386-12-103-- USPSC Senior Contracts and Agreements Specialist.pdf

U.S. Agency for International Development

American Embassy

Chanakyapuri

New Delhi 110 021

Tel: 91-11-24198000

Fax: 91-11-24198612 / 8454 www.usaid.gov/in

SOLICITATION NO.: USAID/India/386-12-103

ISSUANCE DATE: August 09, 2012

CLOSING DATE: August 23, 2012, 5:00 p.m., New Delhi Time

SUBJECT: Solicitation for Personal Services Contractor (PSC) – Senior Contracts and

Agreements Specialist (Re Advertisement)

To All Interested Applicants:

The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development

(USAID), is seeking proposals (Optional Form 612) from U.S. citizens (only) interested in providing the PSC services described in the attached document.

Submissions shall be in accordance with the attached information and delivered to the undersigned in New Delhi, India, at the place and by the time specified. Email submissions shall be sent to: indiaper@usaid.gov. Applications materials may be faxed, mailed, emailed, or hand-carried to the undersigned. To ensure delivery by the due date, it is recommended that applications be sent as email attachments or by fax, if possible. Late applications may be considered per USAID's sole discretion. The award of a contract hereunder is subject to the availability of funds.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Any questions regarding this position should be directed to Yashwant Kainth, Contracting Officer, who may be reached at the following email address: indiaper@usaid.gov. Applicants should retain for their record copies of all enclosures which accompany their applications.

Sincerely, /s/

Yashwant Kainth

Contracting Officer

USAID/India

Mailing Address:

Executive Office

American Embassy

Shantipath, Chanakyapuri

New Delhi 110021

India mailto:indiaper@usaid.gov

ATTACHMENT 1 TO SOLICITATION NUMBER 386-12-103

SOLICITATION NUMBER: 386-12-103

ISSUANCE DATE: August 09, 2012

CLOSING DATE/TIME SPECIFIED

FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS: August 23, 2012 (5 p.m. Delhi Time)

POSITION TITLE: USPSC Senior Contracts and Agreements Specialist

(Re advertisement)

MARKET VALUE: $99,628 - $129,517 per annum (GS-15 equivalent)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: 12 months, renewable subject to the availability of funds and Mission requirements

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Regional Office of Acquisition and Assistance

(ROAA), USAID/India, New Delhi

SUPERVISOR: Office Director of ROAA, USAID/India

SECURITY ACCESS: Security clearance (Secret level) must be initiated prior to travel to post of duty

AREA OF CONSIDERATION: U.S. Citizens Only

I. INTRODUCTION

The United States has had a development partnership with India for over 60 years. This partnership has yielded many landmark successes, such as the Green Revolution and developing effective national programs in HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. India's emergence as a regional and global power and rapidly growing trade and investment partner creates a strategic opportunity to evolve the traditional donor-recipient model of development into true partnership, in which the

United States and India join forces to tackle development challenges in India and globally.

India’s leadership in innovating products, processes and service delivery models to benefit vulnerable populations has helped lift millions out of poverty and holds great potential for broader replication to address today’s global development challenges. USAID is transforming its programs to support India as a development innovation laboratory for U.S. and Indian partners to develop, test, and scale new tools and technologies to advance development solutions across Asia and globally. USAID/India is increasingly seen as a new model for USAID missions around the world with a focus on innovative solutions to development. USAID/India is a full-service, regional mission with 19 U.S. Direct Hire (USDH) employees, 83 Foreign Service

Nationals (FSNs), and 3 U.S. Personal Service Contractors (USPSCs). The Mission is also field headquarters for a growing regional program. The Mission formulates and implements a bilateral cooperation program totaling $108 million annually with an operating expense budget of $3.1 million. The Mission is developing a new cooperation strategy with a focus on partnerships and innovation within the three primary sectors of energy and the environment, health (health system strengthening for HIV/AIDS, family planning, maternal and child health, polio eradication, and tuberculosis) and food security and agriculture, buttressed by programs in education, governance and women’s equality. The Mission provides financial and contracting support for USAID programs in Sri Lanka and the Maldives and legal support for programs in

Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. This position is located in New Delhi, but will have responsibilities for USAID activities in India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives.

II. SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Senior Contracts and Agreements Specialist will augment the work of the Regional

Contracting Officer in providing procurement support to USAID programs and projects in India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives. The incumbent will possess extensive knowledge of US federal contracting and assistance (grants and cooperative agreements) principles, policies, and procedures from pre-award through post-award phases; solid experience with formal advertising and negotiating methods; and will exhibit thorough familiarity with acquisition and assistance

(A&A) procuring and administration requirements. In addition, the incumbent will demonstrate a well-seasoned familiarity with development principles, federal procurement mechanisms and donor/NGO partnering.

