FBO_solicitation_modified.docx

SOLICITATION INFORMATION

1. SOLICITATION NUMBER: SOL-280-16-000003

2. ISSUANCE DATE: December 1, 2015

3. CLOSING DATE/TIME: December 31, 2015 - 16:00 Frankfurt time

5. POSITION TITLE: Acquisition & Assistance Specialist

6. MARKET VALUE: Position is classified at a GS-12 equivalent with an annual salary range of $61,486 to $79,936. The actual salary will be negotiated based on qualifications and previous salary history of the successful candidate.

7. WHO MAY APPLY: Applicants must be U.S. Citizens or Third Country Nationals (TCNs).

8. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: One Year with options for renewal based on satisfactory performance, continued relevance of the position and funds availability

9. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Work is expected to be carried out remotely in the individual’s current location. Periodic travel is required to Frankfurt for coordination and some travel may be required to client missions such as Libya Syria and Tunisia, to coordinate with technical and support offices.

10. SUPERVISION: The Contractor will report to Regional Contracting Office in Frankfurt

11. SECURITY ACCESS: U.S. Citizens—Secret Level; Third Country Nationals—Employment Authorization/Facility Access

12. POSITION DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND:

The U.S. Government’s foreign assistance priorities are focused on helping countries in the Middle East to stabilize. The Regional Middle East Platform, Frankfurt Support Center (MERP FSC) came into existence in October 2014 to provide core support services to USAID missions in this general area. Client missions are those countries in the Middle East regional with whom USAID shares a common development interest. Illustrative countries may include Libya, Tunisia, and Syria.

The Acquisition & Assistance Specialist is critical to this effort, and along with the Regional Contracting Officer, is responsible for all pre-award and post-award functions involving highly complex negotiated procurements of significant importance to the Agency. S/he will work closely in a team to facilitate project implementation and provide award administration. The A&A Specialist reports directly to the Regional Contracting Officer.

13. BASIC FUNCTION:

The incumbent will provide Acquisitions and Assistance support to assigned programs within the Middle East Regional Platform Frankfurt Support Center (MERPFSC). The types of contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements the A&A Specialist will manage are highly specialized and involve complex activities and sensitive international programs directly supporting USAID assistance programs throughout the Middle East region. The incumbent will also perform and supervise contract closeout activities as required. Close interaction with the US Direct Hire Contracting Officer in MERP FSC, its technical and support offices, as well as client missions is required for successful performance. Substantial ad hoc reporting is expected.

The incumbent will work from her current location. S/he is expected to travel on a routine basis to Frankfurt, Germany and possibly to some countries (when permissible) in the Middle East.

14. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Procurement Planning:

· Develops long-range plans for new or complex programs. Responsible for procurement planning activities, which may include reviewing and clearing procurement plans and procurement documents and representing the MERP FSC Office of Acquisition and Assistance at program planning meetings.

· Develops acquisition plans, source selection plans, and contract terms, conditions, or financial arrangements.

· Prepares and maintains current acquisition plans, appropriate milestone charts, and related schedules and keeps Offices informed of anticipated workload demands.

· As part of the Regional Office of Acquisition and Assistance team, analyzes and collates approved annual procurement plans for MERP FSC and its client missions.

· Identifies those significant subsystems, components, equipment and services to be acquired by contract, grant, cooperative agreement, Inter-Agency Agreement, or International Public Organization, or other appropriate mechanism.

· Advises technical offices in activity planning meetings on the procurement instruments to be used.

· Serves as a resources person to more junior specialists at MERP FSC and its client missions.

Design and Solicitation Processes:

· Collaborates in the development of evaluation criteria and assists in the preparation of statements of work for MERP FSC and its client missions.

· Develops objectives for the program in terms of competition and price range, constructs the appropriate contractual or assistance vehicle, which may include the use of pricing arrangements, subcontracting policy, set-aside polices, and similar considerations.

· Provides advice to resolve special procurement problems associated with waiver requests, expediting of deliveries, apparent overlapping responsibilities, and claims resolution.

· Prepares solicitation documents.

· Performs detailed analyses of all elements of cost in contractor proposals. Determines the competitive range and prepares defensible justifications when required.

· Conducts pre-proposal conferences with prospective contractors to arrive at a clear understanding of what is required under the proposed contract.

· Obtains appropriate data from business and technical officials.

· Issues necessary modifications to clarify questions concerning such topics as specification changes, language ambiguities, or clarification of contract clauses or subcontracts.

· Explores new or innovative contracting approaches to arrive at an equitable contract arrangement.

