Acquisition and Assistance Ombudsman

This includes pre-award, post-award, and administration functions. The Ombudsman maintains anonymity of sources and confidentiality of matters, facilitating resolution of differences through an informal impartial administrative review of the action in question. The Ombudsman participates in Acquisition and Assistance reform, training, outreach, and customer-access and customer-services matters. However, there are limitations to the Ombudsman's authority. The Ombudsman cannot compel or direct Agency or Contracting Officer (CO) action, and does not substitute for USAID's formal process. Additionally, the Ombudsman does not toll the time limitations for protests, disputes, appeals, requests for equitable adjustment, and other matters. When a partner inquires about the Ombudsman's services, they are asked a series of questions to determine the nature of their complaint, issue, or concern. The relevant parties involved, the steps taken to address the issue, and the desired redress are all considered. The Ombudsman also inquires about whether the partner has spoken to the AO/CO, and whether they require confidentiality. Time constraints are also taken into account. The Ombudsman's role is to provide an informal and impartial review of the action in question, with the goal of resolving differences and promoting equitable treatment of all parties. The Ombudsman's services are available to all parties participating in USAID's contracts and grants, and can be contacted through the email address [email protected].