SOL-687-13-000010.docx

Ladies and Gentlemen, The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking applications from qualified United States (US) citizens interested in providing Personal Services Contract (PSC) services as described in the attached solicitation for services.

Interested applicants must submit:

(1) Form OF-612: This form must be signed and completed as much as possible and may reference the CV/resume for a greater detailed explanation of work experience rather than repeat it in the OF-612;

(2) An up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) or resume: Your CV/resume must contain but not limited to the most current

a) work experience;

b) education;

c) certifications;

d) and salary going back three years to date.

(3) Supplemental document specifically addressing the Quality Ranking Factors (QRFs) shown in the solicitation.

(4) References: Three (3) to five (5) 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. If an applicant does not wish for the current employer to be contacted as a reference check, this should be stated in the applicant’s OF-612 form. The interviewing committee will delay such reference check pending communication with the applicant.

Submittals shall be in accordance with the attached 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 QRF. Applicants should note that the salary history for the purposes of the OF-612 is the base salary paid, excluding benefits and allowances such as housing, travel, educational support, vehicle use, etc.

Applications must be received by e-mail by closing date and time specified in the cover letter of this solicitation and should be submitted to E-mail: antananarivoUSAIDHR@usaid.gov Please note that attachments to e-mail must be in Word format (.doc) and Adobe Acrobat format (.pdf) only. Applications in zip or other compressed format will be rejected. To ensure that the application is considered for the intended position, please reference the solicitation number and the position title on your application and in the subject line of any cover letter.

An application received after the closing date and time will be considered late, unless there is acceptable evidence to establish that it was received by the Government installation prior to the time and date specified in the solicitation and in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.412.

Any questions regarding this solicitation may be directed to Ms. Dany Randrianatoavina HR Specialist USAID/Madagascar E-mail: drandrianatoavina@usaid.gov Phone: + (261)33 44 327 18

USAID/Madagascar reserves the right not to award any contract as a result of this solicitation. Applicants should retain for their records copies of all enclosures accompanying their applications.

Sincerely, Thomas D. Bruce Executive Officer

EEO/AA: USAID IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY/ AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER AND PROVIDES EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND FAIR AND EQUITABLE TREATMENT IN EMPLOYMENT TO ALL PEOPLE WITHOUT REGARD TO RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, SEX, NATIONAL ORIGIN, AGE, DISABILITY, POLITICAL AFFILIATION, MARITAL STATUS, OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION.

SOL-687-13-000010 Senior Health Advisor Page 1

US PERSONAL SERVICE CONTRACT

SENIOR HEALTH ADVISOR

1. SOLICITATION NUMBER SOL-687-13-000010

2. ISSUANCE DATE July12, 2013

3. CLOSING DATE/TIME

FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS July 26, 2013 – 14:00, Madagascar time

4. POSITION TITLE: Senior Health Advisor

5. MARKET VALUE: The position is the equivalent of a GS-14 salary (ranging from $85,120 to $110,653 per annum). Final compensation will be based on individual’s qualifications, salary and work history, experience and educational background. Salary above the top of the pay range will not be entertained or negotiated.

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Two (2) years from date of appointment.

7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Antananarivo, Madagascar

8. EVALUATION FACTORS: Evaluation will be done on a 100-point scale: Professional Experience – 45 pts; Program Management – 30 Points; and Interpersonal and Communication Skills – 25 Points.

