Criminal Justice Advisor

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
BUREAU OF INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AFFAIRS (INL)     

You have received this "Personal Services Contractor” (PSC) solicitation through the Department of State (DOS) Internet site. If you have any questions regarding this PSC, you may contact the DOS Official named in this solicitation.  The Department is not responsible for any data and/or text not received when retrieving this document electronically.  Amendments to solicitation documents generally contain information critical to the submission of an application.

Position Title: Criminal Justice Advisor
Location: Bogota, Colombia
Salary Level: FS-02 - $102,409-$150,391 (Equivalent GS-14)
Period of performance: The period of performance for this contract is twelve (12) months from the date of award with four (4) optional one-year extensions.
Issuance Date: September 16, 2026
Closing Date: September 30, 2026
Closing Time: 3:00 PM ET
Solicitation Number:  PSC-26-038-INL
Job description:  See below

Dear Prospective Offerors:

The Department of State is seeking offers from qualified U.S. citizens to provide personal services for the subject position under a personal services contract, as described in this solicitation. Submittals must be in accordance with the attached information at the place and time specified. Applicants interested in applying for this position MUST submit the following materials:

1.    Form SF-171 (Completed and signed)
2.    Complete resume. In order to fully evaluate your offer your resume must include:
a.    Paid a non-paid experience, job title, location(s), dates held (month/year), and hours worked per week for each position. Dates (month/year) and locations for any overseas experience must also be detailed. Any experience that does not include dates (month/year), locations, and hours per week will not be counted towards meeting the solicitation requirements. 
b.    Specific duties performed that fully detail the level and complexity of the work.
c.    Names and contact information (phone and email) of your current and/or previous supervisor(s). 
d.    Education and any other qualifications including job-related training courses, job-related skills, or job-related honors, awards or accomplishments. 
e.    U.S. Citizenship
Note: Resume must contain explicit information to make a valid determination that the candidate meets the experience requirements as stated in this solicitation. This information needs to be clearly identified in the resume. Failure to provide explicit information to determine qualifications for the position will result in loss of full consideration. 
3.    Evaluation Factor document specifically addressing:  Each of the Evaluation Factors shown in the solicitation below. Responses must be limited to 500 words per Evaluation Factor. Any additional words above the limit will neither be read nor scored. 
Note: The Evaluation Factors are worth 70 out of 100 points. Offerors are required to address each of the Evaluation Factors in a separate document describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards they have receive that are relevant to each Factor.  
4.    Professional References:  Three (3) names and contact information (phone and email) of current and/or previous supervisors to serve as professional references.  

Additional documents submitted will not be accepted. Incomplete or late offers will not be considered. Complete applications must be emailed to: 

U.S. Department of State, ATT: INL/SAO/IM PSC Team, contact@example.gov 

Sincerely,

Jamillah Timmons
Contracting Officer, U.S. Department of State

SUBJECT
A solicitation for a Personal Services Contractor (PSC), Department of State (DOS), Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).

The United States Government (USG), represented by the DOS, seeks applications from US citizens interested in providing PSC services as described in this solicitation. 

PRE-AWARD ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF PSC (JUN 2011)
This solicitation may result in the award of one or more personal services contracts as defined in FAR 2.101.  Prior to contract award, all offerors or quotes must advise the cognizant Contracting Officer if they have a personal conflict of interest, such as a financial conflict, that would prevent them from either meeting the requirements of the clause entitled, “Post-Award Ethical Responsibilities of Personal Services Contractors,” or otherwise objectively performing their contractual duties upon contract award.  

HOW TO APPLY
Offerors proposal shall be in accordance with the requirements stated in this solicitation at the place and time specified.  A proposal will be determined non-responsive and ineligible for consideration unless all required documents and information are included in the submission.  Offerors shall ensure their resume demonstrates their possession of the minimum qualifications outlined in this Solicitation, as well as their ability to fulfill all required duties.  The Government is not responsible for any costs incurred by the offeror during the solicitation process.    

