Today’s episode features Chief Operating Officer, Christy Hollywood and Manager, Olivia Tisa from the Konektid International team. This discussion focuses on various trends in the USAID funding market, including business development, small business expansion, budget updates, and proposal trends. Christy highlights the importance of transparency in contract mechanisms and discusses budget cuts and increases in different funding areas. Olivia mentions opportunity and changes in proposal presentation, emphasizing the significance of go/no-go decisions and small business opportunities. The team also touches on the impact they are seeing from AI tools and the upcoming small business conference. Join today’s conversation for an inside look into Konektid International’s work and trajectory for 2024.  IN THIS EPISODE: [1:00] Christy Hollywood discusses Konektid’s market trends, budget, and business developments in the USAID’s funding market. [4:27] Olivia Tisa shares USAID proposal trends for this spring and how they are similar and different from last spring. [5:45] QASP, known as the Quality Assurance Plan, and Performance Work Statements have become mainstream at USAID.  [6:50] Olivia discusses the intentionality of go/no-go decisions among small business proposals as well as how AI is impacting client portfolios. [8:25] Mike touches on USAID’s upcoming small business conference in mid-May and shares how to register. [9:00] 2024 is an election year. Christy shares how this could potentially affect the USAID market and partners. [13:00] Christy and Mike discuss what organizations should focus on and questions they should ask when preparing for the 2024 election.  [16:20] Olivia shares her takeaways from Administrator Samantha Powers’s key note speech.  [21:30] Despite oncoming changes due to the election, some things will stay the same. Olivia notes what matters most is the important work that needs to be done.  [22:00] Christy shares what she believes will stay the same, regardless of the election results. [22:30] Mike notes that past performance and expertise is never compromised, even when new initiatives are implemented.  24:30] Christy advises organizations to start early and utilize your local partner network. Olivia’s advice is to diversify your organization and adapt in order to meet the moment and changing trends.  KEY TAKEAWAYS:  Olivia notes the delays in RFP releases, which can impact the organizational capacity of USAID partners and konektid clients as they are preparing for opportunities and changes they will face this spring.  Now is the time to start scenario planning for the 2024 election, to prepare for any changes that may come based on the outcome of the 2024 election. Christy suggests that organizations think about how a change in leadership could affect their operations, regardless of the election outcome. She anticipates continued streamlining of procurement processes and an increase in localization of partner bases, with the intensity of these trends varying based on the election results. Christy advises organizations to assess their current portfolios and align them with different potential priorities based on the election results. By focusing on impact, return on investment, and the why behind their work, organizations can better position themselves for potential changes in government priorities. With the upcoming election, many things will stay the same and some changes can be expected. Regardless of the results of the election, there will still be work that needs to be done and that work matters.  Quotes:  “This is a great time to start scenario planning, eight to nine months out from January, and to really think about what a change might mean for your organization as you are planning. Regardless of who wins the election this time, we are going to see some continued streamlining of procurement and increased localizatio