sol_OAA Cotracting Specialist.pdf

Contracting Specialist 72039121R00009

ATTACHMENT 1

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. SOLICITATION NUMBER: 72039121R00009

2. ISSUANCE DATE: July 9, 2021

3. CLOSING DATE/ TIME for RECEIPT OF OFFERS: August 8, 2021 (5:00pm Pakistan time)

4. POINT OF CONTACT: Anjum Gardezi, e-mail at hrislamabad@usaid.gov

5. POSITION TITLE: Contracting Specialist

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: 5 years estimated to start on September 2021.

“The base period will be one (1) year, estimated to start on/about September 2021. Based on Agency need, the Contracting Officer may exercise (an) additional option period(s) for four (4) years for the date(s) estimated as follows.”

Base Period: o/a September/2021 to August/2022

Option Period 1: o/a September/2022 to August/2023 Option Period 2: o/a September/2023 to August/2024 Option Period 3: o/a September/2024 to August/2025 Option Period 4: o/a September/2025 to August/2026

8. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: US Embassy compound in Islamabad.

9. ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: Open to U.S. Citizens only

10. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: USPSC – Secret.

mailto:hrislamabad@usaid.gov

11. STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

1. Background:

USAID/Pakistan seeks a qualified United States Personal Services Contractor (USPSC) to serve as a Warranted Contracting Specialist for an initial assignment of one year with two one-year options.

The successful candidate will be assigned to and required to perform the duties outlined below at the USAID Pakistan Mission in Islamabad.

2. Statement of Duties to be Performed:

The position will provide technical assistance to USAID/Pakistan in the execution of program/project funded contracts, cooperative agreements, grants, and U.S. Government (USG) agreements in accordance with Agency Procurement Acquisition Lead Time (PALT) metrics, including providing staff support on all aspects of procurement and contract management relating to and affecting USAID’s acquisition and assistance programs, policy and project planning, design, implementation and evaluation, and participating in project and mission policy formulation, project design resource assessments, sector analyses, and other studies. The position will serve as a primary Contracting Officer and contractual advisor to a number of programs and projects in the Mission. The position will prepare and negotiate modifications of basic contractual text, terms and conditions, specifications, scopes of work, program descriptions, and costs in the full range of award instruments.

The position will plan for and provide procurement and contract management support to accomplish program objectives, and provide proper and timely administration of all assigned acquisition and assistance awards, to include clarifications and interpretations of directive correspondence, and other miscellaneous administrative modifications to procurement instruments. The position will seek resolution and settlement of contract disputes, termination and settlement of procurement instruments, close outs, and reporting of contractor performance. The position will compose and prepare all manner of contractual correspondence to include debriefing letters, responses to protest, congressional inquiries and audit recommendations.

The position responsibilities include training the Mission staff in direct contracting and administration of complex projects. The position responsibilities will encompass the negotiation, award, and administration of both assistance and acquisition type instruments to accomplish development goals.

Specifically, in all cases the position will perform and lead “design-to-award” procurement actions;

prepare pre-award documents, conduct negotiations, and prepare award documents and award file documentation.

The position must be available for consultation on contracting issues with the Mission technical staff, U.S. Embassy staff, government officials, implementing partners, and others, as required. This effort requires extensive knowledge of Federal and USAID regulations, and the associated governing guidance (e.g., the CFR, OMB Circulars, FAM, and FTR) for all types of procurements.

In addition to the execution of contracts and modifications as identified above, the position will also research issues contained in, and draft responses to, items of correspondence as assigned. Examples include, but are not limited to: subcontract consent requests, salary approvals, equipment approvals, etc., on a wide variety of contract and assistance awards.

The position will assess and review the performance of implementing partners. The position maintains award files and records up to date, reviews/approves Contractor Performance Assessment Reports (CPARs), and reviews/approves award closeout documentation.

The position will provide senior and trusted policy advice to the office director, USAID Pakistan, and the other regional USAID offices on all manner of acquisition and assistance issues; and will speak for the supervisor on technical acquisition and assistance matters as required.

The position will participate as assigned in the supervision of the Office staff, which includes Cooperating Country National (CCN) acquisition and assistance professionals and two CCN acquisition and assistance assistants. The position will train A&A Specialist staff on all aspects of acquisition and assistance procedures, policy, and document formation. The position will be required to assist in creating a supportive work environment that values diversity, and elicits the highest possible level of performance from USAID Pakistan’s OAA; set clear individual and team work objectives; ensure that the staff carries out those assignments; and, as required, evaluate staff performance, formally and by providing ongoing feedback.

