MCC-15-RFQ-0023.pdf

Date Posted July 30, 2015

Announcement Number MCC-15-RFQ-0023

Title Director, Vertical Structures (VS)

Position information Full-Time, Personal Services Contractor (PSC) One year (2,087 hours per year), renewable for up to four years at the sole discretion of the government

Pay band 3a ($55.10 - $77.22 per hour)

Closing date for questions August 10, 2015 no later than 3:00pm EST

Application deadline August 17, 2015 no later than 3:00pm EST

Who may be considered U.S. citizens or legal, permanent residents with five years of residency history

Duty location Washington, D.C., US Note: more than one position may be filled under this announcement

Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a United States government-owned corporation created in 2004, whose mission is to provide assistance that will support economic growth and poverty reduction in carefully selected developing countries that demonstrate a commitment to just and democratic governance, economic freedom, and investments in their citizenry. To receive assistance, eligible countries are required to enter into a public agreement (known as a compact) with the MCC that includes a multi-year plan for achieving shared development objectives and the responsibilities of each country in achieving those objectives, regular benchmarks to measure progress, multi-year financial plan, and a plan to ensure accountability for the use of MCA assistance.

Director, Vertical Structures (VS); MCC-15-RFQ-0023

SCOPE OF POSITION

This position will serve as a full time Personal Services Contractor (PSC) within the Department of Compact Operations (DCO), Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). DCO, through its Division of Infrastructure, Environment, and Private Sector is responsible for the development and oversight of MCC’s infrastructure investments (which account for two-thirds of the agency’s portfolio), private sector development programs and partnerships, and the environmental and social performance of all MCC projects.

A personal services contract is different from non-personal services Government contract, which establishes an independent contract relationship. Under a non-personal services contract, the contractor or employees of the contractor are subject to the technical direction but not the supervision of the MCC. As defined by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 37.104, a personal services contract is characterized by the employer-employee relationship it creates between the Government and the contractor personnel. Thus, the PSC is subject to the relatively continuous technical direction, supervision, and control of the MCC. PSCs may be assigned inherently governmental duties (see FAR 7.502). By law and by the contract’s terms, the PSC is subject to most of the laws, rules, and regulations applicable to the direct hire employee such as MCC regulations, conflict of interest, under some circumstances MCC authorized employment security clearances, and financial disclosure. However, under the MCC personal services contract authority, PSCs are not employees for purposes of laws administered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The following elements apply to this contact:

(1) Performance on site.

(2) Principal tools and equipment furnished by the Government.

(3) Services are applied directly to the integral effort of agencies or an organizational subpart in furtherance of assigned function or mission.

(4) Comparable services, meeting comparable needs, are performed in the same or similar agencies using civil service personnel.

(5) The need for the type of service provided can reasonably be expected to last beyond 1 year.

(6) The inherent nature of the service, or the manner in which it is provided, reasonably requires directly or indirectly, Government direction or supervision of contractor employees in order to—

(i) Adequately protect the Government’s interest;

(ii) Retain control of the function involved; or

(iii) Retain full personal responsibility for the function supported in a duly authorized Federal officer or employee.

Please see Addendum I, MCC 52.237-70 Personal Services – General Terms and Conditions (JULY 2012), for additional information applicable to personal services contract.

PLEASE NOTE: This contract shall be awarded solely to an individual(s), not to a firm. The individual must have an active DUNS # and a fully approved and active record in the System for Award Management (SAM). The approval of your record in SAM may take a few weeks.

Therefore, please register in SAM before submitting your application.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

U.S. citizenship or legal, permanent resident with five years of residency history

Must be able to obtain and maintain a facilities access clearance

Performance at MCC Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Relocation expenses will not be paid

Overseas travel may be required (to MCC eligible countries)

Statement of Employment & Financial Interest (i.e. Office of Government Ethics form- 450, or similar statement) may be required

Active and approved SAM record (listed as sole-proprietor)

DUTIES

The Personal Services Contractor (PSC) shall serve as DCO’s lead representative on issues related to VS projects.

Major Duties and Responsibilities include:

Directs and/or participates in a variety of complex and critical assignments associated with the management and oversight of the design, development, and implementation of Vertical Structures (VS) programs and projects in MCC Compacts.

Directs and/or participates as a member of multi-disciplinary country team consisting of a combination of MCC staff, consultants and contractors overseeing country programs involving projects in one or more of the following vertical structures areas --schools, technical and vocational training centers, higher educational buildings, terminal buildings, laboratories, hospitals, health centers, housing, animal care facilities, offices, visitor centers, courts, power houses, small sanitation facilities, as well as industrial parks, agricultural processing facilities and zones.

Prepares plans for Compacts with VS programs and provides implementation oversight and program management support to VS projects at each stages of the project development cycle from planning, concept design, feasibility studies, detailed engineering design, and construction to commissioning as well as operations and maintenance.

Leads/undertakes overall project scheduling, budgeting, quality assurance, change management, contract administration, and project controls.

