MCC-15-RFQ-0027_-_PSC_12_23_14_0823hrs.pdf

Date Posted December 23, 2014

Announcement Number MCC-15-RFQ-0027

Title Economic Data Analyst

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 4C ($27.79 - $44.04 per hour)

Closing date for questions January 16, 2015 no later than 1:00pm EST

Application deadline January 30, 2015 no later than 1:00pm EST

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

Duty location Washington, D.C., MCC-eligible Countries, Contractor’s

Office or Home of Record

Note: More than one position may be filled under this announcement

1. INTRODUCTION

Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a United States government-owned corporation responsible for the stewardship of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA). MCC works with developing countries to promote sustainable economic growth to reduce poverty. One of MCC's guiding principles is a focus on measurable results. After a country is selected to begin developing a compact, MCC and its country partners undertake an analysis to identify the binding constraints to economic growth in the local economy. Prior to signing a compact, MCC conducts cost-benefit analysis to assess the proposed projects’ likely economic impact and cost-effectiveness. MCC also analyzes the likely poverty and distributional impacts of proposed projects as part of a beneficiary analysis. During and after compact implementation, MCC seeks to measure results by monitoring program implementation and conducting rigorous evaluations that seek to learn and quantify the projects' actual impact on household welfare. MCC strives for transparency in all of its programs and posts many of these analyses on the agency's public website.

2. SCOPE OF POSITION

The Economic Analysis (EA) Division of MCC’s Department of Policy & Evaluation (DPE) is seeking a full-time Personal Services Contractor (PSC) to serve as an Economic Data Analyst at MCC Headquarters in Washington, DC. An Economic Data Analyst should possess a solid background in economics and quantitative analysis with experience in desktop publishing or web content management. The PSC will work in collaboration with EA staff under the direction of MCC’s Managing Director for Economic Analysis. The PSC also will work as a member of the DPE team and in cooperation with other MCC staff.

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.

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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) before any such award shall be made.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

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

• Must be able to obtain and maintain a federal security 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; and

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

DUTIES

Major Duties and Responsibilities

The PSC will be expected to complete a number of economic analysis tasks related to conducting and reviewing constraints analysis, cost-benefit analysis and beneficiary analysis. Tasks include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Prepare economic analysis content to be ready for online access, including cost-benefit analysis

(CBA), beneficiary analysis (BA), constraints analysis (CA) and other analytical documents produced by MCC

• Develop other related materials, including fact sheets, guides for use of spreadsheets, and other public communication tools

• Review and edit spreadsheets, convert spreadsheets to standardized format, and conduct sensitivity analysis as needed

• Manage quarterly plan for publishing of CBAs, BAs, CAs and other files online, and track the status of all products

• Coordinate approvals for and clearance of files within the EA Division and DPE as well as across other MCC departments

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• Represent the EA Division at web-related working groups

• Monitor economic analysis-related web content to ensure it is consistent and user-friendly and draft or design new content as needed

• Coordinate with MCC's open data team on future raw data publishing initiatives

• Liaise and communicate with MCC’s Department of Congressional and Public Affairs and members of the public as necessary

• Provide analytical or research support to MCC Economists for CBAs, BAs, and/or CAs

• Conduct research and analysis in support of other activities within the EA Division and DPE

• Other duties as assigned

DELIVERABLES

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

The Contractor 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.

In addition to monthly progress reports, the Contractor 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.

The Contractor also will produce other reports and analyses as requested by MCC.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The Contractor will perform work under this contract in Washington, D.C., in MCC-eligible countries, or at the Contractor’s office or home of record, as required to complete tasks upon approval of the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).

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CONTRACT TYPE & PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The successful candidate may be offered a full-time personal service type contract for a one-year base period, plus options for four one-year periods, based upon performance, agency requirements, and available funding. All options are exercised at the sole discretion of MCC. The contract will be full-time (up to 2087 hours per contract period). Full-time PSCs are eligible for 10 paid holidays per year, and may earn annual and sick leave. However, PSCs are not eligible for government health insurance, life insurance, or retirement contributions.

CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR)

The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or Project Monitor (PM) shall have technical responsibility for this contract. Any change in the terms of the contract must be made in writing and approved by the Contracting Officer (CO). No representation of the COR shall serve as a basis for an alteration in the general scope of this contract or of the terms and conditions of the contract unless confirmed in writing by the CO. The Consultant must communicate with the CO on all matters that pertain to the contract terms. Proceeding with work without proper contractual coverage could result in nonpayment for such work.

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements, including education and any selective placement factors described below by the closing date of this announcement.

Candidates with experience in international development and economics are strongly preferred.

MCC is a fast-paced work environment; candidates should be able to work both independently and as part of a team and handle multiple tasks successfully, often under tight deadlines.

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. Desired qualifications will be considered only once all education and qualifying specialized experience requirements are met. Please clearly demonstrate that you possess the following:

Education/Certification:

The following certifications, education and experience is desirable. Please submit relevant information, including copies of relevant certification and education/training information with your application materials.

Education:

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in economics, public policy or a closely related field that has a significant quantitative analysis component, master’s degree strongly preferred

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Qualifying Specialized Experience:

• Demonstrated knowledge, through academic or professional experience, of development economics and statistics

• Understanding of the economic analysis of development projects including cost-benefit analysis of projects

• Excellent organizational and data management skills

• Proficiency in using Microsoft Excel, to include understanding and creating complex formulas, building graphs and charts, writing macros, and manipulating large amounts of data

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to discuss complex economic and policy issues orally and in writing

• Ability to work effectively under tight deadlines with, at times, minimal oversight

Desired qualifications:

• Experience with document layout, desktop publishing or web content management

• Experience with Crystal Ball or Excel VBA

• Experience with Stata

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 $27.79 - $44.04 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

MCC-15-RFQ-0027 Economic Data Analyst Page 6 of 10 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.

Subject to the availability of funds, in lieu of fringe benefits, MCC may pay up-to-15% of the full time PSC’s base salary (based upon the hourly rate and estimated number of hours).

The full time PSC does earn sick leave, annual leave, and 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. The full time PSC whose duty station is overseas is not eligible for this subsidy.

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 Qualifying Specialized Experience requirements, and any desired qualifications.

• List of publications and/or a writing sample not to exceed ten (10) pages on a subject related to economic analysis and development economics

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• 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. 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, before the deadline as given on p.1.

Submission of applications to this announcement must be received via e-mail to MCCPSC@mcc.gov 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 submit a resume (or a curriculum vita) which clearly demonstrates their education, experience, knowledge, and skills and abilities as they relate to the

MCC-15-RFQ-0027 Economic Data Analyst Page 8 of 10 mailto:MCCPSC@mcc.gov 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.

(c) Describe your experience and knowledge of each of the Qualifying specialized experience requirements and Desired qualifications, if applicable, 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.

(d) 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. Applicant’s 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 Economic Data Analyst All references must be from within the last 7 years of the applicant’s professional life.

(e) List of publications and/or a writing sample not to exceed ten (10) pages on a subject related to economic analysis and development economics

(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 of applicant’s vis-à-vis 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 five-page written narrative.

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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. Only qualified applicants will receive one of two scores for the desired criteria: Present, Not Present. 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 a contract is contingent on availability of funds. MCC reserves the right not to award any contract as a result of this announcement.

(End of Solicitation)

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