MCC-15-RFQ-0142_-_Economics_Officer_-_Solicitation.pdf

Date Posted June 11, 2015

Announcement Number MCC-15-RFQ-0142

Title Economics Officer

Position information Full-Time, Personal Services Contractor (PSC).

One year (2,087 hours per year), renewable for up to four one-year option periods at the sole discretion of the government

Pay Band 4A ($39.77 - $56.14 per hour)

Closing date for questions June 30, 2015 - 1:00pm EST

Solicitation deadline July 15, 2015 - 1:00pm EST

Who may be considered U.S. citizens or legal, permanent residents with minimum of 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. NOTICE

This is NOT an invitation to respond to a job offer. This is a solicitation for a proposal to obtain a US Government contract. Failure to COMPLETELY read this solicitation and any Amendments and /or attachments and follow those instructions herein may be cause for your immediate elimination from consideration.

2. 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.

3. 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 Economics Officer.

An Economics Officer must possess expertise in the field of economics and knowledge of the economic analysis of development projects, cost-benefit analysis and growth diagnostics. The PSC will work in collaboration with MCC economists and technical specialists under the direction of MCC’s Managing Director for Economic Analysis. The PSC will also work as a member of the DPE team and MCC country teams in cooperation with other MCC staff.

4. DESCRIPTION OF PERSONAL SERVICES CONTRACT

A “Personal Services Contract" is different from a 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 do 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

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

5. KEY REQUIREMENTS

• U.S. citizenship or legal, permanent resident with minimum of 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).

6. DUTIES

Major Duties and Responsibilities

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.

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

• Serve as the Economic Analysis point of contact on country teams as assigned and provide timely and accurate economic guidance and analysis to country teams and MCA units

• Conduct and/or provide analytical support for Growth Diagnostics (Constraints Analysis)

• Conduct and revise ex-ante cost-benefit analysis for proposed or re-scoped MCC investments in collaboration with MCC economists and technical specialists

• Conduct beneficiary analysis to analyze national household surveys and assess the likely poverty and distributional impacts of proposed projects

• Participate in MCC’s economic peer review process by providing technical feedback on cost-benefit analysis and beneficiary analysis

• Prepare reports, spreadsheets, data and documentation for web posting and develop other related materials, including factsheets, guides for use of spreadsheets, and other public communications tools

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

• Research economic issues related to MCC’s investments or participation in interagency initiatives

• Travel to MCC eligible countries as necessary

• Other duties as assigned

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7. DELIVERABLES

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. Example of such reports and analyses include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Core Economic Analysis reports and analyses, including constraints analysis, economic rate of return (ERR) spreadsheets, poverty scorecards and detailed beneficiary analysis

• Reports providing technical feedback on ERR spreadsheets and other Economic Analysis products

• Reports containing economic research and analysis related to MCC’s investments

• Proposed work plans for all official travel and post-trip reports upon return

• ERR spreadsheets, beneficiary analysis or impact evaluation data and documentation for web posting

• Memoranda to DPE or MCC management, detailing the status of various program support tasks

8. QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

Offeror 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:

o Minimum of a master’s degree in economics, public policy or a closely related field that has a significant quantitative analysis component.

• Qualifications Required:

o Demonstrated knowledge of development economics, statistics and econometrics

MCC-15-RFQ-0142 Economics Officer Page 4 of 12 o Understanding of the economic analysis of development projects in low income and/or lower middle income countries including cost-benefit analysis of projects and impact evaluation methods o Knowledge of Growth Diagnostics (Constraints Analysis), including knowledge of the methodology of Hausmann, Rodrik and Velasco Hausmann, Ricardo, Dani Rodrik and Andrés Velasco (2005): “Growth Diagnostics”.

Harvard University.

(http://www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/drodrik/Research%20papers/barcelonafinalmarch2005.pdf) o Experience with original data gathering and analysis o Excellent communication skills with the ability to discuss complex economic and policy issues orally and in writing o Knowledge of statistical software o Proficiency in using Microsoft Excel, to include understanding and creating complex formulas, building graphs and charts, and manipulating large amounts of data

• Qualifications Desired:

o Candidates with 3-7 years’ experience in international development and economics are strongly preferred.

o Expertise in macroeconomics o Experience working in developing countries o Experience in the application of growth diagnostics o Experience in cost-benefit analysis in a developing country context o Experience interacting with foreign governments, international donors and other stakeholders o Proficiency in Spanish, French or Portuguese (include reference to level of proficiency for reading, writing and oral communications)

NOTE: All experience must be well-documented on your resume and within your offer. All aspects of your offer must specifically show how you meet the QUALIFICATIONS

REQUIRED.

9. REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION

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

• At minimum, copy of Master’s Degree transcript

• 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.

MCC-15-RFQ-0142 Economics Officer Page 5 of 12 http://www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/drodrik/Research%20papers/barcelonafinalmarch2005.pdf

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

• 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 OFFERORS. Please ensure that offeror’s most recent contact information (telephone numbers and e-mail address) are accurate. Any other documentation will not be accepted.

10. 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 $39.77 - $56.14 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. Offerors who live outside of the Washington, DC area may be considered for this contract, but relocation expenses are not authorized 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.

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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.

11. INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

Electronic submission is required. Electronic offer packages shall be submitted by e-mail to staniewskirj@mcc.gov. Offeror shall reference “RESPONSE TO MCC-15-RFQ-0142 – ECONOMICS OFFICER” on the subject line of the e-mail. Hard copy offers will not be accepted.

MCC does not accept responsibility for delays in transmission or receipt of any offer. Offerors are responsible for submitting the proposal package so as to reach the designated Government office by the closing date and time specified above. Offers 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 a proposal 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 offer. Any submission is at the sole risk of the offeror.

