SOL-72063621R00002 Program Advisor.pdf

SOLICITATION NUMBER: 72063621R00002

ISSUANCE DATE: March 08, 2021

CLOSING DATE AND TIME: April 05, 2021 midnight

Local Time (GMT – SIERRA LEONE)

SUBJECT: SOLICITATION NUMBER 72063621R00002 FOR U.S. Personal Service

Contractor and Third Country Nationals (US/TCN PSC)– PROGRAM ADVISOR FOR SIERRA

LEONE

Dear Prospective Offerors:

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

Development, USAID/Guinea & Sierra Leone, is seeking offers from qualified persons to provide personal services under contract as described in this solicitation.

Offers must be in accordance with the Attachment 1 of this solicitation. Incomplete or unsigned offers will not be considered. Offerors should retain copies of all offer materials for their records.

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 offer.

Any questions must be directed in writing to the Point of Contact specified in

Attachment 1.

Sincerely, /signed/

Ifeoma Ezeh

Contracting Officer

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. SOLICITATION NUMBER: 72063621R00002

2. ISSUANCE DATE: March 08, 2021

3. CLOSING DATE & TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: April 05, 2021 at midnight local

Time (GMT – Sierra Leone)

4. POINT OF CONTACT: HR TEAM at conakrypscjobs@usaid.gov

5. POSITION TITLE: PROGRAM ADVISOR

6. MARKET VALUE: GS-14 ($93,907.00 to $122,077.00) is the equivalent market value for this position. Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value. Salaries over and above the top of the pay range will not be entertained or negotiated.

7. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: The USPSC contract will be for an initial one (1) year period, with four (4), one-year option years. Option years may be exercised based upon satisfactory contractor performance, mutual agreement between the

Contractor and USG, continued Mission requirements, and the continued availability of funds.

The base period is estimated to start on or about 10/10/2021 and end on or about 10/09/2022. Based on Agency need, the Contracting Officer may exercise additional option periods for the dates estimated as follows:

Base Period: 10/10/2021 – 10/09/2022

Option Period 1: 10/10/2022 – 10/09/2023

Option Period 2: 10/10/2023 – 10/09/2024

Option Period 3: 10/10/2024 – 10/09/2025

Option Period 4: 10/10/2025 – 10/09/2026

8. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Freetown, Sierra Leone with travel to Conakry, Guinea.

9. ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: U.S. citizens, Resident Aliens and Third Country Nationals

DEFINITION OF A U.S. CITIZEN PER THE AIDAR:

“U.S. national (USN)” means an individual who is a U.S. citizen, or a non-U.S.

citizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States.

DEFINITION OF A THIRD COUNTRY NATIONAL PER THE AIDAR:

“Third Country National” (“TCN”) means an individual who is neither a cooperating country national nor a U.S. national, but is a citizen or lawful permanent resident

(or equivalent immigration status) of any country other than the countries which are prohibited sources. (See 22 CFR 228.15).

10. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: FACILITY ACCESS

mailto:conakrypscjobs@usaid.gov

11. STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

Overview

Sierra Leone, a country of approximately 7.8 million, has been characterized by almost 20 years of peace and stability, including a high level of inter-religious harmony, following a devastating civil war in the 1990s; the Ebola virus disease

(EVD) outbreak from 2014-16; and the concomitant economic shock caused by the collapse of the price of iron ore, the country’s main export commodity. Sierra

Leone has successfully conducted 4 credible elections, including general elections in March 2018 that led to a peaceful transition of presidential power.

According to the 2018 Human Development Report, Sierra Leone has the lowest life expectancy globally at 52.2 years, and places 184 among 189 countries on the

Human Development Index. While poverty has declined over the past 20 years, a

2018 Integrated Household Survey denotes a new increase in the poverty rate, with over 50% of the population living below the income poverty line of USD 1.25 per day.

