240731 USPSC_Offshore TB_RFP 72044024R00001_QH_NKL.pdf

SOL 72044024R00004, Senior TB Advisor

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1) SOLICITATION NO.: 72044024R00004

2) ISSUANCE DATE: August 01, 2024

3) CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: September 01, 2024 at 17:00 Hanoi time.

4) POINT OF CONTACT:

Quyen Hoang, Supervisory HR Specialist, at Vietnam-Hanoi-USAID-HR-Recruitment@usaid.gov

Nand Kumar Lakhavani, Contracting Officer, at nlakhavani@usaid.gov

(Please copy and paste the email to ensure the correct email address is used).

5) POSITION TITLE: Senior Tuberculosis (TB) Advisor (Offshore USPSC)

6) MARKET VALUE:

Position is classified at GS-15 with annual salary range of $123,041 - $159,950 per annum.

Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value depending on experience, qualifications and salary history. Requests for salary over and above the top of the pay range is not negotiable. This will include Locality Pay for domestic USPSCs based on the location of the Official USAID Worksite, or the approved alternative worksite if approved for remote work. USPSCs performing overseas are not entitled to Locality Pay.

7) PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

The base period will be two (2) years. Based on the Mission’s needs and fund availability, the Contracting Officer may exercise additional option periods of three (3) one-year extensions.

This is a full-time position with 40 hours per week schedule (Monday to Friday).

Base Period TBD two-year period Option Period 1 TBD one-year period Option Period 2 TBD one-year period Option Period 3 TBD one-year period

8) PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Office of Health, USAID/Vietnam office in Hanoi, mailto:Vietnam-Hanoi-USAID-HR-Recruitment@usaid.gov mailto:nlakhavani@usaid.gov

Vietnam with possible travel upon the work requirements.

9) ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: United States Citizens or U.S. Permanent Resident (“green card holder”)

10) SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Secret level

USAID will provide details regarding this requirement. If such clearance is not obtained within a reasonable time or negative suitability issues are involved, any offer made may be rescinded.

11) STATEMENT OF DUTIES

1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

USAID leads the U.S. Government’s global tuberculosis (TB) efforts, working with agencies and partners around the world to reach every person with TB, cure those in need of treatment, and prevent the spread of new infections. In September 2018, USAID announced “The Global Accelerator to End Tuberculosis” to support the United Nations’ target of treating 40 million people by 2022, and focuses on countries with high burdens of TB, including Vietnam.

Vietnam is among 20 countries that the WHO has designated as having the highest estimated numbers of incident TB cases, and among the top 20 countries with the highest estimated numbers of incident MDR-TB cases. From 2007 to 2017, TB incidence in Vietnam decreased by an estimated 3.0 percent each year, and the mortality rate decreased by an estimated 4.0 percent each year. However, based on the 2017 TB Prevalence survey results, estimated incidence showed 174,000 new cases of TB in 2018, significantly higher than previously thought. In 2019, 60 percent (100,000) of estimated TB cases were notified;1 approximately 70,000 of 170,000 cases went undetected and untreated. The TB burden is not equally shared across provinces, and those in the South report the greatest numbers of cases. TB is more prevalent among men than women, with a reported rate four times higher in men than that reported in women, which increases with age. An estimated 10 percent of total TB cases are children, but only one percent of notified cases are pediatric. Vietnam was among the 10 countries with the largest gap between the number of individuals estimated to have Multidrug Resistant (MDR)/rifampicin-resistant (RR) TB and the number started on treatment for the disease.

Starting in 2019, USAID, with an approximately $6 million annual budget, became the second largest donor to the National TB Program (NTP), after the Global Fund to Prevent AIDS, TB, and Malaria (GFATM). Since then, USAID Vietnam has been providing comprehensive support to the NTP to achieve the committed goal of ending TB by 2030 in Vietnam. The NTP relies heavily on donor support to provide MDR/RR-TB services, advanced diagnostic tools, community case finding, latent TB infection (LTBI) treatment, and private sector engagement. While the GFATM provides resources for essential commodities and service delivery, USAID focuses its efforts on building capacity for NTP staff at the central, provincial, and district levels; providing technical assistance in priority areas -TB and MDR-TB detection, treatment, and prevention; and assessing newly endorsed initiatives to generate evidence and lessons learned for scale up by the GFATM and NTP using domestic resources.

