Gender and Social Inclusion (GSI) Director
Added: Aug 01, 2017 8:40 am **See the attachments for the complete detail.**Request for QuotesGender and Social Inclusion (GSI) DirectorMCC-17-RFQ-0137Date Posted: 26 July 2017 (The actual date posted is 1 August 2017.)Announcement Number: MCC-17-RFQ-0137Title: Gender and Social Inclusion (GSI) DirectorPosition Information: Full-time, Personal Services Contractor (PSC)One Base year (2,087 hours per year), renewable for up to 4 Option years at the sole discretion of the government (a total of 10,435 hours over five years).Pay Band: Pay Band 3A ($55.10 - $80.61 per hour)https://www.mcc.gov/careers/pay-bandsThe PSC may receive a pay supplement of up to 15% of the employee's direct labor cost in lieu of fringe benefits.Closing Date for Questions: 7 August 2017 (Monday)Questions must be submitted via email to leeae@mcc.govSubmission Deadline: 17 August 2017 (Thursday)Quotes must be submitted via email to leeae@mcc.govWho May Be Considered: U.S. citizens or legal, permanent residents with a minimum of five years residency history.Duty Location: MCC Headquarters in Washington, DCType of Contract: Time-and-material (T&M) with 1 Base Year and 4 Option Year Periods.More than one award may be made from this solicitation.1. Introduction and BackgroundMCC's mission is to provide grant assistance to support economic growth and poverty reduction in select developing countries with a demonstrated commitment to just and democratic governance, economic freedom, and investments in their citizenry. MCC's partner countries enter into a five-year agreement (Compact) with MCC that includes a plan for achieving shared development objectives and the responsibilities of each country in achieving those objectives. Our model is defined by core principles, of selectivity, country ownership, transparency, and a focus on results.Our values identify who we are and what is important to us. Our Values are CLEAR: Embrace Collaboration, Always Learn, Practice Excellence, Be Accountable and Respect individuals and ideas. MCC's values define how we behave on a daily basis, both as individuals and as an institution, in pursuit of our mission. They guide how we make decisions, set priorities, address challenges, manage tradeoffs, recruit and develop staff, and work together with our country partners and stakeholders.2. Scope of PositionThe Department of Compact Operations (DCO), Sector Operations Division (SO) is seeking a Personal Services Contractor (PSC) to serve as a Director in the Gender and Social Inclusion (GSI) Practice Group. The PSC shall serve as a GSI lead for projects in at least two countries in various stages of development and implementation. The PSC will also support GSI's technical leadership role to build and share knowledge and best practices on effective integration of social inclusion strategies.The PSC reports to the Practice Lead and Senior Director (PLSD) for GSI.This position is not authorized to supervise any Federal employees.3. Personal Services ContractMCC is authorized to enter into a contract with an individual as a Personal Services Contractor (PSC) under the authority of Section 614(a) (8) of the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003.A personal services contract is different from non-personal services Government contract, which establishes an independent contract relationship. Under a non-personal services contract, the contractor or employees of the contractor are subject to the technical direction but not the supervision of the MCC. As defined by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 37.104, a personal services contract is characterized by the employer-employee relationship it creates between the Government and the contractor personnel. Thus, the PSC is subject to the relatively continuous technical direction, supervision, and control of the MCC. PSCs may be assigned inherently governmental duties (see FAR 7.502). By law and by the contract's terms, the PSC is subject to most of the laws, rules and regulations applicable to the direct hire employee such as MCC regulations, conflict of interest, under some circumstances MCC authorized employment security clearances and financial disclosure. However, under the MCC personal services contract authority, PSCs are not employees for purposes of laws administered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The following elements apply to this contract:(1) Performance in Washington, D.C., US, MCC eligible countries, other US and foreign cities (as required for outreach purposes), and/or at the PSC's home of record.(2) Principal tools and equipment furnished by the Government.(3) Services are applied directly to the integral effort of agencies or an organizational subpart in furtherance of assigned function or mission.(4) Comparable services, meeting comparable needs, are performed in the same or similar agencies using civil service personnel.(5) The need for the type of service provided can reasonably be expected to last beyond 1 year.