Sierra Leone constitutes 4 provinces, 14 districts, and 149 chiefdoms. The country is endowed with renewable natural resources in land, forests and fisheries, as well as significant mineral deposits, yet the total public debt increased in 2018 to 66.3% of GDP, putting the country at risk of debt distress.

Annual growth of GDP went from 20% in 2012 to 6% in 2016. Subsistence agriculture, which employs over 60% of the population, remains the backbone of the Sierra Leonean economy and accounts for almost half of its GDP. Rice is the staple cereal for the majority of Sierra Leoneans, yet only 4% of farmers produce enough rice to meet their needs, forcing the country to import large quantities of rice every year. The proportion of the food insecure population hovers around

44%, with food insecurity in rural areas at 60%, compared to urban areas at 25%.

Sierra Leone ranks 114 out of 119 countries in the 2018 Global Hunger Index, and just over one third of children under five years of age are stunted from under-nutrition. The main drivers of food insecurity are: EVD-related shocks; low agricultural productivity; poverty and lack of resilience; poor infrastructure;

lack of access to safe water, gender inequality; lack of education opportunities;

and lack of income generation diversification among farming households. The enrollment rate for primary education (years 1-6) stands at 72%, yet half of those leaving primary school is unable to read or write. About half of the adult population is illiterate. Sierra Leonean women continue to suffer disproportionate inequality in terms of income, education, and access to land and justice. Sierra Leone ranks 151 out of 159 countries assessed on the Gender

Inequality Index.

While Sierra Leone’s maternal mortality rate has decreased in recent years, it is still one of the highest globally, and the health system struggles to tackle known best practices for saving mothers’ lives. Malaria is the number one cause of morbidity in the country, especially among children under five.

Sierra Leone continues to emerge from the devastation of the Ebola era while managing ongoing infectious disease surveillance and discoveries of similar viral hemorrhagic fever diseases. Against this backdrop, the country is now contending with the onset of the COVID-19 crisis.

USAID’s Office of Sierra Leone Coordination (OSLC), located in Freetown, is part of the USAID Guinea & Sierra Leone Mission. The Freetown team (the USAID OSLC) comprises a team of 14 who work closely with technical and support offices in

Guinea, Senegal, Ghana and Washington, DC. The OSLC manages a portfolio that spans multiple Health accounts -- the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), ongoing Ebola account activities, Maternal & Child Health, Family Planning, and Neglected Tropical Diseases -- in addition to Democracy & Governance, Energy, Environment and Agriculture projects.

USAID also works to counter Gender-Based Violence and Child Blindness in Sierra

Leone with Education, Health and Governance funding.

USAID’s Guinea-Sierra Leone Mission requires the contracted services of a development assistance expert with strong interpersonal and organizational skills to provide programmatic and administrative support to the USAID/Sierra Leone team in its implementation of US foreign assistance.

Reporting to the U.S. Direct Hire (USDH) Country Program Coordinator based in

Freetown, Sierra Leone, the Program Advisor supports all program office functions, including procurement, program activity design, program management, implementation, budgeting, strategy development, donor coordination, monitoring and reporting for the Sierra Leone portfolio.

The Program Advisor supervises two CCN staff positions that provide cross-cutting administrative and programmatic support to the USAID/Freetown team.

The job will require periodic travel to Conakry, Guinea to liaise and coordinate with technical and support offices located there. The Program Advisor works closely with USAID/Guinea’s Program Office, to ensure that activities planned and implemented remain consistent with USAID’s policies and strategy for Sierra

Leone.

The Program Advisor will work with the USAID Country Program Coordinator to facilitate continuous communication and coordination across the technical, program, contracting, legal and financial offices in Freetown, Conakry, and

Dakar, as well as liaise with USAID/Washington.

