USPSC - Senior Development Advisor

Request for Personal Service Contractor USAID Office of Civilian Response Position Title: Senior Development Advisor (Multiple Positions) Solicitation Number: SOL-OCR-14-000001 Salary Level: GS-15 Equivalent Hourly Rate: $47.74 - $62.06 (Equivalent Daily Rate: $381.92 -$496.48) Issuance Date: October 29, 2013 Closing Date: November 13, 2013 Closing Time: 5:00 P.M. EST Dear Prospective Applicants: The United States Government (USG), represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking applications from qualified U.S. citizens to provide personal services overseas as a Senior Development Advisor under a personal services contract, as described in the attached 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 Complete resume. In order to fully evaluate your application, your resume must include: (a) All full time paid positions, job title, location(s), and dates held (month/year), for each position. Dates (month/year) and locations for all overseas field experience must also be detailed. Please specify unpaid or part time work. Unless stated otherwise, part-time hours will be prorated at 20 hours worked per week. Unpaid, part-time and any experience that does not include dates (month/year) and locations 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) for all supervisors within the last 10 years. (d) Education and any other qualifications including job-related training courses, job-related skills, or job-related honors, awards or accomplishments. (e) Country of Citizenship. Your resume should contain sufficient 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 information sufficient to determine your qualifications for the position will result in loss of full consideration. 2 A one page narrative demonstrating how you are qualified for the position. The narrative should take into consideration the selection criteria, describing your experience, training, education and/or awards you have received that are relevant to the position. If the narrative exceeds one page the additional pages will NOT be reviewed or evaluated. Additional documents submitted will not be accepted. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Your complete resume and the supplemental document addressing the EFs must be mailed, delivered, faxed, or emailed to: GlobalCorps 529 14th Street, NW, Suite 700 Washington, DC 20045 E-Mail Address: cshelley@usaid.gov and srdevadvisor@globalcorps.com Facs'mile: (202) 280-1184 Applicants can expect to receive a confirmation email when application materials have been received. Applicants should retain for their records copies of all enclosures which accompany their applications. Any questions on this solicitation may be directed to: Caitlyn Shelley Telephone Number: (202) 567-4971 E-Mail Address: cshelley@usaid.gov and srdevadvisor@globalcorps.com Website: www.globalcorps.com Facs'mile: (202) 280-1184 Sincerely, Lance Butler III Contracting Officer ? Solicitation for U.S. Personal Service Contractor (USPSC) Senior Development Advisor (Multiple Positions) 1. SOLICITATION NO.: SOL-OCR-14-000001 2. ISSUANCE DATE: October 29, 2013 3. CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS: November 13, 2013, 5:00 pm EST 4. POSITION TITLE: Senior Development Advisor 5. MARKET VALUE: GS-15 equivalent hourly/daily rate ($47.74 - $62.06/$381.92 - $496.48 - not eligible for locality pay). Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value based upon the candidate's past salary, work history and educational background. Salaries over and above the top of the pay range will not be entertained or negotiated. 6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: One (1) year, with four (4) option years STATEMENTS OF LIMITATIONS ON PERIOD/PLACE OF PERFORMANCE AND BENEFITS: The purpose of this contract is to establish an employee/employer relationship with the contractor to perform services overseas on a temporary, on-call basis as part of the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA) / Office of Civilian Response (OCR) "Firehouse." The Personal Services Contractor(s) hired under this contract will provide up to a maximum of 250 workdays of services on an annual basis. The specific projects, as well as dates, number of days and locations to be worked will be determined by mutual agreement between the contractor and his/her OCR supervisor according to requests made to OCR by USAID overseas missions. This is an intermittent USPSC solicitation. There is no obligation by OCR to provide assignments for a minimum number of days, and the contractor will be free to provide "blackout" dates during which he/she will not be available to accept assignments. Upon identification of a temporary need within the scope of work, OCR will contact the contractor and provide the following information: 1. Date contractor is needed to report to OCR or assignment in the field 2. Duration of Assignment 3. Place of Performance The contractor will notify OCR whether he/she is available for the assignment within two business days. At the time the contractor accepts the assignment, he/she is expected to commit for the duration of the assignment. While the contractor will be required to commit to a certain time period, it is understood