(6) The inherent nature of the service, or the manner in which it is provided, reasonably requires directly or indirectly, Government direction or supervision of contractor employees in order to-(i) Adequately protect the Government's interest;(ii) Retain control of the function involved; or(iii) Retain full personal responsibility for the function supported in a duly authorized Federal officer or employee.4. Key RequirementsAwardee must satisfy the following key requirements:• U.S. citizenship or legal, permanent resident with a minimum of five years of residency history.• Must be able to obtain and maintain a federal security clearance.• Performance at MCC Headquarters in Washington, DC.• Domestic and international travel may be required.• Statement of Employment & Financial Interest (e.g., Office of Government Ethics "OGE Form-450" or similar statement) may be required.• Active System for Award Management (www.sam.gov) registration and be listed as sole-proprietor.• Designated and/or random drug testing required.5. Dutiesa) Major Duties and Responsibilities1. Advises MCC country team and country counterparts, especially the GSI lead on conducting social and gender analysis in support of Teshold or Compact program development. This would include, but not be limited to, the following:a. Review documents produced by various stakeholders (i.e. government, donors, NGOs, private sector, academia, etc.) on social inclusion and gender equality issues within a country. b. Analyze existing data and information to understand the nature and structure of relevant laws, policies, institutions, and social norms, and how they impact on social exclusion, gender inequality, poverty and constraints on economic growth.c. Identify sectors and sub-sectors to understand their relevance to and influence on potential growth and poverty impacts. d. Conduct stakeholder interviews and consultations.e. Develop terms of reference for and manage consultants to undertake GSI analytic work.2. Working closely with other MCC colleagues and country counterparts, make recommendations for social inclusion and gender integration in compact/teshold program and project design. This would include, but not be limited to, the following:a. Making recommendations on integrating key social and gender issues into program and project design. b. Draft GSI sections/inputs into MCC compact development documents.c. Drafting and reviewing Terms of References (TORs) and deliverables for feasibility studies, design studies and contracts, and other GSI-specific or inter-sectoral procurements.d. Integrate social inclusion and gender in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) documents, including program and project logics.3. Advise and support country counterparts during compact implementation in assigned MCC partner countries. This would include, but not be limited to:a. Provide technical support and assistance to build capacity of in-country counterpart as appropriate. b. Review and analyze documents related to compact implementation, such as Terms of Reference, bidding documents, RFPs, work plans, budgets, workshop reports, and other documents as needed.c. Reviewing and analyzing M&E documents, such as M&E Plans, TORs and surveys.d. Serving as GSI technical expert on resettlement implementation, implementation of Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs), and community engagement strategies. e. Supporting the MCA staff in the oversight of the GSI-related work. Participate in MCA workshops, meetings with key stakeholders, etc.4. Supports MCC's GSI practice group tough drafting and review of technical papers, guidelines, and participation in meetings and workshops as requested. This would include, but not be limited to:a. Further build GSI knowledge base of how to effectively integrate gender and social inclusion issues into infrastructure sectors (transport, water, energy, etc.)b. Provide expertise on how to integrate social inclusion strategies in MCC program design and implementation in countries with a history of significant social divisions and tensions. c. Represent MCC to senior U.S. Government officials, representatives of foreign governments, and a variety of other stakeholders, both domestic and international as needed. Strengthens external partnerships to enhance attention to gender and social dimensions of developmentPerforms other related duties as assigned.b) TravelThe incumbent will be required to undertake 4-8 international trips annually (2-4 trips per country).c) Supervisory ControlsAs a recognized authority in the development and implementation of GSI programs and operations, the employee is subject only to administrative and policy direction concerning overall project priorities and objectives. The employee is typically delegated complete responsibility and authority to plan, schedule, and carry out major projects concerned with the analysis and evaluation of programs or organizational effectiveness. Analyses, evaluations, and recommendations