2. BASIC FUNCTION OF THE POSITION

Under the direct supervision of the Health Office Director or their designee, the Senior TB Advisor is responsible for leading USAID’s contributions to TB in collaboration with USAID/Washington’s TB Team. The Senior TB Advisor will coordinate USAID partners, provide recommendations regarding TB challenges, ensure effective implementation of TB projects, build relationships with Vietnam counterparts, and liaise with multiple inter-agency, USAID/Washington, and regional counterparts involved in TB. Strong interpersonal skills as well as spoken and written communication abilities are required. The incumbent will also supervise and be responsible for the professional development of two (2) to four (4) Cooperating Country Nationals Personal Services Contractor (CCNPSCs).

3. MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Senior TB Advisor will work in collaboration with the USAID/Washington TB team and with regional colleagues to implement USAID activities, ensuring alignment with Government of Vietnam priorities. Working as part of the Embassy TB Team within the Health Office, the Senior TB Advisor will complete the following duties and responsibilities:

1) Strategic and technical leadership of USAID TB program:

a) Provide technical expertise and advisory support to USAID and USG leadership for TB technical areas of work (detection, treatment, and prevention services, including laboratory networks and services).

b) Ensure that all TB activities are technically excellent and consistent with internationally accepted best practices and relevant to the specific TB epidemiology of Vietnam.

c) Provide technical leadership as well as scientific and technical support to implementing partners of USAID during the designing and implementation phases of the activities to ensure the quality of interventions supported and that programmatic targets are met.

d) Lead the development of annual TB work plans working collaboratively with internal and external partners to ensure coordination of USG TB supported activities and to avoid duplication.

e) Keep informed of national and international initiatives and policies and state-of-the-art developments related to TB detection, prevention, treatment, and laboratory services and application to poor resource settings, especially community and private sector engagement best practices.

f) Provide technical, managerial, and institutional support to host country local organizations to assist them in developing into strong institutions capable of delivering high quality TB services

g) Work with the Health Office team to ensure timely initiation and completion of new activity and project designs. Fully participate or take the lead on each stage of design for new activities including drafting and obtaining approvals for concept papers, writing scopes of work, evaluating applications/proposals and starting-up new activities.

2) Project Management, Reporting and Monitoring and Evaluation:

a) Serve as the Agreement Officer’s Representative and Contracting Officer Representative (A/COR) and/or Activity Manager, by monitoring and guiding implementing partner activities to ensure consistency with project objectives and to ensure that activities contribute to advancing Vietnam TB targets.

b) Lead development of Annual TB Roadmap and bi-annual and annual reports.

c) Participate in and provide expertise for Vietnam TB assessments and research.

d) Assist in monitoring the annual TB budget; work in collaboration with the Health Office

Financial Analyst to ensure that budgets are up-to-date; reprogramming is completed;

budgetary changes are approved by the Office Director and Deputy.

e) Provide regular updates for USAID/Vietnam Front Office on TB progress, events and upcoming visitors.

3. Representation, partnerships, and coordination:

a) Represent USAID/Vietnam as needed in interfacing with the Government of Vietnam as it relates to TB programs. This includes representing USAID in technical, planning, strategic and coordination meetings as well as reviews with the NTP, other donors, and non-government and private sector organizations.

b) Serve as a USAID point of contact for coordination with various entities of the NTP, other donors, the private sector, and civil society on matters relating to tuberculosis responses.

Collaborate closely with key development partners (such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the GFATM) and implementing partners to promote coordination and adoption of sound technical approaches for the effective delivery and sustainability of TB detection, treatment, prevention, and laboratory services.

c) In collaboration with the TB team, support coordination of stakeholder engagement, inputs, and co-creation for new designs, and present new concepts, designs, and newly awarded projects to senior NTP management.

4. Serve as Duty Officer for the embassy as requested.

3) SUPERVISORY RECEIVED

The incumbent will work under the supervision of the Health Office Director or his/her designee.

The Senior TB Advisor has responsibility for independent planning and implementation of required tasks and activities. The Advisor keeps the Supervisor informed of progress, potential controversial matters, and any other concerns. Completed work is expected to be technically sound and of high quality.