that the exigencies of a crisis may require the assignment to be curtailed or extended (not to exceed 250 days per year). The contractor shall notify OCR at the time of commitment if his or her existing schedule would preclude an extension. Notification of schedule conflicts shall not necessarily disqualify the contractor from the assignment, but will simply assist OCR in recruiting a replacement. Subsequently, if unforeseen circumstances arise, and the contractor needs to curtail the assignment and leave post, the contractor must receive approval from OCR and the Mission prior to departure. As services provided by the contractor are on a temporary, on-call basis, health and life insurance reimbursements will be provided on a prorated basis based on the number of days during which the contractor actually provides services. 7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Overseas There may be an initial orientation and training program in Washington, D.C. This may include formal classroom training, online training, on-the-job training and security training. After completion of appropriate training, the Senior Development Advisor will be considered available for overseas assignment. 8. STATEMENT OF WORK POSITION DESCRIPTION Background USAID's Office of Civilian Response (OCR) is seeking highly motivated, highly qualified individuals who want the opportunity to help support USAID missions abroad when faced with a natural disaster, political crisis, internal conflict or otherwise in need of surge staff support due to some unforeseen circumstance. Created in 2008, OCR provides crisis staffing to USAID missions throughout the world with a full range of specialized expertise. Since then this office has provided over 20,000 days of mission support in deployments to countries such as Libya, Tunisia, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka, Burma, Honduras, Somalia, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and many other countries. As a member of OCR's team of crisis responders, you would be available at short notice to bring to USAID missions your specialized skills in support of a mission's response to a crisis. USAID is striving to become an even more nimble and agile organization when responding to crises. Countries experiencing a significant political transition in the midst of a crisis or emerging from civil conflict have unique needs that cannot always be fully addressed by a traditional USAID mission staffing yet timely and effective assistance to promote and consolidate peaceful, democratic advances can make the difference between a successful or a failed state. OCR plays a unique role in USAID by ensuring the USAID mission has sufficient staff with the right skills during those critical golden hours. To respond quickly and effectively and meet USAID mission needs, OCR retains a group of high level professionals and experts under U.S. Personal Services Contracts (USPSCs) as part of a "Firehouse". These knowledgeable and skilled professionals are rapidly available to missions to expand their capacity, augment their existing capability, fill in gaps, replace evacuated staff, or in some cases project USAID presence to field sites or non-presence countries. OCR staff provide specialized skills in a range of areas from contracting to communications, program design, election monitoring, project management, development outreach, reporting, and strategic planning, and others. As a member of the "Firehouse" you would play a crucial role in supporting USAID programs at a time when their success is most critical. The OCR "Firehouse" comprises USPSCs on intermittent contracts providing support when changed circumstances in a country necessitate an increase in staffing or additional specialized skills. Those serving in the Firehouse must be prepared to work abroad in USAID missions and embassies, often with little time for preparations. Deployments can be for any period of time from 2 months to almost a full year. USPSCs are considered employees of USAID for all purposes except programs administered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) - such as federally sponsored health insurance, life insurance, and retirement benefits. However, there are several other similar benefits that USPSCs may participate in, such as partial reimbursement for health and life insurance costs, as well as full coverage of workers' compensation, among other benefits. For more complete information on USPSC benefits, please see page 13 of this solicitation. INTRODUCTION This senior level position calls for an experienced professional with the presence, knowledge and the leadership skills to represent USAID for the Office of Civilian Response, the Democracy Conflict & Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA) Bureau of USAID and USAID Field Missions in liaison with the U.S. Ambassador or his/her Representative and other agencies of the U.S. Government. The incumbent must be able to develop and maintain relationships among a diverse range of professionals to gain information, collaborate, and advance the Mission Objectives. The Senior Development Advisor must be prepared to work or collaborate with senior officials from the host country, diplomatic missions, bilateral and multilateral donors, international organizations, the private sector and non-governmental organizations working in the international sphere. He/she will report to the Mission Director or his/her designated representative on deployment and report to the Director of DCHA/OCR on a regular basis. 