9. SECURITY ACCESS: SECRET level security clearance

10. AREA OF CONSIDERATION: U.S. Citizens

11. STATEMENT OF WORK/POSITION DESCRIPTION:

I. SCOPE OF WORK

A. BACKGROUND

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)/Madagascar’s Health, Population and Nutrition Office (HPN) implements programs in family planning/reproductive health, maternal and child health, nutrition, water and sanitation, infectious diseases, malaria prevention and control, and HIV/AIDS. The HPN Office also oversees an $85 million, five-year P.L. 480 Title II food security program. FY 2012 Global Health Program (GHP)/USAID funding elements include maternal and child health, malaria, family planning and reproductive health, and HIV/AIDS. Nutrition ended in FY 2010, DA Water ended in FY 2011, and HIV/AIDS (both accounts) will end in FY 2012. HPN partners also collaborate with Title II food security programs to increase the overall effectiveness and reach of USAID’s assistance. Madagascar is a President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) focus country, and a priority country for both family planning/reproductive health and maternal and child health. The FY 2012budget is $50.6 million, roughly half of which is PMI.

Madagascar faces many challenges in reaching its health goals. Barriers include an inadequate level of overall financing, low or uneven utilization of health services, uneven distribution of health personnel, disruptions in the availability of drugs and medical supplies in health facilities, and weaknesses in the internal administration of the health system. The latest challenge has been a March 2009 coup d’état which resulted in a partial suspension of U.S. foreign assistance. Activities working with the government and non-humanitarian projects have been suspended for an indeterminate period of time. However, USAID’s work with civil society, the private sector, and directly with communities is continuing to expand since the coup. Assistance to the Ministry of Public Health (MOH) and other governmental bodies for activities including systems strengthening, national policies and training, and provision of select commodities for the public sector, will resume when U.S. restrictions are lifted.

Over the past five years, USAID programs have contributed to improvements in key health indicators. Some examples recorded from the 2008/2009 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) compared to the previous DHS in 2003/2004 are: a decrease in child mortality from 92 to 72 child deaths per thousand live births; an increase in modern contraceptive prevalence from 18% to 29%; and increase in pregnant women having slept under a mosquito net the previous night from 35 to 50%. However, maternal mortality is still high at 498 per 100,000 live births and the percentage of deliveries assisted by trained personnel is among the lowest in the region. Women and children under age five are the target beneficiaries HPN programs, which also focus on hard-to-reach, rural populations.

The HPN Office directly manages three (3) large multi-year grants and contracts and actively oversees a further ten (10) substantive activities managed by USAID/Washington. The current staff of fourteen (14) includes one (1) US Foreign Service Officers, a USPSC PMI Advisor, a PMI Advisor from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, six (6) senior Foreign Service National (FSN) staff, three (3) program assistant FSN staff, and an FSN secretary.

To assist in the management of the growing HPN program, USAID/Madagascar requires the services of a Senior Health Advisor (SHA) hired through a Personal Services Contract. The current staffing structure with one US Foreign Service Officer, the Director of the Health, Population, and Nutrition Office, needs a leadership depth to provide adequate management, oversight, and guidance for the 14 person staff and the collection of health activities spread across a country the size of France with poor infrastructure. The challenge of interacting with USAID/Washington, senior US Embassy staff, and collaborating with donors and government officials cannot be handled by the HPN Director alone. The Senior Health Advisor Position is intended to be a senior broad based position that would help provide oversight and leadership, for the HPN program and it key components of integrate health care, malaria prevention and control, and the $85 million P.L. 480 Title II development food aid program. The SHA will be based in Antananarivo but the SHA is expected to spend approximately twenty-five (25) percent of his/her time traveling throughout the country to monitor program activities.

B. GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The Senior Health Advisor will ensure effective management of foreign assistance resources and programs in the Family Planning/Reproductive Health, Maternal and Child Health, Malaria, Nutrition, Water and Sanitation, and HIV/AIDS. The Senior Health Advisor will assist the HPN Director in ensuring coordination and with the Mission’s flagship President’s Malaria Initiative and the Mission’s P. L. 480 Title II development food aid program. He/she will also serve as Acting HPN Director and Acting FSDA Director as necessary, as well as serving as the point person for HPN’s budget, reporting, monitoring and evaluation.