The incumbent will primarily ensure that all USAID/India’s acquisition and assistance obligations and awards’ terms and conditions effectively support USAID/India and USAID/Sri

Lanka’s technical offices in achieving implementation of the strategies of these two missions.

The Senior Contracts and Agreements Specialist will apply expert-level contracting and procurement knowledge, skills and abilities in performing duties. The incumbent will lead his/her team with full technical independence on activity design and implementation after

Mission upper management elaborates broad policy objectives and desired outcomes, and supports other teams as required. The successful applicant will directly manage (pre-award, award, and post-award) the Sri Lanka portfolio, several India activities, as well as other tasks assigned by the Regional Contracting Officer. Among other duties, the incumbent will:

• Negotiate and execute contracts, grant and cooperative agreement actions and make the related findings and determinations within the limitations of the authority delegated.

• Consult as needed with the Regional Legal Advisor and/or the Regional Contracting

Officer on the interpretation of all provisions of contracts, grants or cooperative agreements and for the resolutions of questions or issues that may arise.

• Participate as a team member early in the Mission programming process to:

a) provide advice on available procurement options and their appropriateness for the program strategies or designs under consideration;

b) lay out the planning and implementation implications of contemplated procurements; and

c) identify other program areas where early involvement by the Acquisition and

Assistance Office can result in streamlined implementation or more effective results.

• Clear procurement plans and various implementation and program documents as specified in the delegation of authority memo.

• Ensure that a procurement planning system is in place and provides specific guidance to

Project Officers, Contracting/Agreement Officer’s Representatives and Activity

Managers on considerations that should precede the development of procurement plans.

• Ensure that the Mission procurement planning conforms with acquisition and assistance regulations, and for the clearance of the Regional Contracting Officer prior to final approval of the plan.

• When required and as appropriate, negotiate, prepare, clear or execute acquisition or assistance instruments for which ad hoc delegations of authority are requested.

• Provide technical oversight to Mission procurement and non-procurement personnel to ensure that their involvement in the acquisition and assistance processes conforms to established procedures and regulations and ensures that adequate administrative controls are in place.

• If required by the Mission, provides formal USAID approval of Host Country

Contracting steps in the procurement process, where authority is vested in the

Contracting Officer through a re-delegation of authority by the Mission Director. These include approval of certain pre-award, award and post-award steps in the procurement process.

• Recommend or conduct appropriate training for Mission staff (both Direct-Hire and other) engaged in the procurement process in the assistance objective teams, and Office of Acquisition and Assistance, both in India and Sri Lanka.

• Serves as supervisor of the Acquisition and Assistance staff.

III. SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

The successful candidate must be able to establish and maintain contacts with appropriate counterparts in the USAID Missions in India and Sri Lanka, donor organizations, bilateral agencies, and private sector organizations. Strong technical skills are required to develop and support program activities involving technical assistance, training, and commodity procurement.

The successful candidate must possess the ability to obtain, evaluate and interpret factual data and prepare precise, accurate and complete reports as needed to assist the Mission in achieving its procurement objectives. S/he must also possess skill in operating various computer software programs needed to compile and analyze procurement data.

A. Knowledge and Skills. Knowledge of U.S. Government acquisition and assistance regulations, policies and practices, including the FAR and relevant sections of the Code of

Federal Regulations (CFR) is required. Strong interpersonal skills and communication skills are required. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with cooperating government officials, business and industry officials and mission staff at all levels is required. The ability to exercise tact and diplomacy and the ability to maintain strict confidentiality and high ethical standards relating to all areas of acquisition and assistance matters are required. The ability to independently organize, prioritize and follow through on all assignments is required.

B. Education: A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following fields:

accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.

And

Completion of all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to

GS-13 or higher level contracting positions (e.g., FAC-C, Level III certification), including at least 4-years of experience in contracting or related positions. At least one year of that experience must have been specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level of the position, and must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position.

C. Work experience: At least ten years of continuous, progressively more responsible experience in acquisition (contracts, purchase orders), U.S. Government Agreements (e.g., PASAs and RSSAs), and assistance (grants and cooperative agreements) is required. Such experience must include the full range of responsibilities: execution, administration, termination, cost and prices analysis, procurement planning, and analysis and evaluation of proposals. At least three years of the required experience must have been working on acquisition and assistance actions overseas involving international organizations. Preference will be given to those applicants with actual experience as a warranted U.S. Government

Contracting Officer and to those who have demonstrated experience applying performance-based principles to acquisition and assistance.

