SOL-442-16-000004-CinA_FCF_Ed_Advisor_final.pdf

SOLICITATION NUMBER: SOL-442-16-000004

ISSUANCE DATE: December 3, 2015 CLOSING DATE/TIME: December 17, 2015, 4:00 p.m. Cambodia time

SUBJECT: Solicitation for a U.S/Third Country National Personal Services Contractor (PSC)

Dear prospective applicant:

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 this solicitation. This is a resident-hire position; only certain allowances may be authorized.

Application must be made in accordance with Attachment 1, Sections I through V of this solicitation.

Incomplete or unsigned applications will not be considered. Applicants should retain copies of all application 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 application.

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

Sincerely, Reid H. Ahl, CM

Executive Officer

Attachment 1: Solicitation a/s

Attachment 1, SOL-442-16-000004, Advisor for Children in Adversity & Education

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. SOLICITATION NUMBER: SOL-442-16-000004

2. ISSUANCE DATE: December 3, 2015

3. CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS: December 17, 2015, 4:00 p.m., Cambodia time

4. POSITION TITLE: Children in Adversity (Family Care First) and Education Advisor

5. MARKET VALUE: $86,399 - $112,319 equivalent to GS-14. The final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value based on the successful candidate’s salary history, work experience and educational background.

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Two Years (2 years) (o/a February 1, 2016 – January 31, 2018)

7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: USAID/Cambodia – Phnom Penh, Cambodia with possible travel as stated in the Statement of Work.

8. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Facility Access / Employment Authorization

9. STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

a. General Background and Purpose of Contract:

• Cambodia is a priority country for the U.S. government (USG) under the Action Plan for Children in Adversity (APCA) which seeks to integrate internationally recognized, evidence-based good practices into international assistance for children.

The APCA has three principal objectives:

o Build Strong Beginnings: Integrate a child’s biological need for stimulation and responsive caregiving into health, nutrition, and early education programs for young children.

o Put Family Care First: Support and enable families to care for their children, prevent unnecessary family-child separation, and promote appropriate, protective and permanent family care.

o Protect Children: Facilitate the efforts of national governments and partners to prevent, respond to, and protect children from violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect.

• USAID/Cambodia will launch programming for APCA with a focus on Family Care First with a goal to develop sustainable solutions to substantially reduce the number of children outside of family care in Cambodia.

• In addition to initiating the above APCA in Cambodia, FY 2016 will also be a turning point for USAID/Cambodia education programs. USAID/Cambodia is currently in process of devising its education strategy, which will focus on basic education. While the vision is still in process, USAID Cambodia’s education strategy will be aligned with the Agency’s Education Strategy and complement the work currently undertaken by other donors and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports in Cambodia.

• Under the direct supervision of the Director, USAID/Cambodia Office of Public Health and Education (OPHE), or his/her designee, the Advisor will work as part of the USAID OPHE office to provide technical oversight to USAID’s Children in Adversity (Family Care First) and Education programs. S/he will provide day-to-day program management and oversight for specific Children in Adversity (Family Care First) and Education activities and cross-cutting, multi-sectoral approaches. The Advisor will facilitate communication and maintain collaborative working relationships with mid-to senior level government officials of the Cambodian government, development partners and non-governmental organizations. S/he is expected to function with a high degree of independence and work as a member of the USAID OPHE office and work closely with other USG agencies, including the State Department and Peace Corps.

• The Children in Adversity (Family Care First) and Education Advisor will provide technical and management leadership among all USG agencies, development partners, all levels of government, the private sector and international technical organizations. The Advisor must have experience and skills in strategic thinking and analysis; technical leadership; program planning and implementation; advocacy, communication and program management. The Advisor will be a social sector expert with relevant practical experience. As part of an overall coordination and advocacy role with USG and all other social sector and education partners, s/he will be responsible for providing direction, management, technical assistance and oversight to the USG’s portfolio of social sector (non-health) projects/activities in Cambodia.

S/he will serve in an advisory and program management capacity for all social sector (non-health) activities in the USAID/Cambodia portfolio. S/he will provide technical and management leadership among development partners, all levels of government, the private sector and international technical organizations in support of USAID’s social sector (non-health) programs. S/he will provide advice to USAID and USG agencies to ensure and enhance the effectiveness of activities through high quality design, well-managed implementation and appropriate monitoring and evaluation.

S/he will be responsible for relevant report writing components of the annual Operational Plan, Country Operational Plan and semi-annual and annual reporting.

b. Statement of Duties to be performed. To successfully fulfill his/her role in this position, the Children in Adversity (Family Care First) and Education Advisor will focus his/her efforts in the following three areas:

Children in Adversity (Family Care First) 60% Serve as the lead technical expert on Children in Adversity (Family Care First) Goal 2 for the U.S. government in Cambodia. Provide strategic direction, identify opportunities, and coordinate program initiatives related to Objective 2. Other duties and responsibilities include, and are not limited to:

• Oversee APCA-related Family Care First activities funded from USAID Washington, including 3PC and any new projects that result from the Family Care First initiative. In this role as Activity Manager, coordinate projects, facilitate quarterly meetings, review and provide comments on work plans and reports, initiate or participate in relevant government meetings, brief senior US government staff as necessary or as requested, coordinate with USAID Center on Children in Adversity with the Displaced Children and Orphans Fund (CECA/DCOF) staff, and support events, visits, and outreach-related tasks.