developed by the employee are normally reviewed by management officials only for potential influence on broad agency policy objectives and program goals. Findings and recommendations are normally accepted without significant change.d) GuidelinesGuidelines consist of general administrative policies, and program, management and organizational theories which require considerable adaptation and/or interpretation for application to issues and problems studied. Policies and precedent studies provide a basic outline of results desired, but do not go into detail as to the methods used to accomplish the project. Within the context of broad regulatory and procedural guidelines, the employee refines or develops more specific guidelines, such as implementing new or revised processes, methods and procedures.e) ComplexityThe employee analyzes interrelated issues of effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity of substantive mission-oriented GSI programs. The incumbent develops detailed plans and objectives for the implementation and administration of programs, and/or develops criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of the program. Decisions concerning planning, organizing, and conducting studies are complicated by conditions, such as conflicting program goals and objectives. Options, recommendations, and conclusions take into account uncertainties about the data and other variables which affect long-range program performance.f) Scope and EffectThe purpose of the work is to analyze and evaluate major aspects of substantive, mission-oriented programs. The employee evaluates the effectiveness of GSI programs and operations and identifies and resolves problems and copes with issues which directly affect the accomplishment of principal MCC objectives. The employee provides input to the development of procedures or guidelines for the conduct of program operations, or new criteria for measuring program accomplishments. Study reports contain findings and recommendations of major significance to management officials, and often serve as the basis for new administrative systems, programs and practices.g) Personal Contacts/Purpose of ContactsPersonal contacts include individuals and groups at all levels of the Corporation, representatives from other Federal agencies/organizations, MCAs, contractors, and the general public. The purpose of contacts is to influence, motivate, persuade or negotiate with others who may hold different points of views in order to influence managers or other officials to accept recommendations or to obtain the desired effect.h) Physical DemandsThe work is primarily sedentary, although some walking, bending, or carrying of light items may be involved. Frequent travel required.i) Work EnvironmentWork is performed in an office setting, although there is an expectation of work in the field.6. DeliverablesDeliverables are associated with the tasks identified in Section 5. Duties to include reports as required by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR).The PSC will provide a monthly progress report as a regular deliverable. Monthly progress reports will consist of the following format to measure the progress of each task:Task: XXXXXXStatus: XXXXXXXXRecommendations: XXXXXXXMonthly reports are due the first workday of each month. The PSC also will produce other reports and analyses as requested by MCC.Deliverables will be considered as a draft upon initial receipt. Drafts will be reviewed and accepted or concerns raised/comments provided within two weeks of receipt. The PSC shall appropriately address MCC's concerns and provide final deliverables within one week of receiving the MCC response.In addition to monthly progress reports, the PSC will submit biweekly timesheets on a schedule and format determined by MCC. Timesheets will include a list of hours worked per compact or country program, along with a brief description of the tasks undertaken for each program during the pay period.The PSC also will produce other reports and analyses as requested by MCC.7. QualificationsOfferors must meet all the required qualifications described below by the closing date of this announcement. Desired qualifications will only be considered once all required qualifications are met. Offerors must demonstrate that they possess the following:a) Required Qualifications:7.a.1. Minimum of 10 years of experience utilizing methodologies and best practices of social inclusion and/or gender integration. 7.a.2. Minimum of 10 years of experience assessing, designing, developing, and implementing strategies and programs of integrating social inclusion and gender integration into multisector programs/projects, including in infrastructure and agriculture.7.a.3. Minimum of 10 years of experience conducting social and gender analysis and assessment in research, project planning and design, and/or implementation oversight in multi-sectoral programs.7.a.4. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and effectively in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, and with staff of other US Government agencies, foreign governments, civil society organizations, and private sector firms.7.a.5. Ability to provide advice to senior management officials on matters related to social inclusion and gender integration initiatives and programs.7.a.6. Advanced professional proficiency in at least one language, including Spanish, French or Russian. 7.a.7. Advanced postgraduate degree (Masters or Ph. D) in social science such as economics, sociology, antopology, or a related discipline.b) Desired Qualifications:7.b.1. Knowledge of US Government Agencies or MCC's organization, rules, procedures, administrative policies, operational requirements, and programs relating to gender integration and social inclusion aspects of program development and implementation.7.b.2. Knowledge of International Finance Corporation (IFC) performance standards.7.b.3. Experience with gender and social integration in resettlement action plans, oversight of resettlement implementation, and environmental and social management plans.7.b.4. Experience working in the countries and regions in which MCC works.8. Required DocumentationInterested offerors must submit following required documents, including but not limited to:1. A copy of Transcript or Transcripts;2. A completed and signed Bio-Data Form (Addendum 3) with proposed salary (typed signature is not acceptable. Physical signature or electronic signature are acceptable);3. A curriculum vitae or resume (limit 10 pages);4. A written narrative of up to five pages clearly describing relevant experience and knowledge of each of the qualification requirements; and5. At least tee and no more than five professional references with current contact information.Desired Documentation:1. A cover letter, not to exceed one page, to highlight your suitability for this position. The cover letter is not considered as the required written narrative (bullet no. 4 above).9. CompensationPSCs for the services of individual experts or consultants are limited by the Classification Act. In addition, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has established requirements which apply in acquiring the personal services of experts or consultants in this manner (e.g., benefits, taxes, conflicts of interest).This is a full-time position for a Gender and Social Inclusion (GSI) Director and the maximum number of hours allowed is 2,087 hours per year. The contract will include four one-year option periods that may be exercised at the sole discretion of MCC.Overtime is not authorized on this contract.The pay range for this position is $55.10 - $80.61 per hour per hour at the MCC Pay Band 3A (https://www.mcc.gov/careers/pay-bands), inclusive of Washington, DC locality pay. Final compensation will be negotiated within this pay range based upon the successful offeror's salary history, work experience and educational background. A salary above this pay range will not be entertained or negotiated.MCC issues W-2s to the PSC. For U.S. citizens and legal resident aliens, MCC makes the employer contribution to FICA and Medicare for the PSC. MCC withholds FICA, Medicare, federal tax and state tax on behalf of the PSC. The PSC is not eligible for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion.10. BenefitsUnder the MCC personal services contracting authority, PSCs are not employees for purposes of laws administered by OPM, such as Federal Retirement Benefits and health and life insurance. As such, the PSC is not eligible for participation in the Civil Service Retirement System or the Federal Employees Retirement System. Moreover, the PSC is ineligible to receive Federal Health and Life Insurance or participate in the Federal Tift Savings Plan.Notwithstanding the above, and if agreed upon by the Government and the PSC before the award of a contract, the PSC may receive a pay supplement of up to 15% (for full-time PSCs) of the employee's direct labor cost in lieu of fringe benefits.a) Sick LeaveThe full-time (FT) PSC earns sick leave on the same basis as direct-hire MCC employees, that is, maximum four (4) hours for every biweekly pay period.b) Annual LeaveThe full-time PSC earns four, six, or eight hours of annual leave for each biweekly pay period depending on the number of years of previous federal government employment based upon determination made by MCC.c) Parking & Transit SubsidyA full-time PSC working at MCC Headquarters in Washington, DC is eligible for parking or transit subsidy, subject to the availability of funds. The full time PSC whose duty station is overseas is not eligible for this subsidy.d) Credit HoursA full-time PSC is eligible for credit hours (up to 24 hours earned) under the MCC Credit Hour Program. PSCs may not receive credit hours for time spent in travel status. The PSC shall be compensated for the credit hour balance upon termination, subject to availability of funds.11. TravelThe PSC is subject to the Federal Travel Regulations and MCC travel policies and procedures to the same extent as MCC direct-hire employees.12. Quote Submission Instructions to PSC Candidates (Offerors)In accordance with FAR 52.214-34 & 52.214-35, all submissions are to be in the English language and US Dollars. Submissions in other languages or monetary denominations shall not be considered.This section is the basis for evaluating all Submissions. Offerors must separately address each listed qualification requirement and demonstrate how s/he meets each. Unless stated otherwise, all qualification elements will be weighted equally.