DevTech Systems, Inc.

👏 : USAID - US Agency for International Development’s FY24 Country Roadmaps are now available on roadmaps.usaid.gov.

🌏 Developed jointly by USAID's Bureau for Policy, Planning, Learning, and Resource Management and our USAID Data Services experts, these products aim to present a snapshot of a country’s development progress and can help guide programming and partnership decisions.

New year, new look!

Why? Because we're celebrating our 40th anniversary this year.

We've accomplished a lot over the last four decades, including more than 270 projects in over 100 countries. From improving educational outcomes in Latin America to improving evidence-based programming in Africa to strengthening economic growth in Asia, we've witnessed the transformative power of development firsthand.

But the journey's not over. Join us as we embark on the next chapter, fueled by the stories of resilience and hope we've encountered along the way. Let's make the next 40 years even more impactful!

Happy New Year from DevTech!

We are excited for another great year of engaging in meaningful work that leads to positive change in the 🌍.

The DevTech office will be closed on Monday. Wishing a merry Christmas to our staff and partners who will be celebrating the holiday.

At DevTech, we don't have any 'employee of the quarter' initiatives because we know it takes a team of amazing staff to deliver innovative solutions to our clients.

However, we do run a pet of the quarter contest internally. While only one of the three nominated pets wins a tasty treat each quarter, we wanted to thank all of our furry friends for participating in this year's contests.

At DevTech, we believe that impactful development outcomes can only be achieved when programming is .

Last month, DevTech's Senior Executive Director for Operations Leon Waskin and Deputy Director of Public Financial Management Niaz Shinwari got to see locally led development in action during a trip to focused on the USAID Indonesia Economic Growth Support Activity (EGSA), implemented by DevTech.

USAID EGSA has been delivering support to the Government of Indonesia on public financial management and economic growth for the last four years.

It is fully managed by local staff with expertise in economics, public financial management, and enabling business environments. Importantly, they also bring with them country-specific knowledge that ensures that solutions are well-tailored to the Indonesian context. Their work has centered on strengthening government policies and practices, including through the development of models for economic planning and through the provision of technical assistance to support technological transformation.

While the Government of Indonesia's appreciation of USAID EGSA's work was clear during meetings with the Ministry of National Development Planning of the Republic of Indonesia (Bappenas) and the Nusantara Capital City Authority attended by Skip and Niaz, it was further underscored by mention of their work on the Nusantara Capital City Authority in a recent joint statement by President Biden and President Joko Widodo.

To learn more about USAID EGSA visit https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA021DS6.pdf.

Today, on International Migrants Day, we celebrate the invaluable contributions of migrants around the world, not just to their host countries but also to their home communities. One particularly significant contribution is through remittances - the hard-earned money migrants send back to their families and communities.

We are proud to provide research support to the Visa Economic Empowerment Institute on their analyses of remittances trends.

Read their most recent report, "The power of choice: Options and trade-offs for digital remittances?" to learn about remittance trends in 2023 and key policy implications.

https://ow.ly/OlvG50QjJZ6

Yesterday, our U.S.-based staff gathered in Rosslyn for the annual DevTech Holiday party.

It was wonderful to convene in person to celebrate our 2023 achievements together.

We want to once again thank our staff in the U.S. and abroad for all their hard work and dedication this year. Happy holidays!

Last week, members of our Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning ( ) team traveled to as part of our USAID - US Agency for International Development Swift Expertise and Grounded Analytics project to lead a problem validation workshop with the Ministry of Finance and USAID.

This workshop is a great example of development at work. It allowed officials from both groups to review key development challenges confronting the country that had been identified through previous consultations with diverse stakeholder groups not traditionally included at the table.

The DevTech team also facilitated discussions to determine what development challenges emerged as priorities for the Government of Timor-Leste and where there were possible synergies between USAID and their priorities.

DevTech Systems would like to extend our best wishes and sincere greetings to our staff, families and friends around the world celebrating the eight-day festival of lights, Hanukkah.

DevTech CEO Rafael Romeu, Director of Public Financial Management Jose Pineda, and Senior Economist Emily Forrest are back in DC after a great trip to .

Here they are in front of 'La Fortaleza," the oldest executive mansion in continuous use in the Western Hemisphere where they met with Governor Pedro Pierluisi and other economists to continue promoting economic development on the island.

La Fortaleza is symbolic of Puerto Rico's long history of resilience, something our Public Financial Management ( ) team has been working to fortify in relation to the island's economy.

Earlier today, DevTech CEO Rafael Romeu and public financial management team members Emily Forrest and Jose Pineda met with Governor Pedro Pierluisi and other economists to discuss ensuring the sustainability of the island's strong current economic conditions.

DevTech provided technical assistance to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico on its journey to formally exit bankruptcy in 2022 and is proud to continue its support on the Commonwealth's path to economic recovery.

DevTech is recruiting for a .

They will help enable our Data Solutions practice area to leverage large data sets and Artificial Intelligence like Large Language Models.

Find out more and apply here: https://careers-devtechsys.icims.com/jobs/1849/data-engineer/job

Earlier this month, DevTech's USAID - US Agency for International Development Economic Growth Support Activity (EGSA) team went on a retreat to Bandung, West Java.

In addition to experiencing Indonesia’s new high-speed train and enjoying Bandung’s various attractions and culinary delights, the retreat was an opportunity to reflect on the last four years of the USAID EGSA project.