· In the absence of meaningful cost and price information, develops creative approaches to developing the necessary comparative data.

Negotiation and Award:

· Serves as lead negotiator responsible for a significant program or for major procurements, which may include several types of instruments.

· In coordination with the USDH Contracting Officer at MERP FSC, plans, leads, and coordinates the strategy for negotiations with contractors/grantees to develop the award price and terms.

· Prepares the award documents and recommends their execution.

Contract Compliance Monitoring and Administration:

· Conducts in-depth compliance review and evaluation of complex, unusual, or unprecedented contract actions requiring higher-level approval.

· Ensures that contract terms and conditions are met and that the contractor delivers the required goods or services in a timely manner to achieve the objectives of the Agency’s projects and programs.

· Recommends issuing cure or show-cause notices when the contractor is not in compliance.

· Conducts analysis and prepares required documentation for various contracting actions, including: incremental funding, rate and cost adjustments, redirection of effort, time extension, incorporation of change orders, stop work orders, cure notices or show cause letters, approval of progress payments, final payment to the contractor, and contract closeout.

· Evaluates the adequacy of the awardee’s business management systems for areas such as personnel compensation, insurance subcontracting and/or sub-granting procedures, and financial management.

· Ensures compliance with applicable cost principles, and Cost Accounting Standards and requirements.

· Performs work associated with the analysis of automated contracting systems, or with providing advice and guidance on contracting and procurement issues including procurement using small/disadvantaged businesses.

· Reviews grantee’s procurement systems and procedures.

· Responds to requests for review by grantees for the purpose of certifying their procurement system and procedures, conducts in-depth on-site evaluations of grantees contracts, contracting procedures, contract planning, competition, cost analysis, organizations, employee qualifications, procurement and contract administration systems, and similar functions.

· Interprets award provisions for awardees and for officials of the agency, and provides appropriate advice and guidance.

· Advises technical office counterparts and contractors /grantees/recipients on their administration responsibilities contained in the award.

· Anticipates problems and provides advice to project personnel on effective implementation and required timeframes.

· Terminates awards for the convenience of the Government or default by the awardee. The incumbent is responsible for the preparation of all documentation necessary to support and defend termination decisions. Negotiates termination claims settlement.

· Responds to protests by researching and developing necessary analysis, documentation, and history. Works with USAID Regional Contracting Officer and USAID Legal Officers to develop the Agency position.

· Analyzes, and takes action to resolve, audit findings, such as cost items questioned or unresolved. Supports recommendations with detailed analysis of each cost, category, or element as necessary. Prepares necessary documents to resolve all aspects of audits, questioned or ineligible costs, and accounting issues. Presents documentation to the Regional Contracting Officer for signature.

· Reviews completed (after full performance) contract files to determine that all contractual actions are satisfied, and that there are no pending administrative actions to be resolved. Ensures that all file documents are signed, that there are no litigation actions pending, and that the contract is complete in every respect and ready to be closed.

· Ensures that contracts nearing annual anniversaries or final completion have a completed performance report from the CORs/AORs, and submits reports to the Contractor for comment.

· Performs other related duties as per the position description assigned by the supervisor.

15. POSITION ELEMENTS:

A. Reporting Responsibilities: The Acquisition and Assistance Specialist will receive supervision, policy direction, and guidance from the Contracting Officer (or his/her designee, located in USAID/Frankfurt. The Acquisition and Assistance Specialist is expected to function with minimal supervision.

E. Exercise of Judgment: The incumbent must exercise sound and independent judgment in interpreting and applying USG regulations and standard operating procedures in the course of carrying out the assigned duties. The PSC’s responsibilities include training local staff at MERP FSC and client missions in direct contracting and administration of complex projects.

Excellent (balanced) judgment must be exercised in setting priorities. The incumbent will also be required to follow and adhere to all applicable standards of conduct.

F. Authority to Make Commitments: The incumbent will not have the authority to sign acquisition instruments or similar documents.

E. Nature, Level and Purposes of Contacts: The successful applicant establishes and maintains solid working relationships with all levels of personnel at MERP and client missions.

F. Supervision Exercised: None.

16. REQUIRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS, SELECTION CRITERIA AND EVALUATION PROCESS:

REQUIRED QUALIFICATION AND EVALUATION PROCESS

In order to be considered for the position, a candidate must meet the Minimum Qualifications listed below. Consideration and selection will be based on a panel evaluation of the Evaluation Factors. Please note that only shortlisted/finalist applicants will be interviewed or contacted.

