Sol_72061521R00011 - signed.pdf

Postal Address:

U.S. Agency for International Development

USAID Kenya

P.O. Box 629

Village Market 00621

Nairobi, Kenya

Courier Address:

USAID/Kenya c/o American Embassy

United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya

Pouch Address:

American Embassy

8900 Nairobi Place

Department Of State

Washington D.C. 20521-8900

Tel: 254-20-862 2000

Fax: 254-20-862 2680 / 2682 http://kenya.usaid.gov/

SOLICITATION NUMBER: 72061521R00011

ISSUANCE DATE: February 12, 2021

CLOSING DATE/TIME: February 26, 2021 04:30 p.m. GMT+3

SUBJECT: Solicitation for U.S. and Third Country National (TCN) Personal Service

Contractor (U.S./TCN PSC) Project Development Officer, GS-14

Dear Prospective Offerors:

The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development

(USAID), is seeking applications from qualified persons to provide personal services under contract as described in the attached solicitation.

Submissions must be in accordance with the solicitation instructions. Applicants should retain copies of all offer materials, for their records.

Applications must be submitted electronically via email to nairobipscjobs@usaid.gov by the closing date and time indicated above. Late, incomplete, or unsigned applications will not be considered. Scanned copies are accepted by email. Applicants must prominently reference the solicitation number in the application submission.

This solicitation in no way obligates USAID to award a PSC contract, nor does it commit

USAID to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of the application. Any questions must be directed in writing to the email addresses specified above.

Sincerely, -s-

Matthew Corbin

Supervisory Executive Officer http://kenya.usaid.gov/ mailto:nairobipscjobs@usaid.gov

Solicitation: 72061521R00011

Attachment 1:

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. SOLICITATION NO.: 72061521R00011

2. ISSUANCE DATE: February 12, 2021

3. CLOSING DATE/TIME: February 26, 2021 at 04:30 p.m. (Nairobi Time)

4. POINT OF CONTACT: Executive Office/Human Resources, Patrick Bii, HR Assistant, email at pbii@usaid.gov

5. POSITION TITLE: U.S./Third Country National Personal Service Contractor (U.S./TCN

PSC) Project Development Officer

6. MARKET VALUE: $93,907 to $122,077 equivalent to GS-14. Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.

7. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: One (1) year with one one-year option subject to funding and contractor performance of satisfactory or better.

8. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Nairobi, Kenya with possible travel as stated in the

Statement of Duties.

9. ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: U.S Citizens and Third Country (non-US, non-Kenyan)

Nationals. Citizenship, if dual, must be clearly stated.

10. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: HSPD-12 (Facility/USAID Computer Access Only)

11. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The primary location of work will be on the U.S.

Embassy/USAID compound in Nairobi, Kenya. No special demands are required to perform the work.

12. STATEMENT OF DUTIES/POSITION DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND:

The Strategic Planning and Analysis (SPA) Office is responsible for broad program support, coordination, and project management functions for the combined USAID platform in Nairobi which manages two operating units (OUs)-- the bilateral Kenya and the East Africa Regional

OUs. SPA provides leadership and serves as principal advisor to the Mission Director on: (a) social, economic, and cross-cutting developmental issues; (b) strategic planning and programming; (c) project and activity development; (d) monitoring and evaluation and learning of the platform’s portfolio; (e) management of current year budget obligation and out-year mailto:pbii@usaid.gov mission-wide budget planning; and (f) program implementation of activities that fall within the platform’s ongoing Development Objectives under the $2 billion Kenya Country Development

Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) and $300 million East Africa Regional Cooperation Development

Strategy (RDCS). In addition, this office keeps a pulse on major development trends in Kenya and the East Africa region to inform new programming needs. SPA Manages the Mission’s bi-lateral agreement with the Government of Kenya, known as the Development Cooperation

Framework Agreement (DCFA), currently valued at an estimated $2 billion over five years is signed with Kenya’s National Treasury.

To advance goals identified in the CDCS and RDCS, USAID/KEA is undertaking an extensive project design process requiring intra-Mission and host-country engagement, analyses, consultations and co-creation, compliance with Agency requirements such as gender equality, environmental impact, and climate risk, while ensuring Agency journey to self-reliance principles are emphasized and articulated in designs, the USG, represented by USAID, is seeking applications for a United States or Third Country Nationals interested in the Development

Program Officer position established in the Strategic Planning and Analysis (SPA) Office.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Project Development Officer will act as a champion of the bilateral Country Development

Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) and Regional Development Cooperation Strategy (RDCS), providing seasoned expertise to strategic project development, implementation, and stock-taking processes, and may support a number of countries in the region when needed. The incumbent is expected to travel approximately 25 percent of the time, primarily in-country.

