Senior Afghanistan Corrections Program 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: Senior Afghanistan Corrections Program Advisor Location: Washington, DC Salary Level: GS-13 - $103,690 - $134,798 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: July 16, 2021 Closing date: July 30, 2021 Closing Time: 3:00 PM ET Solicitation Number: PSC-21-070-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: Dominique Chittum U.S. Department of State INL/EX/GAPP contact@example.gov Sincerely, Katelynn Barham 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. Submit proposal via e-mail to the attention of: INL/Dominique Chittum E-mail: contact@example.gov Direct questions regarding this solicitation to: INL/Dominique Chittum 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): INL is under the Under Secretary for Democracy and Human Rights (J) and works to keep Americans safe at home by countering international crime, illegal drugs, and instability abroad. INL helps countries deliver justice and fairness by strengthening their police, courts, and corrections systems. These efforts reduce the amount of crime and illegal drugs reaching U.S. shores. 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. 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 Office of Prison Administration (OPA) 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 7 U.S. corrections advisors and 185 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 Afghan staff at the provincial prisons in 32 provinces. 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. The Advisor will also be responsible for coordinating monitoring and evaluation. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Under the direct supervision of the Washington-based INL/AP Corrections Team Lead or his/her designee, the Advisor will perform the following duties: - 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 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. - Assist with monitoring and evaluation projects for all corrections programs, including drafting, updating, and collecting Performance Measurement Plans and Data Collection Templates, updating Tableau dashboards, and managing data collection. - Draft responses to requests for information from the Flexible Implementation and Assessment Team conducting M&E surveys of corrections programs. - Draft responses to requests for information from SIGAR, OIG, and GAO. - When required, perform the role of Duty Officer. - Perform other duties as requested and assigned that are directly related to this Statement of Work. - Perform services that fall within the general scope of work and overall INL mission at physical locations other than Washington INL headquarters, including within other INL offices, bureaus or other USG agencies for a period not to exceed six (6) months. TRAININGS & DISTANCE LEARNING COURSES 1. Completes the Contracting Officer Representative (PA296) distance-learning (DL) course through the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) within 120 days of contract award. 2. If applicable - Completes the Introduction to Working in an Embassy (PN113) distance-learning (DL) course through the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) within the first six (6) months of contract start date. 3. If applicable - Completes the mandatory Foreign Affairs Counter-Threat (FACT) Course (OT650) prior to deployment to Post. 4. Able to obtain/maintain a Federal Acquisition Certification-Contracting Officer's Representative (FAC-COR) Level II Certification within 60 days of assignment (see http://www.fai.gov for details). PLACE OF PERFORMANCE & TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS Washington, D.C. TDYs to Afghanistan for program oversight and monitoring and other locations for implementer trainings and/or workshops/conferences may be required. RELATIONSHIPS The Advisor reports to the INL/AP Corrections Team Lead and carries out duties on behalf of the Corrections Team Lead in conjunction with INL-Kabul. The Advisor shall report to and maintain open, timely, and effective communications with the various Department Bureaus and Offices as required, resulting in a relationship that proactively addresses potential problems with flexible, workable solutions. The INL/AP Corrections Team Lead will provide yearly performance reviews to the INL/EX/GAPP Contracting Officer in Washington, D.C. to contribute to the incumbent's official yearly review. COMPLEXITY This position involves planning, organizing and completing financial and organizational analysis of enormous complexity. Due to the high visibility and political sensitivity of the issues in which INL is involved, there is extreme difficulty in identifying the nature of the issues and planning, organizing and determining the scope and depth of studies/audits to be undertaken. The PSC is expected to address difficult scenarios by separating the substantive nature of the programs or issues into their components and determining the nature and magnitude of programs or issues, as well as in discerning the intent of the legislation and policy statements and determining how to translate the intent into program actions. SCOPE AND 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 Afghanistan, 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, with the ability to obtain and maintain a Department of State Secret level security clearance. Department of State Ethics clearance (if applicable). (Security clearance upgrade to TS level may be required). 2. Master's degree in International Relations, International Security Studies, or related field, from an accredited institution. 3. Minimum of seven (7) years of corrections experience. 4. Demonstrated work experience issuing guidance related to program development and management of foreign assistance specific to the Afghan corrections sector. 5. Demonstrated knowledge of Federal procurement and contracting regulations. 6. Demonstrated knowledge of the Federal budget process. 7. Demonstrated sperior oral and written communication and interpersonal skills. 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: Work Experience (20 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 (20 points) Superior oral and written communication skills. Demonstrated ability to draft clear, concise, written communication 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) Demonstrated knowledge of the corrections and detentions systems in conflict and post-conflict regions. 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 - 20 Factor #2 - 20 Factor #3 - 15 Factor #4 - 15 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-13 equivalent level ($103,690 - $134,798 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