As required, the position may be called upon to provide information and advice to the Supervisory Contracting Officer, technical offices, and the Mission management on critical A&A issues, or on the effect of new or revised USG, USAID, or host-country requirements. The position will participate in key Mission meetings and represent the Office of Acquisition and Assistance, as assigned.

When the Supervisory CO/Office Director is out of office, the position may serve as Acting Supervisory CO/Office Director. As Acting Supervisory CO/Office Director, up to nineteen CCNs could be supervised. Office supervisory duties would include, but not be limited to, attending Senior Staff meetings, conducting office workstream planning and assigning staff to A&A actions, and performing regular CO duties for the full Mission Pakistan OAA portfolio.

Other Specific Tasks Coordinate and manage remote A&A support for specific procurement actions.

3. USAID Consultation or Orientation (if applicable):

The selected candidate will be required to complete the one-week mandatory Foreign Affairs Counter Threat (FACT) course prior to proceeding to USAID/Pakistan. FACT is a mandatory course for service in Pakistan.

4. Supervisory Relationship:

The Contracting Specialist will be supervised and evaluated by the OAA Office Director, or designee.

The position performs under general administrative discretion with wide latitude for exercising independent judgment. The position requires work throughout the program cycle in design, planning and executing major technical programs of unusual complexity. The position requires wide latitude for exercise of independent judgment and formal decision making authority for procurement processes and contractual actions.

5. Supervision Controls:

The position will serve in a supervisory role, directly supervising up to two FSN Warranted CO Team Leaders. The position is expected to serve as mentor to all OAA staff, and others, by identifying knowledge gaps and training needs, and to provide coaching and other work guidance to lower-level acquisition and assistance staff. If temporarily serving in the Acting SCO role, up to nineteen FSNs may be supervised. The position cannot supervise USDH personnel.

12. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The work requested does not pose undue physical demands.

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

1. Education:

Minimum of a Baccalaureate degree among these disciplines: accounting, law, business, finance, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.

Federal Acquisition Certification – Contracting (FAC-C) Level II.

2. Prior work Experience:

At least ten (10) years of professional Contracting experience with a US government organization that directly relates to Federal Government procurement rules and regulations and federal financial assistance under 2 CFR 200 and 700 (or its predecessors).

3. Knowledge:

Knowledge of U.S Government and USAID procurement regulations, the USAID Automated Directives Systems (ADS) regulations, and the ability to work with the regulatory context of these Agency policies.

Knowledge of USAID’s A&A Strategy and Effective Partnering and Procurement Reform (EPPR) principles.

4. Abilities and Skills:

Skill to manage and coordinate activities sufficient to contract a variety of actions concurrently while adhering to established deadlines.

A sound ability to process information from a wide variety of sources into cohesive, polished documents. Proven ability to train/transfer knowledge regarding USG and USAID contracting rules, regulations, procurement procedures, and proposal evaluation.

Must be able to communicate complex and difficult policy and programmatic issues in a manner understandable by knowledgeable laypersons.

Demonstrated ability to write and edit complex letters, emails, and memorandums. Must be able to maintain and adhere to high standards of professional conduct.

Must be able to function as a team leader during contract negotiations, and personally negotiate the majority of assigned contracts.

Fluency in both spoken and written English is required.

Versatility in working in a virtual environment.

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.

EVALUATION FACTORS

Applicants who clearly meet the minimum Education and Prior work Experience requirements and basic eligibility requirements will be further evaluated based on scoring of the Evaluation Factors listed below.

The highest-ranking applicants may be selected for an interview.

FACTOR #1:

Education (10 points)

FACTOR #2:

Experience (25 points)

FACTOR #3:

Knowledge (35 points)

FACTOR #4:

Abilities and Skills (30 points)

Total Points: 100 points

SELECTION PROCESS

(1) After the closing date for the receipt of applications, applications will initially be screened for conformity with minimum requirements and a short list of applicants developed.

(2) Following this initial review and short listing, a Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) will convene to review applications that meet the minimum requirements and evaluate them in accordance with the evaluation factors. Applications from candidates which do not meet the minimum requirements will not be scored. As part of the selection process, finalist candidates will be interviewed. Those applications from qualified applicants meeting the required minimum qualifications will be assessed based on the evaluation factors. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. No response will be sent to unsuccessful applicants.

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

(3) USAID reserves the right to interview only the highest ranked applicants in person or by phone or via google meet.

(4) 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.

IV. SUBMITTING AN OFFER

For your application to be considered, the following documents must be submitted:

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

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.

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

4. A type-written and signed cover letter of no more than two (2) pages specifically applying for this position and addressing the minimum requirements and evaluation factors of the position.

5. A current Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume which, at a minimum, describes education, latest experience, and career achievements.