(a) Qualified individuals must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) before submission, either in "Active" or "Submitted" status. Award of a contract cannot occur until the registration is in "Active" status. The approval of your record in SAM may take a few weeks. Therefore, you must be registered in SAM before submission. Offerors without a SAM registration (neither "Active" nor "Submitted") may be rejected.(b) Submissions shall be formatted to fit on 8 ½ x 11" paper. Suggested margins are 1" all around and the font should be Calibri or Times New Roman, no larger than 12 point. Hourly rates shall not be mentioned anywhere in your submission other than on the Bio-Data Form (Addendum 3). It is the responsibility of the offeror to ensure that all pages are properly formatted to fit and that all information properly fits within the margins of each page.(c) Qualified individuals must submit a completed and formally signed Bio-Data Form (Addendum 2). Typed signatures are not acceptable. Either physically sign or save the Bio-Data Form as a PDF and electronically sign it. Please ensure that you provide a current, valid e-mail address and telephone number for notification purposes. The Bio-Data Form must be fully completed including a proposed hourly rate & signed for the submission to be considered. A Bio-Data Form without a proposed hourly rate and/or signature may cause you to not be considered.(d) Qualified individuals must submit a curriculum vitae or a resume, which clearly demonstrates their education, experience, knowledge, and skills and abilities as they relate to the qualification elements. Resume must indicate: the earliest possible start date for the offeror; as well as formal title, and duration (start date / end date) for each listed position. Resume is limited to 10 pages and must not contain a photo or any salary information.(e) Describe your experience and knowledge in regards to the qualification requirements in no more than five pages. Clearly demonstrate how your prior experience is either relevant or directly related to the duties of this position as listed under Section 5. Duties. The responses should describe specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards you have received that are relevant to each factor. Cite specific examples where appropriate.(f) Qualified individuals must submit at least tee but no more than five professional references, who are not relatives or family members. Submitted references must include current information, as follows:1. Name of reference2. Offeror's relationship to reference3. Title of reference at current job4. Reference current telephone number (work or personal)5. Reference e-mail address (work)At least two references must be from direct supervisors (current or prior) who can provide information regarding the applicant's knowledge and experience in the field of Gender and Social Inclusion. Preferably, the references should be from within the last 5 years of the applicant's professional employment history.(g) Submissions must be signed and received prior to the closing date and time specified above to be considered for this position. Typed signatures are not acceptable.(h) To ensure consideration of submissions for the intended position, please reference the position title and announcement number on the subject line of your submission email and on supporting documentation and any cover letter.13. Response DeadlineElectronic submission is required. Mailed copies of any submission shall not be accepted. Electronic packages shall be submitted by e-mail to leeae@mcc.gov before the deadline stated on page 1 of this Combined Synopsis Solicitation. Submission shall reference the position title and the announcement number on the subject line of the e-mail.MCC does not accept responsibility for delays in transmission or receipt of any submission. Offerors are responsible for submitting their package so as to reach the designated Government office by the closing date and time specified on page 1 of this Combined Synopsis Solicitation. Submissions received after the closing date and time will not be considered, unless there is acceptable evidence to establish that it was indeed received by the Government installation prior to the time and date specified in this announcement. Receipt of submissions in response to this announcement does not constitute an award commitment. The U.S. Government will not reimburse any costs