USPSC HIV AIDS TEAM LEADER SOLICITATION.pdf

SUBJECT: SOLICITATION FOR PERSONAL SERVICES CONTRACTOR

USPSC HIV/AIDS TEAM LEADER (GS-15), USAID/KENYA,

OFFICE OF POPULATION AND HEALTH (OPH)

1. SOLICITATION NUMBER: AID-623-KE-11-004

2. ISSUANCE DATE: February 10, 2011

3. CLOSING DATE: March 11, 2011, 0900 hrs Nairobi, Kenya Time

4. POSITION TITLE: HIV/AIDS Team Leader

5. MARKET VALUE: GS-15 ($99,628- $129,517). Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value based upon the candidate’s past salary, work history and education background. Salary is not negotiable beyond this ranged.

6. WHO MAY APPLY: Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.

7. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: A base of two years with three annual options to extend up to a maximum of five years. Exercising the options to extend will depend on continuing need of services, availability of funds, and satisfactory or better performance depending on the continuing need of the position and availability of funds.

8. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Nairobi, Kenya

9. SECURITY ACCESS: Secret

10. DIRECT SUPERVISOR: Director, Office of Population and Health, USAID/Kenya, Nairobi.

11. SUPERVISORY CONTROLS: Work will be performed under the general direction of the Director of the Office of Population and Health (OPH). Substantial interaction and direction from the OPH Chief, Deputy Mission Director and the Mission Director is anticipated.

12. POSITION DESCRIPTION:

POSITION TITLE:

HIV/AIDS Team Leader

I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

USAID/Kenya is a large, full-service Mission with 152 staff, including 22 U.S. Direct Hire Employees (USDH). The Kenya Program is a comprehensive humanitarian and development assistance program, totaling over $490 million in FY10. Sectors targeted are:

health, governance, agriculture, private sector development, environmental conservation, and education. Health’s expansive program provides quality health care to millions of Kenyans nationwide through an integrated package of services designed to strengthen local capacity. It offers life-saving care to over 400,000 HIV/AIDS patients on anti-retroviral drug treatment. The FY 10 health budget is over $421 million; the estimated five-year budget is$1.7 billion. In June 2010, Kenya was designated as one of 8 Global Health Iniaitive (GHI) + countries. Kenya ranks second largest under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relieve (PEPFAR); funding levels for HIV/AIDS allocated to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for FY 10 is approximately $325 million. OPH is an integrated program that combines HIV/AIDS, nutrition, malaria, tuberculosis, population and maternal and child health activities; and is structured under four technical teams, including: 1) HIV/AIDS; 2) malaria; 3) family health and 4) health sector and systems strengthening.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID/Kenya) has been a strong development partner of Kenya and has supported health programs for over 30 years. For the past 15 years, USAID/Kenya’s OPH has provided support in collaboration with the Government of Kenya (GOK) under the umbrella of the AIDS Population and Health Integrated Assistance (APHIA) program. In 2010, USAID/Kenya transitioned into the APHIAplus strategy, building on the years of success under the former APHIA II program. USAID/Kenya’s health program is strategically integrated at all levels (service delivery, systems strengthening, as well as office management/operational structure).

The new sector strategy is influenced by President Obama’s “Global Health Initiative” (GHI) which calls for a whole-of-government approach to integrated programming that places women and girls at the center. Kenya’s programming is supported in larger part under the PEPFAR and President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) programs.

With OPH’s new five-year Implementation Framework (2010-2015) in place, USAID/Kenya will continue to support and realign some of the services and technical assistance previously provided under APHIA II and at the same time create innovative methods of effective service delivery initiatives and approaches with the five zones identified in the Framework. USAID/Kenya’s health portfolio will be refocused to deliver health services through strengthened health systems. USAID/Kenya’s next five-year health sector assistance will be implemented at all levels of the geographic scope to include national, provincial, district and community levels.

In Kenya, USAID is one of four United States Government (USG) agencies supporting health programs. Under the leadership of the Chief of Mission, the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention (CDC), the Peace Corps, the Department of State (DOS) and the Department of Defense (DOD) work in collaboration with USAID to deliver over $550 million per year of USG assistance to Kenya in health alone. Interagency collaboration within USG, other donors and coordination with host country counterparts within the Ministries of Health are daily functions under this position. The goal is to develop and implement one coherent USG HIV/AIDS program in Kenya combining the comparative strengths and capabilities of all the government agencies. The PEPFAR Coordination Office (PCO) facilitates complementarities among the various activities. The PEPFAR Coordinator also serves as the GHI Planning Lead for USG in Kenya.

