Border Security and Customs Assessment Advisor (1099) in at Makwa Global, LLC

The Border Security and Customs Assessment Advisor will support the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) by deploying to Tbilisi, Georgia to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment of Georgia’s Border Police and Customs Agency. Working with INL/EA, INL/RCD, and INL/Tbilisi, the SME will assess operational, technical, and institutional capacities; identify gaps and vulnerabilities; examine regional cooperation; and develop evidence-based prioritized recommendations for future INL programming. The assessment supports Georgia’s border security and customs capacity to respond to transnational threats, sanctions evasion, and illicit trafficking.

• Key Responsibilities:
  Prepare a concise assessment report with current capacity gaps; prioritized recommendations and action plan; regional cooperation analysis; proposed project descriptions, activities, possible implementing partners subject to competition requirements, training topics, and evaluation requirements; and relevant progress and next steps. Address training and technical assistance needs related to passenger profiling, cargo targeting, risk assessment, and Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) systems.
• Coordinate assessment activities with INL, U.S. government interagency partners, Georgian Border Police and Customs Agency, and other relevant stakeholders. o Review prior training and equipment provided by international donors and create a reference sheet listing government agencies involved in border security, their functions, and donor support, with a target timeframe of 2018-2028, especially for U.S. government entities.
• Survey and assess the Border Police and Customs Agency, including infrastructure, equipment, communications, personnel, training systems, standard operating procedures, and daily operations; conduct stakeholder consultations and site surveys.
• Identify operational, technical, and institutional gaps, including outdated technology, radio signal shadow zones, limited surveillance or real-time monitoring, and deficiencies in investigative, screening, and interdiction capabilities.
• Review equipment inventories and identify technology needs at border crossings and customs facilities, including cargo and passenger scanners, dispatch software, radio systems, and detection equipment; recommend equipment and cost estimates.
• Assess specialized units, including the Border Police Rapid Response Team and Customs Agency interdiction units, their readiness and effectiveness, and gaps in tactical training, mobility, cargo inspection, and technical support tools.
• Assess passenger profiling, cargo inspection, risk assessment, intelligence-led policing, analytical capabilities, and information sharing; recommend targeted training, embedded mentoring, and train-the-trainer approaches. Map primary border crossing points and points of entry, including ports and airports, and analyze regional cooperation mechanisms involving Georgia and neighboring countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. Coordinate with U.S. and international assistance partners, including EXBS, DTRA, DOD, EU partners, IOM, and OSCE, to identify ongoing assistance and recommend complementary, sustainable programming.
• Develop a stakeholder matrix or coordination log and document coordination efforts, challenges, opportunities for synergy, and relevant feedback from stakeholders.
• Submit monthly progress reports, assessment notes, interview summaries, data collection tools, and background research; provide initial, mid-point, and final stakeholder briefings; communicate regularly with INL Tbilisi staff; and present findings to host-nation stakeholders.

• Currently employed in the relevant field (border security, customs, or related law enforcement, or recently retired/separated within the last 5 years.
• Excellent verbal and writing skills in English.
• Valid U.S. driver’s license and ability to operate a standard transmission vehicle.
• Good health; able to pass required physical, medical, and psychological testing as needed for the assigned mission/country; able to sustain a deployment of up to 9 months.
• Willingness and ability to train others in their area of expertise.
• Unblemished background. o Secret Security Clearance is required.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in international relations, law enforcement, public policy, or a related field.
• Five (5) to (9) years’ total work experience o Five (5) to (8) years of experience within the specific field of expertise - Preferred Qualifications o At least seven (7) years of direct, hands-on field experience in border security operations, customs interdiction, or port-of-entry management (for example, as a border patrol agent, customs officer, port inspector, or in an equivalent operational role).
• Practical experience conducting or supporting on-the-ground assessments of border crossing points and/or customs facilities. o Direct working knowledge of border and customs standard operating procedures, cargo and passenger screening operations, and interdiction unit tactics, such as Rapid Response Team-type operations.
• Field experience identifying technology and equipment gaps, such as scanners, radio and communications systems, and detection equipment, in an operational border or customs environment.
• Experience conducting field-based stakeholder engagement with host-nation border or customs officials, ideally including in-country training delivery or embedded mentoring.
• Experience working with foreign assistance stakeholders overseas, preferably with a background and/or experience in Eastern Europe or Central Asia. o Experience working overseas generally.
• Experience working with INL.