PSC Senior Afghanistan Corrections Program Advisor, Washington, DC

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. PSC - Senior Afghanistan Corrections Program Advisor, Washington, DC Issuance Date: 07/31/2013 Closing Date: 09/01/2013 SOLICITATION NUMBER: PSC-13-048-INL 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. HOW TO APPLY Offeror's proposals 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. Proposals must include the following: 1) Form OF-612 (Completed and signed) 2) Resume 3) Three letters of reference or three references, including contact information Submit all proposals via e-mail to the attention of: INL/RM/GAPP Larry Parr E-mail: parrls@state.gov Direct questions regarding this solicitation to: INL/RM/GAPP Larry Parr Email: parrls@state.gov INL will not accept late proposals unless it can be determined DOS mishandled the proposal. 1. SOLICITATION NUMBER: PSC-13-048-INL 2. ISSUANCE DATE: 07/31/2013 3. CLOSING DATE: 09/01/2013 4. TIME SPECIFIED FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS: 11:59 PM, EST 5. POSITION TITLE: Senior Afghanistan Corrections Program Advisor 6. MARKET VALUE: $74,872 - $115,742 (GS 12 - GS 13 Equivalent) 7. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: One year from date of award and four option years 7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Washington, DC 8. JOB DESCRIPTION: See below GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT & RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CONTRACTOR: The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is responsible for the development, supervision, coordination, and implementation of international narcotics control assistance activities and international criminal justice issues for the Department of State. INL focuses on holistic criminal justice reform, including training, mentoring, and capacity building in the justice, police, and corrections sectors. At present, INL funds and manages corrections programs in 22 different countries, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Mexico, Morocco, Brazil, South Sudan, and Haiti. The program goals for each country vary according to the requirements and specific needs of that country and the strategic interests of the United States. For instance, a primary component of the corrections program in Afghanistan is to build the capacity of the Afghan government's General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Centers (GDPDC) to house national security threat inmates and operate safe, secure, and humane correctional facilities on a nationwide scale and in a transparent manner, even as international support decreases over the coming years. In particular, INL anticipates that during the first year of performance, the focus will be on effectively transitioning sustainable processes, procedures, and capabilities to the Afghan government. Purpose The incumbent will serve as the Senior Afghanistan Corrections Program Advisor (Advisor) to INL/AP in the management, coordination, and contractor oversight of INL's Corrections System Support Program (CSSP). CSSP, a Department of State contract currently administered by Pacific Architects and Engineers (PAE), is INL's primary foreign assistance mechanism to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) on corrections issues. CSSP partners with the GDPDC, part of the Ministry of Interior, and the Juvenile Rehabilitation Directorate (JRD), part of the Ministry of Justice, in developing a safe, secure, and humane corrections system that meets international standards and Afghan cultural requirements. CSSP's 50 U.S. corrections advisors and 180 Afghan employees provide basic and advanced training, leadership capacity building initiatives, small-scale infrastructure assistance, support for the implementation of a nationwide prisoner classification and case management system, and a particular focus on rehabilitation of National Security Threat (NST) inmates and their assimilation into civil society. CSSP is based in Kabul and has an advisory presence in five additional provinces, with mentoring and training teams operating in Kunduz, Herat, Balkh, Paktia, and Nangarhar. This initiative represents a critical component of INL's broader mission to bolster the formal justice sector in Afghanistan. The Advisor will manage this important program while also contributing as required to INL's non-CSSP corrections assistance activities. Relationships The Advisor is a subject matter expert in Afghan Corrections, has intimate knowledge of INL's Afghan corrections support programs, reports to the INL/AP Corrections Team Lead, and engages and advises other members of the INL Corrections Team on issues pertaining to administering corrections programs in Afghanistan. The Advisor may also coordinate the INL/AP Corrections Team activities, if so designated by the INL/AP Corrections Team Lead or the INL/AP Director or Deputy Director. The Advisor serves multiple roles, including coordinating the transition of critical CSSP elements to the GDPDC, while identifying key components to make the GDPDC more sustainable, managing all CSSP contractor activities on a daily basis, being the direct interface to INL officials in Washington and Kabul, providing high-level briefings on critical corrections issues, being responsible for responding to all information and data requests, coordinating multiple ongoing CSSP-related projects, as well as other duties as assigned. Duties and Responsibilities - In coordination with the Contracting Officer and the in-country Contracting Officer Representative, coordinate, manage, implement, and oversee all aspects of one of INL's largest corrections programs worldwide, the Corrections Systems Support Program (CSSP) - Coordinate with INL/Kabul Corrections program team to advise CSSP leadership in training, advisory, and infrastructure support efforts; lead weekly conference calls and quarterly program reviews to monitor CSSP's progress and provide responsible and effective oversight - Serve as the principal strategic advisor for CSSP, responsible for crafting the program's long-term vision with a particular focus on the ongoing transition - Draft Statements of Work (SOW) and review contractor cost and personnel proposals and contract deliverables to ensure quality programmatic oversight and to eliminate unnecessary contractor-proposed personnel, materials, and lines of effort - Travel to Afghanistan approximately twice per year or as needed to oversee CSSP's activities on the ground and to attend meetings with key stakeholders, including Embassy Kabul counterparts, Afghan government officials, U.S. military and interagency representatives, nongovernmental organizations, and representatives of foreign governments - Brief INL leadership, Department of State officials, and interagency and Coalition partners on major issues pertaining to Afghanistan's