Solicitation_Agricultural_Devlpt_Specialist_(MADAGASCAR).docx

SOL-687-HR-18-001

SUBJECT: Solicitation for U.S. Personal Service Contractor (USPSC) Agricultural Development Specialist

Dear Prospective Offerors:

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

Offers must be in accordance with the Attachment 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 Contact specified in the Attachment.

Sincerely, Linda Gregory Contracting Officer

72068719R00005

U.S. Agency for International Development

C/O AMERICAN EMBASSY

B.P. 5253 – Antananarivo 101

MADAGASCAR

Tel: 261 20 23 480 00 Fax: 261 20 23 480 35 www.usaid.gov

ATTACHMENT

Solicitation for USPSC Agricultural Development Specialist, GS-13

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. SOLICITATION NUMBER 72068719R00005

2. ISSUANCE DATE August 1, 2019

5. POSITION TITLE Agricultural Development Specialist

6. MARKET VALUE: $76,687 to $99,691 per annum equivalent to GS-13. Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.

8. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: USAID/Madagascar U.S. Embassy Lot 207 A, Point Liberty Andranoro Antehiroka Antananarivo 105 Madagascar With possible travel as stated in the Statement of Duties

9. ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: This vacancy is open to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent U.S. residents

10. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Facility & Computer Access.

11. STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

A. Role Of The Position

The Agricultural Development Specialist manages the USAID Hay Tao activity, oversees all Mission engagement on agricultural development and food security, and provides technical support for natural resources management and private sector engagement in the agriculture sector. The incumbent manages 1 USPSC and 1 Cooperating Country National (CCN) staff member and may serve from time to time as Acting Environment and Climate Change Office (ECCO) Chief when that officer is absent. S/he engages with host government officials and other partners working with donor institutions, private sector actors, and NGO organizations to advance Mission programming in the areas of conservation-friendly agriculture and environmentally-sound development. S/he provides expert advice on agriculture market systems, conservation enterprise development, and linkages between food security, sustainable agricultural development, and natural resource management interventions. Work may require leader responsibilities, including heading and coordinating the work of other professional staff.

The overall responsibilities of the Agricultural Development Specialist are to provide technical expertise and professional guidance to USAID/Madagascar and the U.S. Mission as a whole in the broad area of environmentally-sustainable agricultural development. The incumbent requires a depth of technical expertise and program management skills that will allow him/her to provide leadership on these and other policy issues, meeting and collaborating on a regular basis with senior officials and partners working with USAID and Embassy Antananarivo, other donor organizations, USAID contractor and grantee organizations, professional organizations, Government of Madagascar (GOM), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations, and the private sector. His/her management decisions require the ability to identify, assess, understand, and systematize complex issues as they relate to Madagascar’s broader economic, political, and cultural realities that can lead to important changes or adaptations in relevant national policies.

S/he serves as the Mission’s chief technical expert and resource person on sustainable agricultural production systems. S/he represents USAID in donor groups where s/he is responsible for ensuring the coordination of USG and other donor policies and investments and coordinates closely with the USAID/Southern Africa Regional Mission, USAID/Kenya and East Africa Regional Mission, and USAID/Washington.

B. Major Duties And Responsibilities

Program Design and Management (60%)

· As a Contracting Officer’s Representative/Agreement Officer’s Representative (COR/AOR) oversees bilateral and USAID/Washington contracts, grants and cooperative agreements, drafts statements of work and budgets, administratively approves payment vouchers, and performs ongoing project oversight and management.

· Contributes directly to monitoring implementation of ECCO activities, reviewing work plans and quarterly/annual reports, preparing monitoring reports, identifying key progress indicators, reporting success stories, and undertaking field monitoring and data collection for reporting on progress of activities.

· Assists or leads design efforts for new programming for the ECCO team, including overseeing the implementation of assessments, analyses, and consultations to create new implementing mechanisms to further the goals of the office and Mission as a whole.

· Maintains close, cordial technical management relationships with USAID implementing partners to assure the quality, consistency, and coordination of program planning, interpretation of policies and procedures, regulatory compliance and data collection for results reporting.

· Serves on technical selection committees for acquisition and assistance awards.

· Serves as an Alternate COR/AOR.

Personnel and Operational Management (25%)

· Manages personnel and financial resources allocated to USAID/Madagascar’s Environment and Climate Change Office (ECCO).

· Provides administrative supervision of the program on behalf of USAID/Madagascar management, including direct supervision of ECCO staff.

· Assists with ECCO contributions to USAID/Madagascar’s strategic planning and reporting, including assistance in formulating and implementing USAID’s annual Operational Plan and Performance Plan and Report as well as the U.S. Mission’s Integrated Country Strategy and USAID/Madagascar’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy.

· Develops refinements of the Mission’s environmental and agricultural strategies based on continuous assessment of developments within these sectors and contributes to additional analyses, assessments, or reviews that are required for the successful implementation of the ECCO program.

Technical Support and Policy Dialogue (15%)

· Provides technical expertise to guide policy decisions and assure alignment of the ECCO portfolio with Mission goals, Government of Madagascar development objectives, the work of other donor programs, and U.S. Government programs and foreign policy priorities.

· Establishes and maintains productive working relationships with a variety of senior officials and technical partners working for the U.S. Government, the host government, donors, international organizations, environmentally-related associations or businesses, and Malagasy environmental groups within civil society.

· Advises on the integration of relevant agriculturally-related private sector engagement approaches, market strengthening efforts, and conservation enterprises into ECCO programs.