Leads and/or participates in the design and development of Compacts. including, but not limited to -- technical assessment of constraints analyses, concept papers, and proposals.

Works with MCC and host country MCA teams to develop project budgets for VS projects and related activities at the outset of the project.

Directs and supports the development of implementation plans for Compact programs and projects using appropriate project management tools.

Reviews and comments on documents submitted in connection with MCC clearance of MCA procurement packages, work plans, and disbursement requests.

Conducts oversight reviews of Compact operations to ascertain that VS projects and programs meet expectations against schedule and budget requirements;

Reports on project-related implementation risks, providing leadership on risk management plans and risk analyses for MCC management.

Directs the formulation of budgets for consultants to be hired by MCC, drafting scopes of work, serving on evaluation panels, issuing technical directives, reviewing and accepting consultant deliverables, tracking billings, in support of the COTR or Project Monitor or in the capacity of the Project Monitor.

DELIVERABLES

Deliverables are associated with the tasks identified in DUTIES to include reports as required by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR).

The PSC will provide a monthly progress report as a regular deliverable. Monthly progress reports will consist of the following format to measure the progress of each task:

Task: XXXXXX

Status: XXXXXXXX

Recommendations: XXXXXXX

Monthly reports are due the first workday of each month. The PSC also will produce other reports and analyses as requested by MCC.

Deliverables will be considered “draft” upon initial receipt. Drafts will be reviewed and accepted or concerns raised/comments provided within two weeks of receipt. The PSC shall appropriately address the Corporations’ concerns and provide final deliverables within one week of receiving the MCC response.

In addition to monthly progress reports, the PSC will submit biweekly timesheets on a schedule and format determined by MCC. Timesheets will include a list of hours worked per compact or country program, along with a brief description of the tasks undertaken for each program during the pay period.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements, including education and all qualifying specialized experience described below by the closing date of this announcement. Please clearly demonstrate that you possess the following:

An advanced degree in architectural/civil engineering, planning or related technical field

(MANDATORY).

Fifteen (15) or more years of experience in the field of engineering, planning, project management and project implementation of vertical structures/facilities infrastructure projects (MANDATORY).

Experience undertaking high-level technical analysis of intuitional, policy, regulatory environment as well as physical infrastructure program planning, design and implementation, and operation and maintenance (MANDATORY).

Broad international development experience, including management and/or leadership roles (MANDATORY).

Fifteen (15) or more years of relevant work experience with the US Government, international financial institution, international company and/or international NGO

(MANDATORY).

Ability to work well as part of a team (MANDATORY).

Excellent English communication skills, both written and verbal (MANDATORY).

Spanish, French and/or Portuguese language skills, both written and verbal (DESIRED).

Candidates with relevant work experience in both the public and private sectors are of particular interest for this position (DESIRED).

NOTE: All experience must be well-documented on your resume and within your application.

All aspects of your application must specifically show how you meet the QUALIFICATIONS

REQUIRED.

COMPENSATION

PSCs for the services of individual experts or consultants are limited by the Classification Act. In addition, the OPM has established requirements which apply in acquiring the personal services of experts or consultants in this manner (e.g., benefits, taxes, conflicts of interest):

This is a full time position and thus, the maximum number of hours allowed is 2,087 per year.

The contract will have four one-year option periods that may be exercised at the sole discretion of MCC.

The pay range for this position is $55.10 - $77.22 per hour, inclusive of Washington, DC locality pay. Final compensation will be negotiated within this pay range based upon the successful candidate’s salary history, work experience, and educational background. A salary above this pay range will NOT be entertained or negotiated. Candidates who live outside of the Washington, DC area may be considered for this contract, but relocation expenses are not compensable under the resulting contract.

MCC issues W-2s to the PSC. For U.S. citizens and legal resident aliens, MCC makes the employer contribution to FICA and Medicare for the PSC. MCC withholds FICA, Medicare, federal tax, and state tax on behalf of the PSC. The PSC is not eligible for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion.

Benefits:

Under the MCC personal services contract authority, PSCs are not employees for purposes of laws administered by OPM, such as Federal retirement benefits and health and life insurance. As such, the PSC is not eligible for participation in the Civil Service Retirement System or the Federal Employees Retirement System. Moreover, the PSC is ineligible to receive Federal Health and Life Insurance or participate in the federal Thrift Savings Plan.

Notwithstanding the above, MCC does permit reimbursement of a portion of the PSC’s cost of health insurance premiums incurred during the contract’s period of performance. To be eligible for the health insurance reimbursement the employee must provide proof of insurance coverage and payment of premium for which s/he is responsible. Examples of acceptable proof are bank statement, receipts, cancelled checks or other proof of payment. Individuals covered under another health insurance plan, or have subsidized health insurance are not eligible for this reimbursement. Subject to the availability of funds, MCC may pay up-to-15% of the employee’s base salary towards a health insurance policy as mentioned above.

