The period covered by this report (January 1-March 31, 2023) coincides with the 90-day realignment plan of the Africa Trade and Investment (ATI) project. This realignment, falling at the beginning of the project’s second year, was designed to build on achievements of the first year, address strategic issues affecting delivery, and boost the performance of what constitutes the largest mechanism for the deployment of U.S. foreign assistance to the African continent.
The 90-day plan included decisive actions in three fundamental areas: a) organizational change, b) introduction of management systems, and c) improvements in internal knowledge management and external communications.
To improve ATI’s organizational structure, the contractor adopted a mixed organizational matrix, with clear definitions of functional areas and regional portfolios, resulting in a structure that allows for efficient allocation of responsibilities, performance monitoring, and accountability. As a result, ATI now has four regional directors who oversee all client-facing activities in North Africa, Southern Africa, East Africa, and West Africa, with corresponding support teams. The addition of a Deputy Chief of Party also contributed to the technical robustness of the project, as did the addition of a Senior Communications Director.
To improve operations, the contractor installed standard management software systems, namely TAMIS and TAMIS Pro to manage procurements (including subcontracting), as well as more specialized software, such as JEDOX for managing complex budgets, and Grants Manager Plus for automating grant processing.
On the communications front, ATI reinforced its communications team with additional staff on the continent, enhanced collaboration with its Buy-in clients, and is in the process of producing tailormade communication plans to address specific needs of USAID Missions. USAID is also processing approvals for ATI to have digital presence and feed development content.
As a result of this realignment, ATI had its most productive quarter since inception. Apart from having secured three new Buy-ins valued at $9.1 million, ATI executed 18 contracts valued at $6.4 million, awarded 15 grants valued at $13.7 million, closed 140 trade deals valued at $202 million, and closed four investment deals valued at $5.25 million. This brings the inception-to-date performance to $250 million in Buy-ins, $26.6 million in fully executed subcontracts, $23.6 million in grants awarded, $329 million in trade deals closed, and $44.15 million in investment transactions closed. Beyond its financial impact, ATI is evolving from a procurement mechanism to a source of technical expertise available to Prosper Africa and USAID Missions, capitalizing on the technical acumen of the core ATI team, as well as the extensive experience of contractors and subcontractors spearheading U.S.-funded transformation in Africa.
In brief, in Y2Q2, ATI has overcome challenges during the startup phase and gained momentum in technical and operational efficiency, with tangible results in the deployment of U.S. government resources to support trade, investment, and food security across the continent, and a strengthened network of Buy-in clients and partners.