• Function as the Activity Manager for Mission-based programming supporting APCA Family Care First objectives. Manage project performance through a robust monitoring and evaluation plan, review semi-/annual project reports, project accrual information, and quarterly financial reports, prepare documents if financial or programmatic amendments to agreements are necessary, review project vouchers for accuracy, and approve project requests.

• Track and fully understand the status of all significant activities supported by the U.S.

government and other donors that contribute to the APCA Objective 2, Family Care First.

Communicate information to other development partners, the Cambodian government, U.S. government interagency team in Cambodia, and relevant USAID CECA/DCOF staff, and maintain positive and collaborative relationships with all stakeholders.

• Write USAID documentation such as action memos, waivers, justifications and acquisition documents, operational plan narratives, scopes of work, and other correspondence as required. Provide draft language for the Cambodia section of the Annual Report to Congress that USAID CECA/DCOF is required to submit under U.S.

Public Law 109-95.

• Hold regular meetings with implementing partners and perform assessments as needed to provide programmatic and technical support and assurances to the USAID Mission. Visit USAID-funded project field sites to anticipate, recognize, and resolve any potential problems with partners and bring major program issues to the attention of appropriate USAID staff as necessary.

• Ensure involvement by the Cambodian government and promote alignment of APCA Objective 2 Family Care First within its policies and programs. Advocate, as relevant, with government through formal and informal means.

Education 25%

• Assist with coordination on education programs to the USAID Mission, the broader USG team, and USAID implementing partners in coordination with the Agreement Officer’s Representative/Contracting Officer’s Representative (AOR/COR).

• Provide on-going program advice for the Mission’s education strategy including development of key planning and reporting documents.

• Work closely with the Cambodian government, bilateral and multilateral agencies and other key stakeholders to strengthen education collaboration at the national level to support the development of country ownership and capacity.

• Monitor current education literature, reports, international guidelines and standards as well as best practices in education and provide recommendations in developing innovative approaches to designing, implementing and evaluating education-related programs for Cambodia.

• Conduct regular site visits to review program implementation and meet with beneficiaries. Based on information collected during field visits, communicate findings and recommendations to the OPHE office and, as appropriate, implementing partners and MOEYS counterparts.

• Communicate findings from information collected during site visits, assessment reports, performance statistics and other available data to provide programmatic recommendations to the USAID Education Team, and, as appropriate, implementing partners and Cambodian government counterparts.

• Provide inputs on annual project work plans and participate in USAID project portfolio reviews.

• Provide program assistance (including drafting briefing papers, cables, and memos for information and action) for education activities.

Related Duties 15 % The Children in Adversity (Family Care First) and Education Advisor will work within the context of supporting the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh’s development assistance goals. The Children in Adversity (Family Care First) and Education Advisor will represent USAID/Cambodia in appropriate international fora. S/he will work closely with Mission team members, to include the FSN Education Specialist and FSN Program Specialist, as well as other Missions in the region as needed. The Children in Adversity (Family Care First) and Education Advisor will mentor and/or coach Cambodian staff on best practices in social services (non-health). The incumbent may also be called upon to support special projects or events which may require compiling information and/or escorting and briefing visitors.

c. Supervisory relationship: This is not a supervisory position.

d. Supervisory Controls: The incumbent will be supervised by the Office Director of the

Office of Public Health and Education (OPHE), USAID/Cambodia, or his/her designee.

10. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The primary location of work will be in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Work in the office is expected to be most sedentary. Secondary locations may include Implementing Partner and Ministry offices, project site locations, and attendance at conferences and training.

11. POINT OF CONTACT: Complete, signed application packages should be submitted by email to Mr. Reid Ahl at rahl@usaid.gov with a courtesy copy to Ms. Chhorvy Heng at cheng@usaid.gov. Incomplete or unsigned applications will not be considered. Digital signatures are acceptable.

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

In order to be considered for the position, a candidate must meet the Minimum Qualifications.

Applications will be pre-screened and only those that meet the Minimum Qualifications will be considered. These are the minimum qualifications necessary to be considered for the position:

mailto:rahl@usaid.gov mailto:cheng@usaid.gov

• Education: A Bachelor's degree in social work, social welfare, education or international development.

• Experience: A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in development and/or social services, including policy, program design, oversight and implementation is required. Experience in Southeast Asia is desired, experience in Cambodia is preferred.

III. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

The Evaluation Factors listed will be the basis for evaluating and ranking applicants for the position.