corrections system in addition to CSSP's mission, challenges, and achievements - Assist in the coordination and delivery of CSSP's pre-deployment training, including delivering lectures to deploying CSSP advisors on Afghanistan's corrections system, gender and juvenile programs, inmate human rights, report writing, general program management, and other topics as required - Define qualification standards and experience levels for various corrections positions responsible for mentoring the Afghan corrections hierarchy - Maintain comprehensive knowledge of the Afghan corrections system and U.S. military detention by following all pertinent political, military, economic, social, and industry-specific issues - Work closely with the INL section at Embassy Kabul (INL/K) and Coalition partners to assist in the development and implementation of INL-funded programs in the Afghan corrections sector - Coordinate and implement the CSSP Performance Management Plan (PMP), an effort to strengthen monitoring and evaluation practices and procedures on the program; work to bolster CSSP metrics to better explain program performance - Assist members of the Corrections Team in briefing audit and oversight bodies, congressional committees, and interagency partners - Maintain a thorough knowledge of contracting, grants management and budget as it relates to implementing and monitoring corrections reform programs in Afghanistan - Evaluate and reshape the corrections assistance program to ensure it meets U.S. foreign policy priorities and objectives, including the ongoing transition - Organize and attend meetings, seminars, and exercises to develop plans/programs for the implementation of corrections assistance in Afghanistan and the improvement of overall capacities to modernize existing institutions - Attend domestic and international conferences on Afghanistan justice reforms - Prepare background materials used in INL reports, cables, speeches, briefings, and testimony to articulate the Bureau's engagement in Afghan corrections reform efforts - Support INL in outreach activities to increase awareness of INL programs and policies and solicit greater cooperation and participation - Draft responses to requests for information from SIGAR, OIG, and GAO Minimum Qualifications - U.S. Citizenship, with the ability to obtain and maintain a Department of State Top Secret/SCI security and ethical clearance - Bachelor's degree in Government, Political Science or related field, from an accredited institution - Master's degree in International Relations, International Security Studies, or related field, from an accredited institution - Work experience issuing guidance related to program development and management of foreign assistance specific to the Afghan corrections sector - Knowledge of Federal procurement and contracting regulations Additional Qualifications - Demonstrated knowledge of the Federal budget process - Superior oral and written communication and interpersonal skills Position Elements - The Advisor reports to the INL/AP Corrections Team Lead - Work involves planning, organizing, analyzing and managing day-to-day administration and oversight of INL's CSSP; therefore, the ability to effectively manage large quantities of ever evolving data amid a rapidly evolving environment is essential - The Advisor performs a broad range of tasks related to maintaining strong interagency relationships as well as a complex foreign assistance program - The Advisor shall travel to Afghanistan on a TDY basis approximately once per quarter or additionally as directed by the INL/AP Corrections Team Lead and/or INL leadership - The level of effort required during the Period of Performance is 100% - The position is full-time, with a minimum of 40 hours per week - The Advisor is required to spend at least 10 days per year in training as approved by the INL/AP Corrections Team Lead and the INL/AP Deputy Director; training may occur at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) or through other venues as approved by INL - The Advisor may be required to work supplemental hours in addition to the 40 hour per week requirement Evaluation Criteria Factor 1 Experience (30 points) - Program management or advisory experience on corrections development initiatives in Afghanistan with a particular emphasis on the ability to coordinate effectively among diverse and competing stakeholders - Demonstrated ability to work on and bear responsibility for several simultaneous projects while keeping the overall program goals in perspective - Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with a range of U.S. and foreign national personnel at all levels of an organization Factor 2 Oral and Written Communication & Interpersonal Skills (30 points) - Superior oral and written communication skills - Demonstrated ability to draft clear, concise, elegant prose according to Department of State guidelines under urgent deadlines - Demonstrated ability to effectively liaise and communicate with diverse groups, particularly in a program management context Factor 3 Strategic Thinking and Problem Solving (15 points) - Demonstrated ability to apply critical thinking to complex problems - Demonstrate initiative, well-developed problem-solving skills, flexibility, receptivity, and creativity dealing with problems and conflicts Factor 4 Knowledge of corrections systems (15 points) - Extensive knowledge of the corrections and detentions systems in conflict and post-conflict regions Factor 5 Past Performance (10 points) - Past performance of applicant's ability to perform under the contract In conducting the evaluation, the Government reserves the right to utilize all evaluation information available at the time of evaluation, which is provided by applicant or obtained from other sources 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. COMPENSATION For award, INL will negotiate for this contract based on the following: - Entry-level salary is at Step 1 of the grade range assigned to solicitation - Consideration given for experience relevant specifically to the solicitation requirements - Level and extent of experience dictates the salary level within the grade range BENEFITS & ALLOWANCES AS A MATTER OF POLICY, INL NORMALLY AUTHORIZES THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES BENEFITS - IF APPLICABLE - Employee's FICA Contribution - Contribution toward Health and Life Insurance - Pay Comparability Adjustment (is applicable) - Annual Increase - Eligibility for Worker's Compensation - Annual & Sick Leave - 401K Plan - Offerors Representations and Certifications ALLOWANCES - IF APPLICABLE - Temporary Quarters Subsistence Allowance (TQSA) - Post Allowance (COLA) - Supplemental Post Allowance - Separate Maintenance Allowance - Education Allowance - Education Travel - Post Differential - Payments during Evacuation/Authorized Departure - Danger Pay - R&R and Home Leave