SOL 72067421R00029 - SI Advisor Data Scientist.pdf

SOLICITATION NUMBER: 72067421R00029

ISSUANCE DATE: August 4, 2021

CLOSING DATE AND TIME: September 3, 2021 –

17:00 – Local Time, Pretoria, South Africa

SUBJECT: Solicitation for US/TCN Personal Service Contractor (US/TCNPSC)

Dear Prospective Offerors:

The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking offers from qualified persons to provide personal services under contract as described in this solicitation.

Offers must be in accordance with 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, Shelby Hunt

Contracting Officer

ATTACHMENT 1 72067421R00029

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. SOLICITATION NO.: 72067421R00029

2. ISSUANCE DATE: August 4, 2021

3. CLOSING DATE AND TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: September 3, 2021

4. POINT OF CONTACT: Alicia Veldman

5. POSITION TITLE: Strategic Information Advisor - Data Scientist

6. MARKET VALUE: $93,907 - $122,077; equivalent to GS- 14

Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.

7. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Five years estimated to start on November 2021

“The base period will be two years, estimated to start on November 2021. Based on Agency need, the Contracting Officer may exercise (an) additional option period(s) for three years for the date(s) estimated as follows:”

Base Period: November 2021 to November 2023

Option Period 1: November 2023 to November 2025

Option Period 2: November 2025 to November 2026

8. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Pretoria, South Africa with possible travel as stated in the

Statement of Duties.

9. ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: United States (U.S.) Citizens and Third Country Nationals (TCN)

10. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Employment Authorization - Facility Access

II. SCOPE OF WORK

Introduction:

An estimated 7.5 million South Africans are infected with HIV, the highest number in any country in the world. The country is also plagued by a related tuberculosis (TB) epidemic, with the fourth highest burden in the world. The Health Office manages the largest President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

(PEPFAR) program in the world, which focuses on HIV testing, treatment, retention, Prevention of

Mother-to-Child Transmission, tuberculosis/HIV, HIV Prevention, and orphans and vulnerable children programs. The Health Office collaborates closely with other agencies to implement PEPFAR, especially the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the State Department, and Peace Corps. More importantly, the Health Office works closely with the South African government to further align programmatic priorities and to harmonize the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of HIV/AIDS activities.

The Strategic Information (SI) Team is responsible for routine Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E), ensuring implementing partner compliance with PEPFAR reporting requirements, and the use of routine program data for programmatic adjustment within the Health Office. The SI Team is tasked with managing and enhancing the availability and use of a range of programmatic and epidemiological data in South Africa.

The data informs program design, programmatic target setting and activity monitoring. The magnitude and importance of data in this context cannot be overstated: since the beginning of PEPFAR the South Africa program has produced approximately one-quarter of all PEPFAR results globally. Therefore, the quality management and development of the main sources of these data represents a critical function of the

Strategic Information Team within the Health Office specifically, and in PEPFAR/South Africa more generally.

The Data Scientist provides technical expertise in the analysis, visualization, and utilization of data in the

Health Office. The incumbent will be responsible for:

(1) conceptualizing and executing analysis projects that incorporate multiple sources of data;

(2) developing visualizations tailored to specific audiences in order to effectively communicate a story; and

(3) creating and implementing data use plans for partner performance data, to include the dissemination of results and data driven programmatic recommendations.

The incumbent represents USAID within multiple technical working groups, and maintains collaborative working relationships with implementing partners, government officials, donors, USG agencies and non-governmental organizations.

Position Overview:

The Data Scientist will lead analyses, mining, and visualization of performance data from Health Office implementing partners in order to provide new insights, solutions and recommendations aimed at enhancing performance.

Duties and Responsibilities:

(A) Perform advanced analysis (40% LOE)

• Conceptualize and execute advanced analyses which fully leverage the vast array of data assets available in country, both internal and external to USAID.

• Participate in analysis projects through assigned stages of their lifecycle, including but not limited to: concept, problem statement, question definition, methodology assessment, data collection, execution of analysis, and presentation of results.

• Develop holistic analysis plans that incorporate multiple sources of data, while also considering the limitations of available data sources, data quality, and legal or policy constraints.

• Ensure analysis solutions are scalable, repeatable, effective, and meet the expectations of decision-makers and other stakeholders.