USAID does not pay for any expenses associated with the interviews unless expenses are pre- authorized. Reference checks will be conducted on those candidates selected for an interview. The applicant’s references must be able to provide substantive information about his/her past performance and abilities.

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 (Maximum of 100 Points Available):

Education (10 points) Bachelor degree or equivalent four-year U.S. university degree (equivalency accreditation if a non-U.S. institution) in accounting, law, business, finance, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.

Prior Work Experience (25 points) Five - seven years of progressively responsible professional Acquisition and Assistance (A&A) experience with the U.S. government in complex pre-award, award, and post-award responsibilities. At least two years of this experience should have been overseas in an international setting.

Language Proficiency (10 points) Level IV (fluent) English skills are required. Demonstrated fluency in both written and spoken English is required.

Job Knowledge (35 points)

· A thorough knowledge of Federal regulations, policies, and procedures, as well as a good understanding of the Agency’s programming policies and procedures.

· Working knowledge of U.S. and local market pricing, customs and practices.

· Good knowledge of how commercial businesses and non-profit organizations operate and are motivated, including accounting systems, marketing, cost control, establishment of indirect costs, overhead and other administrative fees and profit.

· Knowledge of and total acceptance and commitment to the required standards of ethics and integrity is mandatory. Knowledge of labor and procurement laws is highly desirable.

Skills and Abilities (20 points)

· Must have demonstrated knowledge of FAR.

· Must have demonstrated knowledge of contract types and possession of requisite skills for the particular A&A assignments (e.g. task orders, construction, commercial items, etc.).

· Must have analytical skills to review a statement of work (or program description) for contractibility, consistency, readability and completeness.

· Must have the ability to prepare solicitations and review and assist in the development of Section L and M evaluation criteria.

· Must have the sufficient verbal skills to present information to A&A staff and other Mission (non- procurement) personnel.

· Must have excellent organizational/time management skills to perform work on multiple ongoing actions, enabling all to move forward to completion, even though each is at a different life-cycle stage with minimal supervision.

· Must have demonstrated excellent analytical skills and the ability to anticipate and evaluate actions/outcomes in work statements, program descriptions and independent government cost estimates.

· Must have demonstrated the ability to speak authoritatively before other USAID personnel, as well as to negotiate and represent the US Government’s best interests to both US and local individuals, most of whom will hold high level positions within their organizations.

· Must have demonstrated excellent interpersonal skills and excellent negotiation skills to be able to orchestrate “win-win” situations between disparate parties.

· Must have the demonstrated ability to absorb a great deal of data and recall the information (e.g. researching regulatory guidance) essential in order to interpret and apply the information to real- life situations.

· Must have demonstrated the ability to analyze evaluation of contractor performance against stated criteria and numerical rating.

· Must have demonstrated the ability to train/transfer knowledge regarding USG contracting rules, regulations, procedures, proposal evaluation, contract creation, and monitoring.

· Must have demonstrated strong computer skills in specialized software, including Windows 2003, the Microsoft Office Suite, word processing and spreadsheets.

17. PAST PERFORMANCE/PROFESSIONAL REFERENCE CHECKS

Applicants must provide at least three references with current contact information, preferably both an e-mail address and a telephone number. 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.

In addition to comments from references, the Selection Committee will take into account awards or other evidence of outstanding performance in any areas related to the above selection criteria. USAID/Frankfurt reserves the right to obtain from previous employers relevant information concerning the applicant's past performance and may consider such information in its evaluation.

18. OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

A. SECURITY AND MEDICAL CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS

The applicant selected to fill this position must be able to obtain a security clearance/employment authorization which involves applicant's comprehensive background investigation performed by a U.S. Government Agency.

The applicant selected to fill the position must also receive medical clearance to work worldwide. Details of how to obtain such clearance will be provided after selection and acceptance of the job offer.

The final selected candidates must obtain security and medical clearances within a reasonable period of time (USAID will provide details regarding these clearances to the selected candidates). A substantial delay in obtaining either required clearance will make the applicant ineligible for selection.

B. COMPENSATION

This position has been classified at GS-12 grade. The actual salary of the successful candidate will be negotiated within that pay band depending on qualifications and previous earning history.

C. TRAVEL

The position requires travelling to Frankfurt and other client missions.

D. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED INFORMATION, FACILITIES, PROPERTY AND SERVICES

The Contractor will NOT be furnished with a residential quarters. During travel to Frankfurt and other client missions, employee will be on TDY status.

E. BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES

As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following:

Benefits:

1. Employee's FICA contribution only for USPSCs

1. Contribution toward Health and Life Insurance as per USG regulations

1. Pay Comparability Adjustment, if any.

1. Annual Salary Increase (if applicable)

1. Annual and Sick Leave as per USG policy

1. Eligibility for Worker’s Compensation as per USG regulations

1. Medevac insurance

1. Access to Embassy medical facilities when in Frankfurt

F. APPLICABLE POLICY DIRECTIVES AND REGULATION PERTAINING TO PSCs

(1) Federal Taxes - US/PSCs and US Resident Aliens (green card holders) are not exempted from payment of Federal Income taxes, FICA, and Medicare.

(2) Acquisition and Assistance Policy Directives (AAPDs) or Contract Information Bulletins (CIBs) contain changes to USAID policy and General Provisions in USAID regulations and contracts. Those documents can be found at this website:

http://www.usaid.gov/business/business_opportunities/cib/subject.html#psc

(3) USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR) applicable to award and administration of USPSC and TCN PSC resident hires is contained in AIDAR Appendix D and J, respectively, and can be found at: http://www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/aidar.pdf. This link comprises of prescribed Contract Schedule, General Provisions as appropriate, as well as the FAR Clauses to be incorporated in full text and by reference.

(4) Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch can be accessed at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2007-title5-vol3/pdf/CFR-2007-title5-vol3-part2635.pdf or http://www.oge.gov/Laws-and-Regulations/Employee-Standards-of-Conduct/Employee-Standards-of-Conduct/

G. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSCs:

(1) AID 302-3 can be downloaded from:: Employment form AID 302-3

(2) Questionnaire for National Security Positions (SF-86)*

(3) Authority for Release of Information (AID 610-14)*

(4) Foreign Residence Data (AID 6-85)*

(5) Fair Credit Reporting Act of 1970, As Amended*

(6) Notice Required by The Privacy Act of 1974*

(7) Fingerprint Cards (FD-258)*

*The above listed forms (2 through 7) shall only be completed upon the advice of the Contracting Officer that an applicant is the successful candidate for the job.

21. INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANTS

A. Qualified applicants are requested to submit a one-page cover letter and a recent CV or resume containing the following information. The CV or resume must contain sufficient relevant information to evaluate the application in accordance with the stated selection criteria. Broad general statements that are vague or lacking specificity will not be considered as effectively addressing particular selection criteria.

B. Applicants are also strongly encouraged to address each of the evaluation criteria above on a separate sheet describing specifically and accurately what experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, education, training and/or awards they have received that are relevant to the criterion. Failure to address the minimum selection and/or quality factors may result in your not receiving credit for all your pertinent experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, education, training and/or awards.

(1) Personal Information: Full name, mailing address (with zip code), email address, day and evening phone numbers, social security number, country of citizenship, highest federal civilian grade held (also give job series and dates held).

(2) Education: High school, name, city and state, date of diploma or GED; colleges and universities, name, city and state, majors, type and year of any degrees received.

(3) Work Experience: provide the following information for your paid and non-paid work experience related to the job for which you are applying (do not send job descriptions); job title (include series and grade if federal job), duties, and accomplishments, employer’s name and address, supervisor’s name and phone number, starting and ending dates (month and year), hours per week and salary. Indicate if we may contact your current supervisor.

(4) Other Qualifications: Other pertinent information related to the qualifications required for the position, as noted above including job-related training courses (title and year), job-related skills; for example, other languages, computer software/hardware, tools, machinery, typing speed, job-related certificates and licenses (current only), job-related honors, awards, and special accomplishments, for example, publications, memberships in professional or honor societies, leadership, activities, public speaking and performance awards (give dates but do not send documents unless requested).

C. Applicants are required to provide three (3) to five (5) references with complete contact information including email address and telephone numbers. The Applicant’s references must be able to provide substantive information about the applicant’s past performance and abilities.

D. Interested applicants must submit all the materials required by the solicitation such as (but not limited to):

Most current curriculum vitae (CV) or resume;

Employment Form AID 302-3: Employment form AID 302-3 Written cover letter of not more than two pages Three (3) to five (5) references who are not family members or relatives, with telephone and email contacts.

E. Forms (2), (3) and (4) above must be signed and those submitted unsigned will be rejected.

F. Applicants should retain for their record copies of all enclosures that accompany their submissions.

G. Please reference the number of this solicitation when sending your application.

H. Any attachments provided via email must be in or compatible with Microsoft Word 2003 or Word 2010 or Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) and not “Zipped”.

[END OF SOLICITATION]