By the end
of the next quarter, the backlog of activities to be processed by the OCG will have been reduced
significantly, allowing the OCG to meet the performance standards to be established.
USAID/Colombia: Areas for Municipal-level Alternative Development (ADAM)
Quarterly Performance Monitoring Report 6 th Quarter: April - June 2007
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