Specific Duties: S/he will have the following specific duties:

● Serve as technical expert for all issues pertaining to project designs and implementation for USAID/KEA programs for USAID/KEA/SPA and Mission Management, USAID/Washington, other parts of the USG, and non-governmental organization (NGO) partners, host nation government officials, and others in the country.

● Influence the policy environment in Kenya and the region while implementing the objectives of the CDCS and RDCS strategies through effective integrated project designs.

● Engage senior government actors, civil society, and the private sector in locally owned, locally developed, and locally managed solutions to development challenges.

● Advise and assist in the conceptualization, research, development, in the preparation of concept papers and designs for new programs, projects, and activities while employing advanced writing skills to write and edit these documents.

● Lead the design, review, approval, authorization, and obligation process for assigned technical and strategic portfolios, including chairing Mission activity designs and review committee meetings, recommending approaches consistent with current Agency policies and priorities.

● As a project and activity design expert, prepare activity and project design documents

(PDDs) for Mission review and approval, including the provision of information on host country, regional intergovernmental, and USAID development objectives, capabilities, and priorities as they affect the program, and ensures that project design takes into consideration such priorities for maximum host country support and cooperation.

● Ensure that sufficient technical and financial analysis is done and feasibility of approved activities demonstrated including ensuring that management controls and monitoring systems are built into each program/project and ensuring that all project documents are aligned to the Kenya CDCS and/or East Africa RDCS.

● Prepare procurement documentation to acquire the services of resources needed to execute program/project design work.

● Ensures that cross-cutting initiatives like Science, Technology, Innovations, and

Partnerships (STIP), Digital Development, gender, and best practice design principles like Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) and local solutions/sustainability are foremost considerations in project and activity designs. Furthermore, all project and activity designs will include elements and interventions addressing COVID-19 Secondary

Effects where appropriate and applicable.

● Monitor and report on implementation of ongoing USAID/KEA-funded programs, including progress and problems encountered by grantees, as well as commodity management, including following up with cooperating sponsors on the status of loss claims.

● Coordinate with the USG Country Team, host government-particularly Kenya County counterparts, other partners, donors, and others to address issues impacting USAID/KEA-funded food assistance programs.

● Ensure that programs/projects/activities are executed in accordance with existing agreements between USAID and the GOK for bilateral programming and RIGOs for East

Africa regional programming.

● Develop and ensure the implementation of a collaborative framework of engagement for joint program development, monitoring, evaluating, and learning to support direct bilateral Government-to-Government relationships under a new Development Objectives

Grant Agreement with the GOK.

● Advance Mission’s organizational development goals and efforts to develop state of the art integrated programming to maximize USG resources and achieve the greatest benefit to Kenyans and stakeholders in the region.

POSITION ELEMENTS

a. Degree of Responsibility for Decision Making: The incumbent shall exercise discretion and independent judgment in managing the portfolio. S/he must be able to work independently in an efficient and timely manner, including preparation of reports, identifying issues and suggesting areas of improvement in various aspects of

USAID/KEA assistance program implementation and management, and collaborating with USAID colleagues, and other donors and host-country partners.

The incumbent shall exercise discretion and independent judgment in managing the portfolio. S/he must be able to work independently in an efficient and timely manner, including preparation of reports, identifying issues and suggesting areas of improvement in various aspects of USAID/KEA assistance program implementation and management, and collaborating with USAID colleagues, and other donors and host-country partners.

The incumbent is expected to take initiative and act independently with little direction.

b. Level of Knowledge: The nature of the position requires that the individual be highly knowledgeable of USAID’s development assistance programs, policies, and budget processes. The work of the incumbent requires developed skills in capacity building and mentoring as well as a high level of independent initiative, excellent communication, strong customer service orientation, and attention to detail. An in-depth knowledge and understanding of comparative political, social, economic and cultural structures is required. A firm grasp on all USAID business practices and procedures is also required

– as is strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work as part of an interagency team.

Expertise in programming related health, democracy and governance, economic growth, education, youth, and environment and building community resilience is required.

