SOLICITATION.Senior_Program-Project_Specialist.pdf

ISSUANCE DATE: February 26, 2019 CLOSING DATE/TIME: March 11, 2019

1500 Local time, Tegucigalpa, Honduras 1700 Eastern Time

SUBJECT: Solicitation for U.S. Personal Service Contractor (PSC) for a Senior Program/Project

Development Specialist

SOLICITATION No.: SOL-72052219R00003

Dear Prospective Applicant:

The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in

Honduras, is seeking applications from qualified individuals in providing personal services as described in this solicitation.

Submissions shall be in accordance with the information provided below, and sent electronically to tegucigalpahr@usaid.gov by the date and time specified above. To ensure consideration of the application for the intended position, the applicant must prominently submit a signed Application Form AID-309-2 with a

Curriculum Vitae or resume attached and comply with the requirements as established below. Incomplete or unsigned applications will not be considered. All e-mail submissions must contain the Solicitation Number, SOL-72052219R00003, in the subject line.

It is recommended that the applicant retain copies of all application materials for their records. Please note that USAID/Honduras does not accept responsibility for delays in transmission or receipt of any application.

Applications received after the Closing Date and Closing Time specified will not be considered.

This solicitation in no way obligates USAID/Honduras to award a PSC contract, nor does it commit

USAID/Honduras to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of the application. Also, USAID/Honduras reserves the right to award, or not to award the contract herein contemplated, subject to availability of funds.

Any questions must be directed in writing to Clint Branam (cbranam@usaid.gov) or Sandra Aguilera

(saguilera@usaid.gov) no later than the deadline noted above.

Sincerely, Clinton Branam Contracting Officer mailto:saguilera@usaid.gov https://www.usaid.gov/forms/aid-309-2 mailto:cbranam@usaid.gov mailto:saguilera@usaid.gov

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. SOLICITATION NUMBER: SOL-72052219R00003

2. ISSUANCE DATE: February 26, 2019

3. CLOSING DATE/TIME March 11, 2019

FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: 1500 Local time, Tegucigalpa, Honduras 1700 Eastern Time

4. POSITION TITLE: Senior Program/Project Development Specialist

5. MARKET VALUE: $89,370.00 - $116,181.00 per annum, equivalent to GS-14.

Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value. Salaries over and above the top of the pay range will not be entertained or negotiated. Other allowances will be granted as applicable in the Cooperating Country. The incumbent must be willing and available to fulfill the terms of this contract in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Full-time

7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Tegucigalpa, Honduras

8. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Secret Security Clearance

9. STATEMENT OF DUTIES

1. Purpose of the contract:

The Senior Program/Project Development Specialist provides leadership in the Mission with respect to certain topics, including, but not limited to citizen security, violence prevention and migration. This position will support the implementation of high-priority U.S. Government (USG) priorities, including the reduction of illegal immigration and high violence in Honduras. S/he will provide expert guidance to the Mission Director, USG interagency and USAID Technical Teams in their implementation of programming and activities that further USG interests in these fields. Under guidance from the Program Officer, the Senior Program/Project Development Specialist will cultivate relationships with the Government of Honduras (GOH), civil society and other donors active in these areas.

USAID/Honduras has an integrated portfolio supporting three Development Objectives (DOs), to increase citizen security, reduce extreme poverty, and support transparency and accountability with public administration. This Senior Program/Project Development Specialist will communicate with DO Teams in the Mission to ensure their consideration and adoption of appropriate measures related to migration and violence prevention. S/he will serve as the Mission’s representative on related matters within the interagency and advise Mission leadership on course of action.

2. Statement of duties to be performed:

The incumbent provides expert guidance and information to USAID and Embassy Front Office leaders, specifically the Ambassador/Chargé and the Mission Director, on migration-related developments and topics. S/he will also be required to manage the Mission’s coordination of the Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI) with other US agencies, GOH ministries, and other public and private sector partners. Within this, s/he serves as the activity manager and/or Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) to migration and/or violence prevention-related activities. As such, the Senior Program/Project Development Specialist provides overall guidance to the Mission in strategy, program, and activity matters, and informs and oversees the design, implementation, and monitoring of both the migration and violence prevention sectors, providing a link between these two high priority areas as well as advising on their relationship with other USAID priorities such as economic growth and anti-corruption by carrying out the following duties, but not limited to:

• Provide expertise and advice to Mission leadership and the interagency, specifically Embassy Front

Office leadership, on issues and news; consults on recommended course of action.

• Lead the coordination for and planning of relevant regional activities, including their implementation and presence in country, ensuring congruence with bilateral activities.

• Participate in the conceptual design of new activities in the violence prevention and migration sectors (e.g., analyzing and clarifying the development problem; defining the criteria by which the success or failure of planned activities will be measured).

• Coordinate, provide guidance for and facilitate migration-related workshops and information-sharing sessions with USAID and the interagency.