• Review and develop a target setting framework to inform Country Operational Planning (COP).

(B) Develop visualizations and messaging to communicate results (30% LOE)

• Translate complex analysis into actionable outputs that are accessible, understandable, and tailored to specific audiences to maximize their overall effectiveness.

• Develop office-wide visualization standards that promote a consistent style and adherence to data visualization best practices.

• Create and deliver effective, persuasive verbal and written presentations for both technical and non-technical audiences that synthesize findings and provide clear, simple recommendations on possible courses of action.

• Provide compelling and accurate visualizations that communicate a story, trend, pattern, etc. both independently and through collaborations with designers or other team members.

• Assume a leading role in effective communication of information to the interagency, partners, USAID/Washington, National Department of Health (NDoH), and other stakeholders as relevant.

(C) Facilitate the use of strategic information among USAID and its stakeholders (30% LOE)

• Support the strategic development of a data infrastructure that promotes efficiency, productivity, consumption, and sharing.

• Promote a data-driven culture throughout the Health Office, and among implementing partner organizations.

• Ensure the effective use of data to support decision-making and improved programming.

• Assist with periodic M&E and SI capacity building and trainings for implementing partners.

• Draft summary reports and recommendations, conduct field visits, and meet with key agency, partner, DoH and other counterparts to review findings and recommendations.

• Conduct site and partner visits to ascertain partner capacity in data management, analyses and visualization.

III. QUALIFICATIONS:

In order to be considered for this position a candidate must meet the Required Minimum

Qualifications listed below. Consideration and selection will be based on panel evaluation of

Required Minimum Qualifications, Desired Qualifications and Evaluation Factors. Additionally, Interviews, written test and writing samples may be requested. Applicants are encouraged to write a brief appendix to a resume, OF-612 to demonstrate how prior experience and/or training addresses the Minimum Qualifications and Evaluation Factors listed below:

Required Minimum Qualifications and Experience:

A. Education: The minimum educational requirement is a Master’s degree in public health, public policy, epidemiology, demography, social or science, statistics or mathematics, or a related field, and with demonstrated emphasis on relational database development, data analyses, and visualization or other information management.

B. Work Experience: A minimum of five years’ work experience in implementing public health or other social sector programs in developing countries, particularly with an emphasis on data analysis or strategic information, is required.

C. Language

Level IV English ability (fluent) is required. The incumbent must possess a high degree of proficiency in both written and spoken English. Fluency in at least one of the other 10 South

African official languages is desired.

D. Desired Knowledge and Experience:

Experience with data analyses, visualization, and dissemination is required.

Knowledge of relational database development and management is preferred.

Knowledge of statistics, coding, automation tasks, and data wrangling is required.

Knowledge of R, Python, SQL or similar statistical software and programing language is required.

Knowledge of Tableau, Power BI, or a similar business intelligence tool is required.

Knowledge of epidemiology and health services provision in South Africa is highly desired.

Knowledge of USAID policies, procedures, and reporting requirements is strongly preferred.

Experience working with one or more international agency systems, including USAID and/or organizations with USAID Cooperative Agreements, UN Agencies, CDC knowledge and understanding of South African Government, and public and private health systems, and USAID project principles are also strongly preferred.

PEPFAR/South Africa implementing partner experience preferred.

Experience conducting training and presenting is strongly preferred.

IV. 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.

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

The following factors will be the basis for the evaluation of applications meeting the required minimum qualifications listed above and are listed in no particular order. All applications will be evaluated based on the documentation submitted with the application. USAID reserves the right to contact your previous employers for relevant information concerning your performance and may consider such information in its evaluation. In most cases, only the highest-ranking applicant(s) will be selected for an interview.

• Work experience: 10 Points

• Technical knowledge: 30 Points

• Abilities and Skills: 60 Points

All applications will be evaluated based on the documentation submitted with the application. USAID reserves the right to contact your previous employers for relevant information concerning your performance and may consider such information in its evaluation. The highest-ranking applicants may be selected for an interview, but an interview is not always necessary.

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.