Knowledge of USAIDs Journey to self-reliance to advance integrated programming goals is preferred.

c. Supervisory Controls: The Project Development Officer will be supervised on a day-to-day basis by the USAID/KEA/SPA Office Chief, or his/her designee, and is expected to be in regular contact with AFR and PPL/Washington and stay abreast of political and programmatic changes that may impact to ongoing programs.

d. Guidelines for Work: USAID Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS)

2020-2025, USAID Regional Development Cooperation Strategy (RDCS) 2021-2026, Automated Directive Systems 201 and 220, USAID Digital Development Policy 2019, U.S. Africa Strategy 2018, Operationalizing the Journey to Self-Reliance 2018.

e. Complexity of Work Environment: The work is generally sedentary and does not pose undue physical demands. Approximately seventy percent of the work will be done in office settings. During the other thirty percent of the time, and during site visits, there will be walking required to visit health sites, communities and supply chain points, and may include long periods of standing or carrying of moderately heavy items (less than 50 pounds).

f. Scope and Effect of Work Performed: The individual serves in a role that is directly related to Mission decision- and policymaking. S/he is a senior specialist in a broad array of functional areas within the entire program cycle. The individual will provide expert advice and support in the management and implementation of the DCFA, CDCS and

RDCS, which are the Mission’s broadest and highest development strategy and policies.

S/he will also work closely with senior-level FSNs, USDHs, and USPSCs, including the

Mission’s Senior Leadership, requiring high-level expertise and experience.

g. Level and Purpose of Contacts: The incumbent maintains high-level contacts and conducts technical discussions with heads of agencies, NGO partners, donors, government officials, and other stakeholders.

h. Supervision over others: None

i. Travel requirements: The incumbent is expected to travel approximately 25 percent of the time, primarily in-country.

j. Support Items: The employee will be provided with the support services, equipment, and supplies necessary to perform the work. This will include a workstation that includes a desk, computer, file cabinets, network access, with the possibility for mobile computing devices based on need and Mission management approval.

k. Sunday Pay: Is not authorized.

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

Education (10 points):

Master’s degree (or equivalent) in international development, business administration, public administration, international studies, development studies, or psychology or behavioral sciences is required.

Prior Work Experience (25 points):

A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible, professional-level experience working with international development in planning, designing, managing and implementing project design and implementation for donor organizations, non-governmental organizations or private sector institutions.

Job Knowledge (40 Points):

An in-depth knowledge and understanding of comparative political, social, economic and cultural structures is required. A firm grasp on all USAID business practices and procedures is also required – as is strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work as part of an interagency team.

Expertise in programming related health, democracy and governance, economic growth, education, youth, and environment and building community resilience is required. Knowledge of USAIDs Journey to self-reliance to advance integrated programming goals is preferred.

Skills & Abilities (25 points):

1. The nature of the position requires that the individual be highly knowledgeable of USAID’s development assistance programs, policies, and budget processes. The work of the incumbent requires developed skills in capacity building and mentoring as well as a high level of independent initiative, excellent communication, strong customer service orientation, and attention to detail.

2. The incumbent is a technical specialist for SPA’s project and activity design and management efforts, in compliance with USAID/Kenya and East Africa’s Mission’s policies and standards. The incumbent supports SPA's efforts to address design requirements for the Mission across the entire portfolio, ensuring compliance with USAID regulations and exercising quality control so that projects are designed in harmony with the Mission’s strategies and intended results.

3. The incumbent must be able to work in a highly demanding environment and capable of handling tasks with varying deadlines. The incumbent must be able to analyze and communicate complex and difficult policy and programmatic issues in an understandable manner and must be able to maintain and adhere to the highest standards of professional conduct.

4. The incumbent must have excellent English writing and editing skills, as well as an excellent ability to process information from a wide variety of sources into cohesive documents including briefing papers, project design documents, minutes of meetings, and reports.

5. The incumbent must demonstrate excellent skills in leading teams, working within teams, and working within multinational/multicultural environments.

6. The incumbent must demonstrate excellent oral presentation skills. Due to the critical nature of the position, the incumbent should demonstrate a high level of tact and diplomacy with dealing with various officials inside and outside USAID.

7. The incumbent must demonstrate excellent knowledge in understanding the economic, social, cultural, and political characteristics of development dynamics. S/he should also be familiar with core development principles.

8. The incumbent must demonstrate excellent computer skills and data visualization using specialized software, including Windows and Microsoft Office Suite, and must demonstrate the ability to navigate the Internet with ease.

TOTAL POINTS: (100)

III. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

The Government may award a contract without discussions with offerors in accordance with FAR

52.215-1. The CO reserves the right at any point in the evaluation process to establish a competitive range of offerors with whom negotiations will be conducted pursuant to FAR 15.306(c). In accordance with FAR 52.215-1, if the CO determines that the number of offers that would otherwise be in the competitive range exceeds the number at which an efficient competition can be conducted, the CO may limit the number of offerors in the competitive range to the greatest number that will permit an efficient competition among the most highly rated offers. FAR provisions of this solicitation are available at https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far.

