Senior Justice/Rule of Law 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 Justice/Rule of Law Advisor (SJRLA) Location: Nouakchott, Mauritania Salary Level: FS-02 - $99,700 - $146,413 (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: 11/06/2024 Closing date: 12/05/2024 Closing Time: 3:00 PM ET Solicitation Number: PSC-25-005-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: Cecille D. Washington U.S. Department of State INL/EX/GAPP WashingtonCD@state.gov Sincerely, Margaret Renee Gaudreau 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/Cecille Washington E-mail: WashingtonCD@state.gov Direct questions regarding this solicitation to: INL/Cecille Washington E-mail: WashingtonCD@state.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 Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights (J) 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. INL's Office of Africa and the Middle East (AME) develops and manages criminal justice sector reform programs and contributes to policy formation on civilian security issues in both regions. INL/AME and INL personnel at Embassy Nouakchott administer U.S. government assistance to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (GIRM) in order to develop its criminal justice sector, reform its security sector, and disrupt transnational organized crime. The purpose of this Personal Services Contract is to fill the new position of Senior Justice/Rule of Law Advisor. The Advisor will primarily provide training, mentoring, and technical assistance to support Mauritania's anti-slavery court system and broader efforts at judicial reform. The Advisor will also serve as a subject matter expert regarding justice sector administration within the embassy and across other USG agencies, as well as with other diplomatic missions, non-governmental organizations, and the host government. Finally, the Advisor will act as an INL program manager, providing general administrative and policy direction concerning overall program priorities and objectives, as well as work with INL/AME to develop and manage programming activities. The Advisor will monitor INL programming, analyzing its effectiveness and suggest improvements. The INL Advisor will present these approaches to INL/AME for discussion and approval. DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES Under the direct supervision of the Political/Economic Section (POL/ECON) Chief of the US Embassy Nouakchott or his/her designee, the Senior Justice/Rule of Law Advisor will perform the following duties: Duties with Host Government Relations: 1. Advise and provide technical assistance and mentoring to GIRM actors such as prosecutors, judges, defense lawyers, court officials and staff, investigators, bar and legal associations, justice and legal-oriented academies, educational institutions, civil society organizations, and others working in the criminal justice field. 2. Conduct or coordinate assistance engagements such as trainings, simulations, study tours, and operational mentorship for GIRM officials as required. Assistance currently focuses on Trafficking in Persons (TIP), Slavery, Sexual- and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), and vulnerable population issues in Mauritania, but may evolve over the course of USG and INL engagement. 3. Review and analyze the capabilities of justice-related academies, curriculums, training facilities, and educational institutions that work with INL Mauritania-supported projects, and advise on potential projects, activities, and events to consider increased efficiency and productivity of the state academies and training facilities. 4. Assist in the development of training materials to be approved by leadership of entities such as the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), and other relevant Mauritanian government offices and agencies. Training materials will complement other INL-funded trainings and adhere to international and/or U.S. professional standards and best practices in the judiciary. 5. Assist the GIRM in improving criminal justice processes, such as prosecution and hearing of cases, court operations, investigations, procedures, administration, resource and records management, internal discipline, and overall efforts at expanding the capabilities and modernizing criminal justice institutions in Mauritania and fighting systemic corruption. 6. Review and provide expert advice and recommendations on Mauritanian legal codes, frameworks, and procedures, where necessary, to ensure that they are more accurately and consistently applied in accordance with international standards. If applicable, assist Mauritanian officials in drafting or amending legal codes or frameworks to conform to these standards. 7. Provide technical assistance to Mauritanian judicial sector officials and officers to improve national standardized training courses for prosecutors, defense lawyers, judges, court staff, investigators, criminal justice personnel, and others as needed. 8. Liaise with various Mauritanian interlocutors such as GIRM, CSOs, international community, and academia to work together and deconflict where possible. U.S. Embassy Responsibilities: 1. Provide information, details, and updates that assist the Political/Economic Section and INL/AME in their preparation of periodic reports, cables, memoranda, assessments, statements of work, monitoring and evaluation and assessment reports, end use monitoring, financial reporting, and other documents related to efforts to increase the capacity of the Mauritanian criminal justice system. 