· Represents ECCO, USAID, and the U.S. Mission to Madagascar in a variety of events and activities, including multi-donor discussions of significance to Madagascar's environment sector, and reports back on any important concerns or developments.

C. Supervisory Relationship

The Agricultural Development Specialist reports directly to the ECCO Chief who will set the overall objectives and resources that will be made available to her/him in carrying out her/his work assignments. For program management duties, the incumbent will exercise responsibility in carrying out work assignments given the complex nature of such tasks in terms of coordination with various stakeholders, relationship management, and conflict management.

D. Supervisory Controls

The incumbent directly supervises a staff of 1-2 people and manages an annual portfolio of $2.5-$8 million that supports the Biodiversity Congressional earmark.

12. PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

a. Education

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university (or equivalent), in the areas of agriculture, agribusiness, or natural resource management required.

b. Prior Work Experience

· Five years of work experience in the areas of agriculture, agribusiness, and/or natural resource management in an international development setting, with a minimum of two years of this experience working in task-oriented teams.

· Two years of supervisory experience with a multicultural workforce.

· Two years of program management of international development programs.

c. Communication Skills Required language skills of English (4/4); French (2+/2+).

d. Required clearances Ability to obtain medical and security clearances in a timely manner.

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.

Offerors who meet the minimum qualifications will be further evaluated, through their offer package, based on the factors listed below. Offerors must address each on a separate sheet describing specifically the experience, training, and/or education that s/he has relevant to each criterion. The committee may conduct interviews of the most highly ranked candidates before making a selection recommendation to the Selecting Official. The successful candidates will be selected based on a review of their qualifications, work experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities; 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.

A. Education – 10 Points USAID will assess additional educational qualifications that increase the candidate’s competitiveness for the position, including achievement of more advanced degrees; completion of degrees in relevant fields of study such as agricultural development, agribusiness, environmental studies, and international development; and additional training that is pertinent to the specific duties and responsibilities for the position.

B. Relevant Work Experience – 45 Points USAID will assess additional relevant work experience that increases the candidate’s competitiveness for the position, including working in positions with similar international development or environmental programming; and supervising staff in a multicultural setting.

C. Management Skills – 25 points

D. Interpersonal and Communication Skills – 20 Points

Total possible points = 100

IV. SUBMITTING AN OFFER

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

1. AID 309-2, Offeror Information For Personal Services Contract Form

Eligible offerors are required to complete and submit a hand-signed form AID 309-2, “Offeror Information For Personal Services Contracts”, available at the USAID website, on www.usaid.gov/forms. Offerors are required to sign and scan the certification at the end of the form.

2. Resume/Curriculum Vitae

Offerors will submit a resume or a curriculum vitae containing the following information:

a) Personal Information: Full name, mailing address (with zip/postal code), email address, day and evening phone numbers, and if applicable highest federal civilian grade held (also give job series and dates held);

b) Education: date of diploma or GED; colleges and universities, name, city and state, majors, type and year of any degrees received (if no degree, show total credits earned and indicate whether semester or quarter hours);

c) Work Experience: provide the following information for each of your paid and non-paid work experience related to the job for which you are applying: job title (include series and grade if federal job), duties and accomplishments (do not send job descriptions), employer’s name and address, supervisor’s name and phone number, starting and ending dates (month and year), hours per week, salary. Indicate if we may contact your current supervisor. In addition, offerors should highlight or make special note of relevant significant awards and achievements. This may include information that was listed in the AID 309-2 form.

3. Appendix

Supplemental document specifically addressing the selection factors listed in the solicitation. Include other pertinent information related to the qualifications required for the position, such as job-related training courses (title and year), job-related skills, job-related certificates and licenses (current only), job-related honors, awards, and special accomplishments, for example, publications, memberships in professional or honor societies, leadership, activities, public speaking and performance awards (give dates but do not send documents unless requested).

4. 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.

SUBMISSION OF OFFER

· Offers must be submitted to the e-mail address: antananarivoUSAIDHR@usaid.gov

· Subject line of your e-mail should read: “SOL- USPSC Agriculture [your name]”

· E-mail attachments should be in Adobe Acrobat Reader format (.pdf) and/or Word format (.doc or .docx)

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

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. Other additional forms may be required to be completed.

· DS 6561, Pre-Assignment for Overseas Duty for Non-Foreign Service Personnel. Found at http://www.state.gov/m/med/c35188.htm

· AID 6-1, Request for Security Action

· OF-306, Declaration of Federal Employment

· SF-86, Questionnaire for National Security Positions or

· SF-85, Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions

· SF-87, Finger Print Card

· AID 500-4, Fair Credit Reporting Act of 1970, as Amended

· AID 6-85, Foreign Activity Data

· OF-126, Residence and Dependency Report

· SF-144, Statement of Prior Service - Worksheet

VI. BENEFITS AND 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) 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 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)

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 .

3. 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.

· AAPD 18-05: Designation of USPSCs and CCNPSCs as Contracting Agreement Officers

· AAPD 18-02: Changes to the Medevac Policy for USPSCs and TCNPSCs

· AAPD 16-03: REVISED AIDAR Deviation from Appendices D and J for the continuation of Expanded Incentive Awards for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals

· AAPD 15-02: REVISED Extends Implementation Of The USAID Policy For Leave And Holidays, Including Family And Medical Leave

· AAPD10-01: Changes in USG Reimbursement Amounts For Health Insurance And Physical Examination Costs

· AAPD 06-10: PSC Medical Expense Payment

· AAPD06-08: Using the Optional Schedule to Incrementally Fund Contracts

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

image1.png