The “QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED” are the basis for evaluating all proposals. Offeror must separately address each listed qualification requirement and demonstrate how the offeror meets each. Unless stated otherwise, all qualification elements will be weighted equally.

(a) Qualified individuals must submit a completed and signed Bio data form. Please ensure that you provide a current, valid e-mail address and telephone number for notification purposes.

The Bio data form must be fully completed including a proposed hourly rate & signed for the offer to be considered. An electronic signature or physical signature only. “Typed” signatures are not acceptable and will cause your offer not to be considered.

(b) Qualified individuals must submit a resume (or a curriculum vita) which clearly demonstrates their education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities as they relate to the qualification elements. Resume must indicate the earliest possible start date for the offeror; 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.

(d) Electronic submissions only will be accepted. Shall be formatted to fit an 8 ½” x 11” sheet of paper with margins set at 1” and 1”. 12 point Times New Roman font.

(e) 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.

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(f) 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. Offeror’s relationship to reference

c. Title of reference at current job

d. Reference’s current telephone number (work or personal)

e. Reference’s e-mail address (work)

At least two references must be from direct supervisors (current or prior) who can provide information regarding the offeror’s knowledge & experience in the field of Economics Officer. All references must be from within the last 7 years of the offeror’s professional life.

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

(h) Offers submitted must be complete and received prior to the closing date and time specified above to be considered for this position.

12. QUESTIONS

Any questions regarding this announcement should be submitted in writing, via email only (no phone calls), to staniewskirj@mcc.gov before the deadline as given on page 1 of this solicitation.

13. SELECTION PROCESS

In order to be considered for the position, an offeror must meet the qualifications listed above.

Consideration and selection will be based on a technical panel evaluation of offeror’s vis-à-vis the QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED. In addition to the materials listed above, offerors 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.

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

Offerors 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

MCC-15-RFQ-0142 Economics Officer Page 8 of 12 mailto:staniewskirj@mcc.gov contract is contingent upon availability of funds. MCC reserves the right not to award any contract as a result of this announcement.

14. CONTRACT AWARD

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 – www.sam.gov), to include a Cage Code, before any such award shall be made.

15. 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).

16. CONTRACT TYPE & PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

The Contract type for this action is a “Time & Material” type contract.

The successful offeror will be offered a full-time (up to 2,087 hours per contract period) personal service contract for a one-year base period, plus four one-year periods, based upon performance, agency requirements and available funding. All options are exercised at the sole discretion of MCC. 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.

17. 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) only. 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 Contract Employee 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.

18. ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment I: Bio Data Form

(End of Solicitation)

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ATTACHMENT I – BIODATA FORM

MCC PROPOSED CONTRACTOR BIOGRAPHICAL DATA SHEET

1. Name (Last, First, Middle)

2. MCC Program Area & Solicitation Number

DPE/M&E - MCC-15-RFQ-0142 – Economics Officer

3. Contractor’s Address (include ZIP code)

4. Contractor Proposed Hourly Rate

5. Telephone Number (include area code)

6. Place of Birth

7. Citizenship (If non-U.S. citizen, give visa status)

8. EDUCATION (include all college or university degrees) 9. LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY (see Instruction on Page 2)

NAME AND LOCATION OF INSTITUTION MAJOR DEGREE DATE LANGUAGE Proficiency Speaking

Proficiency Reading

10. EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

1. For last three (3) years list salaries separate for each year. Continue on separate sheet of paper, if required, to list all employment related to duties of proposed assignment.

2. Salary definition – basic periodic payment for services rendered. Exclude bonuses, profit-sharing arrangements, commissions or consultant fees, extra or overtime work payments, overseas differential or quarters and cost of living or dependent education allowances.

POSITION TITLE

EMPLOYER’S

NAME AND ADDRESS

POINT OF CONTACT

&TELEPHONE #

Dates of Employment (M/D/Y) Annual Salary

From To Dollars

11. SPECIFIC CONSULTANT SERVICES (give last three (3) years)

SERVICES PERFORMED

EMPLOYER’S

NAME AND ADDRESS

POINT OF CONTACT

&TELEPHONE #

Dates of Employment (M/D/Y) Days at

Rate Daily Rate In Dollars From To

12. CERTIFICATION: To the best of my knowledge, the above facts as stated are true and correct.

Signature of Contractor Candidate Date

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INSTRUCTIONS

Indicate your language proficiency in block 9 using the following numeric Interagency Language Roundtable levels (Foreign Service Institute Levels). Also, the following provides brief descriptions of proficiency levels 2, 3, 4, and 5. “S” indicates speaking ability and “R” indicates reading ability.

LEVEL 2 – Limited Working Proficiency

S Able to satisfy routine special demands and limited work requirements.

R Sufficient comprehension to read simple, authentic written material in a form equivalent to usual printing or typescript on familiar subjects within familiar contexts.

LEVEL 3 – General Professional Proficiency

S Able to speak the language with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate effectively in most formal and informal conversations on practical, social, and professional topics.

R Able to read within a normal range of speed and with almost complete comprehension of a variety of authentic prose material on unfamiliar subjects.

LEVEL 4 – Advanced Professional Proficiency

S Able to read within a normal range of speed and with almost complete comprehension of a variety of authentic prose material on unfamiliar subjects.

R Able to read fluently and accurately all styles and forms of the language pertinent to professional needs

LEVEL 5 – Functional Native Proficiency

S Speaking proficiency is functionally equivalent to that of a highly articulate well-educated native speaker and reflects the cultural standards of a country where the language is natively spoken.

R Reading proficiency is functionally equivalent to that of the well-educated native reader.

The information requested by this form provides MCC an indication of qualifications and helps determine reasonableness of proposed salary. Completion of this form is estimated to average thirty minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

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