II. BASIC FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION

The objective of the USPSC is to obtain the services of an HIV/AIDS Team Leader who will provide management, leadership, and technical services on the full range of HIV/AIDS and Health investments as they relate to USAID/Kenya’s HIV/AIDS, family planning, maternal and child health, and TB activities. The HIV/AIDS Team Leader serves as the Team Leader for the HIV/AIDS team – one of our teams that work under the direction of the OPH Director. Strategic planning, design, evaluation and partner oversight will be critical elements for this position. As a USAID contract employee, the incumbent has the responsibility of understanding and incorporating the Agency’s five core values in all aspects of his/her work.

The incumbent will work at a senior level in a high priority USG foreign assistance program that requires knowledge, experience, maturity and an ability to function independently under a complex, highly demanding, frequently changing environment.

The incumbent is expected to work independently, take initiative, and manage a multi-cultural team with many large and complex integrated interventions to manage. The incumbent will represent USAID at the highest government and donor levels. Per ADS 103.3.1.1b(4), s/he will not be authorized to sign (1) obligations that require a warrant, and (2) grants to foreign governments and public international organizations, thereby prohibiting her/him from obligating USG funds in these instances. The incumbent will supervise approximately at least 15 staff, including senior technical FSN and TCN positions.

The HIV/AIDS Team Leader is one of four senior technical advisors, and one of 34 OPH team members. S/he will report to the OPH Director, who provides overall operational oversight and supervision. Given the integrated nature of OPH, there is heavy emphasis on interagency collaboration, and strong linkages with the GOK, civil society and the private sector. It will be essential for the incumbent to demonstrate strong technical and management skills, complemented by outstanding communication and interpersonal skills. Donor collaboration is a critical, vital function under this position.

III. MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

As the HIV/AIDS Team Leader, the incumbent will:

1. Serve as a high-level health advisor to USAID/Kenya’s Mission management and OPH. S/he will keep abreast of current and new HIV/AIDS issues, interpret and advise the Mission on implications and implementation options. The incumbent will maximize management and programmatic opportunities (as strategic and cost-effective) within Kenya’s highly integrated environment.

2. Represent USAID/Kenya at meetings with implementing partners, donors, government, USG Agencies and international and local partners.

3. Carry out a full range of consultative, advisory, strategic, planning and evaluation responsibilities.

4. Provide vision, strategic direction and leadership to the HIV/AIDS team in the design and implementation of all projects/activities in the portfolio.

5. Direct team members to ensure quality monitoring and reporting on HIV/AIDS activities for USAID including completion of the PEPFAR Country Operational Plan, PEPFAR Annual/Semi-annual Program Reports, and the HIV/AIDS sections of the USG Mission Strategic Plan (MSP) report, and other key documents.

6. Serve as USAID’s focal point on the USG PEPFAR interagency team (“Liaisons”).

7. As OPH Team Leader, serves as one of several USAID representatives to the GHI

Group.

Program and Project Management:

1. Lead the coordination of all USAID/Kenya’s HIV/AIDS initiatives, including planning, monitoring, reporting, and evaluation.

2. Along with other Team Leaders, actively support management and program integration opportunities in strategic and cost-effective ways.

3. Supervise/provide management oversight to HIV/AIDS team members.

4. Develop and manage HIV/AIDS team budget in coordination with the Mission

Program Office and Controller ensuring up to date PEPFAR budgets, timely obligations, well documented accruals, and quarterly pipeline analyses. Effectively manage multi-million dollar PEPFAR funding.

5. Provide management oversight to the Feed the Future (FtF) and the Women’s Justice and Empowerment Initiative (WJIE) within the OPH portfolio.

6. Direct the preparation of analysis and documentation required under the USAID and

PEPFAR Annual Reports process.

Technical Leadership:

1. Serve as the USAID/Kenya Mission’s contact person for HIV/AIDS related activities.

2. Provide senior technical leadership support and assistance to the GOK National AIDS

Control Commission and participate in national HIV/AIDS strategic planning and monitoring activities.