C. SPECIFIC DUTIES

The Senior Health Advisor will undertake the following duties:

a) Technical Direction and Program Design

1. Serve as a technical lead, assisting the HPN Director in the planning for a broad range of population/health/nutrition activities, including identifying opportunities for integrating development assistance principles with population/health/nutrition sector programs.

2. Guide HPN staff under his/her supervision in reviewing and analyzing data and providing assistance and advice on population/health/nutrition issues; analyze constraints to development, both sector-wide and country-specific, and recommend courses of action.

3. Lead the formulation, coordination, and management of strategy, policies, concepts, procedures, procurements, guidelines, and models for establishing programs and projects in the HPN areas under his/her direction.

4. Provide direction and technical support to concerned Ministries and non-governmental authorities in the health sector; collaborate with the Government of Madagascar (GOM) in collecting and assessing data for developing national HPN strategies.

5. Serve as the Acting HPN Director as needed, covering the full range of HPN activities in managing HPN personnel, resources, and activities.

6. Coordinate activities with other USAID programs and offices, the Department of State, other USG agencies, the host government, other donors and the private sector in Madagascar.

7. Actively collaborate with other senior managers to identify and leverage opportunities, respond to challenges, and solve problems. Takes an active interest in the work of other technical offices to maximize resource use, make programmatic linkages, encourages staff to collaborate with other teams and offices to promote a Mission-wide team spirit and improve communication.

8. Maintain close, cordial technical management relationships with USAID implementing partners to assure the quality, consistency and coordination of program planning, interpretation of policies and procedures, regulatory compliance and data collection for results reporting.

9. Represent HPN to the Mission Director, the Department of State, USAID/Washington, the GOM, other donors, and the private sector as requested by the HPN Director.

10. Lead the technical design (including Project Appraisal Documents, Scopes of Work, Concept Papers, etc…) and support the procurement processes for new projects and activities as needed.

11. Mobilize short-term technical assistance as needed to enhance the program.

b) Project Management

1. Oversee bilateral and Global Health central contracts, grants and cooperative agreements in the areas under his/her direction and managed by staff under his/her supervision. This includes coaching COTRs/AOTRs and Activity Managers in drafting statements of work and budgets, administratively approving payment vouchers, and performing ongoing project oversight and management. It also includes serving on technical selection committees for acquisition and assistance awards.

2. Oversee all monitoring, evaluation and reporting for activities under his/her areas. Coach staff in preparation of data and narratives for annual planning and reporting documents; gather information for ad hoc requests; and provide success stories and other program write-ups for public dissemination.

3. Serve directly as a COTR/AOTR or Activity Manager as required.

c) Team Management

1. Supervise senior FSN staff, who, in turn supervise mid-level and Program Assistant staff as required.

2. Strengthen supervisee work planning and quality.

3. Mentor staff.

d) As Acting HPN Director

1. Uses broad knowledge of Agency policy and priorities to manage for results by overseeing the budget development and expenditures of HPN resources.

2. Direct the preparation of HPN’s contributions to the Mission’s annual Performance Plan Report (PPR) in collaboration with the HPN partners and the Program Office.

3. Direct the HPN monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system, including supervising the FSN point-person for M&E, keeping the Performance Monitoring Plan up to date and improving and refining indicator/data monitoring systems as needed.

4. Articulates the role of strategic planning in carrying out effective development and ensures that activity design, evaluations, and monitoring contribute to the achievement of the Mission’s development objectives.

5. Reviews and assesses skill requirements and gaps and provides leadership to close the gap to increase program effectiveness and results.

6. In close collaboration with the HPN Director, provides leadership in directing HPN efforts to implement the USAID Forward program, focusing on identifying and promoting ways to increase local capacity, identify and execute independent activity evaluations, and defining and implementing a proactive, timely, and evidences-base site monitoring program that focuses on improving, documenting, and reporting broadly on the human impact of USAID activities.