The full time PSC does earn sick leave, annual leave, or holiday pay.

The full time PSC working at MCC Headquarters in Washington, DC is eligible for parking or transit subsidy, subject to the availability of funds.

Travel:

The PSC is subject to the Federal Travel Regulations and MCC travel policies and procedures to the same extent as MCC direct-hire employees.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION

Interested applicants must submit all required documents to include, but not limited to:

Completed and signed Biodata Form;

Curriculum vitae or resume (limit 10 pages);

A written narrative of up to five pages clearly describing relevant experience and knowledge of each of the qualification requirements, No less than three and no more than five professional references with current contact information;

NOTE: Submittals shall be in accordance with the INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANTS. Please ensure that applicants’ most recent contact information (telephone numbers and e-mail address) are accurate. Any other documentation will not be accepted.

Delivery:

Electronic submission is required. Electronic application packages shall be submitted by e-mail to MCCPSC@mcc.gov and jimenezja@mcc.gov. Submission shall reference the position title AND the announcement number on the subject line of the e-mail. Electronically submitted packages must include a scanned signature on the Bio-data form to be considered.

MCC does not accept responsibility for delays in transmission or receipt of any application.

Applicants are responsible for submitting the application package so as to reach the designated Government office by the closing date and time specified above. Applications received after the closing date and time will not be considered, unless there is acceptable evidence to establish that it was indeed received by the Government installation prior to the time and date specified in this announcement. Receipt of an application in response to this announcement does not constitute an award commitment. The U.S. Government will not reimburse any costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an application. Any submission is at the sole risk of the applicant.

Questions:

Any questions regarding this announcement should be submitted in writing via email only (no phone calls) to MCCPSC@mcc.gov and jimenezja@mcc.gov before the deadline as given on p.1.

Submission of applications to this announcement must be received before the deadline as given on p.1.

INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANTS

The QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED are the basis for evaluating all applications. Applicants must separately address each listed qualification requirement and demonstrate how s/he meets each. Unless stated otherwise, all qualification elements will be weighted equally.

(a) Qualified individuals must submit a completed and signed Biodata form. Please ensure that you provide a current, valid e-mail address and telephone number for notification purposes. The Biodata form must be fully completed including a proposed hourly rate & signed for the application to be considered.

(b) Qualified individuals must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) before submitting the application.

(c) Qualified individuals must submit a resume (or a curriculum vita) which clearly demonstrates their education, experience, knowledge, and skills and abilities as they relate to the qualification elements. Resume must indicate: the earliest possible start date for the applicant; as well as formal title, and duration (start date / end date) for each listed position. Resume is limited to 10 pages and must not contain a photo or any salary information.

(d) Describe your experience and knowledge in regards to the qualification requirements in no more than five pages (page = 8 ½” x 11” paper; 11 point font or larger; double sided pages count as two pages). Clearly demonstrate how your prior experience is either relevant or directly related to the duties of this position as listed under DUTIES. The responses should describe specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards you have received that are relevant to each factor. Cite specific examples where appropriate.

(e) Qualified individuals must submit no fewer than three and no more than five professional references, who are not relatives or family members. Submitted references MUST include current information, as follows:

a. Name of reference

b. Applicants’ relationship to reference

c. Title of reference at current job

d. Reference current telephone number (work or personal)

e. Reference e-mail address (work)

At least two references must be from direct supervisors (current or prior) who can provide information regarding the applicant’s knowledge & experience in the field of Vertical Structures (VS). All references must be from within the last 5 years of the applicant’s professional life.

(f) Applications must be signed and received prior to the closing date and time specified above to be considered for this position.

To ensure consideration of applicants for the intended position, please reference the position title and announcement number on the subject line of your submission email, on supporting documentation and any cover letter.

SELECTION PROCESS

In order to be considered for the position, a candidate must meet the qualifications listed above.

Consideration and selection will be based on a panel evaluation in accordance with the QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED. In addition to the materials listed above, applicants are strongly encouraged to write a cover letter, not to exceed one page, to highlight their suitability for this position. The cover letter is NOT included in the required written narrative.

All applicants will be evaluated based on the documentation submitted, the applicant’s evidence of the above qualification requirements, performance in a potential interview, if conducted, and information provided by references, if contacted. All applicants will received one of three scores for each of the required qualification: Does Not Meet, Meets, or Exceeds. MCC reserves the right to call the highest qualified candidates for an interview and/or conduct a reference check on those individuals. Reference checks may be conducted on the highest qualified applicants.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to ensure the work history portion thoroughly documents the duties, responsibilities, and accomplishments that are directly related to this position in order to verify specialized experience. Errors or omissions may affect your evaluation.

The U.S. Government & MCC is not obligated to make an award or pay for any costs associated with the preparation and submission of a proposal in response to this announcement. Award of this contract is contingent on availability of funds. MCC reserves the right not to award any contract as a result of this announcement.