• In conjunction with the Migration, Repatriation and Reintegration Specialist, assist technical teams in complying with USAID migration guidance and policies and provide expert feedback and guidance as to adjustment and alignment with ongoing USG migration-related strategies.

• Liaise with the GOH on migration practices and serve as the primary interlocutor with the Embassy interagency on migration issues. This will also include representing USAID at Working Group and other related events.

• Facilitate migration and violence prevention procurement actions by reviewing and clearing procurement requests for clarity and consistency with USG bilateral agreements, laws and regulations.

• Support Mission technical offices, PO Communications team, and the Front Office by drafting or reviewing and editing materials on USAID programs, success stories, and program descriptions for the USAID webpage, and briefing documents for senior USAID and USG officials. Will also provide support to the PO Communications Team with the implementation of the Mission’s communications strategy as well as with the development of new Mission outreach activities that are related to his/her work area.

3. USAID Consultation or Orientation:

Training on leadership and management skills, and other Agency specific courses required to fulfill certain responsibilities will be provided as long as resources and opportunities are available.

Specific job related on-line courses will also be provided as well as extensive on-the-job training on USAID organization, policies, procedures, and integrated systems. Other training to fulfill the responsibilities of the position will be provided as opportunities arise and as funds are available.

4. Supervisory Relationship:

The Incumbent reports to the Program Officer. The incumbent will be expected to suggest assignments and practical overall approaches to their execution. The supervisor will review these suggestions and, if approved, will provide wide latitude to the incumbent in determining the details of their execution. By and large, the incumbent independently plans, designs and carries out project, studies, and programs and results of the work are considered technically authoritative for the purposes of the Mission.

5. Supervision/Oversight over others:

Supervision of other USAID staff is not contemplated. However, due to the nature of the work involved, guidance and coordination of the work of others will be required. In some instances will act as a team leader.

10. AREA OF CONSIDERATION: U.S. Citizens and U.S. Resident Aliens.

11. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The work requested does not involve undue physical demands. During site visits, there may be some additional physical exertion; including long periods of standing, walking over rough terrain or the carrying of moderately heavy material.

12. POINT OF CONTACT: For inquiries regarding this solicitation the points of contact are:

- Clint Branam, Contracting Officer, cbranam@usaid.gov

- Sandra Aguilera, Human Resources Specialist, saguilera@usaid.gov

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

1. Education (10 Points):

Master’s degree in Public Policy, Political Science, International Relations, a technical field (e.g., health, education, agriculture, environment), or related fields is required. Courses in statistics are highly desired. Ten (10) years of relevant work experience will be considered in lieu of a Master’s degree.

2. Work Experience (35 Points):

In-depth knowledge of migration and violence prevention, preferably in Honduras, is required.

Fifteen or more years of progressively responsible work in public administration and/or with an international organization assisting in program/project development of international development programs is highly desirable. Experience in GOH relationship building and work with the interagency is desired.

3. Language proficiency (10 Points):

Fluent (Level IV) in English with Working Knowledge (Level III) in Spanish are required. The incumbent must have a high degree of proficiency in both the written and spoken language as he/she will be required to support Mission technical offices, the PO Communications team, and the Front Office by drafting or reviewing and editing key English language materials on USAID programs, success stories, program descriptions for the USAID English language webpage, and briefing documents for senior USAID and USG officials; provides support to the PO Communications Team with the implementation of the Mission’s communications strategy as well as with the development of new Mission outreach activities that are related to his/her work area.

4. Job Knowledge (25 Points):

Specialist knowledge related to migration and violence prevention and an advanced knowledge of the institutional environments related to development in Honduras are required. Medium level understanding of statistics and advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office, with special emphasis on Excel expertise, is required. Requires mastery in the area of migration with workflow complicated by interconnected issues, multi-disciplinary approaches, conflicts among possible technical solutions as outlined in the first section.

5. Skills and abilities and other requirements (20 Points):

Good team-work and interpersonal skills and ability to interact effectively with host-country counterparts. Must have demonstrated ability to lead and mentor teams. Skill in conceptualizing programs, policies, plans and developing strategies for program implementation. Must have a high degree of managerial, analytical and leadership skills in program management and the ability to strategize negotiations with high level officials and executive directors of major NGO and public-mailto:cbranam@usaid.gov mailto:saguilera@usaid.gov private sector partners. Must have the ability to obtain, analyze, and evaluate a variety of data and information to make meaningful recommendations. Must be able to guide teams to develop and maintain a wide range of senior level contacts in the public and private sectors.

III. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

1. Education (10 Points)

2. Work Experience (35 Points)

3. Language proficiency (10 Points)

4. Job Knowledge (25 Points)

5. Skills and abilities and other requirements (20 Points)

Applicants meeting the above required qualifications for the position will be evaluated based on information presented in the application and obtained through reference checks. The hiring panel may check references that have not been specifically identified by applicants and may check references before or after a candidate is interviewed. USAID/Honduras reserves the right to conduct interviews with the most highly ranked applicants and make the interview a deciding factor in selection.