NOTE REGARDING GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS FOR THIS SOLICITATION 

This solicitation in no way obligates the Department of State to award a PSC contract, nor does it commit the Department of State to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of the application.

Proposals must include the following and not exceed twenty (20) pages (additional pages will not be accepted or reviewed): 
1.    Form SF-171 (Completed and signed)
2.    Resume  
3.    Evaluation Factor Responses
4.    Three (3) names and contact information (phone and email) of current and/or previous supervisors to serve as professional references.  

Note: Your resume should contain explicit information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the experience requirements as stated in this solicitation. This information should be clearly identified in your resume. Failure to provide explicit information to determine your qualifications for the position will result in loss of full consideration. Additional documents submitted beyond the requirements will not be accepted or reviewed. 

*** ONE PDF ATTACHMENT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

VETERAN’S PREFERENCE
Veteran’s preference is not applicable to this position therefore do not submit DD-214.

ALL QUALIFIED APPLICANTS WILL BE CONSIDERED REGARDLESS OF AGE, RACE, COLOR, SEX, CREED, NATIONAL ORIGIN, LAWFUL POLITICAL AFFILIATION, NONDISQUALIFYING DISABILITY, MARITAL STATUS, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AFFILIATION WITH AN EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION, OR OTHER NON-MERIT FACTOR.
Equal employment opportunity policy - The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor.

Submit proposal via e-mail to the attention of:
INL/SAO/IM PSC Team
E-mail: contact@example.gov 

Direct questions regarding this solicitation to:
INL/SAO/IM PSC Team
E-mail: contact@example.gov 

INL will not accept proposals beyond the closing time/date; unless it can be determined DOS mishandled the proposal.  

GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT 
Mission of the U.S. Department of State: The U.S. Department of State is the lead institution for the conduct of American diplomacy and the Secretary of State is the President’s principal foreign policy advisor. The Department of State’s mission is to advance U.S. national security interests, fight terrorism, protect U.S. interests abroad, and implement foreign policy initiatives that build a freer, prosperous, and secure world. 

Mission of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL): The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is part of the Under Secretariat for Arms Control and International Security (T) within the Department of State (DOS).  INL’s mission is to minimize the impact of international crime and illegal drugs on the United States and its citizens by providing effective foreign assistance and fostering global cooperation.  
 
The INL section at U.S.  Embassy Bogota, established in 1985, is among the largest and most complex INL offices in the world. INL Bogota is charged with developing strategies and programs to achieve international narcotics control, law enforcement, and justice foreign policy objectives.  

INL Bogota’s Criminal Justice Division works with Colombian institutions to dismantle criminal organizations, disrupt money laundering networks, and combat corruption by TCO-linked public officials. INL Bogota requires a Criminal Justice Advisor to develop, implement, and monitor programs that protect American security, citizens, and interests by dismantling FTOs and TCOs and, depriving FTOs and TCOs of revenue, operating space, and human capital. This position also supports INL Bogota efforts to target corrupt public officials and illicit financial networks that enable TCO and FTO operations.

The Criminal Justice Advisor Personal Services Contract (PSC) will support, assist, and advise INL on the development, implementation, and oversight of criminal deterrence programming including contracts, grants, interagency agreements (IAAs), and letters of agreement (LOAs).  The Criminal Justice Advisor will liaise with host government, USG interagency, multilateral organizations, and implementing partners, including the Department of Justice’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training (OPDAT) and the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Customs Border Protection (CBP), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).  The Criminal Justice Advisor will also advise on issues and developments in Colombian law enforcement, the Attorney General’s Office (AGO), and other related institutions through regular consultations with host country counterparts/interlocutors. The incumbent will serve primarily as a program manager but dedicate approximately one-quarter of his/her time serving as Criminal Justice Division Deputy.  