9. CORE FUNCTIONAL AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES While every deployment is different a Senior Development Advisor may be responsible for the following types of activities and or programs abroad and/or in Washington: assessing the needs of Mission programs; especially those that may be affected by crisis; ensuring that USG and USAID interests are protected/promoted, coordinated, and policy is properly and consistently implemented; representing USAID interests vis--vis the embassy, host country officials, bilateral and multilateral development organizations, diplomatic missions, implementing partners and local civic, business and political organizations. He or she may be the principal USAID representative in a non-presence country, a field office, or in the absence of the official USAID representative. He or she may be called upon to represent USAID in country team meetings, donor meetings and bilateral meetings with senior officials of the host country. The incumbent will likely be expected to report regularly on his or her work to the Chief of Mission or his deputy and senior USG officials in country and in Washington. He or she will also be expected to provide OCR/Washington with regular reports that include observations, problems, and recommendations. Leadership, oversight, supervision and backstopping of several different development portfolios may be encountered in the mission. The Senior Development Advisor may be required to: ? Serve as one of USAID Mission's Senior Leadership Team's on development program and policy issues; ? Fill critical staffing leadership and requirements in the field, often in non-presence countries or temporarily filling a USAID Representative or Officer in Charge position, including the provision of support to new country start-ups and on-call technical assistance, however they may not be delegated authority to make a final decision on personnel selection; ? Conduct, with Mission representatives, visits to field sites; ? Coordinate with USAID and the US Embassy officials to implement program and policy; ? Review and monitor the plans and activities of Mission portfolios; ? Execute closeout activities related to programs and provide technical assistance to ongoing evaluations of programs in the field; ? Develop and improve country program monitoring and evaluation systems and manage the program performance review process for USAID Washington; ? Advise Senior Management on budget processes and reviews and prepare justification documentation when necessary; ? Advise and draft for the Mission Management strategies outlining future planning and vision in the development and implementation of Mission programs; ? Serve as a key participant in discussions related to the Framework for Foreign Assistance and support and provide leadership to a mission Program Office in determining implications for country program design, monitoring and evaluation, and developing appropriate indicators based on the Framework; ? Serve as a liaison with other DCHA offices, other USAID divisions and the State Department to ensure consistent programs and policy directions; ? Within the guidelines provided by the USAID/Mission, negotiate program and project agreements with governmental and non-governmental counterparts; ? Identify or seek to develop and maintain professional relationships with NGOs, international donors, USG agencies and other organizations of importance to effective Mission programming and with them; ? Implement and manage the assigned country program in the absence of the USAID Country Representative or Officer in Charge in the field, including assessing project sites and selecting contractor and grantees to work under OCR's country program; ? Oversee staff and implementing partner organizations, excluding direct hire staff; ? Monitor and evaluate development program, individual projects, and contractor and grantee performance; ? Provide on-site training and mentoring for new staff both in Washington and the field as required; ? Advise Ambassador, Mission Leadership, and//or USAID Washington on development, crisis, or conflict issues relevant to USAID. SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIP: The Senior Development Advisor will take direction from and will report to DCHA/OCR Deputy Director, and when activated, to the Chief of Mission, Mission Director, Deputy Mission Director or his/her designee. SUPERVISORY CONTROLS: During deployment, the mission supervisor will set overall objectives and provide technical direction and day-to-day supervision. The employee and the supervisor together will develop deadlines, projects, and work to be accomplished subject to mission approval and consistent with mission objectives, policies, and protocols. The incumbent is expected to take initiative, act independently, and manage his/her tasks with minimal supervision while remaining in line with agreed upon work plans and overall mission objectives. For the purpose of contract, personnel, training or general administrative matters, the OCR Deputy Director or his/her designee will provide direction and oversight. 