7. Design, conduct, analyze, and report studies for Mission use in health program planning, with the cooperation and assistance of cooperating country researchers and officials. On the basis of such studies, evaluate effectiveness, efficiency and relevance of the U.S. assistance programs and components in terms of their economic, social, and political impact, and in relation to U.S. and cooperating government objectives in the area of health, nutrition, and population development.

8. Ensure high standards of quality control HPN documents and correspondences produced by HPN staff for presentation to the HPN Director and other offices in the Mission and others outside of USAID/Madagascar.

9. Provide critical guidance to HPN staff to ensure they understand and adhere to HPN and Mission priorities in managing their daily workload. Setting priorities, performance standards, and keeping employees focused and growing will be a key deliverable for the SHA, requiring excellent supervisory and leadership skills.

10. Provide leadership in overseeing the coordination of the primary health, malaria prevention and control, and food security activities to maximize the impact of USAID activities. This will require broad-based knowledge of all three activities, a capacity to work with other sector leaders, and a persistent, comprehensive, and resourceful effort to identify and exploit complementary activities and redundant, wasteful, and inefficient efforts.

Undertake other tasks, as assigned.

II. POSITION ELEMENTS

1. Level of responsibility for decision making

The incumbent is expected to act independently and work with minimal direction. S/he will independently define and carry out duties, prioritize overall objectives, and manage available resources. The incumbent will develop deadlines for activities and other specialized tasks and is responsible for planning and carrying out assignments, resolving most conflicts that arise, and coordinating the work with others as necessary. S/he will interpret policy on his/her own initiative and in terms of established objectives.

2. Level of complexity of work assignments

Duties are varied and require application of methods to a broad range of problems or situations with substantial depth of analysis. The incumbent will oversee a number of technical areas. S/he will need to keep up to date on internationally proven approaches in all of them and work with staff and partners to help bring these to Madagascar as well as share Madagascar’s innovations with others. The incumbent will also need to help HPN respond to the changing aid environment in the country. S/he will be required to have thorough training and progressively responsible experience in the assigned field(s) of activity and the ability to analyze and to adapt prior knowledge and experience to meet requirements imposed by country and Mission conditions. Also, the incumbent must demonstrate initiative, resourcefulness, and the ability to independently perform work of considerable difficulty, complexity and responsibility.

3. Supervisory controls

The incumbent serves the Mission as a senior technical advisor for the health program. The Senior Health Advisor will be supervised on a day-to-day basis by the USAID/Madagascar Health, Nutrition and Population Office Director, who will provide general broad direction and guidelines. Desired results will be outlined in broad terms. Possible alternative methods and procedures may be discussed, but the choice of those to be used will often be left to the discretion of the incumbent. Problems of unusual difficulty or those not commonly associated with the professional specialization or activity will be discussed throughout the term of assignment. The incumbent will work independently and keep his/her supervisor informed of progress in the achievement of objectives and advised of potentially controversial matters. Work will be reviewed in terms of effectiveness in advancing USAID/Madagascar’s health, population and nutrition Strategic Plan and program as enunciated in the annual results reports and resource request submissions, as well as with regard to soundness and effectiveness of decisions and actions, and conformance with policies and regulations.

4. Supervision exercised

The incumbent may supervise three-four professional staff (FSN-10/11/12) and three FSN Program Assistants (FSN 8/9). S/he will: plan and organize the staff work and define scope of the activity; make appropriate work assignments to subordinate staff, usually in terms of the end project desired, and be responsible for the technical soundness and general effectiveness and adequacy of the total work output of the unit; participate in developing requests for additional personnel and in reviewing qualifications of nominees; recommend suitable recognition for outstanding performance; take action to improve staff performance as required; and deal with grievances and complaints.

5. Guidelines

Administrative: Pertinent sources of information include global health and child survival and health, water and sanitation, Global Health Initiative, President’s Malaria Initiative and President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief issued guidelines and information bulletins, and USAID Agency and Bureau rules and regulations which govern the use of the U.S. assistance programs. The incumbent must exercise considerable judgment in determining the application of current legislative provisions and executive policies to assigned responsibilities. The incumbent will be expected to be innovative and original in formulating new or improved approaches to problem resolution.