D. Language: Fluency in English with strong writing skills is required.

E. Computer Skills: Proficiency in standard operating and application software (Windows, Microsoft Word, and Excel) is required.

IV. POSITION ELEMENTS

A. Supervision Received

This position reports to and receives day-to-day supervision from the Regional Contracting

Officer. Deadlines, specific results and action plans are developed in consultation with the

Office Director. The incumbent is an expert in the field and thus carries out the work independently, providing technical leadership to FSN staff, other contractors, partners and customers in the development, implementation and monitoring/evaluation of program activities. The work is reviewed from a macro standpoint in terms of achievement of established milestones, effectiveness in facilitating teamwork, and appropriateness of program activity focus.

B. Guidelines Used and Judgment Required in Their Application

Guidelines used include but are not limited to Agency Directives, Mission Orders, standard accounting, auditing, and financial management operating procedures and system requirements. Reference and guidance materials to be used by the Contractor in performing the duties shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR)

USAID Acquisition Regulations (AIDAR)

Code of Federal Regulations

OMB Circulars

A&A Policy Directives (AAPDs)/Contract Information Bulletins (CIBs)

USAID Automated Directives System (ADS)

The successful applicant will be required to remain up-to-date on Agency policies affecting

Mission procurement management.

C. Complexity

The work involves many different, complex, and interrelated processes as described above.

These initiatives are broad in scope and touch on every level of society. The impact on the

Mission's objectives must be taken into consideration at each phase of activity development and implementation to ensure a coordinated country program which in turn ensures that maximum results are achieved.

D. Authority to Make Commitments

If the warrant authority is granted by the USAID/Washington Office of Acquisition and

Assistance, the incumbent will have the authority to sign acquisition and assistance instruments or other documents within his/her warrant level.

E. Supervision Exercised

The Contractor will serve as the Office Director of the USAID/Sri Lanka Acquisition and

Assistance Office (AAO) and will provide supervision to the all AAO personnel (one senior

A&A Specialists, one A&A Assistant and one Operating Expense Procurement Agent).

F. Nature, Level and Purpose of Contacts

The successful applicant establishes and maintains solid working relationships with all levels of Mission personnel at USAID/India and USAID/Sri Lanka. The incumbent will have high-level working contacts with U.S. Embassy officers, host government officials, PVOs, NGOs, and private sector entities to fulfill the major duties and responsibilities of this contract. At times these contacts will be of a sensitive nature, and discretion is required.

G. Period of Performance

The personal services contract will be for 12 months. Extensions will be contingent on the need for continued services, satisfactory performance, and availability of funds.

H. Time Required to Perform Full Range of Duties

The successful applicant is expected to be an expert in acquisition and assistance, therefore the time needed to perform at a very high level is minimal.

I. Exercise of Judgment

The successful applicant must exercise sound and independent judgment in interpreting and applying acquisition and assistance regulations in the course of carrying out the assigned duties. Both the underlying purposes, as defined in regulations, and the different relationships, as reflected in the different terms and conditions, must be understood at a level that permits the incumbent to effectively and accurately represent U.S. Government policy to outside organizations and to a full range of programmatic and administrative officials within

USAID/India and other post agencies.

Actions will be highly complex and represent critical Agency objectives with short lead times. The incumbent must be available to advise clients on all aspects of procurement from the procurement planning stage to the administration stage. The incumbent must also provide expert advice on program objectives, budgetary issues, and procurement policy.

Contractual decisions and recommendations will be considered authoritative for all actions within his/her designated portfolio and authority. The incumbent must be a recognized technical expert able to independently interact with high management entities to obtain advance approvals for critical actions. This requires extensive knowledge of USAID and

Federal Acquisition Regulations, USAID assistance regulations, OMB circulars, assistance cost principles, the USAID Automated Directive System and USAID Acquisition and

Assistance Policy Directives and Contract Information Bulletins.

J. Interpersonal Skills

The successful applicant must exercise discretion and tact in a variety of stressful situations and when dealing with personnel to resolve challenges that arise during the course of the work, for which there often is not a clear solution.

K. Reports and Procurement Plans

Upon request from the Regional Contracting Officer, but at least every two months, the

Contractor will submit a status report. The incumbent will maintain the Mission

Procurement Plan for the current fiscal year.