1. Duties and responsibilities

a. The Program Advisor will work with the Program Office in Conakry and the CCN Program Development Specialist in Freetown to establish systems for monitoring of all awards being implemented, ensuring that results are in line with USAID guidance and regulations. This will involve updating a

Performance Monitoring Plan for USAID/Sierra Leone and ensuring regular field visits and data quality assessments for indicators that are being used to measure performance.

b. Specific functions may include, but are not limited to:

Management of Program Cycle: (70%)

Budget Development & Oversight 15%

● Lead OSLC’s budget planning, analysis, and reporting through USAID’s planning and reporting tools, ensuring budget oversight in consultation with the USAID Country Representative and team in Sierra

Leone.

● Support technical teams and OFM financial analysts in preparing financial reviews, incremental funding, and other implementation follow-up actions.

● Prepare and disseminate user-friendly budget information to Mission teams and management.

● Prepare funding memos.

● Communicate with the USAID Mission in Guinea and USAID/Washington on budget and funding requests.

● Ensure compliance with pre-obligation requirements.

● Represent USAID on Embassy/Freetown’s ICASS Budget Committee.

Planning and Reporting 15%

● Prepare annual planning and reporting documents such as Operational

Plans, Mission Resource Requests, and Performance Plan and Reports

(includes providing guidance, coordinating preparation, editing, quality control, data entry), and other ad hoc budget tasks. Guide the USAID AOR/COR staff in ensuring program oversight and accountability.

● Prepare relevant sections of Congressional Budget Justifications, Congressional Notifications, and other report narratives.

Strategy Development 10%

● Lead strategy development and review for OSLC strategy documents. This includes working with the U.S. Government interagency team in developing the Integrated Country Strategy and guiding the USAID OSLC team in developing a Country Strategic Framework, Results Framework, and other strategic documents. Assist the team with preparation of

Development Objective Grant Agreements (DOAGs) between USAID and host country government, based on relevant strategy documents, knowledge of the National Development Strategy, and knowledge of USAID programming modalities.

Activity Implementation and Design 20%

● Ensure close coordination and consultation between USAID’s OSLC in

Freetown and USAID Contracting Officers in Senegal and Guinea, including regular procurement planning and monitoring meetings.

● Assist technical teams with activity design.

● Review acquisition and assistance requests in USAID’s GLAAS system.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning 10%

● Coordinate with the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning team in

Guinea on planning portfolio reviews, DQA assessments, and other learning tasks.

● Provide support to OSLC technical teams during program portfolio reviews, performance monitoring visits, and evaluation and learning assessments.

Program Office Management: (30%)

● Oversee Administrative support to the USAID/Freetown team and

Temporary Duty (TDY) colleagues through the direct supervision of one

Project Management Assistant and one Administrative Assistant. This includes Information Technology support to the OSLC and maintaining an Office record system, including electronic files.

2. SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIP:

● Supervision Received: The contractor will work under the direct supervision of the USDH Supervisory Gen. Dev. Officer or her/his designee.

● Supervision Exercised: Supervise two CCNs: One Project Management

Specialist (Agriculture) and one Administrative Assistant.

If a third country national (TCN) is selected for award, during the period of this contract, the TCN personal services contractor must provide at least 10 hours/week of training to a cooperating country national (CCN) designated by

USAID. The TCNPSC’s Supervisor will establish a training plan with benchmarks to measure the TCNPSC's progress toward achieving this training deliverable.

12. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The work does not involve undue physical demands but travel to worksites and other offices is occasionally warranted.

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

The technical scope of the program requires the services of a seasoned Program

Advisor with knowledge managing, monitoring and reporting on program results and supporting office operations to achieve USAID development goals. Required professional qualifications and skills include:

EDUCATION: A minimum of a Master’s degree or related social or professional degree in International Development, Public Administration or Business management or related fields is required.

WORK EXPERIENCE: Minimum ten years recent experience in international development and/or program management. Relevant experience in programming and managing programs is acceptable, with international foreign assistance program experience a plus. Knowledge of USAID foreign assistance and how it is programmed is preferred. Experience in managing programs or projects domestically or internationally is required. Relevant experience in West

Africa, in Africa in general or internationally is preferred.

