Pepfar_Country_Coordinator.docx

720-612-19-R-00004

SOLICITATION NUMBER: 72061219R00004

ISSUANCE DATE: April 1, 2019

CLOSING DATE/TIME: April 16, 2019, 1700 Hours Lilongwe Time

SUBJECT: Solicitation for a U.S Personal Services Contractor for Pepfar Country Coordinator Position, GS-15 equivalent at USAID/Malawi

Dear Prospective Offerors:

The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking offers from qualified persons to provide personal services under contract as described in this solicitation.

Offers must be in accordance with Attachment 1, Sections I through VIII of this solicitation. Incomplete or unsigned offers will not be considered. Offerors should retain copies of all offer materials for their records.

This solicitation in no way obligates USAID to award a PSC contract, nor does it commit USAID to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of the offer.

Submissions must be in accordance with the attached information, and applications must only be submitted electronically to malawijobs@usaid.gov

Any questions must be directed in writing to the Point of Contact specified in the attached information.

Sincerely, Janine Scott Supervisory Executive Officer

1. SOLICITATION NUMBER: 72061219R000047

2061219R0000472061219R00004

2. ISSUANCE DATE: 04/01/2019

3. CLOSING DATE/TIME: 04/16/2019

4. POSITION TITLE: PEPFAR Country Coordinator

5. MARKET VALUE: Ranging from $105,123 to $136,659 per annum (GS-15 equivalent). Final compensation will be based on individual’s salary and work history, experience and educational background.

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Two years beginning June 2019.

7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: USAID/Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi.

8. SECURITY ACCESS: USPSCs - Secret

9. AREA OF CONSIDERATION: U.S Personal Services Contractor

10. SCOPE OF WORK:

1. GENERAL PRINCIPLES

· The incumbent is the primary point of contact and coordinator of activities related to the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in the country. The PEPFAR Country Coordinator plays a critical role in the planning, implementation, and reporting of program performance of inter-agency programs. The role of the Coordinator is becoming more essential as the size and complexity of the program increases.

· The Ambassador heads the in-country PEPFAR program and is the final decision-maker under PEPFAR Guidance to all program plans and activities that are submitted to the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator for approval.

· The Coordinator is a facilitator, a communicator, and at times, a negotiator. The coordinator is, in general, not a technical director, although the coordinator may be expected on occasion to ensure follow-up on implementation of technical recommendations based on the Country Operational Plan (COP) and other performance review information. When delegated this authority by the Ambassador, the coordinator may represent PEPFAR with external partners including government, press, and others. Agency leads may also be expected to play a role in public diplomacy based on authority delegated by the Ambassador.

· USG Malawi has established an interagency PEPFAR Management Team (PMT), which the Coordinator chairs and convenes.

· The PMT has also established Technical Working Groups (TWGs) which provide technical recommendations to guide implementation of the PEPFAR program. The TWGs report to the PMT. The Coordinator, in collaboration with Agency leads, will be accountable to ensure these groups are established, have an agenda and are achieving objectives.

· Agency leads should be copied on communications between the Coordinator and Technical Working Groups (TWGs) or staff and on substantive communications between the Coordinator and the core team lead in headquarters. This procedure is essential to retain trust and respect between agency leads and the coordinator. In addition it is critical that the Coordinator be copied on internal agency communication related to matters of PEPFAR program strategy, implementation and management and staffing.

· The Coordinator may represent the agencies at official meetings. When a Coordinator meets with Malawian government counterparts, s/he should include agency leads or, if not possible, consult with agency leads.

· The Coordinator is the lead for the development of all tasks related to the COP, Semi-Annual Program Results (SAPR), and Annual Program Results (APR).

The Coordinator is responsible for ensuring that reports are submitted to Washington in time, for organizing the logistical arrangements for interagency work, and for keeping agencies on task for inter-agency efforts.

1. MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

General responsibilities of the position will be to:

· Direct the U.S. government PEPFAR country team (PCT) in the conception, formulation and recommendation of initiatives in response to the epidemic profile in Malawi, and to the program operational realm.

· Lead the PEPFAR investment in Malawi within the U.S. mission in Lilongwe as well as externally among national and international stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health, National AIDS Commission, multilateral institutions, bilateral partners, faith-based organizations, traditional authorities, private sector entities and civil society organizations.

· Manage PEPFAR’s investment in Malawi’s National HIV response complies with congressional earmarks and consistent with U.S. government laws and policies, especially legislation pertaining specifically to PEPFAR.

· Coordinate closely with the implementing agencies to ensure resources are allocated to high performing implementing mechanisms that demonstrate impact through the use of efficient HIV case finding care and treatment modalities as well as those interventions that prevent onward transmission of the disease.

Specific Major duties and responsibilities include:

a) Manage the development of the annual country operational plans (COPs) and quarterly PEPFAR Oversight and Accountability Review Team (POART) through an on-going interagency process that is data driven and informed by consistent review of site level impact, expenditure and quality data for epidemic control.

a. Coordinate closely with the interagency on bi-weekly monitoring of key indicators in high impact sites.

b. Develop systems for promising practices sharing across agencies, implementers and stakeholders.

c. Ensure data is shared externally for mutual accountability of programmatic success.

b) Lead and facilitate external PEPFAR engagement with the Ministry of Health, including the Department of HIV/AIDS and National AIDS Commission. Outward facing and regular interaction with other bilateral, multilateral, public and private organizations as well as civil society is also led by the Coordinator. Other external engagement responsibilities include:

a. Engage regularly with the Global Fund, specifically the Fund Portfolio Manager. The programmatic split in Malawi between the programmatic inputs funded by PEPFAR and critical commodities from the Global Fund, is a fundamental element of the national HIV response and requires close engagement by the PEPFAR Coordinator.

b. Meet regularly with in-country stakeholders such as Civil Society Leadership, UNAIDS Country Director, WHO Representative and other private and non-profit entities.

c. Serve as a regular member of the Health Donor Group (HDG) and HIV/AIDS Donor Group (HADG) on behalf of PEPFAR. This may involve serving as Chair or Vice-Chair as part of normal governance responsibilities.

c) Serve as a member of the Ambassador’s Mission Leadership:

a. Participate in and contribute to weekly Country Team meetings.

b. Act in leadership positions, including control officer for high level delegations, when delegated by the Ambassador or Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM).

c. Lead weekly PEPFAR Management Team (PMT) strategic meetings with all agency leadership as well as quarterly PEPFAR Country Team (PCT) dialogue among the larger team in Malawi (approximately 65 members).

d) Lead and Manage the PEPFAR Coordination Office (PCO):

a. Supervise five (5) direct reports and manage office strategy and division of duties.

· Serve as the control officer for most interagency visits.

2. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

The incumbent’s performance will be measured on his/her ability to effectively coordinate and collaborate across the USG Malawi Mission, utilizing the latest programmatic and epidemiologic data to inform current and future PEPFAR investments in Malawi while exercising strong interpersonal skills and discretion to lead the program.

3. HIRING MECHANISM AND PLACEMENT:

This position will be hired through a USAID personal services contract. Only US Citizens are eligible for this position. Supervision will be provided by the Deputy Chief of Mission.

4. REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

This position requires a highly qualified and experienced individual with exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, knowledge of the AIDS epidemic and the most relevant evidence-based programs to mitigate multi-sectoral response, the ability to foster team work, the capacity for strategic and tactical thinking and an understanding of the technical and policy requirements to achieve the PEPFAR goals in Malawi. The incumbent must be familiar with and be able to work well in an overseas environment and with a wide range of governmental and non-governmental counterparts. The PEPFAR Country Coordinator must have the following qualifications:

a) Education: An advanced degree (master’s or higher) in a relevant professional discipline, such as public policy, public health, business administration or related subject, is required.

b) Prior Work Experience: At least 10-12 years of progressively senior level experience managing HIV/AIDS, health or other development programs, preferably in a developing country context, with at least 8 years of experience in managing and implementing HIV/AIDS programs. At least 5 years of proven experience working with large, complex international or domestic programs. Demonstrated experience operating in his/her non-native cultural environment. Demonstrated strong knowledge and understanding of PEPFAR policies and programming parameters. Actual experience managing PEPFAR programs. Extensive knowledge of the technical issues related to HIV/AIDS, including knowledge of the principles of monitoring and evaluation. Demonstrated strong ability to manage complex program with cooperation among multiple U.S. government agencies with sometimes competing priorities and demands.

c) Skills:

· Strong effective interpersonal, teamwork, facilitation and negotiation skills

· Strong oral and written communication skills and writing skills

· Ability to mediate interagency conflicts and facilitate decisions on complex technical, programmatic, strategic and financial issues

· Ability to set clear standards and inspire staff

· Strong analytical skills

· Strong capacity to multi-task efficiently, including managing, prioritizing and fulfilling competing demands in real time

· Ability to monitor and track comprehensive and substantial data; and to manage complex interagency planning and reporting processes

· Ability to empower PEPFAR team members to apply available resources and expertise to address the local epidemic

· Cross-cultural sensitivity and awareness

· Strong managerial skills

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

· Willing to travel to work sites and other offices as/when requested

· Able to obtain U.S. government medical and secret security clearance

d) Language: Level IV English ability (fluent) is required. The incumbent must possess a high degree of proficiency in both written and spoken English.

e) Exercise of Judgment: The incumbent is required to exercise independent judgment and ingenuity to interpret and develop applications and guidelines to devise innovative approaches to resolve technical, administrative, managerial, and policy problems. Excellent, balanced judgment must be exercised in setting priorities. In addition, considerable judgment is required to work effectively with host-government officials; coordinate multi-sectoral efforts in support of objectives; and collect, analyse, and report the progress of activities and recommend project actions.

III. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

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 listed in paragraph 2, below, in order to be considered. Only the highest-ranked applicants will be interviewed.

1. Professional Experience – 50 Points

2. Team Work and Interpersonal Skills – 30 points

3. Language, Communication and Computer skills – 20 points

TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 100 points

The successful candidate will be selected based on a review of his/her qualifications, work experience, skills, and abilities; an interview; and the results of reference checks. The hiring panel may check references that have not been specifically identified by applicants and may check references before or after a candidate is interviewed.

Contracting Officer reserves the right to establish a competitive range of offerors as part of selection process.

NOTE: Due to the high volume of applications received, we will only contact applicants who are being considered. Thank you for your understanding.

IV APPLYING

For an offeror to be considered for this position, s/he must adhere to the following guidelines and complete, sign and submit the following documents to malawijobs@usaid.gov. This will enable the evaluation committee to thoroughly and objectively review the offer against the requirements of the position

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

2. Letter of Application and current Resume/Curriculum Vitae

3. Reference Persons

Offerors are required to provide five (5) reference persons who are not family members or relatives, with working telephones and email contacts. The references must be able to provide substantive information about offerors past performance and abilities. Reference checks will be made only for offerors considered as finalists. If an offeror does not wish for the current employer to be contacted as a reference check, this should be stated in the offeror’s AID 309-2 form and/or resume. The interviewing committee will delay such reference check pending communication with the offeror.

4. Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3, and submitted to malawijobs@usaid.gov . Late and incomplete applications will not be considered.

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

V. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSC 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. Finger Print Card (FD-258)

VI. BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES

As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC 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) Annual and Sick Leave

2. ALLOWANCES:

Section numbers refer to rules from the Department of State Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians Foreign Areas)

(a) Temporary Quarter Subsistence Allowance (Section 120)

(b) Living Quarters Allowance (Section 130)

(c) Cost-of-Living Allowance (Chapter 210)

(d) Post Allowance (Section 220)

(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), 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 PSCs

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/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf.

2.USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR), Appendix J, “Direct USAID Contracts With a Cooperating Country National and 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

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

4. 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.

5. 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 image1.png