10. PHYSICAL DEMANDS Firehouse members must obtain a Class 1 State Department medical clearance. OCR Firehouse members may be in positions overseas that lead to unusual mental stress, and may require arduous physical exertion, by prolonged standing, by riding in and getting out of vehicles, and by operating manual or stick-shift motor vehicles. The duties may require: entering and maneuvering in facilities accessible only by stairs, long flight times, and carrying heavy baggage and items (over 30 pounds). The incumbent must be able to operate in an environment that requires endurance and ability to evaluate surroundings. Applicants must be physically and mentally capable of performing these functions efficiently and safely. 11. WORK ENVIRONMENT Work is primarily performed in an office setting, though the contractor is likely to be assigned to areas where site visits and extraordinary travel time is involved and that may entail working out of temporary duty residences or hotel rooms. The contractor will travel as a U.S. government employee and is subject to Chief of Mission authority. As such, the contractor will be expected to conform to all embassy and/or USAID mission policies and procedures at his or her assignment location regarding housing, work hours, diplomatic protocols, and security. The contractor may be required to staff field offices or other locations off-site of the USAID mission or embassy. Many of the overseas environments in which the contractor may be required to work present a health risk such as: extreme air pollution, lack of potable water, or presence of waterborne and other communicable diseases. Special safety and/or security precautions, wearing of protective equipment, exposure to severe weather conditions, working in non-permissive environments, restrictions on movement and/or evacuations of a USAID mission or embassy may occur. 12. START DATE: Immediately, once necessary clearances are obtained. 13. POINT OF CONTACT: See Cover Letter. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE POSITION (Determines basic eligibility for the position. Applicants who do not meet all of the education and experience factors are considered NOT qualified for the position.) ? U.S. Citizen ? Native English Fluency ? Able to obtain a top secret security clearance ? Able to obtain a Class 1 medical clearance AND ? Bachelors Degree with 12 years of progressively responsible work experience OR ? Masters Degree with 9 years of progressively responsible work experience Other Requirements ? Complete resume submitted. See cover page for resume requirements. Experience that cannot be quantified will not be counted towards meeting the solicitation requirements; ? A one page narrative submitted. See cover page for narrative requirements; ? Satisfactory verification of academic credentials. PREFERRED EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE FOR THIS POSITION Knowledge of the objectives and operations of the US government and the program activities of other international donor organizations. Position requires ability to develop and maintain relationships among a diverse range of professionals to gain information, collaborate, and advance the Mission Objectives. The Senior Development Advisor must be prepared to work or collaborate with senior officials from the host country, diplomatic missions, bilateral and multilateral donors, international organizations, the private sector and non-governmental organizations working in the international sphere. Superior leadership and organizational skills and the ability to oversee the planning, design and execution of USAID-supported development programs. It is expected that the incumbent will have broad experience in the job requirements and will not need further training in any aspect of the position. Examples of qualified applicants include the following: A Bachelor's degree with at least twelve (12) years of experience in international affairs, international development or international business, six (6) of which in a senior management capacity with an international development organization. Exceptional communication skills in English with regional expertise and language fluency in a major foreign language (French, Arabic, Spanish, Russian preferred). A minimum of eight (8) years of relevant overseas experience, some of which in crisis environments or conflict prone countries. OR A graduate degree in international affairs, international development, international business or a related field with nine (9) years of proven management experience in an international organization, six (6) of which in a senior management capacity with an international development organization. Exceptional communication skills in English with regional expertise and language fluency in a major foreign language (French, Arabic, Spanish, Russian preferred). A minimum of six (6) years of relevant overseas experience, some of which in crisis environments or conflict prone countries. Selection Criteria (100 Total) (Used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified applicants in comparison to other applicants.) Factor 1: Education (5 Points) Scored based on the relevance of the academic field to subsequent work experience. ? A Bachelors Degree in International Affairs and related subjects, Public Administration and related subjects, Political Science and related subjects, or the social sciences including History, Geography, Sociology, Anthropology, etc. ? A Graduate Degree in International Affairs and related subjects, Public Administration and related subjects, Political Science and related subjects, International Business or the Social Sciences. Factor 2: Experience (40 Points) ? Demonstrated experience in overseeing the planning, design and execution of a bilateral or multilateral assistance program for an international organization. ? Demonstrated ability to advise, assist and occasionally lead strategic planning of organizational requirements in resources, staff and programs related to an international assistance effort. ? Demonstrated understanding of monitoring and evaluation systems and program performance review and the ability to advise, assist and lead results oriented management processes. ? Demonstrated understanding of U.S. government budget and financial management processes and the ability to advise, assist and lead processes for budget formulation, program financial management, financial reporting and performance evaluation. ? Demonstrated understanding of U.S. government personnel policies and procedures as it relates to foreign service, civil service, contract employees and foreign service nationals. ? Demonstrated understanding of U.S. government procurement regulations and ability to advise, assist and lead procurement processes ensuring auditable due diligence. ? Demonstrated understanding of U.S. government ethics and the legal parameters to USAID foreign assistance. An understanding of generally accepted U.S. government due diligence in oversight of foreign assistance activities and familiarity with U.S. government audit processes and procedures. ? Demonstrated ability to provide informed advice and counsel to Ambassadors, Mission Leadership, and/or USAID Washington on development, crisis, or conflict issues relevant to USAID's relief, stabilization, transition and resiliency objectives. ? Demonstrated ability to provide informed advice and counsel to Ambassadors, Mission Leadership, and/or USAID Washington on management of foreign assistance funds and activities. Factor 3: General Skills and Abilities (20 Points) ? Demonstrated ability to function with minimal supervision and to exercise leadership in the development and execution of an international development program. ? Demonstrated ability to represent USAID to senior United States and foreign government officials, as well as senior officials of international organizations, diplomatic missions, the private sector and NGOs. ? Demonstrated ability to function effectively in a demanding, fast paced and rapidly changing environment. ? Demonstrated ability to live and work in sometimes austere, conflict prone environments. ? Demonstrated analytical and independent decision making skills. ? Demonstrated ability to lead diverse multi-disciplinary teams. Factor 4: Regional, Cross-Cultural and Language Abilities (5 Points) - In depth familiarity with the politics, economics, history and cultural mores of at least one region of the developing world gained through education and/or experience. Demonstrated ability to utilize a major foreign language (French, Spanish, Arabic) in the course of conducting business with local partners (FSI 3 equivalent or better). Interview and writing test: (30 Points) - The most qualified applicant(s) may be required to undergo an interview and perform a writing task during the application period. The applicant must be the sole author. References (Pass/Fail) Total Possible Points: 100 BASIS OF RATING: Applicants who meet the Minimum Requirements for the position will be further evaluated by applying the selection criteria to the submitted resume and narrative. Those applicants determined to be competitively ranked will also be evaluated on interview performance and satisfactory professional reference checks. The most qualified applicant(s) may also be required to perform a writing task during the application period which would be evaluated. Applicants are required to submit a one page narrative demonstrating how they are qualified for the position. The narrative should take into consideration the selection criteria, describing your experience, training, education and/or awards you have received that are relevant to the position. Be sure to include your name and the announcement number at the top of the page. The applicants determined to be competitively ranked will be interviewed and may be required to provide a writing sample. Face-to-face interviews will be conducted in Washington D.C. OCR will not pay for expenses associated with the interviews but will conduct telephone or videoconference interviews for those not available in Washington D.C. Professional references and academic credentials will be evaluated for applicants being considered for selection. APPLYING: Applications must be received by the closing date and time at the address