Solicitation_-_Vetting_Offical_GS-13.pdf

ATTACHMENT 1 [SOL:72030618B00009]

*Please see Section 11: Area Of Consideration

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. SOLICITATION NUMBER: SOL:72030618B00009

2. ISSUANCE DATE: November 27, 2017

3. CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR

RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS:

December 10, 2017 no later than 16:30 Kabul time

4. POSITION TITLE:

Vetting Official

5. MARKET VALUE:

GS-13 ($74,584 - $96,958)

Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

The period of performance is one year, with the possibility of extensions.

7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: USAID/Afghanistan

8. WHO MAY APPLY: United States Citizens*

9. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: As an employment pre-condition, the successful applicant is required to obtain a Top Secret/SCI clearance

10. STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

1) General Statement of Purpose of Contract:

USAID/Afghanistan employs procedures to ensure that the Mission's acquisition and assistance programs do not inadvertently provide support to insurgents, criminal patronage networks, corrupt powerbrokers or other malign actors in Afghanistan. Mission Order 201.05 established a Vetting Support Unit (VSU) whose responsibility is to screen prospective non-

US awardees and sub-awardees expected to receive $25,000 or more in USAID funds.

Located in USAID’s Office of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA), VSU in Kabul, Afghanistan, the incumbent will serve as the Vetting Official and will report to the OAA

Supervisory Contracting Officer.

The core responsibilities for this position is the VSU’s day-to-day responsibilities, reviewing and acknowledging vetting inquiries from implementing partners, Mission technical offices and Mission and Washington leadership, technical offices and implementing partners. The incumbent will be readily able to apply supervision, guidance and mentoring to Cooperating

Country Nationals (CCN) and is responsible for ensuring that vetting requests are properly received, reviewed and processed in a timely manner. The position requires in-depth knowledge of USAID/Afghanistan awards. The incumbent must be able to work independently and effectively manage the VSU.

2) Statement of Duties to be Performed:

The core responsibilities of the incumbent of this position will be to supervise CCNs and manage the daily inflow of new vetting requests; while also managing vetting priorities to be communicated and coordinated with USAID’s Office of Security (SEC). The incumbent’s role will be critical to ensuring that vetting requests received are complete and accurate prior to being entered into the Partner Vetting System database (PVS) and submitted to the security analysts for vetting. Finally, the incumbent will also be responsible for assisting in the coordination of receiving the security analysts’ recommendations of ineligibility and scheduling classified meetings with the Mission’s Anti-Corruption and Terrorism (ACT)

Committee, so that a final vetting determination can be made.

The incumbent’s responsibilities involves a wide range of administrative actions, including responding to implementing partners and Mission questions on the status of vetting requests;

expediting vetting requests; drafting formal responses to USAID and other U.S. Government audits; processing vetting requests in the PVS; sending eligibility and ineligibility notices

(through the Contracting Officers/Agreement Officers) to implementing partners as well as

Contracting Officer’s Representatives (CORs), and Agreement Officer’s Representatives

(AORs). The incumbent will serve as the official liaison between the VSU and Implementing

Partners for vetting issues. The incumbent will coordinate with USAID’s SEC; Department of Defense’s Task Force 2010; and the U.S. Embassy’s Inter-Agency Vendor Vetting

Working Group.

Vetting:

The incumbent will lead and manage the vetting process from receipt of the vetting request through the receipt of final vetting results, to include managing vetting results in coordination with SEC. In addition; the incumbent will participate in the Embassy’s Inter-Agency Vendor

Vetting Working Group, to facilitate the exchange of information needed by Mission management to make vetting-related decisions.

The main tasks under this area of responsibility include the following:

Provides oversight responsibilities for the vetting database, process, and data quality, from the receipt of the vetting request by the VSU, through the receipt of vetting results.

Assists Office Directors, CO/AOs and COR/AORs, in determining vetting priorities under their respective portfolios. Maintains a system that tracks priorities, and communicates with the Vetting Adviser in the Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan

Affairs (OAPA) and Security Analysts on these priorities.

Creates and presents reports on vetting issues, as requested by management. Verifies vetting results with the security analysts to determine final vetting status. Following a final determination reports any findings and ensures that updates of the vetting determinations are recorded in the system.

Reviews vetting details in conjunction with the Vetting Centers to determine the results for an awardee for which an issue was reported.

Generates reports for Mission Management to analyze different aspects of awardee data, vetting results, award details and other statistical information. As required, gathers data, prepares status reports including analysis of problems and recommendations for corrective actions, improvements for the VSU and the vetting process and to address audit calls.

Prepares background documents and briefs Deputy Mission Directors. Incumbent may serve as the USAID representative to working groups and task forces dealing with vendor vetting and other relevant issues.

Prepares background documents and briefs for USAID officials in Afghanistan and

Washington on the vetting process.

