Solicitation-Program_Analysis_Offer.pdf

ATTACHMENT 1 [72030619R00004]

*Please see Section 11: Area Of Consideration

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. SOLICITATION NO.: 72030619R00004

2. ISSUANCE DATE: October 15, 2018

3. CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR

RECEIPT OF OFFERS:

October 29, 2018 no later than 16:30 Kabul time

4. POSITION TITLE:

Program Analysis Officer (Private Sector

Development)

5. MARKET VALUE:

$75,628 - $98,317 equivalent to GS-13

Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

The period of performance is one year, with four option years pending approval, need, performance, and funding, not to exceed five years.

7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: USAID/Afghanistan

8. WHO MAY APPLY: United States Citizens (including Permanent

Residents) and Third Country (non-US, non-

Afghan) Nationals*

9. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Secret clearance (if U.S. Citizen), or Moderate

Risk Public Trust (MRPT) access authorization (if

U.S. Permanent Resident or Third Country

National)

10. STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

1) General Statement of Purpose of Contract:

USAID/Afghanistan’s Office of Economic Growth (OEG) Private Sector Development

Specialist works on private sector development and international trade activities.

The incumbent works under direct supervision of the OEG-Private Sector Development and/or Trade and Technology Team Leads. The incumbent provides assistance in designing, developing, managing, and evaluating assigned economic development projects/activities.

The incumbent also provides factual and analytical background reports, data collection, and reporting with regards to the OEG portfolio, and is responsible for all facets of the OEG activity design and management process. Duties are of medium to high scope and complexity and require considerable knowledge of business environments, project management and general financial analysis, technical writing, and documentation. The incumbent assumes key responsibilities in OEG project/activity design, management, and implementation of

USAID/Afghanistan’s private sector development; trade and technology; and other economic development projects. He/she may act in a position of Team Leader, if required by the Office

Director.

The incumbent serves as a specialist in private sector development with substantial experience in value chain development, tax administration, trade facilitation, access to finance, business development services, best practices in institutional strengthening and the transition to a market-based private sector. Broad knowledge of economic development in

Afghanistan is required. In addition, the incumbent is required to have knowledge and skills related to administrative and project management techniques, and awareness of and ability to maintain collaborative relationships with specialists of various disciplines.

2) Statement of Duties to be Performed:

In this position the incumbent supports the OEG Private Sector Development and or Trade and Technology portfolios on a wide variety of responsibilities including:

A. Technical Leadership in Strategic Planning, Program Development, and Activity

Design

i. The incumbent provides strategic, technical, and organizational expertise as well as leadership in private sector development and financing. The incumbent collaborates with other OEG staff in managing the program, or components of the program, and meets measurable objectives.

ii. Serves as a key expert in developing new mission economic development programs.

In this the incumbent is closely involved with host country officials and consultants in the development of new programs, writing Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and other procurement mechanisms consistent with Government of Afghanistan economic development initiatives and USAID goals and objectives. The incumbent plays a key role in generating ideas and advises throughout the entire procurement process. The incumbent actively participates in the Mission’s strategy setting process.

iii. Prepares project papers and design documents for the economic development program and contributes research and text on social, political, cultural, and economic factors pertaining to private sector development in Afghanistan. Contributes to the development of the office’s overall conceptual framework and formulates plans for implementation.

iv. Presents strategic and programmatic findings in a clear and concise manner (verbally and in writing) to a wide range and high level audience; including Department of

State (DoS) personnel, new USAID employees, Military personnel, and USAID superiors (Office Directors, Office Deputies and the Front Office).

v. Develops and sustains close collaborative, professional relationships with senior

(deputy minister level) government officials, key business leaders, leaders of religious organizations, other major donors, international organizations, and leading economic development research institutions.

vi. Represents the OEG office to USAID stakeholders and external development partners in a wide variety of events sponsored by USAID development partners, including conferences, workshops, trade missions, donor subgroup meetings, and other relevant fora on economic development. The incumbent assists in negotiations with host country government on project design and implementation, ensuring that host country officials at the highest level are apprised of program progress. These responsibilities require the incumbent to demonstrate highly developed professional judgment, with a high level of inter-personal skills and diplomacy, and to provide technical direction and management oversight.

vii. Ensures effective coordination of USAID-funded activities with those of other donors working with the Government of Afghanistan, its local governments, and religious organizations. Promotes expansion of effective strategies and approaches that can expand coverage and quality of economic services.

viii. Engages with corporations and philanthropic organizations to build public/private alliances, i.e., explores ways to leverage private funding to complement USAID’s efforts to improve the quality of economic development in Afghanistan.