V. SELECTION CRITERIA

Applicants meeting the required qualifications for the position will be evaluated based on the information presented in the application, gleaned from interviews, and obtained through reference checks.

Selection/Evaluation Factors (maximum points: 100):

a. Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: 35%

b. Education: 25%

c. Work experience: 30%

d. Language Skills: 5%

e. Computer Skills: 5%

VI. 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 that do not meet the required selection criteria will not be scored. As part of the selection process, finalist 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. 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 a reference check pending communication with the applicant. Only finalists will be contacted by USAID with respect to their applications.

The final selected candidate(s) must obtain security and medical clearances within a reasonable period of time. USAID will provide details regarding these clearances to the selected candidate(s). A substantial delay in obtaining either required clearance will make the applicant ineligible for selection.

VII. APPLYING

Qualified individuals are requested to submit an Optional Application for Federal Employment

OF-612 including experience, salary history, curriculum vitae (resume), list of references, and recent sample of his/her written work (maximum 1-3 pages, i.e. policy memo) no later than COB

(5 p.m. New Delhi time) August 23, 2012. The OF-612 form is available at the USAID website, http://www.usaid.gov/forms/ or Internet http://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/TOP, or at

Federal offices. Applications, recent supervisor reference and three (3) personal references, and writing sample (1-3 pages) may be submitted by e-mail, fax, DHL or FedEx air courier by the closing date, above, to:

http://www.usaid.gov/forms/ http://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/TOP

Executive Office

American Embassy

Shantipath, Chanakyapuri

New Delhi, India

Email: indiaper@usaid.gov

Fax: 91-11-2419-8612

Email or faxed documentation is preferred as mail delivery may be untimely. To ensure consideration of applications for the intended position, please reference the solicitation number on your application, and as the subject line in any cover letter.

USAID/India expects to award a personal services contract for an off-shore US Citizen for

12 months period commencing as early as practically possible subject to security and medical clearances and funds availability. The duty post for this contract is New Delhi, India.

Benefits include post differential, housing, and other benefits per USAID regulations. Basic household furnishings will be available in quarters to be provided by USAID.

For more information about USAID/India see Mission’s website http://www.usaid.gov/india

ATTACHMENT 2 TO SOLICITATION NO. 386-12-103

PSC Contractor Benefits (As allowable under applicable regulations)

AS A MATTER OF POLICY, AND AS APPROPRIATE, AN INDIVIDUAL MEETING THE

REQUIREMENTS OF AN OFFSHORE HIRE USPSC IS NORMALLY AUTHORIZED THE

FOLLOWING BENEFITS:

Benefits

1. Employee’s F.I.C.A and MEDICARE contributions

2. Contribution toward Health and Life Insurance

3. Shipment and Storage of Household Effects

4. Shipment of POV (Privately Owned Vehicle)

5. Pay Comparability Adjustment

6. Annual Step Increase except if at the top step of the grade

7. Eligibility for Worker's Compensation

8. Annual and Sick Leave

Allowances

A. Temporary Lodging Allowance (Section 120)

B. Living Quarters Allowance (Section 130)

C. Post Allowance (Section 220)

D. Supplemental Post Allowance (Section 230)

E. Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section 260)

F. Education Allowance (Section 270)

G. Education Travel (Section 280)

H. Post Differential (Chapter 500)

I. Payments during Evacuation/Authorized Departure (Section 600)

J. Danger Pay (Section 650)

Federal Taxes: USPSCs are not/not exempt from payment of Federal Income taxes.

List of REQUIRED Forms for USPSCs

a. Optional Form 612 (is available at the USAID web site:

http://contacts.gsa.gov/webforms.nsf/0/41A93F1A1771761B85256A720061344C/$fil e/of612.pdf http://contacts.gsa.gov/webforms.nsf/0/41A93F1A1771761B85256A720061344C/$file/of612.pdf http://contacts.gsa.gov/webforms.nsf/0/41A93F1A1771761B85256A720061344C/$file/of612.pdf

Forms (b) through (e) shall be completed only upon the advice of the Contracting Officer that an applicant is the successful candidate for the position.

b. Medical History and Examination (DS-1843).

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

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

e. Finger Print Card (FD-258). (NOTE: Form is available from the requirements office.)

Contract Information Bulletins (CIBs.) and Acquisition and 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 this website to determine which CIBS and AAPDs apply to this contract:

http://www.usaid.gov/business/business_opportunities/psc_solicitations.html.

http://www.usaid.gov/business/business_opportunities/psc_solicitations.html