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Under the direct supervision of the INL Bogota-based Criminal Justice Division Chief or his/her designee, the Criminal Justice Advisor will perform the following duties:

1.    Design, implement, and monitor a portfolio of programs that counter transnational organized crime through the effective judicialization of crimes that impact the United States. 
2.    Manage and coordinate INL assistance to Colombian institutions that play a role in dismantling TCOs and FTOs, including law enforcement and AGO. 
3.    Under the supervision of the INL Bogota Criminal Justice division chief and in coordination with INL/WHP, develop program priorities, objectives, and guidelines for his/her program area.  
4.    Provide expertise and policy analysis in the strategic planning, development, and implementation of new criminal deterrence projects in Colombia.  
5.    Serve as a Grants Officer Representative (GOR) or Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for grants and contracts or an Agreement’s Officer Representative (AOR) for IAAs and LOAs. Will be responsible for INL program design standards and ensuring adherence to government grants and contracting guidelines and fiscal regulations.  
6.    Develop and maintain a comprehensive knowledge of the Colombian legal system, with a particular focus on criminal justice, illicit finance, and anti-corruption.  
7.    Meet frequently with Colombian government interlocutors to develop projects, negotiate bilateral agreements, consult on project implementation, resolve sensitive issues, bolster support for increased partner government participation, and evaluate program effectiveness.
8.    Under the supervision of INL Bogota leadership and in coordination with INL/WHP, work to integrate all appropriate interagency efforts in the partner country program, and coordinate with other agencies as appropriate, to ensure programs in his/her portfolio are complementary and coordinated with the interagency and international community.
9.    Support development of an annual strategic plan for INL Bogota Criminal Justice programming. Coordinate with other division teams ensure complementarity of efforts. Design, implement, and monitor cross-cutting programs with our teams, particularly on anti-money laundering and illicit finance.
10.    Ensure that project implementers prepare spot reports, monthly reports, and quarterly reports, and review reports to monitor performance and maintain agreement files. Responsible for ensuring all projects in their portfolio provide timely written reports, metric and evaluation data (M&E), and remain within budget.  
11.    Responsible for day-to-day operations of the Criminal Justice division, to include scheduling and leading division-wide meetings (staff meetings, financial meetings, strategy sessions), tracking and contributing to annual performance review cycles, and ensuring staffing levels and needs match division requirements.
12.    As division deputy, responsible for drafting, editing, and clearing policy briefing documents and cables for INL leadership and other senior State Department officials.
13.    Responsible for coordination of high-level visits, including serving as Control Officer or Site Officer.
14.    Under the supervision of the INL Bogota Criminal Justice division chief and in coordination with INL/WHP counterpart, recommend program amendments, extensions, or gap areas.  
15.    Maintain security awareness and safeguards for classified information and ensures adherence to the letter and the spirit of U.S. government equal employment opportunity principles.
16.    Responsible providing oversight of Locally Employed Staff and Third-Party Contractors assigned to the Criminal Deterrence Team.
17.    When required, perform the role of Duty Officer.
18.    Service as Acting Criminal Justice Division Chief, as required.
19.    Perform other duties as requested and assigned that are directly related to this Statement of Work. 