incurred in the preparation of a submission. Any submission is at the sole risk of the offeror.14. Question DeadlineAny questions regarding this announcement must be submitted in writing via email to MCCPSC@mcc.gov and leeae@mcc.gov before the deadline as given on page 1 of this Combined Synopsis Solicitation.15. Selection Processa) Selection ProcessIn order to be considered for the requirement, a offeror must meet the qualifications listed above. Consideration and selection will be based on a panel evaluation in accordance with the Section 7 Qualifications. In addition to the materials listed above, offerors are strongly encouraged to write a cover letter, not to exceed one page, to highlight their suitability for this position. The cover letter is not required and is not accepted as the required written narrative.All Submissions will be evaluated based on the documentation submitted, the offeror's evidence of the above qualification requirements, performance in a potential discussion/negotiation session, if conducted, and information provided by references, if contacted. Please note that for evaluation purposes, MCC will take into consideration your proposed labor rate and any requested pay supplement in lieu of fringe benefits. All submissions will receive one of tee scores for each of the required and desired qualifications: Does Not Meet, Meets, or Exceeds. MCC reserves the right to conduct interviews with the most qualified offerors and/or conduct a reference check on those individuals.Offerors are strongly encouraged to ensure the work history portion thoroughly documents the duties, responsibilities and accomplishments that are directly related to this requirement in order to verify specialized experience. Errors or omissions may affect your evaluation.The U.S. Government & MCC are not obligated to make any award or pay for any costs associated with the preparation and submission of a proposal in response to this announcement. Award of this contract is contingent on availability of funds. MCC reserves the right to not award any contract as a result of this announcement.b) Evaluation CriteriaAll quotes will be evaluated based on the evaluation factors listed below.The following evaluation factors and sub-factors are listed in descending order of importance, starting with the most important:1. Technical Capability: Offerors must clearly demonstrate on the submitted CV or resume that she/he would satisfy the qualifications in accordance with Section 7. Qualifications to perform the duties in accordance with Section 5. Duties. Only those quotes that meet the required technical qualifications per Section 7. Qualifications will be considered. Candidates with desired qualifications will be given additional consideration.2. Past Performance: Offerors will be evaluated 3 to 5 professional references for relevant work performed during the past tee years. The Government will evaluate relevant work with successful performance.The Government reserves the right to consider information from any other sources when evaluating the offeror's past performance.3. Price: The Government will examine price quotes for reasonableness and completeness. Offerors are requested and encouraged to provide any discounted pricing.Except when it is determined in accordance with FAR 17.206(b) not to be in the Government's best interests, the Government will evaluate Quotes for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. This includes options under FAR clause 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services, which applies to this solicitation. Evaluation of options under FAR 52.217-8 will be accomplished by using the prices offered for the last option period to determine the price for a 6-month option period, which will be added to the base and other option years to arrive at the total price. Evaluation of options will not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).c) Contract AwardThis contract shall be awarded solely to an individual, not to a firm. The individual must have an active DUNS No. and "Active" status in the System for Award Management (SAM) for award.d) Contract and Period of PerformanceThe successful offeror may be offered a full-time, personal services type contract for a one-year base period plus 4 one-year option periods, based upon performance, agency requirements, and available funding.The base period of performance shall be from date of award for 12 months. All option periods are exercised at the sole discretion of MCC. The contract will be for a full-time PSC position with 10,435 total hours over the duration of the contract.e) Place of PerformanceThe Contractor's primary duty station will be MCC Headquarters in Washington, DC.16. AddendaSee attachments for:1. Provisions and Clauses2. Position Description3. Bio-Data Form __________________________________________________Taylor J. WolfContracting OfficerMillennium Challenge Corporation[End of Solicitation]
MCC-17-RFQ-0137 Millennium Challenge Corporation
8/1/17, 8:40 AM