Manages the vetting process from the receipt of the vetting request through the communications of vetting requests to requestors. The incumbent is considered the primary individual responsible for the maintenance and oversight of the vetting database in at the Mission that is done by the unit. The incumbent will manage and oversee the quality and integrity of potential awardees information is entered in the vetting database, including initial entry/verification of vetting data, verification of potential awardees vetting status, submission of vetting or sub-vetting request, entry/update of award and sub-award data, coordination of additional information requests, and communication of vetting results.

Supervision and Staff Development:

The incumbent will provide management and supervisory oversight on all aspects of the VSU staff; in coordination with the Vetting Adviser and OAA Supervisory Contracting Officer.

Supervises and leads multiple local A&A Assistants assigned to the VSU; assigns workload among vetting staff;

Reviews work product for compliance and accuracy and ensures the work product of the office meets the Mission’s and/or all stakeholder policies and regulatory requirements and standards.

Develops expertise in all service areas supported by the VSU staff, and mentors and cross-trains subordinates in all service areas. Mentors staff in developing good customer service and effective working relationships with the implementing partners, Mission staff, and the Vetting Centers as well as Government of Afghanistan officials, as appropriate.

Administrative responsibilities, mentoring, training and capacity building:

Incumbent may be required to certify employee bi-weekly timesheets, and reject requested leave, premium pay, etc. as appropriate.

The incumbent will be responsible for assisting in educating Mission staff and implementing partners on various program support policy and procedures.

The incumbent will coordinate with the Vetting Adviser in Washington D.C. to design and implement on a recurring basis, training programs for Mission staff and implementing partners on vetting procedures, policy changes, vetting updates and all other topics related to vetting as necessary.

3) USAID Consultation or Orientation (if applicable):

The selected applicant shall proceed to the Washington, DC area for two weeks of mandatory training to complete the Foreign Affairs Counter Threat (FACT) and the Afghanistan

Familiarization (FAM) courses (if FAM was not completed within the past five years and if

FACT training did not include the ESCAPE Module) prior to proceeding to

USAID/Afghanistan to commence duties as outlined in the statement of work. FACT and

FAM are mandatory courses for service in Afghanistan.

4) Supervisory Relationship:

The incumbent will serve as an advisor, team leader and mentor to delegated staff. The frequent turnover of the CCN/Eligible Family Member (EFM) staff at USAID/Afghanistan means that quick and effective training of new staff is critical to enable those staff to make meaningful contributions to the VSU. The incumbent will train and mentor staff in all aspects of providing vetting support in the areas of vetting documentation and filing. The incumbent will endeavor to involve staff extensively in the vetting work, exposing them to increasing levels of responsibility, substance and independence.

5) Supervisory Controls:

Incumbent is supervised by the Supervisory CO. Thus, the incumbent will receive guidance and oversight from the Supervisory CO. Vetting Advisor and the supervisor will train, mentor the incumbent and assign work as applicable. The incumbent will be responsible for carrying out all assigned work where by some tasks will require supervisor review and clearance.

Incumbent will be a team leader for Foreign Service Nationals (FSNs) holding the title of

A&A Assistants. Incumbent will be assigned to the VSU and will provide guidance, training and experience-based knowledge.

11. AREA OF CONSIDERATION:

Be a U.S. citizen;

Submit a complete application as outlined in the solicitation section titled

APPLYING;

Be able to obtain a Top Secret clearance/SCI;

Be able to obtain a Department of State medical clearance (Class 1);

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;

Employment is subject to funds availability and all the required approvals obtained.

12. PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The primary location of work will be on the U.S. Embassy/USAID compound in Kabul, Afghanistan. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

13. POINT OF CONTACT:

Any questions about this solicitation may be directed to: KblAIDHR@usaid.gov.

Note: No in-person appointments or telephone calls will be entertained.

mailto:KblAIDHR@usaid.gov

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:

a) Education: A Bachelor’s degree Homeland Security, Criminal Justice, International

Relations, Law, Public/Private Administration, Management or Business

Administration is required. (Educational requirement must be met at the time of application for the subject position.)

b) Work Experience: A minimum of seven years of employment or interaction with

USG departments or agencies or other international development organizations in the security/law enforcement, investigator or intelligence field is required. (Work experience requirements must be met at the time of application for the subject position.)

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 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.

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 supplemental document included with the application package, applicants should cite specific, illustrative examples to address each factor. Responses are limited to 500 words (approx. 1/2 typewritten page) per factor.

Applicants should describe specific and accurate 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 will result in the applicant not receiving full credit for pertinent experience.

FACTOR #1:

In 500 words or less, compare and contrast what you learned in formal education to what you have learned through on-the-job experience, as it relates to your profession.

FACTOR #2:

In 1000 words or less, outline how you have demonstrated your knowledge in managing and performing data analysis and validations; data planning and quality control; qualitative and quantitative statistical sampling; information analysis, designing and implementation of evidentiary assessments and developing analytical reports. Experience working in conflict or post-conflict situations. Additionally, the incumbent must have experience providing training.