TRAINING & DISTANCE LEARNING COURSES
1.    Completes the Foreign Affairs Counter-Threat (FACT) Course (CT650) prior to deployment to Post.
2.    Completes INL/RCD-implemented “INL-PREP” in-person training course within the first year of contract.
3.    Completes Introduction to Working in an Embassy (PN113) distance-learning (DL) course through the National Foreign Affairs Training Center (NFATC) within six months of arriving at Post. 
4.    Completes the Contracting Officer’s Representative courses (PA186-PA188) or the distance-learning (DL) course (PA296) before or within 120 days of arriving at Post. 
5.    Completes Monitoring Grants and Cooperative Agreements (PA222) distance-learning (DL) course through the National Foreign Affairs Training Center (NFATC) before or within 120 days of arriving at Post.
6.    Completes PA454- Annual Ethics Training within one month of arriving at Post. 
7.    Works with the INL Program Office/Post to determine a timeline for completing the INL Staff Orientation and Readiness Training (SOAR).
8.    Consultations with the INL Program Office may be required.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE & TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS
The place of performance for this position is the U.S. Embassy Bogotá, Colombia.  Regular travel to large cities and periodic travel to rural areas and small towns throughout Colombia are requirements of this position. Many of these areas in Colombia are conflict zones where criminal organizations operate, state presence is limited, and crime is generally high. In addition, many of these areas in Colombia are tropical, with high temperatures, high humidity, tropical insects and diseases, and minimal infrastructure.   

RELATIONSHIPS
The Criminal Justice Advisor will report to the INL Bogota Criminal Justice Division Chief and operate under the guidance of INL Bogota leaders. The Advisor will coordinate with INL/WHP and coordinate closely with interagency partners and other implementers on the development, implementation, and oversight of criminal justice programming.

The Contract Administrator shall be the INL Contracting Officer in Washington.  In no instance shall the Bogota-based Criminal Justice Division Chief or any other individual be authorized to alter or modify the terms and conditions of the contract or waive the Government's requirements, price, delivery, or other terms and conditions. The Contracting Officer must authorize such changes in writing.

The Bogota-based Criminal Justice Division Chief will provide yearly performance reviews to the INL/SAO/IM Contracting Officer in Washington, D.C. to contribute to the incumbent’s official yearly review.

COMPLEXITY
This position will routinely involve meeting with Government of Colombia officials, organizing training activities and workshops, and designing and overseeing criminal deterrence initiatives.  The incumbent will support high-level visits as required.  The ability to effectively analyze data and make policy recommendations based on this analysis is essential.  
SCOPE & EFFECTIVENESS
The PSC performs broad and extensive assignments related to a complex administrative/financial program spanning the full range of citizen safety, law enforcement, rule of law, and counternarcotics programs in Colombia, which is of significant interest to the public and to Congress.
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
The period of performance for this contract is twelve (12) months from the date of award with four (4) optional one-year extensions.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
1.    U.S. Citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a Department of State Secret level security, medical, and ethics clearances (if applicable). (Security clearance upgrade to Top Secret level may be required).
2.    Bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution and a minimum of ten (10) years of professional work experience; or,
a.    Master’s Degree from an accredited U.S. institution and eight (8) years of professional work experience.  
3.    A minimum of four (4) years of experience in the design, management, and oversight of foreign assistance projects in the areas of criminal justice, illicit finance, or law enforcement.  A minimum of one (1) year experience in anti-money laundering projects.
4.    A minimum of four (4) years of experience working in Latin America; or,
a.    A minimum of four (4) years of experience engaging with Latin American law enforcement or justice sector authorities.  
5.    Demonstrated experience advising foreign counterparts about criminal deterrence, evaluating technical assistance needs, and improving judicialization of transnational criminal cases.
6.    A minimum of four (4) years of experience advising and providing strategic direction to senior USG leaders on foreign policy objectives, to include national security threats related to transnational organized crime and illicit finance.
7.    Demonstrated experience with metrics and evaluation and reporting. 
8.    Demonstrated ability to read and speak Spanish at the professionally proficient level. 
9.    Demonstrated knowledge and experience with U.S. Government (USG) regulations, standards of conduct, and ethics. 

EVALUATION FACTORS
(Used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified offerors in comparison to other offerors.) Offerors should cite specific, illustrative examples for each factor. Responses must be limited to 500 words per factor. Any additional words above the limit will neither be read nor scored.

FACTOR 1:        Coordination and Collaboration              (25 points) 
Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and promptly, both orally and in writing, with government officials, civil society, donors, Embassy staff, and other stakeholders to prepare, analyze, explain, and defend policies and programs. Ability to advise on project implementation and guide policy decisions.  Ability to communicate effectively to contribute to policy planning documents and to make recommendations to leadership and counterparts on INL support for programs. 