The team's success in delivering support in economic growth to the Government of Indonesia is noteworthy. Recently, their work related to the Nusantara Capital City Authority was even highlighted in a joint statement by President Biden and President Joko Widodo.

The EGSA team also used the outing to plan for the upcoming year.
However, most importantly, the retreat provided for a moment for the team to pause, enjoy one another's company, and celebrate their achievements and hard work.

To learn more about USAID EGSA visit https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA021DS6.pdf.

📈 Our "Actual Cuban Exchange Rate Dashboard" has just been updated with new data.

💵 For the most up-to-date information on how much the is trading for against the Euro or on the informal market, visit http://ow.ly/XwP150LCQPB.

Shared goals and mutual respect form the bedrock of a team that consistently delivers top-notch work.

Yesterday's DevTech Systems, Inc. Monitoring, , Research, and Learning retreat was a great opportunity for the team to foster greater collaboration, synergy, and innovation.

Experience has shown that local leadership over where, how, and why we collaborate is the route to greater equity, effectiveness, and sustainability.

DevTech has been working with USAID - US Agency for International Development's Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG) to capture some of its learnings in with the overall objective of disseminating them throughout the Agency to support its efforts.

Read the USAID DRG locally led development learning products here:

Localization and Locally Led Development | DRGLinks Experience has shown that local leadership over where, how, and why we collaborate is the route to greater equity, effectiveness, and sustainability. USAID defines localization as the set of internal reforms, actions, and behavior changes that we are undertaking to ensure our work puts local actors....

DevTech is seeking a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning ( ) Manager to support the USAID-funded Strengthening Democratic Governance program in .

The MEL Manager will be responsible for guiding project activities at all levels and advancing USAID - US Agency for International Development’s priorities.

Find out more and apply here: https://ow.ly/cbSZ50QbwUP

DevTech's DC office will be closed tomorrow for Thanksgiving.

Wishing all of our colleagues a warm and restful holiday.

Have you had a chance to read DevTech's Thought Leadership Compendium "Facing a Renewed Debt Crisis: Is USAID Prepared?," published by Professional Services Council.

In it, DevTech CEO Rafael Romeu argues that better governance, transparency, and public management systems are essential to preventing and that as the largest bilateral donor, USAID - US Agency for International Development can and should play an important role in addressing all these issues.

Read the full article here:

PSC Development Conference Thought Leadership Compendium 2023 Development Conference Thought Leadership Compendium

DevTech is recruiting for Business Development Associate Recruiter

They will support new and proposal recruiting efforts for ongoing projects, corporate openings, and new business/proposal development, internationally and domestically.

Find out more and apply here: https://ow.ly/SIxK50Q9q4P

We were delighted to see multiple USAID - US Agency for International Development workstreams implemented by DevTech discussed between Indonesian President Joko Widodo and President Biden during their meeting on Monday at The White House.

Both parties talked over ’s global leadership in the nickel, cobalt, and other value chains. DevTech, under the USAID Fiscal Accountability and Sustainable Trade (FAST) project, has been working to advance the country’s work in this area through the Critical Minerals Assessment it is currently undertaking.

Additionally, the USAID Economic Growth Support Activity (EGSA), implemented by DevTech, has been working on supporting the Government of ’s Nusantara Capital City (IKN) Authority for the implementation of planning, development, and relocation of Indonesia’s new capital city. is a new city being constructed to replace Jakarta as Indonesia's capital by 2024.

As highlighted by the White House's statement, the team has also been providing technical assistance to the IKN Authority to develop smart building guidelines – the first of its kind in Indonesia.

Joint Statement from the Leaders of the United States and the Republic of Indonesia: Elevating Relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership | The White House President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. is honored to welcome Indonesian President Joko Widodo to Washington, D.C.  The two leaders mark a historic new phase of bilateral cooperation and friendship between the world’s second- and third-largest democracies.  On the cusp of celebrating 75 years of diplomat...

is proud to be attending the USAID Regional Overseas Conference in Bangkok today and tomorrow.

We are pleased to be connecting with Mission stakeholders and other small businesses to exchange ideas on how to address development challenges in the region through solutions that are innovative and locally led.

What changes can be made at the individual level, Mission level, and beyond, to foster locally led development? Are there specific tools or approaches that can be adopted during the different stages of the program cycle that are best suited to help locally led development flourish?

DevTech has been working with USAID - US Agency for International Development's Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG) to capture some of its learnings in with the overall objective of disseminating them throughout the Agency to support its efforts.

The DRG Bureau is uniquely placed to be a leader in these efforts, given that the centrality of individuals’ and communities’ needs to the nature of the work it undertakes makes locally led development inextricably linked to much of its programming.

The USAID DRG locally led development learning products are now available on . These include project-level case studies that highlight exceptional examples of locally led development and the tools that enabled them, as well as learning products that highlight how various DRG subsectors' have shifted their approach to programming over time to better enable locally led development.

Localization and Locally Led Development | DRGLinks Experience has shown that local leadership over where, how, and why we collaborate is the route to greater equity, effectiveness, and sustainability. USAID defines localization as the set of internal reforms, actions, and behavior changes that we are undertaking to ensure our work puts local actors....

As a USAID - US Agency for International Development U.S. Department of State, and U.S. Department of Labor implementing partner, we are exposed to some of the many great projects the U.S. Government funds abroad.

This Veterans Day, we would like to express our gratitude to the American veterans who have made it possible for this great nation to look beyond ensuring its sovereignty, allowing it to focus on international development efforts that help support global stability, promote global health, and empower women and girls around the 🌍.