3. Develop and maintain ongoing support for HIV/AIDS activities to key GOK

Ministries.

4. Provide detailed-oriented oversight of the PEPFAR budget, ensuring that funds are utilized according to USG policy/regulations, and that country programs are using PEPFAR resources effectively. Ensure a high degree of fiscal integrity in the program.

5. Provide high-level technical leadership and direction to strengthen key HIV/AIDS institutions at national, provincial and district levels to ensure that all implementing partners are well coordinated and that scale-up of activities is successfully implemented in all districts.

6. Provide high-level technical assistance and serve as advisor to selected vulnerable groups such as OVC, People Living with HIV/AIDS, and Most at Risk Populations.

7. Perform other duties as assigned by the Director, OPH or Acting Director, OPH.

IV. POSITION ELEMENTS

Supervisory Controls: Work will be performed under the general direction of the Director of the Office of Population and Health (OPH). Substantial interaction and direction from the OPH Chief, Deputy Mission Director and the Mission Director is anticipated.

Supervision Exercised: May exercise full range of normal supervision over at least 15 health specialists, including FSNs and TCNs, providing overall supervision, policy guidance and coordinating the work of these employees to achieve program objectives.

Exercise of Judgment: A high degree of judgment will be required to provide guidance and assistance to a wide variety of high-level professionals in the Kenya Mission. As a recognized expert and highly qualified professional, substantial reliance will be placed on the incumbent to independently plan, prioritize and carryout the specific activities entailed in fulfilling major duties and responsibilities. The incumbent will be expected to resolve problems that arise by determining the approaches to be taken and methodologies to be used, making independent judgments that can be defended, as necessary.

Authority to Make Commitments: As a personal services contract position, the incumbent cannot make financial commitments on behalf of the U.S. Government.

However, because of the incumbent’s expertise and standing as a highly qualified professional in his/her field, great weight will be given to his/her conclusions and recommendations when commitments are made by those with the authority to do so.

Nature, Level and Purpose of Contacts: The incumbent will maintain contacts and work with USAID staff in USAID/Kenya, with considerable interaction with USAID/Washington Global Health staff, USAID/Washington Office of HIV/AIDS staff, Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator, GHI and others to provide policy and procedural guidance and to obtain information relative to programs and activities. Official contacts will be the USAID Mission Director, USAID/Washington Staff and other high-ranking USG representatives.

V. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EVALUATION CRITERIA

(Determines basic eligibility for the position. Applicants who do not meet all of the education and experience factors are considered NOT qualified for the position)

Applicants meeting the required qualifications for the position will be evaluated based on the criteria listed below. Applicants are strongly encouraged to address each of the criteria on a separate sheet describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards they have received that are relevant to each. Be sure to include your name, social security number, and the announcement number at the top of each additional page. Failure to address the minimum selective and/or quality ranking factors may result in your not receiving credit for all of your pertinent experience, education, training and awards.

A. Education:

a. Must possess an advanced degree (Masters or Ph.D.) or the equivalent in international public health, social sciences or health care development related field. (10%)

B. Technical Experience:

a. At least ten years (10) of progressive professional experience in designing, implementing, managing and monitoring large scale public health programs, including programs related to HIV/AIDS, which includes at least five (5) years of substantive supervisory experience, is required. (30%)

b. Direct work experience with an international organization and/or donor agency, is required. Extensive familiarity with USG policies would be preferred, but not required (20%)

c. Demonstrated experience working with high level host country counterparts, in-country program managers, policy makers and a broad array of international health service providers and community leaders is required. (10%)

C. Communications/Interpersonal Skills:

a. Exceptionally strong interpersonal skills and abilities to work in a multi-cultural setting are required. Experience supervising, motivating, and leading teams of professionals required. Demonstrated ability to work across agencies, and with high level senior-ranking host country government officials, is required. Able to work effectively on her/his own and as a member of an office management team and as a mentor to junior staff, is required. (20%)

b. Strong, computer, verbal and writing skills required. Must be fluent in English

(S-4/R-4) and have proven ability to communicate quickly, clearly, and concisely in both speech and writing. Able to facilitate meetings and make oral presentations logically and persuasively to senior officials and partners in a multi-cultural context. Able to produce concise, clear reports, and utilize word processing, spreadsheet and database programs. (10%)

VI. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS AND LOGISTICAL SUPPORT

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

BENEFITS

Employer's FICA and Medicare Contribution* Contribution toward Health & Life Insurance Pay Comparability Adjustment Annual Salary increase Eligibility for Worker's Compensation Annual & Sick Leave Shipment and storage of household effects [limited shipment authorized at present] Access to Embassy medical facilities, and pouch mail service

* Note: If a US citizen, the Contractor’s salary will be subject to employee’s FICA and Medicare contribution.