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. The FAR provisions referenced above are available at https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far

(a) Selection Process

After the closing date for receipt of applications, a committee will convene to review applications that meet the minimum requirements and evaluate them in accordance with the evaluation criteria. Applications from candidates who do not meet the minimum requirements will not be scored. As part of the selection process, finalist candidates may be interviewed. Reference checks will be made only for applicants considered as finalists. The applicant’s references must be able to provide substantive information about his/her past performance and abilities. If an applicant does not wish USAID to contact a current employer for a reference check, this should be stated in the applicant’s cover letter; USAID will delay such reference checks pending the applicant’s concurrence.

“USAID policy specifies that U.S. citizens or resident aliens (USNs) are preferred over third country nationals (TCNs). Therefore, USN and TCN offers will not be evaluated together. USAID will evaluate USN offers first and if the CO determines that there are no qualified USNs, only then will

USAID evaluate TCN offers.”

(b) EVALUATION FACTORS AND BASIS OF RATING:

Applicants who clearly meet the Education/Experience requirements will be further evaluated based on scoring of their Evaluation Factor responses. Those applicants determined to be competitively ranked will also be evaluated on their interview performance.

https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_215_1 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_215_1 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_215_1

Factor #1: (20 Points)

In 500 words, describe your leadership philosophy and style as part of a workplace team, and give examples of how you show leadership by contributing to good teamwork in support of direct reports, peers and supervisors.

FACTOR #2: (25 Points)

In 500 words, outline how you as USAID Program Advisor in Sierra Leone would prioritize your work during your first six months on the job, taking into account all of the areas of work laid out in the position description. Justify your prioritization of tasks.

FACTOR #3: (25 Points)

In 500 words, describe your approach in general as well as specific steps you would take in working to build the capacity of local staff under your supervision to manage programmatic and administrative responsibilities in support of U.S. foreign assistance objectives.

FACTOR #4: INTERVIEW PERFORMANCE (30 Points)

Total: 100 points

IV. SUBMITTING AN OFFER:

All applications must be submitted electronically by email with the subject line – SOL - 720636210R00002 – PROGRAM ADVISOR to conakrypscjobs@usaid.gov

Attention: Supervisory Executive Officer, USAID/Guinea & Sierra Leone

1. Eligible offerors are required to complete and submit the offer form AID 309-2, “Offeror information for Personal Services Contracts,” available at http://www.usaid.gov/forms/

(Note: All offerors must submit complete dates (months/years) and hours per week for all positions listed on the Form AID 309-2 to allow for adequate evaluation of your related and direct experiences.)

2. Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3, and submitted to the Point of Contact in Section I, item 4.

3. Offeror submissions must clearly reference the Solicitation number on all offeror submitted documents.

• Cover letter and a current resume/curriculum vitae (CV). The CV/resume must contain sufficient relevant information to evaluate the application in accordance with the stated evaluation criteria. Broad general statements that are vague or lacking specificity will not be considered as effectively addressing particular selection criteria.

• Offerors must provide a minimum of three and a maximum of five references within the last five years of the applicant’s professional life from individuals who are not family members or relatives. Three references must be from direct supervisors who can provide substantive information about his/her past performance and abilities. Applicants must provide e-mail addresses and/or working telephone numbers for all references.

Application letters and Form AID 309-2 must be signed. Incomplete and unsigned applications/forms will not be considered. ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE PREPARED AND

SUBMITTED IN ENGLISH.

mailto:conakrypscjobs@usaid.gov https://www.usaid.gov/forms

The final selected candidate must obtain security and medical clearances within a reasonable period of time. USAID will provide details regarding these clearances to the selected candidate). If such clearances are not obtained within a reasonable time or negative suitability issues are involved, any offer made may be rescinded.

The Agency retains the right to cancel or amend the solicitation and associated actions at any stage of the recruitment process.

V. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSCS:

Forms outlined below can be found at: http://www.usaid.gov/forms/

1) Application for Federal Employment (AID 309-2).