Professional and technical: The knowledge, methods and techniques from the occupational field are well defined, but require choices of alternative courses of action. They provide opportunity for adaption and the exercise of judgment in the application.

6. Work environment

Work is primarily performed in an office setting. The requirement for field trip assignments to consult with implementing partners of HPN programs may however expose the incumbent to difficult working surroundings and security risks during the course of travel.

7. Scope and effect of work performed

As a Mission technical expert on selected areas of health, population and nutrition programming, and a senior advisor to the HPN Director on HPN management, the incumbent’s recommendations will be given substantial weight in final Mission decisions with respect to HPN programming. The incumbent will lead a subset of the HPN team and work in close collaboration with the rest of the HPN office. S/he will also collaborate closely with the Mission’s Food Security and Disaster Assist Unit as HPN program objectives and geographic scope substantially overlap with activities managed by this Unit.

8. Nature, level and purpose of contacts

The incumbent serves as a secondary point of contact for USAID’s HPN program and a primary point of contact for the technical areas s/he manages. S/he will establish contacts up through senior level of government to the level of Minister as well as with heads of partner donor agencies.

Contact with the USAID Program Development and Assessment, Executive, Contracting, Regional Legal Advisor, and Controller’s Offices; USAID Food Security and Disaster Assistance Unit; USAID/Washington Offices (Global Health and Africa Bureaus); US Embassy Political/Economics, Public Affairs, and Defense Attaché Offices and other Embassy senior staff is for the primary purpose of giving or obtaining information; explaining, interpreting, or advising on noncontroversial matters such as professional, technical, or operational requirements; or conveying work plans, opinions, and program information.

Where the primary purpose of the contact is to: formally represent the organizational unit and to give or obtain technical opinions, explain and interpret policies and objectives, and to seek acceptance of recommendations on professional and/or administrative matters, which may be controversial or novel, the contact does not involve policy making except within the scope delegated by the supervisor. These include: USAID Mission Director; Government of Madagascar Ministries of Water, Public Health and Finance; Donors (UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, World Bank, European Union, French Cooperation and French Agency for Cooperation, Japanese Embassy and JICA, GTZ, etc.).

The incumbent’s contact with USAID implementing partners (contractors, grantees, cooperating agents, etc.) is primarily to formally represent the Mission for a specific sector, program or staff operation and to furnish expert advice and recommendations on professional or administrative matters (primarily to high-level administrative and technical personnel who have policy making, program-planning or comparable responsibilities). This includes: interpreting and defending policies and objectives; negotiating changes; discussing implications of alternative proposals, policies and procedures; and developing understanding and acceptance of recommendations.

12. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

· Master’s degree with significant study in a pertinent field (including, but not limited to public health, development or area studies, or international relations) plus at least 15 years of progressively responsible experience in international public health.

· Overseas residential experience managing large (in excess of $10 million annually), integrated, and complex public health programs, especially community-based programs, in developing countries.

· Demonstrated expertise in monitoring and evaluation of public health programs.

· Supervisory and mentoring experience, minimum seven (7) years.

· French language proficiency at an FSI 3/3 level equivalent or above.

· Basic computer skills, including knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel, e-mail and the internet.

13. SELECTION FACTORS

(Determines basic eligibility for the position. Applicants who do not meet all of the selection factors are considered NOT qualified for the position.)

· Applicant is a U.S. Citizen;

· Complete and hand-signed federal form OF-612 and OF-612 continuation sheets submitted;

· All applicants must submit complete dates (months/years) and hours per week for all positions listed on the OF-612 to allow for adequate evaluation of related and direct experience. Experience that cannot be quantified will not be counted towards meeting the experience requirements.