Applicants will be scored based on the documentation submitted within the application. Applicants must submit a supplemental document outlining their responses to the evaluation factors listed in paragraph 2, below, in order to be considered. Only the highest-ranked applicants will be interviewed.

1. 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 will 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.

To meet basic eligibility requirements, the applicant must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident/registered alien (“green card holder”) or a Third Country National (e.g.; a citizen of a country other than Cambodia);

• Submit a complete application as outlined in the section titled APPLYING;

• Be able to attain employment authorization/facility access;

• Be able to obtain a Department of State medical clearance;

• Be available and willing to work additional hours beyond the established 40-hour workweek, including weekends, as may be required or necessary;

• Be willing to travel to work sites and other offices as/when requested.

2. EVALUATION FACTORS

Those applicants who meet the minimum education and experience qualifications will be evaluated based on the content of their application as well as on the applicant’s writing, presentation, and communication skills. On a supplement document included with the application package, applicants should cite specific, illustrative examples to address each factor. Responses are limited to 1,000 words (approx. 1 typewritten page) per factor. Applicants should describe specifically and accurately experience, training, education and/or awards they have received that are relevant to the factor.

Applicants should include their name and the announcement number at the top of each additional page. Failure to specifically address the Evaluation Factors may result in the applicant not receiving full credit for pertinent experience.

Factor #1: Describe your comprehensive knowledge, state of the art approaches, and understanding of social sector reforms and policies that would support the Family Care First initiative.

Factor #2: Outline your experiences and successes working collaboratively with senior managerial and technical host-country counterparts, donors, and other stakeholders at national and decentralized levels.

Factor #3: Describe your ability to work effectively in teams and collaborate in a multi-agency setting.

Factor #4: Outline your management and analytical skills to strategize, develop, manage, implement and evaluate effective development activities.

3. BASIS OF RATING

Applicants who clearly meet the Education/Experience requirements and basic eligibility 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 and satisfactory professional reference checks. The Applicant Rating System is as follows:

Factor #1 15 Factor #2 15 Factor #3 15 Factor #4 15

Interview Performance 40 Interview questions will revolve around the candidate’s propensity to:

• Quickly integrate into the USAID/Cambodia operational rhythm,

• Solve and/or resolve issues, and

• Contribute to success of the project.

Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks – Pass/Fail (no points assigned) Total Possible Points: 100

IV. APPLYING

1. Qualified individuals are required to submit:

a. Cover Letter;

b. Curriculum Vitae or resume;

c. Form AID 302-3 (available at http://www.usaid.gov/forms/);

d. Supplemental document addressing the evaluation factors;

e. Salary history for the last three years; and

f. List of three professional references who are familiar with your work experience.

2. Applications 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 11.

3. To ensure consideration of applications for the intended position, applicants must prominently reference the solicitation number in the application submission.

http://www.usaid.gov/forms/

V. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSC HIRES

Once the contracting officer informs the successful applicant about being selected for a contract award, s/he will provide the successful applicant instruction about how to complete and submit the following forms:

1. Offeror Information for Personal Services Contracts (Form AID 302-3)

2. Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306)

3. Medical History and Examination Form (DS-6561)

4. Questionnaire for Sensitive Positions (for National Security) (SF-86), or Questionnaire for non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85).

5. Finger Print Card (FD-258)

VI. BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES

As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following listed benefits and allowances.

1. BENEFITS:

• Employer’s FICA Contribution

• Contribution toward Health & Life Insurance

• Pay Comparability Adjustment

• Annual Increase (pending a satisfactory performance evaluation)

• Eligibility for Worker’s Compensation

• Annual & Sick Leave

2. ALLOWANCES (DSSR* Section)

This is a resident-hire position, only certain allowances may be authorized.

• Temporary Lodging Allowance (Section 120)

• Living Quarters Allowance (Section 130)

• Post Allowance (Section 220)

• Supplemental Post Allowance (Section 230)

• Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section 260)

• Education Allowance (Section 270)

• Education Travel (Section 280)

• Post Differential (Chapter 500)

• Payments during Evacuation/Authorized Departure (Section 600)

• Danger Pay (Section 650)

*Department of State Standardized Regulations

VII. TAXES

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

VIII. ACQUISITION & ASSISTANCE POLICY DIRECTIVES (AAPD) AND CONTRACT

INFORMATION BULLETINS (CIB) PERTAINING TO PSCs

AAPDs and CIBs contain changes to USAID policy and General Provisions in USAID regulations and contracts. Please refer to this website to determine which AAPDs and CIBs apply to this contract.

http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs#psc http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs%23psc

ALL QUALIFIED APPLICATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED REGARDLESS OF AGE, RACE,

COLOR, SEX, CREED, NATIONAL ORIGIN, LAWFUL POLITICAL AFFILIATION, NON-

DISQUALIFYING DISABILITY, MARITAL STATUS, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AFFILIATION

WITH AN EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION, OR OTHER NON-MERIT FACTOR.