2. Participate in and assist with official USG visits, and aid in escorting and arranging appropriate itineraries for official travelers. 3. Provide briefings as required to USG officials, Congressional members and staff, and other international dignitaries on INL programming in Mauritania. 4. Attend relevant Embassy meetings and brief INL/AME and appropriate Embassy members. Report on major issues related to INL's efforts to increase the capacity of the Mauritanian criminal justice system to deter and sanction criminality and protect victims rights. 5. On occasion, brief Embassy leadership including the U.S. Ambassador on justice-sector issues or provide briefing materials through the Political Section. 6. Provide ongoing analysis and evaluation of the GIRM criminal justice system, which may include assessments of the organizational and operational capacities of various elements related to prosecutors, defense lawyers, judges, courts, bar associations, law enforcement officials, and other related justice functions and agencies. 7. Coordinate activities with relevant U.S. and international entities, which may include Embassy offices and units (e.g. the Political/Economic Section and Regional Security Office) and other U.S. agencies (e.g. USAID and Department of Defense), as well as international organizations (e.g. IOM, UNODC, ILO, and the EU), to ensure a coherent approach to criminal justice sector assistance in international programs. INL and Headquarters Responsibilities: 1. Recommend efforts and initiatives to encourage the host government's adoption of international and/or U.S. professional standards and best practices in Mauritania's judicial sector. Recommendations will be reviewed and approved by the Political Section and the INL Mauritania Program Officer. 2. Provide written reports on the results and outcomes of initiatives to the Political Section and INL Mauritania Program Officer upon initiative completion. 3. Monitor and report on significant activities and developments related to adoption of international and U.S. professional standards and best practices within Mauritania's judicial sector. 4. Identify training needs in partnership with MOJ leadership or designees and arrange for training for Mauritanian government trainers in areas of particular focus, as determined with the Political/Economic Section and INL Mauritania Program Officer. 5. Identify logistical support requirements. Provide advice to the Political/Economic Section and INL Mauritania Program Officer on possible activities to aid requirements, and upon INL approval, facilitate the implementation of activities. 6. Establish and maintain appropriate internal management control systems. Ensure the INL program is not subject to waste, fraud, or mismanagement. Ensure that equipment purchased with United States Government (USG) funds are effectively utilized, and draft or contribute to required end use monitoring reports as required. Helps manage and monitor the use of all U.S.-provided commodities intended for justice sector purposes. 7. Coordinate, advise, and collaborate with INL implementers during the implementation of TIP and anti-slavery projects. 8. Generate support for and advance U.S. policy objectives with key host government officials under the direction of the Political/Economic Section or designee and in coordination with the INL Mauritania Program Officer and other INL implementers. Acquisitions: 1. The advisor shall assist in the full range of activities required to identify, acquire, and deploy services and commodities necessary for project implementation. These activities may include: a. Development/identification of project services and commodity requirements including discussions with host nation counterpart personnel; b. Conduct of market research to determine potential sources of supplies/services; c. Contact with other USG agencies with similar requirements; d. Acquisition planning; e. Drafting statements of work/specifications and evaluation criteria for use in solicitations; and f. Development of independent government estimates of the cost/price of project commodities and services. 2. Participate as a member of Technical Evaluation Panels established to review and evaluate potential contractors proposals in response to formal solicitations. 3. When required, perform the role of Duty Officer. 4. Perform other duties as requested and assigned that are directly related to this Statement of Work. TRAININGS & DISTANCE LEARNING COURSES 1. Completes the Grants Officer Representative (PY472, PY474, PY76 and PY478) distance learning (DL) courses through the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) and obtains GOR certification within 90 days of arriving at Post. 2. Completes the Introduction to Working in an Embassy (PN113) distance-learning (DL) course through the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) prior to arriving at Post. 3. Completes the mandatory Foreign Affairs Counter-Threat (FACT) Course (CT650) prior to deployment to Post. 4. Completes INL Staff Orientation and Readiness (SOAR) training or INL PREP training prior to deployment to post. 5. Consultations with the INL Program Office may be required. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE & TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS The place of performance is the U.S. Embassy Nouakchott, Mauritania. The Advisor will also regularly conduct affairs at the MOJ, federal courts, bar associations, and other judicial offices in Mauritania. At times, the Advisor may need to work from home, particularly if there are power outages, epidemics, or other emergency situations. Frequent travel within Mauritania and the region is required. International travel, including consultations with INL Washington DC, is also required. RELATIONSHIPS The Advisor will report to the Political/Economic Section Chief at U.S. Embassy Nouakchott in close coordination with INL/AME. The Advisor will focus primarily on development and management of projects and related issues, with the POL/ECON Section Chief providing general administrative and policy direction concerning overall program priorities and objectives. The Advisor will liaise with other agencies/ governments active in the fields of law enforcement, rule of law, and administration of justice, as well as with host government contacts; specific activities frequently will originate from these liaison activities. The Advisor will exercise independent judgment in developing new and improved approaches to analyze and review INL projects throughout Mauritania, noting new and unforeseen opportunities as circumstances evolve. The Advisor will present these approaches to the POL/ECON Section Chief for approval. The Contract Administrator shall be the INL Contracting Officer in Washington. In no instance shall the Political/Economic Section 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 POL/ECON Section Chief 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 Advisor 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 & EFFECTIVENESS The Advisor performs a broad set of assignments related to administrative program management. spanning the full-range of citizen safety, law enforcement, rule of law, and counternarcotics projects in Mauritania, 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 Department of State Secret level security clearance, medical clearance, and ethics clearance (if applicable). (Security clearance upgrade to Top Secret level may be required.) 2. Graduated from an accredited U.S. institution with a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) and a minimum of five (5) years of experience related to the legal profession, courts, criminology, and/or public administration, with experience conducting briefings in English; or Master of Laws (LL.M.), or Master of Arts in international criminal justice, rule of law, or related field from an accredited institution and a minimum of seven (7) years of experience related to the legal profession, courts, criminology, and/or public administration, with experience conducting briefings in English. 3. A minimum of one (1) year of experience designing, managing, and/or overseeing rule of law and/or law enforcement programs within Civil Code legal systems. 4. Demonstrated experience designing, managing and/or overseeing rule of law and/or law enforcement programs using international foreign assistance or similar assistance projects. 5. Demonstrated experience in metrics and evaluation, reporting and program budget execution. 6. Demonstrated experience drafting analytical briefing papers, memoranda, letters, and reports for review and/or signature by senior-level officials. 7. Demonstrated knowledge and experience in interagency and international community coordination, collaboration, and communication. 8. Demonstrated experience working with host-nation counterparts, departments, and ministries to further program objectives. 9. Demonstrated oral and written English communication skills. 10. Demonstrated ability to read and speak French at the basic proficiency level. 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 (30 Points) Demonstrated knowledge of criminal justice issues and/or legal systems. Demonstrated knowledge of, and ability to work with, various stakeholders operating in the criminal justice system. Demonstrated ability to apply specific rule of law knowledge to appropriately develop and implement justice sector programs. Factor 2: Program Experience (10 points) Ability to identify macro- and micro-level gaps and subsequently design appropriate interventions which address these identified areas of need. Coordinate with host government, civil society, U.S. Embassy, international donor, and other stakeholders to ensure comprehensive, non-duplicative, programming. Demonstrated knowledge of concepts, practices, and principles including the ability to prioritize requests, develop and track program plans and implementation timelines (including budgets) and analyze results (M&E) to effectively manage programs that meet United States government objectives. Conduct in-depth reviews of the technical aspects of program requirements and making recommendations to senior managers on appropriate course of action on specific projects and issues. Factor 3: Management & Communication Experience (30 points) Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, in a timely and concise manner; interact effectively with others at all levels to prepare, analyze, explain, and defend determinations and requirements with respect to conformance to applicable laws, policies and other regulatory guidelines; and advise program officials. 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 - 30 Factor #2 - 10 Factor #3 - 30 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 FS-02 equivalent level ($99,700 - $146,413 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