2) Medical History and Examination Forms (DS-6561 and AID Form 1420-62). *

3) Questionnaire for Sensitive Positions (for National Security) (SF-86), or *

4) Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85). *

5) Fingerprint Card (FD-258). *

* Forms 2 through 5 shall be completed only upon the advice of the Contracting

Officer that an applicant is the successful candidate for the job.

Based on employment category, a temporary security clearance must be obtained prior to contract start date.

VI. BENEFITS/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 & Life Insurance (except spouse of a current or retired Civil Service, Foreign Service, Military Service and who is covered by their spouse’s Government health insurance policy for health or life insurance under this contract)

(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: (If applicable) * Section numbers refer to rules from the Department of State Standardized

Regulations (Government Civilians Foreign Areas), available at https://aoprals.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=282&menu_id=101

(a) Temporary Quarters Subsistence Allowance (Section 120).

(b) Living Quarters Allowance (Section 130).

(c) Post Allowance (Section 220).

(d) Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section 260).

(e) Education Allowance (Section 270).

(f) Education Travel (Section 280).

(g) Post Differential (Chapter 500).

(h) Payments during Evacuation/Authorized Departure (Section 600)

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

Regulations (Government Civilians Foreign Areas)

VII. FEDERAL TAXES: USPSCs are required to pay Federal income taxes, FICA, Medicare and applicable State Income Taxes.

http://www.usaid.gov/forms/ https://aoprals.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=282&menu_id=101

VIII. USAID REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND CONTRACT CLAUSES PERTAINING TO PSCs

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

1. USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR), Appendix D, “Direct USAID Contracts with a U.S. Citizen or a U.S. Resident Alien for Personal Services Abroad,” including contract clause “General Provisions” available at https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf

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

Pricing by line item is to be determined upon contract award as described below:

LINE ITEMS

ITEM

NO.

(A)

SUPPLIES/SERVICES

(DESCRIPTION)

(B)

QUAN

TITY

(C)

UNIT

(D)

UNIT

PRICE

(E

AMOUNT

(F)

Base Period -

Compensation, Fringe

Benefits and Other

Direct Costs (ODCs)

- Award Type: Cost

- Product Service

Code: R497)

- Accounting Info:

1 LOT $__ TBD $_TBD at

Award after negotiation s with

Contractor

Option Period 1 -

Compensation, Fringe

Benefits and Other

Direct Costs (ODCs)

- Award Type: Cost

- Product Service

Code: (R497)

- Accounting Info:

1 LOT $___TBD $_TBD at

Award after negotiation

Option Period 2-

Compensation, Fringe

Benefits and Other

Direct Costs (ODCs)

- Award Type: Cost

- Product Service

Code: R497)

- Accounting Info:

1 LOT $__ TBD $_TBD at

Award after negotiation

Option Period 2-

Compensation, Fringe

Benefits and Other Direct

Costs (ODCs)

- Award Type: Cost

- Product Service Code:

R497)

- Accounting Info:

1 LOT $__ TBD $_TBD at

Award after negotiation

4001 Option Period 2-

Compensation, Fringe

1 LOT $__ TBD $_TBD at

Award after negotiation https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/aidar.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/forms

Benefits and Other Direct

Costs (ODCs)

- Award Type: Cost

- Product Service Code:

R497)

- Accounting Info:

3. Acquisition and Assistance Policy Directives/Contract Information Bulletins

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

4. USAID Acquisition and Assistance Policy Directives (AAPD-20-08): Leave and

Holidays (OCT 1987) [Deviation (DEC 2020)]

[For use in contracts with a CCNPSC or TCNPSC not subject to the local compensation plan.] https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/AAPD-20-08.pdf

5. 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.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, physical handicap, genetic information, age or membership or non-membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military services, or other non-merit factor.

END OF SOLICITATION

http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/AAPD-20-08.pdf https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/OGE%20Regulations