V. POSITION ELEMENTS

a) Supervision Controls: The Data Scientist will be directly supervised by the Data Analytics and

Use Team Lead.

b) Physical Demands and Work Environment: The incumbent is stationed at the USAID office in

Pretoria, South Africa. S/he is required to go on site visits and accompany delegations to the

USAID funded projects.

c) Available Guidelines: Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR); AID Acquisitions Regulations

(AIDAR); Automated Directives System (ADS Series); U.S. Department of State Standardized

Regulations; Circulars and Controller General Decisions; USAID Mission Orders, Project

Papers, Mission Strategy, and other documents available, USAID and OGAC policies and procedures, Technical Documents and Policy Papers.

d) Exercise of Judgment: Although the incumbent receives day-to-day supervision from the

Strategic Information Team leader, the incumbent must be able to independently exercise good judgment in technical areas of activities. The incumbent operates independently and his/her work is reviewed primarily on the basis of results achieved within the broad constraints of policy and priorities.

e) Authority to make Commitments: Limited

f) Nature, Level and Purpose of Contacts: The incumbent has routine and frequent contact with senior officials of the National and Provincial Departments of Health and the Department of Public

Service Administration. The incumbent also has contact with key NGO Chief Officers, USAID/Washington, institutional contractors and consultants.

VI. SUBMITTING AN OFFER

• Eligible offerors are required to complete and submit the offer form AID 309-2, “Offeror

Information for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals,” available at http://www.usaid.gov/forms.

• An up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) or resume: Your 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 selection criteria. Applicants are encouraged to write a brief appendix to demonstrate how prior experience and/or training addresses the minimum qualifications and evaluation criteria set forth in the solicitation.

• References: Three (3) references, who are not family members or relatives, with working telephone and e-mail contacts. The references must be able to provide substantive information about your past performance and abilities. USAID reserves the right to contact your previous employers for relevant information concerning your performance and may consider such information in its evaluation of the application.

• Security Clearance: Prior to signing a contract, the selected individual will be required to obtain an “employment authorization” if a US Citizen or US Green Card Holder. This temporary security clearance will be requested while a personal background investigation is conducted. Instructions for obtaining the security clearance will be forwarded to the selected individual once negotiations have been concluded.

• Submissions shall be in accordance with the above information at the place and time specified. In order to be considered for the position a candidate must meet the minimum qualifications listed in the solicitation. Consideration and selection will be based on a panel evaluation of the applications vis-a-vis the required qualifications. Applicants should note that the salary history for the purposes of the AID309-2 is the base salary paid, excluding benefits and allowances such as housing, travel, educational support, vehicle use, etc. Applicants are reminded and required to sign the certification at the end of the AID309-2.

• Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified and submitted to the job applications mailbox.

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

Methods of application submissions:

For applicants to be considered for this position the following guidelines will be adhered to and forms completed, signed and submitted to jobapplications@usaid.gov, to allow the evaluation committee to thoroughly and objectively review your application vis-a-vis the requirements of the position.

If sent via email:

Alicia Veldman

HR Assistant

Telephone: +27 12 452 2088

E-mail address: jobapplications@usaid.gov http://www.usaid.gov/forms mailto:jobapplications@usaid.gov

VII. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS PRIOR TO AWARD

The CO will provide instructions about how to complete and submit the forms after an offeror is selected for the contract award. Forms outlined below can be found at http://www.usaid.gov/forms:

• AID 309-2

• Contractor Physical Examination (AID Form 1420-62). **

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

• Finger Print Card (FD-258). **

** Forms 2 through 4 shall be completed only upon the advice of the Contracting Officer that an applicant is the successful candidate for the job.

VIII. BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES

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

BENEFITS:

(a) Employer's FICA Contribution

(b) Contribution toward Health & Life Insurance

(c) Pay Comparability Adjustment

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

(e) Eligibility for Worker's Compensation

(f) Annual and Sick Leave

ALLOWANCES:

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 Quarter Subsistence Allowance (Section 120)

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

(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)

If a TCN is selected for this position the benefits will be adjusted as per Mission policy.

IX. TAXES

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

A TCN will be eligible to pay taxes as specified by their respective country.

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

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

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

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.

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)

QUANTITY

(C)

UNIT

(D)

UNIT

PRICE (E)

AMOUNT (F)

0001 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 negotiations with

Contractor_

1001 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 negotiations with

Contractor_

2001 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 negotiations with

Contractor_

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.

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/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/forms http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/OGE%20Regulations https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/OGE%20Regulations