FACTOR 2:        Program development/Implementation     (20 points)
Demonstrated ability to develop and implement criminal deterrence and law enforcement programs overseas including by identifying capability gaps and designing interventions to address them. Experience reviewing technical requirements, designing projects based on strategic priorities, data, and lessons learned and advising senior leadership on project decisions. Ability to coordinate with recipients and assistance providers to ensure comprehensive, non-duplicative programs. 

FACTOR 3:        Program Management                        (25 points)
Demonstrated experience implementing foreign assistance programs relevant to this position in the region or globally.  Demonstrated ability to effectively manage programs, including the ability to prioritize requests, develop and track program plans and implementation timelines, and monitor and evaluate results to ensure programs meet objectives. Experience with U.S. government contracts, grants, interagency agreements, or contributions to international organizations. Preferred: Prior INL or USG program management experience.

BASIS OF RATING: Offerors who clearly meet the Education/Experience Requirements will be further evaluated based on scoring of the Evaluation Factor responses. Offerors are required to address each of the Evaluation Factors in a separate document describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards they have received that are relevant to each factor.  Failure to specifically address the Evaluation Factors may result in your not receiving credit for all of your pertinent experience, education, training and/or awards.

The Offeror Rating System is as Follows: 

Evaluation Factors have been assigned the following points: 
Factor #1 – 25
Factor #2 – 20
Factor #3 – 25
Total Possible – 70 Points 

Interview Performance – 30 points 

Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks – Pass/Fail (no points assigned)
Past performance evaluation of applicant’s ability to perform under the contract.  In conducting the evaluation, the U.S. government reserves the right to utilize all evaluation information available at the time of evaluation, whether provided by the applicant or obtained from other sources. 

Total Possible Points: 100

The most qualified candidates may be interviewed, required to provide a writing sample, and demonstrate an ability to operate commonly used office applications. INL will not pay for any expenses associated with the interviews. In addition, applications (written materials and interviews) will be evaluated based on content as well as on the applicant's writing, presentation, and communication skills. In the event that an applicant has fully demonstrated his/her qualifications and there are no other competitive applicants, INL reserves the right to forego the interview
process. Professional references will be evaluated for applicants being considered for selection.

COMPENSATION (BASE PAY)

This position has been designated at the GS/FS-02 equivalent level ($102,409 - $150,391 per annum). Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value based upon qualifications, previous relevant experience and work history, salary and educational background. Salaries, including any recruitment supplemental pay that exceeds the listed pay range, will not be entertained or negotiated.

For award, INL will negotiate for this contract based on the market value as outlined above and overall experience relevant to the solicitation requirements.  

BENEFITS & ALLOWANCES
AS A MATTER OF POLICY, INL NORMALLY AUTHORIZES THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES 

BENEFITS - IF APPLICABLE
•    Employee's FICA/Medicare Contribution
•    Contribution toward Health and Life Insurance 
•    Pay Comparability Adjustment 
•    Annual Increase 
•    Eligibility for Worker's Compensation 
•    Annual, Sick and Home Leave 
•    401K Plan 
•    MEDVAC (provided by DOS Med)

ALLOWANCES IN ACCORDANCE WITH DEPARTMENT OF STATE STANDARDIZED REGULATIONS (DSSR) - IF APPLICABLE 
•    Temporary Quarters Subsistence Allowance (TQSA) or Per Diem upon arrival at Post
•    Housing Allowance
•    Post Allowance
•    Supplemental Post Allowance 
•    Maintenance Allowance (SMA)
•    Education Allowance
•    Educational Travel (full-time United States based secondary) 
•    Post Hardship Differential
•    Danger Pay
•    Shipment of HHE, UAB, POV and Consumables