4) SUPERVISON/OVERSIGHT OVER OTHERS

a) Supervise two (2) to four (4) CCNPSC, which includes developing annual work objectives, identifying appropriate training opportunities, mentoring and coaching them to facilitate professional development. Conducts regular performance reviews and addresses any performance challenges that may arise. Works with direct reports to determine training needs, helps identify appropriate training opportunities and ensures fair participation in training.

b) Provide expert advice and guidance to direct reports and other USAID Mission staff on matters relating to TB and how best the other program components could contribute to ensure an effective service cascade.

12) PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

A. Education: Possession of Master’s degree with significant study in or pertinent to the specialized field, including medicine, epidemiology, public health, health sciences, or relevant technical field.

B. Professional Experience:

Minimum eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience designing, implementing, and managing health development programs, with experience in South-East Asia and/or TB programs. Management and leadership experience should include all aspects of strategic planning, program design, planning, budgeting, and monitoring and evaluation, with a minimum of seven (7) years of experience in an international or resource challenged setting working collaboratively with senior, managerial, technical host-country counterparts, donors, and other stakeholders at national and decentralized levels is required.

Experience working with historically marginalized, hard to reach, or underserved communities is desirable.

C. Technical Knowledge: the job holder must have o Mastery of key technical areas in TB programming including prevention, detection, and treatment, in highly endemic and resource constrained environment.

o Substantial professional knowledge of public health, infectious diseases, health systems, and development issues.

o Working knowledge of the US government foreign assistance programming, process, documentation, and business practices, as well as other donor, bilateral or multilateral assistance programs o Knowledge of Southeast Asia, preferably Vietnam cultural/work environment.

D. Skills and Abilities:

The job holder must have:

• Ability to work with stakeholders across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

• Ability to interpret public policies and assist in revising policies related to TB services in

Vietnam.

• Ability to work in a complex political environment and ability to manage host government interests and expectations.

• Excellent Interpersonal Skills (leadership, teamwork, communications, negotiation, presentation) to communicate effectively, engage and maintain strong contacts, build trust-based, productive work relationships with all counterparts both inside and outside of USAID (Mission employees; local government officials at the Senior Minister level; international and local organizations, donors and other embassies; and various Washington based U.S.

Government agencies).

• Ability to professionally explain USAID objectives and procedures to government officials, private businesses, corporations, foundations, NGOs, and other non-traditional development organizations

• High degree of technical, analytical, and quantitative skills in scientific approaches and in analysis of development activities and policies.

• Demonstrated ability to effectively supervise, coach and mentor staff in multi-cultural and international settings.

• Ability to successfully collaborate in diverse teams, apply principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) within all aspects of their work with all stakeholders, including within the Mission, as part of their interactions with external stakeholders, and across relevant USAID programming and partnerships, with the objective of bringing in the various perspectives and voices of populations and communities across Vietnam to meet program needs.

E. Other Requirements: The incumbent must also be:

1) A US Citizen; or U.S. Permanent Resident (“green card holder")

2) In possession of, or able to obtain, a secret clearance. The final selected candidates must obtain both the appropriate security and medical clearances within a reasonable period.

If such clearances are not obtained within a reasonable time or negative suitability issues are involved, any offer made may be rescinded;

3) In possession of, or able to obtain, secret authorization and a medical clearance for serving in Hanoi, Vietnam. Details of how to obtain US Department of State Medical Unit medical clearance will be provided once a job offer is made and accepted;

4) Available and willing to work outside the regular 40-hour workweek when required/necessary;

5) Willing to travel to work sites and other offices both in Vietnam and regionally as/when requested.

III. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

The Government may award a contract without discussions with offerors in accordance with FAR 52.215-1. The CO reserves the right at any point in the evaluation process to establish a competitive range of offerors with whom negotiations will be conducted pursuant to FAR 15.306(c). In accordance with FAR 52.215-1, if the CO determines that the number of offers that would otherwise be in the competitive range exceeds the number at which an efficient competition can be conducted, the CO may limit the number of offerors in the competitive range to the greatest number that will permit an efficient competition among the most highly rated offers. FAR provisions of this solicitation are available at https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far.

The technical evaluation committee may conduct reference checks, including references from individuals who have not been specifically identified by the offeror, and may do so before or after a candidate is interviewed.