FACTOR #3:

In 500 words or less, outline how you have demonstrated extensive knowledge of electronic records management (database) and in creating and maintaining spreadsheets. Additionally, the incumbent must demonstrate a good understanding of the operational environment in order to manage the data entry process and verify information provided for vetting.

Knowledge of and experience working in or on Afghanistan or other critical priority countries on post war related issues. Incumbent must have demonstrated experience leading meetings at all levels. Additionally, the incumbent will be required to conduct trainings, including to U.S. Government staff and implementing partners on vetting procedures, policy changes.

FACTOR #4:

In 500 words or less, outline how you have demonstrated your strong organizational skills and ability to plan and provide required acquisition/assistance support for

USAID/Afghanistan in a timely and effective manner. Good analytical, negotiating, and time management skills are required, with strong proofreading skills and attention to detail is required. The incumbent must possess the skills to write clear and concise memoranda for leadership. Strong interpersonal skills are required. The ability to work calmly, tactfully, and effectively under pressure is essential, as well as the ability to maintain strict confidentiality and high ethical standards throughout all phases of acquisition and assistance actions. In addition, the incumbent must be able to lead meetings at all levels, provide effective and tactful ethics guidance to senior management personnel, and senior executives of private sector and non-governmental organizations and must be prepared to uphold ethical standards in this role.

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 in order to be considered. Only the highest-ranked applicants will be interviewed.

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:

Evaluation Factors

Factor #1 10 points

Factor #2 10 points

Factor #3 10 points

Factor #4 10 points

Interview Performance 60 points

Interview questions will revolve around the following areas:

Work effectively as a team

Quickly adjust to a challenging operational tempo

Communicate effectively

Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks – Pass/Fail (no points assigned)

Total Possible Points: 100

IV. APPLYING

All applications must be submitted electronically by e-mail with the subject line

SOL:72030618B00009- Vetting Official to: kblaidpscjobs@usaid.gov

Attention: Executive Officer

USAID/Afghanistan

Human Resources Office

Applicants may submit an application against this solicitation prior the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3 mentioned above unless revised. The highest ranking applications may be selected for an interview.

Qualified applicants must submit the following documents or their applications will not be considered for this position:

1. U.S. government AID 302-3 form which is available at the following website:

https://www.usaid.gov/forms/aid-302- 3

2. A current curriculum vitae (CV) or resumé.

3. A minimum of three (3) professional references with telephone and e-mail contacts, who are not family members or relatives, with working telephone and email contacts. The applicant's references must be able to provide substantive information about his/her past performance and abilities. At least one reference provided should be a current or former supervisor.

4. A supplemental document with written responses to the Evaluation Factors.

Candidates who are applying for this position must fully meet the education requirement

(graduated and degree and/or diploma already received) as specified. At the time of applications, candidates must also meet in full the experience requirement. There is no exception for these requirements.

mailto:kblaidpscjobs@usaid.gov https://www.usaid.gov/forms/aid-302-%203

Short-listed candidates will be requested to provide educational documents such as degrees, diplomas, certificates and other pertinent documents as needed. Failure to provide the required documentation will result the rejection of their application from further consideration.

Please cite the solicitation number and position title within the subject line of your email application. Any attachments provided via email must be compatible with Microsoft Word

2003 or PDF and not zipped. Note that attachments to email must not exceed 3 MB.

Application letters and forms must be signed. Incomplete and unsigned applications/forms will not be considered.

Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

The Agency retains the right to cancel or amend the solicitation and associated actions at any stage of the recruitment process.

V. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSC HIRES

The Contracting Officer will notify the selected applicant and provide instructions regarding how to complete and submit the following forms:

1. Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306)

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

3. Pre-Deployment Physical Exam Acknowledgement Form (DS-6570)

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 to the benefits and allowances listed in this section.

1. BENEFITS:

1) Contribution toward Health & life insurance

2) Pay Comparability Adjustment

3) Eligibility for Worker's Compensation

4) Annual & Sick Leave

5) Access to Embassy medical facilities, commissary and pouch mail service as per post policy

2. ALLOWANCES (If Applicable)*:

1) Temporary Lodging Allowance (Section 120)

2) Living Quarters Allowance (Section 130)

3) Post Allowance (Section 220)

4) Supplemental Post Allowance (Section 230)

5) Post Differential (Chapter 500)

6) Payments during Evacuation/Authorized Departure (Section 600)

7) Danger Pay (Section 650)

8) Education Allowance (Section 270)

9) Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section 260)

10) Education Travel (Section 280)

* Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians Foreign Areas).

*Eligibilities for allowances are in accordance with Standardized Regulations (Government

Civilians Foreign Areas) based on the type of appointment and Mission Policy.

VII. TAXES

USPSC’s are required to pay Federal income taxes, FICA, Medicare and applicable State

Income taxes.

VIII. USAID REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND CONTRAT CLAUSES PERTAINING

TO PSCs

USAID regulations and policies governing USPSC 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,” 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.

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.

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.

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.

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