specified in the cover letter. Qualified individuals are required to submit: 1 Complete resume. In order to fully evaluate your application, your resume must include: (a) All full time paid positions, job title, location(s), and dates held (month/year), for each position. Dates (month/year) and locations for all overseas field experience must also be detailed. Please specify unpaid or part time work. Unless stated otherwise, part-time hours will be prorated at 20 hours worked per week. Unpaid, part-time and any experience that does not include dates (month/year) and locations 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) for all supervisors within the last 10 years. (d) Education and any other qualifications including job-related training courses, job-related skills, or job-related honors, awards or accomplishments. (e) Country of Citizenship. Your resume should contain sufficient 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 information sufficient to determine your qualifications for the position will result in loss of full consideration. 2 A one page narrative demonstrating how you are qualified for the position. The narrative should take into consideration the selection criteria, describing your experience, training, education and/or awards you have received that are relevant to the position. If the narrative exceeds one page the additional pages will NOT be reviewed or evaluated. Additional documents submitted will not be accepted. By submitting your application materials, you certify that all of the information on and attached to the application is true, correct, complete, and made in good faith. You agree to allow all information on and attached to the application to be investigated. False or fraudulent information on or attached to your application may result in you being eliminated from consideration for this position, or being terminated after award, and may be punishable by fine or imprisonment. To ensure consideration of applications for the intended position, please reference the solicitation number on your application, and as the subject line in any email. DOCUMENT SUBMITTALS Via mail: GlobalCorps, 529 14th Street, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20045 Via facs'mile: (202) 280-1184 Via email: cshelley@usaid.gov and srdevadvisor@globalcorps.com NOTE: If the full security application package is not submitted within 30 days after the Office of Security determines eligibility, the offer may be rescinded. If a Secret security clearance is not obtained within nine months after offer acceptance, the offer may be rescinded. NOTE: If the full medical clearance package is not submitted within 30 days after offer acceptance, the offer may be rescinded. If a Class 1 Department of State medical clearance is not obtained within six months after offer acceptance, the offer may be rescinded. NOTE REGARDING GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS FOR THIS SOLICITATION This solicitation in no way obligates USAID to award a PSC contract, nor does it commit USAID to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of the application. NOTE REGARDING DATA UNIVERSAL NUMBERING SYSTEM (DUNS) NUMBERS All individuals contracted as USPSCs are required to have a DUNS Number. In this instance, USAID will provide a generic DUNS Number, and USPSCs are not required to register with CCR. For general information about DUNS Numbers, please refer to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Clause 52.204-6, Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number (10/2003) https://www.acquisition.gov/far/current/html/52_200_206.html LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSCs Forms outlined below can found at: http://www.usaid.gov/forms/ or at http://www.forms.gov/bgfPortal/main.do 1. Optional Form 612. 2. Medical History and Examination Form (DS-6561). 3. Questionnaire for Sensitive Positions (for National Security) (SF-86), or 4. Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85). 5. Finger Print Card (FD-258). Forms 1 through 5 shall be completed ONLY upon the advice of the Contracting Officer that an applicant is the successful candidate for the job. CONTRACT INFORMATION BULLETINS (CIBs) and ACQUISITION & ASSISTANCE POLICY DIRECTIVES (AAPDs) PERTAINING TO PSCs CIBs and AAPDs contain changes to USAID policy and General Provisions in USAID regulations and contracts. Please refer to http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs#psc to determine which CIBs and AAPDs apply to this contract. AAPD 06-10 - PSC MEDICAL PAYMENT RESPONSIBILITY AAPD No. 06-10 is hereby incorporated as Attachment 1 to the solicitation. FAR 52.222-50 - COMBATING TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS FAR clause 52.222-50 is hereby incorporated as Attachment 2 to the solicitation. As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a USPSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances: BENEFITS: Employer's FICA Contribution Contribution toward Health & Life Insurance Pay Comparability Adjustment Annual Increase (pending a satisfactory performance evaluation) Eligibility for Worker's Compensation Annual & Sick Leave ALLOWANCES (if Applicable).* (A) Temporary Lodging Allowance (Section 120). (B) Living Qua...