A. Selection Process

After the closing date for receipt of applications, a committee will be convened to review applications and evaluate them in accordance with the evaluation criteria. Applications from candidates who do not meet the required selection criteria will not be scored. As part of the selection process, final candidates may be interviewed either in person or by telephone at USAID’s discretion. Reference checks will be made only for applicants considered as finalists. Reference checks may be conducted with individuals not provided by the offeror.

If an applicant does not wish USAID to contact a current employer for a reference check, this should be stated in the applicant’s cover letter, and USAID will delay such reference check pending communication with the applicant. Only finalists will be contacted by USAID with respect to their applications. The final selected candidates must obtain security and medical clearances within a reasonable period of time (USAID will provide details regarding these clearances to the selected candidates). A substantial delay in obtaining either required clearance will make the applicant ineligible for selection.

B. Selection Criteria/Evaluation Factors

Applicants will be evaluated on the extent and quality of their education, relevant experience, language and work skills, and professional presentation as they relate to this position against the following criteria in descending order of importance:

1. Education, Professional Experience: 45 points

2. Technical knowledge: 35 points

3. Communication and Interpersonal Skills: 20 points

Maximum Points – 100 points

The factors will be the basis for scoring the applications and creating an initial ranking of candidates. Only the highest-ranked applicants (finalists) will be interviewed. Those finalists will also be evaluated on their interview performance, and, finally, satisfactory professional reference checks.

In summary, the steps in the applicant rating system are as follows:

1. Meet minimum education/relevant years of experience requirements: Pass/Fail

2. Evaluation Factors (Technical Knowledge/Professional Experience, Communication, and Interpersonal Skills): combined, are of equal importance to Interview Performance

3. Interview Performance: of equal importance to Evaluation Factors https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far

4. Reference Checks: Pass/Fail

Applicants seeking the required qualifications for the position will be evaluated based on information presented in the application and reference checks. USAID reserves the right to conduct interviews with the most highly ranked applicants.

IV. SUBMITTING AN OFFER

1) Applications should include the following, with the applicant’s name clearly marked on every page:

a. Cover letter (no more than one page);

b. Most current curriculum vitae (CV) or resume;

c. Supplemental documentation, addressing each of the Evaluation Factors on a separate sheet, describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards or recognition the applicant has received relevant to each evaluation factor described above. Responses are limited to 300 words per factor;

d. Salary history for the prior three years captured in a Contractor Employee Biographical Data Sheet (AID 1420-17 form available at https://www.usaid.gov/forms/aid-1420-17);

e. Contact information (telephone numbers and email addresses) for at least three references with knowledge of the applicant's prior work skills. Please be advised that references may be obtained independently from other sources in addition to the ones provided by an applicant; and,

f. Eligible offerors are required to complete and submit the offer form AID 309-2, “Offeror Information for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals,” available at http://www.usaid.gov/forms.

Incomplete/un-signed offers will not be considered.

2) Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3, and submitted to the Point of Contact in Section I, item 4. Late, incomplete or unsigned applications will NOT be considered.

1. Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3, and submitted to the Point of Contact in Section I.

2. Offeror submissions must clearly reference the Solicitation number on all offeror submitted documents.

3) To ensure consideration of offers for the intended position, Offerors must prominently reference the Solicitation number in the offer submission.

4) The attachment to e-mail must be in Word format (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat format

(.pdf). The attachment should be formatted with a 10MB limit per email. Package in zip or other compressed formats will be rejected. The U.S. Government will not be responsible for incomplete/corrupted or missing information in electronic submission.

https://www.usaid.gov/forms/aid-1420-17 http://www.usaid.gov/forms

USAID will not ensure quality or completeness of electronic files attached to the e-mail.

V. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS PRIOR TO USPSC HIRES

Once the CO informs the successful Offeror about being selected for a contract award, the CO will provide the successful Offeror instructions about how to complete and submit the following forms.