B. Program/Project Management and Administration

The incumbent is be expected to perform the function of Contracting Officer Representative

(COR) and/or Agreement Officer Representative (AOR) for one or more large

USAID/Afghanistan private sector-focused contract, as designated by the Mission

Contracting Officer (CO) for the management of contracts and grants. The incumbent assists the OEG Director and Deputy Director and Team Leads in managing and administering the relevant programs. Specific duties include:

i. The incumbent is expected to serve as a COR/AOR. As office programs move through various phases of development, incumbent designs and implements additional activities.

ii. Ensures that activities achieve their intended results. The incumbent provides technical and organizational leadership on the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of private sector development programs. The incumbent ensures that partners meet their benchmark requirements in accordance with USAID regulations.

iii. Oversees and evaluates contractor/grantee performance, project cost and progress, method of acceptability of project reporting, timeliness in meeting commitments, scheduled completion dates, and other relevant financial and management objectives.

iv. Provides high level technical advice to institutional contractors, grantees, Afghanistan

Government officials, and other stakeholders as warranted.

v. Organizes and leads internal review meetings to evaluate contractor’s performance based on identified criteria.

vi. Collaborates with other USAID projects, and other donors and organizations in the economic development sector to ensure synergy of program activities with those of other organizations.

vii. Manages financial matters related to program activities, such as providing administrative approval of vouchers, planning and preparing for annual incremental funding amendments, and other financial administrative activities as needed, to ensure that fiscal needs of the recipient and U.S. and local contractors are met in a timely manner.

viii. Prepares all necessary internal USAID program implementation documentation for smooth program implementation, including documents such as action memoranda, scopes of work, concept notes, activity approval memoranda, official correspondence, etc. Such documents require a specialized knowledge of the project and must be prepared in accordance with established guidelines or precedents.

ix. Prepares and submits the annual evaluation of contractors’ performance for inclusion in the central database of contractors.

C. Program/Policy Analysis and Reporting

i. The incumbent ensures that activities are appropriately documented in required reports and through regular updates given to USAID stakeholders and external development partners, including the Annual Report, Portfolio Reviews, annual budget and pipeline analyses, Congressional Presentations, briefs and talking points. The incumbent reviews work plans, negotiates program and activity agreements with counterparts in the Afghanistan government and civil society.

ii. Collects, analyzes and synthesizes information to inform and strategically guide program planning. The incumbent assists in the development of mission reports and data gathering; takes part in analyzing and evaluating many of the proposals and other submissions that come to OEG; and coordinates meetings and visits with United

States Government (USG) officials, counterparts, and other donors. The incumbent also supports a variety of economic growth sector projects across the entire OEG portfolio, and is expected to give both strategic and technical input on the full range of

OEG activities.

iii. Ensures indicators to measure program impact are tracked accurately and used to revise strategy as necessary. Coordinates with OEG members to ensure data is complete, accurate and consistent for reporting purposes (i.e. annual report, portfolio reviews, annual budget, pipeline analyses and other required reporting).

iv. Prepares concept papers and other relevant documents, and initiates and describes project ideas and initiatives in accordance with the sector strategy, the current environment in Afghanistan, the institutional capabilities and purposes of potential

USAID recipients, resource availability and funding sources.

D. Mentoring:

The incumbent mentors and advises CCNs assigned to the Private Sector Development and

Trade and Technology Teams, and also mentors CCN staff attached to other OEG activities as needed. The incumbent mentors CCN staff on key activities such as Project Design &

Management, A/CORs responsibilities, reporting requirements, navigating USAID specific implementing and contracting procedures, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) duties

(including but not limited to developing performance indicators, tracking performance data, working in close coordination with the implementing partner, Mission’s M&E team in making sure that the activities are delivering expected results, and that the instruments for monitoring performance and evaluating the progress of OEG activities. In addition, the incumbent is involved in contractor/grantee evaluation, personal career development, and developing individual specific training plans. By establishing good working relationships with CCNs, the incumbent identifies additional areas where help is needed to build the local capacity.

3) USAID Consultation or Orientation:

The selected applicant shall proceed to Washington, D.C. for at least two (2) weeks of mandatory training to complete the Foreign Affairs Counter Threat CT-650 (FACT) and the

Afghanistan Familiarization RS-415 (FAM) courses (if FAM was not completed within the past five (5) years and if FACT training did not include the ESCAPE Module) prior to proceeding to USAID/Afghanistan to commence duties as outlined in the statement of work.

FACT and FAM are mandatory courses for service in Afghanistan.

4) Supervisory Relationship:

The incumbent reports and works under the general supervision and policy guidance of the

OEG Private Sector Development Team Lead or the Trade and Technology Team Lead.

Assignments may also be assigned by other senior OEG team members. Supervision is generally confined to weekly staff meetings and informal daily and/or weekly consultations.

In carrying out duties, incumbent acts independently selecting, prioritizing, and fulfilling assigned tasks, making sure that all assignments and/or tasks are done on time. Assignments will be made orally and/or in writing and will be evaluated on their quality and responsiveness to the request. OEG uses a team based approach and, therefore, work products will be shared broadly.

5) Supervisory Controls:

Incumbent does not have direct supervisory responsibility, but may be asked to perform as

Acting Team Leader and supervise one or more CCNs for extended periods of time.

Incumbent is also required to provide daily technical and administrative guidance to the staff as needed.

6) Other important information:

During the period of this contract, the incumbent must provide at least 25% of their time to training of a Cooperating Country National (CCN) employee designated by USAID. The PSC

Supervisor will establish a training plan with benchmarks to measure the contractor's progress toward achieving this training deliverable.

11. AREA OF CONSIDERATION:

United States Citizens (including Permanent Residents) and Third Country (non-US, non-

Afghan) Nationals

For USPSC:

Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. Permanent Resident (“green card holder”);

Submit a complete application as outlined in the solicitation section titled

APPLYING;

Be able to obtain a Secret clearance (if U.S. Citizen), or Medium Risk Public Trust

(MRPT) access authorization (if U.S. Permanent Resident);

Be able to obtain a Department of State medical clearance (Class 1);

Be available and willing to work additional hours beyond the established 40-hour workweek, including weekends, as may be required or necessary;

Be willing to travel to work sites and other offices as/when requested;

Employment is subject to funds availability and all the required approvals obtained.

For TCNPSC:

Be a Third Country National. Third Country National means an individual: (1) Who is neither a citizen nor a permanent legal resident of the United States nor of the country to which assigned for duty (Afghanistan), and (2) Who is eligible for return to his/her home country or country of recruitment at U.S. Government expenses;

Submit a complete application as outlined in the solicitation section titled

APPLYING;

Be able to obtain Medium Risk Public Trust (MRPT) access authorization;

Be able to obtain a Department of State medical clearance (Class 1);

Be available and willing to work additional hours beyond the established 40-hour workweek, including weekends, as may be required or necessary;

Be willing to travel to work sites and other offices as/when requested.

Employment is subject to funds availability and all the required approvals obtained.

According to ADS 309.3.1.4 (d) “USAID policy is that a CCNPSC is preferred over a

TCNPSC in order to integrate the foreign assistance effort into the community, enhance the skills of the cooperating country's population, and contribute to the local economy. If the

Agency needs to fill a gap in U.S. Direct-Hire Staffing, a USPSC is preferred over a

TCNPSC.” Therefore, Unites States National (USN) offerors will be evaluated in isolation first and only when/if there is no USN qualified, only then Third Country National (TCN) offerors will be considered.

12. PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

13. POINT OF CONTACT:

Any questions about this solicitation may be directed to: KblAIDHR@usaid.gov.

Note: No in-person appointments or telephone calls will be entertained, unless you require more information about this solicitation.

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

In order to be considered for the position, a candidate must meet the Minimum

Qualifications. Offers will be pre-screened and only those that meet the Minimum

Qualifications will be considered. The minimum qualifications necessary to be considered for the position are as follows:

a) Education: A master’s degree in the field of economics, business management, business administration, finance/accounting, marketing, or international development is required. (Education requirement must be met at the time of application for the subject position).

b) Work Experience: A minimum seven (7) years of work experience in program and/or project/activity management, design, monitoring and evaluation and/or implementation in the area of private sector development and/or economic growth within international organization or government. (Work experience requirement must be met at the time of application for the subject position).

III. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

mailto:KblAIDHR@usaid.gov

According to ADS 309.3.1.10 (g), Offers received from the USNs (preferred) will be evaluated first and TCNs will only be considered if there are no qualified offerors from the

USNs.

The Evaluation Factors listed will be the basis for evaluating and ranking applicants for the position. Applicants will be scored based on the documentation submitted within the application. Applicants must submit a supplemental document outlining their responses to the evaluation factors in order to be considered. Only the highest-ranked applicants will be interviewed.

1. SELECTION PROCESS

After the closing date for receipt of applications, a committee will convene to review applications that meet the minimum requirements and evaluate them in accordance with the evaluation criteria. Applications from candidates who do not meet the minimum requirements will not be scored. As part of the selection process, finalist candidates will be interviewed.

Reference checks will be made only for applicants considered as finalists. The applicant’s references must be able to provide substantive information about his/her past performance and abilities. 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; USAID will delay such reference checks pending the applicant’s concurrence.

2. EVALUATION FACTORS

Those applicants who meet the minimum education and experience qualifications will be evaluated based on the content of their application as well as on the applicant’s writing, presentation, and communication skills. On a supplement document included with the application package, applicants should cite specific, illustrative examples to address each factor. Responses are limited to 500 words (approx. 1/2 typewritten page) per factor.

Applicants should describe specifically and accurately the experience, training, education and/or awards they have received that are relevant to the factor. Applicants should include their name and the announcement number at the top of each additional page. Failure to specifically address the Evaluation Factors will result in the applicant not receiving full credit for pertinent experience.

FACTOR #1: Outline the management and analytical skills you demonstrated to strategize and design a private sector competitiveness activity.

FACTOR #2: What process would you follow to identify and design appropriate activities that directly support the private sector in pursuing export-based strategies?

FACTOR #3: Outline the management and analytical skills you demonstrated to strategize and design trade facilitation and/or an export promotion activity.

3. BASIS OF RATING

Applicants who clearly meet the Education/Experience requirements and basic eligibility requirements will be further evaluated based on scoring of their Evaluation Factor responses.

Those applicants determined to be competitively ranked will also be evaluated on their interview performance and satisfactory professional reference checks. The Applicant Rating

System is as follows:

Evaluation Factors:

Factor #1 10 points

Factor #2 10 points

Factor #3 10 points

Interview Performance 70 points

Interview questions will revolve around the candidate’s ability to:

Think creatively and critically

Synthesize and communicate information in a clear and concise manner

Present ideas and opinions

Describe how their skills and abilities are appropriate for this position

Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks – Pass/Fail (no points assigned)

Total Possible Points: 100

IV. APPLYING

All applications must be submitted electronically by e-mail with the subject line SOL-

72030619R00004 – Program Analysis Officer (Private Sector Development) to:

Afgpscjobs@usaid.gov

Attention: Executive Officer

USAID/Afghanistan

Human Resources Office

Offerors must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3.

Eligible offerors are required to submit the following documents to be considered for this position:

1. Form AID 309-2, “Offeror Information for Personal Services Contract with Individuals,” available at: https://www.usaid.gov/forms/aid-309-2

2. A current curriculum vitae (CV) or resume.

3. A supplemental document with written responses to the Evaluation Factors.

Short-listed candidates will be requested to provide educational documents such as degrees, diplomas, certificates and other pertinent documents as needed. Failure to provide the required documentation will result in removal from further consideration.

To ensure consideration of offers for the intended position, Offerors must prominently reference the Solicitation number and position title in the subject line of email offer submission. Any attachments provided via email must be compatible with Microsoft Word or

PDF and not compressed (.rar/.zip etc).

Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

mailto:kblaidpscjobs@usaid.gov https://www.usaid.gov/forms/aid-309-2

The Agency retains the right to cancel or amend the solicitation and associated actions at any stage of the recruitment process.

V. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSC HIRES

Once the Contracting Officer (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. Contractor Employee Biographical Data Sheet (AID 1420-17 );

2. Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306);

3. Medical History and Examination Form (DS-6561);

4. Pre-Deployment Physical Exam Acknowledgement Form (DS-6570);

5. Questionnaire for Sensitive Positions for National Security (SF-86), or Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85);

6. Finger Print Card (FD-258);

7. Statement of Prior Service (SF-144A).

VI. BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES

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

1. BENEFITS:

1) Employer’s Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) Contribution (for

USPSC’s only)

2) Contribution toward Health & life insurance

3) Pay Comparability Adjustment

4) Eligibility for Worker's Compensation

5) Annual & Sick Leave

6) Access to Embassy medical facilities, commissary and pouch mail service as per post policy

7) Annual Increase (pending a satisfactory performance evaluation)

2. ALLOWANCES (If Applicable)*:

1) Temporary Lodging Allowance (Section 120)

2) Living Quarters Allowance (Section 130)

3) Post Allowance (Section 220)

4) Supplemental Post Allowance (Section 230)

5) Post Differential (Chapter 500)

6) Payments during Evacuation/Authorized Departure (Section 600)

7) Danger Pay (Section 650)

8) Education Allowance (Section 270)

9) Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section 260)

10) Education Travel (Section 280)

* Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians Foreign Areas).

*Eligibilities for allowances are in accordance with Standardized Regulations (Government

Civilians Foreign Areas) based on the type of appointment and Mission Policy.

VII. TAXES

USPSC’s are required to pay Federal income taxes, FICA, Medicare and applicable State income taxes.

VIII. USAID REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND CONTRACT CLAUSES PERTAINING

TO PSCs

USAID regulations and policies governing USPSC and TCNPSC 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,”

- Appendix J, “Direct USAID Contracts with a Third Country National for Personal

Services Abroad,” including contract clause “General Provisions,” available at https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf.

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

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.

4. 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/OGE%20Regulations.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: The U.S. Mission 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 Department of State 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.

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/forms http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/OGE%20Regulations