· Supplemental document specifically addressing the Quality Ranking Factors (QRFs) submitted;

· Ability to obtain a SECRET level security clearance as provided by USAID.

· Ability to obtain a Department of State medical clearance to work in Madagascar;

· Satisfactory verification of academic credentials.

14. QUALITY RANKING FACTORS

(Used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified applicants in comparison to other applicants.)

A. Professional Experience – 45 pts

(i) Knowledge of and experience with international public health programs (10 points)

(ii) Knowledge of and experience with USAID health programs (10 points)

(iii) Technical expertise in a public-health area, such as family planning/reproductive health, maternal and child health, water and sanitation, nutrition, HIV/AIDS and/or malaria. (10 points)

(iv) Supervising and mentoring experience (15 points)

B. Program Management – 30 Points

(i) Ability to manage programs, to include programmatic and financial issues (10 points)

(ii) Ability to monitor and evaluate programs, to include programmatic and financial issues (10 points)

(iii) Ability to review, evaluate and apply complex policies and regulations (10 points)

C. Interpersonal and Communication Skills – 25 Points

(i) Ability to provide rapid, concise, accurate reporting, both verbally and in writing (10 points)

(ii) Ability to work effectively as a technical leader in a multi-cultural environment. (8 points)

(iii) French language skills (7 points)

15. BASIS OF RATING

Applicants who meet the Education/Experience requirements and Selection Factors will be further evaluated based on scoring of the Quality Ranking Factor (QRF) responses. Those applicants determined to be competitively ranked may also be evaluated on interview performance and satisfactory professional reference checks.

Applicants are required to address each of the QRFs on a separate sheet describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards they have received that are relevant to each factor. Be sure to include your name and the announcement number at the top of each additional page. Failure to address the selection and/or Quality Ranking Factors will result in your not receiving credit for all of your pertinent experience, education, training and/or awards.

16. START DATE:

The Contractor should be available to start as soon as possible subject to acppropriate medical and security clearances.

17. POINT OF CONTACT :

See cover letter.

18. INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANTS:

1. APPLYING

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

1. OF-612, Optional Application for Federal Employment Form Qualified applicants are requested to submit complete and hand-signed Optional Application for Federal Employment (OF-612) available at the USAID website, on www.usaid.gov/forms. Applicants are required to sign and scan the certification at the end of the OF-612.

2. Application Letter, Resume/Curriculum Vitae

Applicants shall submit an application letter and a resume which will contain the following information:

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

b) 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 (if no degree, show total credits earned and indicate whether semester or quarter hours);

c) 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, salary. Indicate if we may contact your current supervisor. In addition, applicants should highlight or make special note of relevant significant awards and achievements;

d) 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).

3. Appendix Supplemental document specifically addressing the Quality Ranking Factors (QRFs) shown in the solicitation.

4. Reference Persons Applicants are required to provide three (3) to five (5) references with complete contact information, including E-mail address and telephone numbers, who are not family members or relatives, with working telephone and email contacts. The references must be able to provide substantive information about your past performance and abilities. Reference checks will be made only for applicants considered as finalists. If an applicant does not wish for the current employer to be contacted as a reference check, this should be stated in the applicant’s OF-612 form. The interviewing committee will delay such reference check pending communication with the applicant.

5. Marking Application To ensure consideration of applicants for the intended position, please mark

SOL-687-13-000010, SHA

on your e-mail subject line as well as on any cover letter.

6. Application Submission Applications must be received by closing date and time specified in the cover letter of this solicitation via email at the address:

antananarivoUSAIDHR@usaid.gov Attention: Ms. Dany Randrianatoavina, HR Specialist

Please note that attachments to e-mail must be in Word format (.doc) and Adobe Acrobat format (.pdf) only. Applications in zip or other compressed format will be rejected.

