Grants & Contracts Manager, USAID Advancing Digital Democracy (ADD), Washington, D.C.

Management Systems International (MSI), a Tetra Tech Company, is a Washington, D.C. metro area management consultancy with a 40-year history of delivering results for our clients. Our expertise is in the fields of monitoring and evaluation; democracy and governance; peace and stability; rule of law and accountability; education; gender and inclusion; strategic communications; and leadership and organizational development. MSI has implemented projects in 90 countries around the world such as Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria and Ukraine, and works domestically. We support clients ranging from the U.S. Government (e.g., the U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Departments of State and Labor, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation) to large bilateral and multilateral donors (e.g., the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program). We also work with national and local governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), think tanks, foundations and universities. For more information, please visit our website at www.msiworldwide.com.

Proposal Summary:  
MSI is pursuing the USAID Advancing Digital Democracy program. The purpose of this activity is to foster open, secure, and inclusive digital democracies in which data-driven technologies advance, rather than undermine, democratic values and respect for human rights. It will offer to support and strengthen country-level and global multi-stakeholder coalitions that can identify opportunities for productive engagement, leverage incentive structures, and create shared language for tackling the most pressing issues in the digital age.

The program will provide support for partner-country stakeholders to spur rights-respecting digital innovation while addressing potential adverse impacts of technology and data across the digital ecosystem. The program will operate in politically closed spaces and, and robust emerging economies; and will engage civic and private actors while tailoring support to leverage existing opportunities and address specific needs in particular countries. 

• Objective 1: Governments implement legal and regulatory frameworks related to technology data, and information that align with and fulfill their international human rights and democratic commitments.
• Objective 2: Respect for human rights and democratic values are embedded in the development and design of digital technology and data management.
• Objective 3: Civil Society and citizens more effectively engage in democracy and human rights issues involving technology.
• Cross Cutting Objectives: (1) Engagement between diverse stakeholders and sectors in fostered and self-sustained. (2) Collaborative CLA feedback loops created and used to adapt the program.

Position Summary: 
The Grants & Contracts Manager will be responsible for day-to-day oversight and administration of the Digital Foundations grant pool. The Grants & Contracts Manager will lead strategizing, learning and process improvement for grant and contract design, competition and award management. They will be responsible for ensuring compliance with USAID standards, policies and procedures, and grants management system use. Reports directly to the Chief of Party (COP). The position will largely be U.S. based although some travel may be required. The position is contingent upon award.
 

Responsibilities: 

• Coordinate the grants and subcontracts program processes and serve as a prime contact for grantees and subcontractors.
• Disseminate grants and subcontracts program announcements and collect applications and proposals.
• Organize, coordinate, and participate in the administrative and technical evaluation process of applications for grants and subcontracts.
• On behalf of ADD, review and negotiate with grant and subcontract applicants on proposed budgets.
• In coordination with the COP assist the grant and subcontract candidates to finalize scopes of work and work plans.
• Review and ensure compliance of all documents included in the application for a grant or subcontract.
• Properly document all procedures and communication with grantees and subcontractors.
• Monitor implementation of the grant projects.
• Develop and regularly revise monitoring schedules.
• Collect and review reports and deliverables submitted by grant and subcontract recipients.
• Document results of grants and subcontracts performance monitoring and evaluation.
• Report regularly to the COP and MSI on implementation of the grants program.
• Conduct training for grant and subcontract applicants and recipients on proposal writing and management of grants and subcontracts.
• Collect, review, and report on cost-share contributions submitted by grant recipients.
• Provide the project with information about results and success stories collected through regular communication with grant recipients, and reports and deliverables submitted by contractors or grant recipients.
• File and ensure presence of all grant and subcontract documents including, but not limited to, applications for grants, evaluation documents, certificates, grant agreements and any amendments, technical reports, deliverables, financial and cost-share reports.
• Contribute to periodic and special reports.
• Manage the collection of data for performance reporting related to the grants and subcontracts program and generate appropriate databases.
• Prepare quarterly, annual, and final reports regarding the grants and subcontracts program, including analyses of measurable accomplishments against activities conducted and program objectives.
• Provide continuous technical assistance to all grantees and subcontractors in implementing their performance reporting.
• Carry out and/or participate in other activities as requested or assigned by the COP and MSI HQ.