IV. APPLYING

1. Eligible offerors are required to complete and submit the following:

a) Completed and signed Application Form AID-309-2 “Offeror Information for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals”. Unsigned AID 309-2 forms will not be accepted and therefore will not be considered for this solicitation.

b) Offers must be received by the closing date and time at the e-mail address specified in the cover letter of this solicitation. To ensure consideration of offers for the intended position, Offerors must prominently reference the Solicitation number in the subject line of the e-mail.

c) Most current Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume. The CV or resume must contain sufficient relevant information to evaluate the application in accordance with the stated selection criteria (for example, paid and non-paid experience, job title, location(s), dates held (month/year), and hours worked per week for each position; specific duties performed that fully detail the level and complexity of the work). Broad general statements that are vague or lacking specificity will not be considered as effectively addressing particular selection criteria.

d) Offerors are also strongly encouraged to address each of the evaluation criteria above on a

Cover Page, of no more than one page, describing specifically and accurately what experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, education and any other qualifications including job-related training courses, honors, awards or accomplishments received that are relevant to the criterion.

e) Three (3) to five (5) work references with complete contact information including e-mail address and telephone numbers. The references must be able to provide substantive information about the applicant’s current or past performance and abilities. The references will be asked to provide a general assessment of the applicant’s suitability for the position. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure submitted references are available to provide a written or verbal reference in a timely manner.

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

USAID/Honduras may seek performance information beyond the reference names provided.

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

2. By submitting the application materials, the offeror certifies that all of the information on and attached to the offer is true, correct, complete, and made in good faith. The offeror agrees to allow all information on and attached to the offer to be investigated. False or fraudulent information on or attached to the offer may result in being eliminated from consideration for this position, or being terminated after award, and may be punishable by fine or imprisonment.

V. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSC HIRES

The applicant must be able to obtain a Secret Security Clearance which involves the applicant's comprehensive background investigation performed by a U.S. Government Agency.

The applicant selected to fill the position must also receive a medical clearance to work worldwide stating that the applicant is able to engage in the type of activities required for the position and that is also physically fit and able to reside in the Cooperating Country.

Details of how to obtain such clearances will be provided after selection and acceptance of the job offer has been made.

Once the Contracting Officer (CO) informs the successful Offeror about being selected for a contract award, and if applicable, the CO will provide the successful Offeror instructions about how to complete and submit the following forms:

1. Medical History and Examination Form (Department of State Forms) (if applicable)

2. Contractor Employee Biographical Data Sheet (AID 1420-17)

3. Questionnaire for National Security Positions (SF-86), or Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive

Positions (SF-85) submitted through e-Qip

4. SF-87 Finger Print Cards (Dec. 2017)

5. e-QIP signature forms

6. AID 6-85 Foreign Activity Data

7. AID 500-6 Dual Citizenship Questionnaire (if applicable)

8. OF-306 Declaration for Federal Employment

VI. BENEFITS

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

a) Employer's FICA Contribution.

b) Contribution toward Health & Life Insurance (unless health and life insurance coverage for retiree employees does not provide or specifically excludes overseas coverage, retired U.S. Government employees shall not be paid additional contributions for health and life insurance under their contracts.

Additionally, a USPSC who is a spouse or same-sex domestic partner of a current or retired U.S. Civil Service, Foreign Service, or Military Service member and who is covered by their spouse or same-sex domestic partner’s government health or life insurance policy is ineligible for these contributions).

c) Pay Comparability Adjustment.

d) Annual Increase (pending satisfactory performance evaluation).

e) Eligibility for Worker's Compensation.

f) Annual and Sick Leave (no vacation shall be earned if the tour of duty is less than 90 days).

VII. TAXES

USPSCs are required to pay Federal Income Taxes, FICA, Medicare and applicable State Income taxes.

VIII. USAID REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND CONTRACT CLAUSES PERTAINING TO PSCs

USAID regulations and policies governing 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”.

2. Contract Cover Page form AID 309-1.

3. Acquisition and Assistance Policy Directives/Contract Information Bulletins (AAPDs/CIBs), as applicable, for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals.

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.

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/forms/aid-309-1 https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs https://www.oge.gov/Web/oge.nsf/0/076ABBBFC3B026A785257F14006929A2/%24FILE/SOC%20as%20of%2081%20FR%2081641%20FINAL.pdf https://www.oge.gov/Web/oge.nsf/0/076ABBBFC3B026A785257F14006929A2/%24FILE/SOC%20as%20of%2081%20FR%2081641%20FINAL.pdf https://www.oge.gov/Web/oge.nsf/0/076ABBBFC3B026A785257F14006929A2/%24FILE/SOC%20as%20of%2081%20FR%2081641%20FINAL.pdf https://www.oge.gov/Web/oge.nsf/Resources/Standards%2Bof%2BEthical%2BConduct%2Bfor%2BEmployees%2Bof%2Bthe%2BExecutive%2BBranch