6. Offers must provide a minimum of three (3) and a maximum of five (5) references within the last five years from the offeror’s professional life, namely individuals who are not family members or relatives.

Three (3) references must be from direct supervisors who can provide information regarding the applicant’s work knowledge and professional experience. Applicants must provide e-mail addresses and/or working telephone numbers for all references.

7. Please submit attachments in PDF and Word formats. Application packages must be submitted electronically to hrislamabad@usaid.gov

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:

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

(1) Offeror Information for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals (AID 309-2)

(2) Contractor Physical Examination Form (AID Form 1420-62) * https://www.usaid.gov/forms mailto:hrislamabad@usaid.gov http://www.usaid.gov/forms/

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

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

(5) Fingerprint Cards (FD-258) *

*The above listed forms (2 through 5) shall only be completed upon the advice of the Contracting Officer that an applicant is the successful candidate for the job.

Timely completion and submission of the required documents are needed to obtain the necessary Visas and Security and Medical Clearances. Failure of the selected offeror to accurately complete and submit required documents in a timely manner may be grounds for the CO to rescind any conditional pre-contract offer letter and begin negotiations with the next most qualified/highest ranked offeror. Selected offerors who are unable to obtain required Visas, Security and Medical Clearances in a reasonable timeframe are considered un-qualified for this position.

VI. BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES

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

1. BENEFITS: (If applicable):

(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

(g) Access to Embassy medical facilities, commissary and pouch mail service per Post policy

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 Lodging Allowance (Section 120)

(b) Living Quarters Allowance (Section 130)

(c) Post Allowance (Section 220)

(d) Post Differential (Chapter 500)

(e) Payments during Evacuation/Authorized Departure (Section 600) and

(f) Danger Pay (Section 650)

(g) Education Allowance (Section 270)

(h) Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section 260)

(i) Education Travel (Section 280)

Islamabad currently has a 25% Post Differential allowance and 35% Danger Pay, housing, and other benefits per USAID regulations. Basic household furnishings will be available in quarters to be provided by USAID. FICA and federal income tax will be withheld by USAID. U.S. Resident https://aoprals.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=282&menu_id=101 hire PSCs are not eligible for any fringe benefits (except contributions for FICA, health insurance, and life insurance), including differentials and allowances. Pakistan is a no-dependent post.

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 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, and Appendix J, “Direct USAID Contracts With a Cooperating Country National and with a Third Country National 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:

ITEM NO SUPPLIES/SERVICES (DESCRIPTION) QUANTITY UNIT UNIT

PRICE

AMOUNT (F)

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

- Award Type: PSC

- Product Service Code: R497

- Accounting Info: TBD

1 LOT $_ TBD $_TBD at Award after negotiations with Contractor

1001 Base Period - Compensation, Fringe Benefits and Other Direct Costs (ODCs)

- Award Type: PSC

- Product Service Code: R497

- Accounting Info: TBD

1 LOT $_ TBD $_TBD at Award after negotiations with Contractor

2001 Base Period - Compensation, Fringe Benefits and Other Direct Costs (ODCs)

- Award Type: PSC

- Product Service Code: R497

- Accounting Info: TBD

1 LOT $_ TBD $_TBD at Award after negotiations with Contractor

3001 Base Period - Compensation, Fringe Benefits and Other Direct Costs (ODCs)

- Award Type: PSC

- Product Service Code: R497 Accounting Info: TBD

1 LOT $_ TBD $_TBD at Award after negotiations with Contractor https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/forms

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

AAPDs/CIBs (if) applicable to this position include:

AAPD 16-03: Expanded Incentive Awards for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals

AAPD 15-02 REVISED - Continuation of Deviation from the ‘Leave and Holidays’ clause, including Family and Medical Leave, for U.S. Personal Services Contractors

AAPD 10-03 Amendment 1: AIDAR, Appendix D: Implementing Benefits For Same-Sex Domestic Partners of USPSCs

AAPD 10-03: AIDAR, Appendix D: Implementing Benefits For Same-Sex Domestic Partners of USPSCs

AAPD 10-01: Personal Services Contracts -- Changes in USG Reimbursement Amounts for Health Insurance and Physical Examination Costs

AAPD 06-10: PSC Medical Expense Payment Responsibility

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

5. PSC Ombudsman

The PSC Ombudsman serves as a resource for any Personal Services Contractor who has entered into a contract with the United States Agency for International Development and is available to provide clarity on their specific contract with the agency. Please visit our page for additional information:

https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/personal-service-contracts-ombudsman

The PSC Ombudsman may be contacted via: PSCOmbudsman@usaid.gov.

END OF SOLICITATION

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