1. Medical History and Examination Form (Department of State Forms)

2. Questionnaire for Sensitive Positions for National Security (SF-86), or

3. Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85)

4. Fingerprint Card (FD-258)

VI. BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES

As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a USPSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances:

1) BENEFITS:

(a) Employer's FICA Contribution

(b) Contribution toward Health & Life Insurance

(c) Pay Comparability Adjustment

(d) Annual Increase (pending a satisfactory performance evaluation)

(e) Eligibility for Worker's Compensation

(f) Leave and Holidays

2) ALLOWANCES:

Section numbers refer to rules from the Department of State Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians Foreign Areas) available at https://aoprals.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=282&menu_id=101

1. Temporary Quarter Subsistence Allowance (Section 120)

2. Cost-of-Living Allowance (Chapter 210)

3. Post Allowance (Section 220)

4. Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section 260)

5. Education Allowance (Section 270)

6. Education Travel (Section 280)

7. Post Differential (Chapter 500)

8. Payments during Evacuation/Authorized Departure (Section 600), and

VII. TAXES

USPSCs are required to pay Federal income taxes, FICA, Medicare and applicable State Income taxes.

VIII. USAID REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND CONTRACT CLAUSES PERTAINING

TO USPSCs

USAID regulations and policies governing USPSC awards are available at these sources:

1) USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR), Appendix D, “Direct USAID Contracts with a U.S. Citizen or a U.S. Resident Alien for Personal Services Abroad,” including contract clause “General Provisions,” available at https://www.usaid.gov/ads/policy/300/aidar

2) Contract Cover Page form AID 309-1 available at https://www.usaid.gov/forms .

Pricing by line item is to be determined upon contract award as described below

Item No (A)

Supplies/ Service Description

(B)

Quantity

(C)

Unit

(D)

Unit Price (E)

Amount

(F) 0001 Base Period – Compensation, Fringe Benefits and Other Direct Costs (ODCs)

- Award Type: Firm-Fixed-

Price

- Product Services Code: R497

- Accounting Info: TBD

1 LOT - $TBD at award after negotiations with Contractor

1001 Option Period 1 – Compensation, Fringe Benefits and Other Direct Costs (ODCs)

- Award Type: Firm-Fixed-

Price

- Product Services Code: R497

- Accounting Info: TBD

1 $TBD at award after negotiations with Contractor

2001 Option Period 2 – Compensation, Fringe Benefits and Other Direct Costs (ODCs)

- Award Type: Firm-Fixed-

Price

- Product Services Code: R497

- Accounting Info: TBD

1 $TBD at award after negotiations with Contractor

3001 Option Period 3 – Compensation, Fringe Benefits and Other Direct Costs (ODCs)

- Award Type: Firm-Fixed-

Price

- Product Services Code: R497

- Accounting Info: TBD

1 $TBD at award after negotiations with Contractor https://www.usaid.gov/ads/policy/300/aidar

3) Acquisition and Assistance Policy Directives/Contract Information Bulletins (AAPDs/CIBs) for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals available at http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs .

Ethical Conduct. By the acceptance of a USAID personal services contract as an individual, the contractor will be acknowledging receipt of the “Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch,” available from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, in accordance with General Provision 2 and 5 CFR 2635. See https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/resources_standards-of-conduct.

PSC Ombudsman

The PSC Ombudsman serves as a resource for any Personal Services Contractor who has entered into a contract with the United States Agency for International Development and is available to provide clarity on their specific contract with the agency. Please visit our page for additional information: https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/personal-service-contracts-ombudsman The PSC Ombudsman may be contacted via: PSCOmbudsman@usaid.gov.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation. The Mission also strives to achieve equal employment opportunity in all personnel operations through continuing diversity enhancement programs.

The EEO complaint procedure is not available to individuals who believe they have been denied equal opportunity based upon marital status or political affiliation. Individuals with such complaints should avail themselves of the appropriate grievance procedures, remedies for prohibited personnel practices, and/or courts for relief.

1. FAR Provisions Incorporated by Reference [Insert the applicable FAR date in the format 3-LETTER MONTH, 4-DIGIT YEAR]

52.204-27 PROHIBITION ON A BYTEDANCE COVERED

APPLICATION

JUN 2023

Our Commitment to DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility):

At USAID/Vietnam, we are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). Our initiatives encompass employee resource groups, mentorship programs, ongoing diversity training, flexible work arrangements, and a dedication to promoting inclusivity. We actively engage with our local community, continuously improve accessibility, and encourage feedback through surveys. We value the contributions of all team members and believe that our collective diversity drives innovation and success.

___End of Solicitation___ http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/resources_standards-of-conduct https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/personal-service-contracts-ombudsman https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/personal-service-contracts-ombudsman about:blank

E. Other Requirements: The incumbent must also be: