Solicitation_-_USPSC_TCNPSC_Senior_Trade_and_Investment_Advisor.doc

Senior Trade and Investment Advisor

72062020B00002

SOLICITATION NUMBER: 72062020B00002

ISSUANCE DATE: October 21, 2019 CLOSING DATE/TIME: November 20, 2019 4:30pm (Nigeria/Local Time) SUBJECT: Solicitation for U.S. Personal Service Contractor (USPSC)/Third Country National Personal Service Contractor (TCN/PSC) for Senior Trade and Investment Advisor 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 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.

Any questions must be directed in writing to the Point of Contract specified in Attachment 1.

Sincerely, Penelope A. Thomas Contracting Officer

ATTACHMENT 1

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1.

SOLICITATION NUMBER:

72062020B00002 2.

ISSUANCE DATE:

October 21, 2019

3.

CLOSING DATE/TIME:

November 20, 2019 (4:30pm Nigeria/local time) 4.

POINT OF CONTACT:

Clementina Edereka, at Abujahr@usaid.gov 5.

POSITION TITLE:

Senior Trade and Investment Advisor 6.

MARKET VALUE:

$90,621 to $117,810 equivalent to GS-14. The final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value and based on the successful candidate’s salary history, work experience and educational background. Salaries over and above the top of the pay range will not be entertained or negotiated.

7.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

Two (2) base years, with option to extend for three (3) additional years. Exercise of options will depend on continuing need of services, availability of funds and Washington approval and not to exceed a total of five (5) years.

8.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE:

Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria 9.

ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: Open to U.S. Citizens or Third Country Nationals Hiring Preference:

In order of preference, U.S. Citizens (including Permanent legal residents) offers will be evaluated first and only when it is determined that there is no qualified U.S. Citizens that offers from Third Country Nationals (TCN) will be considered.

Reference ADS 309.3.1.10 and 309.3.1.4 10.

SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: The selected candidate must be able to obtain a security clearance at the “Secret” level for USPSC; “Facility Access/Employment Authorization” level for TCNPSC; and a medical clearance 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.

11.

STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

1. General Statement of Purpose of the Contract:

The position is in the Economic Growth and Environment Office of USAID Nigeria and will work under the supervision of the Economic Growth and Environment Office Director. The Senior Trade and Investment Advisor will take primary day-to-day responsibility for guiding and overseeing the implementation of large and complex trade and private sector development activities, notably serving as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for activities for trade and investment activities covering both Nigeria and other West African countries.

The Senior Trade and Investment Advisor will work closely with other members of the Economic Growth and Environment Office, as well as with the Regional Economic Growth Office located at USAID West Africa in Accra, Ghana, and with bilateral USAID Missions in West Africa co-investing in trade programming. To successfully perform the work, the Advisor will be required to develop an extensive network of trusted relationships and partnerships with senior Government officials, senior officers of companies and financial institutions, USG agencies engaged in trade such as the United States Trade Representative, State Department, Department of Commerce, the Export Import Bank, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, Millennium Challenge Corporation, and with other development partners such as the African Development Bank, the World Bank and other bilateral donors active in trade and private sector development activities in Cote d’Ivoire and across the West Africa region.

2. Statement of Duties to be Performed:

a. Project Management, Monitoring and Oversight –60%

· Monitor trade, investment and private-sector development activities through regular meetings with USAID implementing partners, project stakeholders and beneficiaries.

· Serve as COR/AOR and Activity Manager for contracts, grants and credit facilities

· Support the outreach to, and development of, relationships and partnerships with the private sector (e.g. agriculture, textile and other non-agricultural targeted sectors) to advance USAID programs.

· Review implementing partners’ reports for timeliness, content, accuracy, and adherence to their contractual scope of work.

· Identify all related and complementary programs supported by other donors, including identification of existing and planned funding resources, gaps, constraints, and opportunities for collaboration.

· Report regularly to USAID on projects’ accomplishments and identify any shortcomings and other issues to be raised with Office or Mission leadership.

· Alert USAID when unforeseen matters with program implementation arise requiring urgent attention.

· Make recommendations for adjustments in the implementation schedule or content.

· Lead technical assessments and design of new trade and investment projects as required.

· Convene work-planning and performance review sessions with the implementing partners and USAID technical staff in USAID/Nigeria, USAID/West Africa and other partner Missions.

b. Program Evaluation and Reporting – 20%

The Advisor will monitor project performance of USAID implementing partners against planned achievements and indicators, ensuring compliance. The Advisor will be responsible for monitoring the achievement of results by periodically reviewing the development context, indicator data, and other indications of portfolio progress, identifying problem areas and recommending corrective measures.

The Advisor will prepare information for Mission reports to meet USAID and broader USG reporting requirements such as those associated with Operational Plans, Performance Reports, Congressional Budget Justifications, Mission Strategic Resources Plans, Trade Capacity Building narratives, etc., as needed. The Advisor will design and oversee project evaluations and learning events to disseminate results widely within USAID and the broader development community.

c. Communication– 20%

The Advisor is responsible for: (1) maintaining active and positive relationships with a broad range of partners on both strategic and tactical approaches to increasing trade and investment; (2) obtaining and maintaining support and communication from partners and stakeholders; (3) partnering with implementing partners and USAID communication specialists in developing a range of well-written communication products such as fact sheets, memos, cables, speeches, weekly highlights, and other products as required for publication and dissemination for key constituencies both within and outside the U.S. government; (4) participating in regularly scheduled calls with USAID West Africa and other bilateral USAID Missions in the region as well as interagency conference calls and meetings with other donors related to trade and investment.

3. Supervisory Relationship:

The Advisor will perform assignments under the guidance and management of the USAID Nigeria Economic Growth and Environment Office Director, with technical support of the Trade and Investment Team Leader housed within USAID West Africa. The Advisor is expected to exercise considerable independent judgment and initiative. The actions and decisions of the Advisor will be as a technical expert, project manager, and adviser to the Office Director, Mission management, and other USG agencies. Regular travel to Accra and across West Africa is anticipated to allow for coordination and joint planning in addition to regular communication via phone, email, and written reporting. The annual performance of the Advisor will be reviewed in terms of achievement of established work objectives.

4. Supervision Controls:

The Advisor will not directly supervise any staff members.

5. Other important information:

If a third country national (TCN) PSC is selected for award, during the period of this contract, the TCN contractor must provide training to a Cooperating Country National (CCN) designated by USAID. The PSC Supervisor will establish a training plan with benchmarks to measure the contractor's progress toward achieving this training deliverable.

A candidate will be selected based on his/her qualifications, availability, results of reference checks and cross-agency interview. The selected individual must complete all medical examinations as well as undergo required security clearance.

12. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The work requested does not pose undue physical demands.

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

1. Education: A minimum of a master’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Agriculture, Trade or other related field is required.

2. Technical and Professional Experience:

A minimum of seven years of professional-level experience in managing trade, investment, and private sector development-related activities is required. Successful experience developing or managing public-private partnerships is highly desired.

3. Knowledge:

The work requires expert knowledge of trade, investment, and agriculture sector. Work requires expert knowledge of USG and international regulations, documentation and reporting requirements to make decisions or develop recommendations that will significantly affect important USAID programs and other policies.

4. Skills and Abilities:

Demonstrated knowledge of program principles, concepts, practices, methods, and techniques of development assistance in general is required. Demonstrated knowledge of approaches and best practices to promoting trade, investment, and private sector development and partnerships is required. Demonstrated knowledge of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Demonstrated knowledge of agricultural commodities and non-agricultural commodities. Demonstrated knowledge of the economy and business landscape of Nigeria and West Africa is highly desirable.

Demonstrated knowledge and ability related to project management is required. Demonstrated ability to organize and effectively plan work to ensure that programs and tasks are completed accurately and within deadlines is required. The ability to obtain, evaluate and interpret data and prepare high quality communications products and reports is necessary. The ability to evaluate contractor’s recommendations, identify problems affecting program activities, propose well-thought out strategies to resolve these problems, consult with senior management and field staff, and then implement final decisions and strategies and approaches is necessary.

5. Communication and Language Skills:

Level IV English (fluent) and Level III French (professional proficiency), with strong writing skills, demonstrated ability to prepare succinct narrative reports, sometimes with short deadlines and with minimal supervision, are also required.

Operational, managerial and strong analytical and writing skills are necessary, including experience in analysis, interpretation and presentation of data in both oral and written form and in precise, accurate, clear and complete formats.

Strong computer skills are essential in order to prepare effective, comprehensive reports and for daily work. Excellent knowledge of and experience with Microsoft Office Suite and Google Applications, as well as the ability to conduct Internet research and management of other Internet resources, is required.

Evidence of strong collaborative skills, including the ability to work effectively with superiors, subordinates, colleagues and partners, both inside and outside USAID, is required, as well as maturity, stability, objectivity, resourcefulness, adaptability, and sound professional judgment. Effective teamwork is an essential factor in successful day-to-day management and operations.

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.

USAID policy specifies that U.S. citizens or resident aliens (USNs) are preferred over third country nationals (TCNs). Therefore, USN and TCN offers will not be evaluated together. USAID will evaluate USN offers first and if the CO determines that there are no qualified USNs, only then will USAID evaluate TCN offers.

After the closing date for receipt of applications, all applications will initially be screened for adherence to application instructions and conformity with minimum qualifications and a short list of applicants will be developed.

Following this initial review and short listing, a Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) will be convened to review eligible applications and evaluate them in accordance with the evaluation factors. Applications from candidates which do not meet the minimum requirements will not be scored. Those applications from qualified offerors meeting the required minimum qualifications will be assessed based on the following selection/evaluation factors:

1. Education (20 points)

2. Technical and Professional Experience (25 points)

3. Skills and Abilities (35 points)

4. Communication and Language Skills (20 points)

Total Possible Points: 100 points

Applications determined to be competitively ranked may be further evaluated based on interview performance, written assessments and/or satisfactory professional reference checks.

USAID reserves the right to interview only the highest ranked applicants in person or by phone OR not to interview any candidate.

Reference checks will be made only for offerors considered as finalist.

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. No response will be sent to unsuccessful applicants.

IV.

SUBMITTING AN OFFER

For your application to be considered, the following documents must be submitted:

1. 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.

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.

3. Offeror submissions must clearly reference the number of this Solicitation to ensure the offer is for the position in this Solicitation.

4. A type-written and signed cover letter of no more than two (2) pages specifically applying for this position and addressing the minimum requirements as advertised.

5. Curriculum Vitae which, at a minimum, describes education, latest experience and career achievements.

6. Offers must provide a minimum of three (3) and a maximum of five (5) references within the last five years from the offeror’s professional life, namely individuals who are not family members or relatives.

7. Offeror submissions must clearly reference the number of this Solicitation to ensure the offer is for the position in this solicitation. E-mails received without the appropriate subject line and incomplete applications will not be considered.

8. Limit all electronic (e-mail) submissions to one entry/email not larger than 5MB. Please submit attachments in PDF and Word formats.

9. All applications packages are to be submitted via email to: Abujahr@usaid.gov V.

LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS PRIOR TO AWARD

The CO will provide instructions about how to complete and submit the following forms after an offeror is selected for the contract award:

Forms outlined below can be found at: http:/www.usaid.gov/forms/ (1) Offeror Information for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals (AID 309-2)17)

(2) Medical History and Examination Form (Department of State Forms) * (3) Questionnaire for Sensitive Positions (for National Security) (SF-86) * or (4) Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85) * (5) Fingerprint Cards (FD-258) * *The above listed forms (2 through 5) shall only be completed upon the advice of the Contracting Officer that an applicant is the successful candidate for the job.

VI.

BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES

As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a USPSC is normally authorized to receive 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 (If applicable):

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

(a) Temporary Lodging 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) Educational Travel (Section 280)

(h) Post Differential (Chapter 500)

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

Note: As of November 27, 2016, Nigeria became a 35% Post Differential, 25% Cost of Living Allowance, 0% Danger Pay post.

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) 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

END OF SOLICITATION