The factors listed below will be the basis for evaluating and ranking applicants who meet

Required Qualifications and Selection Criteria for the position. All applicants are scored based on the documentation submitted with the application. Applicants are encouraged to write a brief appendix to demonstrate how prior experience and/or training address the following Evaluation

Factors:

https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far

• Education (10 points)

• Prior Work Experience (25 points)

• Job Knowledge (40 Points)

• Skills & Abilities (25 points)

IV. APPLYING/SUBMITTING AN OFFER

1. Interested applicants are required to submit the following:

1) Offer form AID 309-2, “Offeror Information for Personal Services Contracts with individuals,” available at https://www.usaid.gov/forms/aid-309-2

2) An up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) or resume (no more than five pages), cover letter explaining your qualifications for the position, copies of all relevant certificates and include three (3) references, who are not family members or relatives, with working telephone and e-mail contacts. The references will be asked to provide a general assessment of the applicant's suitability for the position. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure submitted references are available to provide a written or verbal reference in a timely manner.

2. Applications must be submitted electronically via email to nairobipscjobs@usaid.gov by the closing date and time indicated above.

3. To ensure consideration of offers for the intended position, Offerors must prominently reference the Solicitation number in the offer submission/cover letter.

V. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS PRIOR TO AWARD

The CO will provide instructions about how to complete and submit the following forms after an offeror is selected for the contract award.

• Medical Form (DS Form 6561)

• EQIP Questionnaire for Sensitive Positions (for National Security (SF-86) or

EQIP Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85)

• EQIP Signature Forms (3-CER, REL, MEL)

• Fingerprint Card (FD-258) (available from requirements office)

• AID 6-85 (Foreign Residence Data)

VI. BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES

As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a USPSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances:

1. BENEFITS:

(a) Employer’s FICA Contribution

(b) Contribution toward Health and Life Insurance https://www.usaid.gov/forms/aid-309-2 mailto:nairobipscjobs@usaid.gov

(c) Pay Comparability Adjustment

(d) Annual Increase (pending a satisfactory performance evaluation)

(e) Eligibility for Worker’s Compensation

(f) Annual and Sick Leave

2. ALLOWANCES:

Section numbers refer to rules from the Department of State Standardized Regulations

(Government Civilians Foreign Areas)

(a) Temporary Quarter Subsistence Allowance (Section 120)

(b) Living Quarters Allowance (Section 130)

(c) Cost-of-Living Allowance (Chapter 210)

(d) Post Allowance (Section 220)

(e) Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section 260)

(f) Education Allowance (Section 270)

(g) Education Travel (Section 280)

(h) Post Differential (Chapter 500)

(i) Payments during Evacuation/Authorized Departure (Section 600), and (j) Danger Pay

Allowance (Section 650)

VII. TAXES

USPSCs are required to pay Federal income taxes, FICA, Medicare and applicable State Income taxes.

VIII. USAID REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND CONTRACT CLAUSES PERTAINING

TO PSCs

USAID regulations and policies governing USPSC awards are available at these sources:

1. AIDAR: The Agency for International Development Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR)

Appendix D – “Direct USAID Contracts with U.S. Citizens or U.S. Resident Alien for

Personal Services Abroad,” including contract clauses “General Provisions,” found at:

http://www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/aidar.pdf

2. Contract Cover page form AID 309-1 available at https://www.usaid.gov/forms

LINE ITEMS

ITEM NO (A) SUPPLIES/SERVICES (DESCRIPTION) (B) QUANTITY (C) UNIT (D)

UNIT PRICE (E) AMOUNT (F)

0001 Base Period - Compensation, Fringe Benefits and Other Direct Costs (ODCs)

- Award Type: Labor Hour

- Product Service Code: R408

- Accounting Info: Kenya 2017-2021GH-H funding per requisition.

1001 Option Period 1 – Compensation, Fringe Benefits and Other Direct Costs (ODCs) http://aoprals.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=231&menu_id=92 http://aoprals.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=231&menu_id=92 http://aoprals.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=231&menu_id=92 http://aoprals.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=231&menu_id=92 http://www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/aidar.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/forms

- Award Type: labor Hour

- Product Service Code: R499

- Accounting Info: To be provided

3. Acquisition and Assistance Policy Directives/Contract Information Bulletins

(AAPDs/CIBs): AAPDs/CIBs for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals available at https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs

4. Ethical Conduct. By the acceptance of a USAID personal services contract as an individual, the contractor will be acknowledging receipt of the “Standards of Ethical Conduct for

Employees of the Executive Branch,” available from the U.S. Office of Government

Ethics, in accordance with General Provision 2 and 5 CFR 2635. See https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/OGE%20Regulations

[END OF SOLICITATION]

https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/OGE%20Regulations