ALLOWANCES [if applicable, as found in the Standardized Regulations (Government Civilian Foreign Areas) Sections cited below]

(1) Temporary Lodging Allowance (Section 120)

(2) Living Quarters Allowance (Section 130)

(3) Post Allowance (Section 220)

(4) Supplemental Post Allowance (Section 230)

(5) Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section 260)

(6) Educational Allowance (Section 270)

(7) Educational Travel (Section 280)

(8) Post Differential (Chapter 500)

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

(10) Danger Pay (Section 650)

SECURITY AND MEDICAL CLEARANCE

The Contractor will be required to obtain a medical clearance from State M/MED prior to service overseas. Also, a temporary security clearance must be initiated prior to travel to post of duty. Until a final adjudication of a secret clearance is received, the contractor shall:

have no access to classified or administratively controlled materials, travel to post by himself/herself only, and be authorized no entitlements other than those normally authorized for short-term

(less than a year) employees at post.

If the contractor fails to receive a secret clearance, the contract will be immediately terminated.

FEDERAL TAXES

USPSCs are not exempt from payment of any Federal Income taxes under the foreign earned income exclusion.

CONTRACT INFORMATION BULLETINS (CIBs) or ACQUISITION AND ASSISTANCE POLICY DIRRECTIVES (AAPDs) PERTAINNING TO PSCs:

AAPDs and CIBs contain changes to USAID policy and General Provisions in USAID regulations and contract. Those documents can be found at this website:

http://www.usaid.gov/business/business_opportunities/cib/subject.html#psc

LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR USPSCs

1. Application for Federal Employment (SF-171) or Optional Application for Federal Employment (OF612)

2. Contractor Physical Examination (DS-1843 and DS-1622) **

3. Questionnaire for National Security Positions (SF-86) **, or

4. Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85) **

5. Finger Print Card (FD-258) (available from the requirement office) **

Note:

** Forms 2 through 5 shall be completed only upon the advice of the Contracting Officer that an applicant is the successful candidate for the position. Forms 1 through 4 can found at:

http://www.usaid.gov/procurement_bus_opp/procurement/psc_solicit/forms.html

USAID anticipates issuance of a USPSC or TCN contract in accordance with AID Acquisition Regulations (http://www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/aidar.pdf) Appendix D pages 124-171, and the CIBs and AAPDs referenced therein.

VII. INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANTS

Qualified applicants are requested to submit an Application for Federal Employment (SF-

171) or Optional Application for Federal Employment (OF-612) and a resume/CV containing the following information:

1) Personal Information: Full name, mailing address (with zip code), email address, day and evening phone numbers, social security number, country of citizenship, highest federal civilian grade held (also give job series and dates held);

2) Education: high school, name, city and state, 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);

3) Work Experience: provide the following information for your paid and non paid work experience related to the job for which you are applying (do not send job descriptions); job title (include series and grade if federal job), duties, and accomplishments, 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;

4) Other Qualifications: Other pertinent information related to the qualifications required for the position, as noted above including job-related training courses (title & year), job-related skills; for example, other languages, computer software/hardware, tools, machinery, typing speed, 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).

5) Applicants are required to provide three (3) to five (5) references with complete contact information including email address and telephone numbers.

All application packages are to be submitted via e-mail to: Supervisory Contracting Officer, Joseph McGee at jmcgee@usaid.gov with a copy to Daniel Harter at dharter@usaid.gov. To ensure that the application is considered for the intended position, please reference the solicitation number and title of position on your application and as the subject line in any cover letter. Applications must be received by the Contracting Office by the closing date and time specified in the cover letter.

Any questions regarding this solicitation should be submitted no later than February 18, 2011 at 9.00 a.m. Nairobi, Kenya time via e-mail to Joseph McGee at jmcgee@usaid.gov with a copy to Daniel Harter at dharter@usaid.gov