7. Late Submissions

Qualified individuals should note that applications must be received by the closing date and time at the address specified in the cover letter or they will not be considered eligible for evaluation or award, unless Contracting Officer determines that the documents were mishandled by the receiving agency. The closing time for the receipt of applications is 14:00, local time (GMT+3), on the date specified on the covering letter to this solicitation. You are directed to Federal Acquisitions Regulation, Part 15.208 “Submission, modification, revision, and withdrawal of proposals” for further information. USAID/Madagascar reserves the right not to award any contract as a result of this solicitation.

1. SECURITY AND MEDICAL CLEARANCES

i). Medical Clearance: Prior to signing a contract, the selected individual and eligible dependents will be required to obtain a medical clearance or waiver to work in Madagascar. Instructions for obtaining the medical clearance will be forwarded to the selected individual once negotiations have been concluded.

ii). Security Clearance: Prior to signing a contract, the selected individual will be required to obtain a security clearance at SECRET level. Temporary security clearances 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.

1. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSCs

· Optional Form 612. Found at http://www.usaid.gov/forms

Other additional forms, some of which are listed below shall be completed ONLY upon the advice of the Contracting Officer that an applicant is the successful candidate for the position.

· DS 6561, Pre-Assignment for Overseas Duty for Non-Foreign Service Personnel. Found at http://www.state.gov/m/med/c35188.htm

· SF-86, Questionnaire for Sensitive Positions (for National Security) or SF-85, Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions

· Finger Print Card (FD-258)

· OF-126, Residence and Dependency Report

19. REGULATIONS/BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES

i). USAID Regulations:

0. Contract Information Bulletins (CIBs): CIBs contain changes to USAID policy and General Provisions in USAID regulations and contracts. Please refer to this web site – http://transition.usaid.gov/business/business_opportunities/cib/subject.html#psc to determine which CIBs apply to this contract.

2. AIDAR: The Agency for International Development Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR) Appendix D - Direct USAID Contracts with U.S. Citizens or U.S. Residents for Personal Services Abroad found at: http://www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/aidar.pdf is the primary regulation governing USPSCs for USAID.

ii). Benefits, Allowances and U.S. Taxes: As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances (however, as conditions at post change, benefits and allowances may also be changed):

1. Benefits:

1. Employee’s FICA Contribution

1. Annual Contribution towards Health and Life Insurance

1. Pay Comparability Adjustment - - Annual across the board salary increase for USG employees and USPSCs

1. Worker’s Compensation

1. Annual increase

1. Vacation and Sick Leave

1. Access to Health Unit if employee and/or dependents are medically cleared to serve at post of assignment

2. Allowances * (If Applicable):

1. Post Differential (Section 500)

1. Living Quarters Allowance (Section 130)

1. Temporary Lodging Allowance (Section 120)

1. Post Allowance (COLA)(Section 220)

1. Supplemental Post Allowance (Section 230)

1. Payment During Evacuation (Section 600)

1. Education Allowance (Section 270)

1. Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section 260)

1. Danger Pay (Section 650)

1. Educational Travel (Section 280)

* Dept of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR) (Government Civilians Foreign Areas)

3. In-Kind Allowances:

The USG will provide the following in-kind allowances, on par with US Direct Hires at the same location, in lieu of some allowances in paragraph “2. Allowances* (If Applicable)” above:

1. Housing

1. Furniture

1. Appliances

1. Furnishings (drapes/blinds, rugs, lights, etc.)

1. Utilities

1. Guard Services for Residence

4. Federal and State Taxes:

ALL QUALIFIED APPLICANTS WILL BE CONSIDERED REGARDLESS OF AGE, RACE, COLOR, SEX, CREED, NATIONAL ORIGIN, LAWFUL POLITICAL AFFILIATION, NON-DISQUALIFYING HANDICAP, MARITAL STATUS, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AFFILIATION WITH AN EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION, OR OTHER NON-MERIT FACTOR.

END OF SOLICITATION

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