J4 - PSC Application FAQs.pdf

July 2022

How to Apply for the M&E Program Officer/Senior Program Officer Position at MCC

The Program Officer (PO)/Senior Program Officer (SPO) position in the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) division of Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is an excellent opportunity for individuals interested in international development, US government foreign assistance, evidence‐based program design, and M&E. The job offers hands‐on experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating development projects at an agency that prizes evidence‐based decision‐making, accountability, learning, and transparency.

Candidates are often unaware of federal contracting opportunities, like this position, or may be unfamiliar with the terminology included in an announcement. We recognize that this may dissuade interested candidates from applying, so have prepared this guide to clarify.

What kind of position is this?

The position is a full‐time* personal services contract (PSC) with the federal government that will have similar responsibilities to a direct‐hire position. PSCs are not direct‐hire employees of the federal government, so they do not receive certain benefits provided to direct‐hire employees, e.g., health insurance, life insurance, or retirement benefits. However, full‐time PSCs are eligible for a 15% pay supplement in lieu of fringe benefits, and are treated as employees in other regards. For example, as a full‐time PSC, you would earn paid time off for federal holidays, vacation, and sick leave, receive a W‐2 for tax purposes, and work right alongside direct‐hire employees on the Monitoring and Evaluation team and the country teams that design and implement MCC programs. *Note: Depending on the candidate’s preference, this may also be a part‐time position, though benefits differ between full‐ and part‐time (“intermittent”) PSCs, as described in the solicitation.

How do I learn more about this opportunity?

Because this opportunity is technically a contract between a sole proprietorship (i.e., you) and the federal government, the position is posted on the “Contract Opportunities” page at www.sam.gov, where all competitive solicitations for federal contracts are posted. Use the solicitation number provided to locate the posting on the System for Award Management (SAM) website. The Request for Quotation (RFQ) package attached to the posting includes the details of the PO/SPO positions and contract. To learn more, you should review the information in the “Description” section of the posting, and then the Position Description and Bio‐Data Form, which are both attachments to the solicitation.

The full RFQ will also be attached and contains additional information about the opportunity, required and desired qualifications, and important instructions for your application submission;

Section C of the solicitation captures the most pertinent information, while other sections dive deeper into the details. Also, please review any amendments to the RFQ for additional information/guidance, as applicable.

What do I need to do to apply?

As mentioned above, this is a contracting opportunity for a sole proprietorship. So, prior to award, you must register as a sole proprietor with the federal government. This means registering with SAM and obtaining a Unique Entity ID (UEI). This process requires some lead time, so please start this process as soon as you decide to apply. Please review the following website: https://sam.gov/content/entity‐ registration which provides additional guidance on the registration process. Given that the registration process has recently changed, applicants will not be required to have a complete/active SAM registration in order to be considered, but should have initiated the process by the time of offer submission. SAM registration must be complete by the time of contract award (approximately 30 days after the offer submission deadline), and MCC may remove a candidate from further consideration if they have not yet completed their registration at the time of award.

After initiating the SAM registration, go back to the RFQ and continue preparing your application, and please follow the instructions carefully. Feel free to reach out to the points of contact listed on the posting (Safaa Abdelrahim, abdelrahimsa@mcc.gov and Jacqueline Naranjo, naranjoj@mcc.gov) with any questions. Thank you for your interest and good luck!