Solicitation - Administrative Specialist USPSC GS-10.pdf

U.S. Agency for International Development Great Massoud Road

Kabul, Afghanistan

Tel: +1.301.490.1042 Email: kblaiddocinformation@usaid.gov https://www.usaid.gov/afghanistan

1/1

SOLICITATION NUMBER: 72030621R00004

ISSUANCE DATE: January 4, 2021

CLOSING DATE/TIME: February 2, 2021 (04:30 PM Kabul Time)

SUBJECT: Solicitation for U.S Personal Service Contractor (USPSC) - Administrative

Specialist, GS-10

Dear Prospective Offerors:

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

Development (USAID), is seeking offers from qualified individuals to provide personal services under contract as described in this solicitation. For further information about

USAID/Afghanistan please visit https://www.usaid.gov/afghanistan.

Offers must be in accordance with Attachment 1 of this solicitation. Incomplete or unsigned offers will not be considered. Offerors should retain copies of all offer 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 offer.

Any questions must be directed in writing to the Point of Contact specified in Attachment 1.

Sincerely, Ann Guardian

Contracting Officer mailto:KBLAIDDOCInformation@usaid.gov

ATTACHMENT 1 [72030621R00004]

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. SOLICITATION NO.: 72030621R00004

2. ISSUANCE DATE: January 4, 2021

3. CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR

RECEIPT OF OFFERS:

February 2, 2021 no later than 04:30 PM Kabul Time

4. POINT OF CONTACT: Ann Guardian, Contracting Officer

5. POSITION TITLE: Administrative Specialist

6. MARKET VALUE: $50,246 - $65,321 equivalent to GS-10 Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.

7. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: The base period will be 1 year, estimated to start on o/a June 2021. Based on Agency need, the Contracting Officer may exercise additional 3 option periods of 1-year for the dates estimated as follows:

Base Period: June 2021 – June 2022 Option 1: July 2022 – July 2023 Option 2: August 2023 – August 2024 Option 3: September 2024 – September 2025

8. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Kabul, USAID/Afghanistan

9. ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: United States Citizens

10. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Secret Clearance

11. STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

1) General Statement of Purpose of Contract:

The USAID Mission in Afghanistan is the largest in the world with one of the most challenging USAID programs with a multi-billion-dollar budget. The Mission is led by the Mission Director (MD) and two Deputy Mission Directors (DMDs) with an active portfolio of $5.5 billion. The U.S. Embassy Kabul, Afghanistan is one of the largest and most active, under the direction of the Ambassador, the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) and the Assistant Deputy Chief of Mission (ACOM). The incumbent station of duty is located in the Office of the Mission Director, providing administrative management support to the office and is a member of the high-performing team achieving development results in a stimulating and often challenging environment.

The job demands ability to achieve thorough familiarity with U.S. Government procedures and practices, as well as a sound grasp of management support functions, exceptional customer service skills, patience, strong self-initiative, and self-reliance. An extended ability for understanding of the diplomatic protocols, tactfulness / flexibility / adaptability, as well as the ability to work long hours, is some of the most important position required competencies.

The work intersects on direct and continuing basis with programs and/or projects of all

Mission’s technical and support offices, as well as with external agencies, and organizations, requiring constant attention to extensive formal clearance and procedural controls.

2) Statement of Duties to be Performed:

The incumbent provides administrative, secretarial, and office-management support to the MD, DMDs, and other members of the MD’s office; advises and mentors Locally Employed Staff (LES) secretaries and may provide training and guidance to other members of the Mission’s administrative support staff; handles a wide variety of complex situations (inclusive of conflicts) requiring the use of initiative to determine the best approach and/or methods to use.

The specific duties of the incumbent may include, but are not limited to, the following activities in collaboration with and under the direction of the MD and DMDs.

The incumbent maintains current knowledge of USAID/Afghanistan’s operational objectives and protocols regarding communication, customs, and regulations dealing with diplomatic formality, precedence, and etiquette, when appropriate, responds with feasible solutions to USAID/Afghanistan related inquiries, inclusive of employee and/or senior official’ grievances.

The incumbent proactively coordinates incoming and outgoing documentation for the MD’s office, advising other offices on format, process, and deadline requirements. The incumbent advises and assists with management planning and services activities within the Office’s management and administrative complex duties.

The incumbent reviews all outgoing correspondence from the Office of the Mission Director for adherence to format, spelling, and style guidelines set forth within USAID specific correspondence and communications standards, when reviewing correspondence for signature(s), calls the drafter's attention to any issues in the file or any departure from policies and attempts to resolve all issues before forwarding to the MD and/or DMD(s) for clearance and approval.

The incumbent composes and transcribes complex official correspondence, highly technical documents, and routine and non-routine office reports in line with the Agency’s communication protocol. As directed, records and transcribes the minutes of the Mission’s senior and general staff meetings, prepares and distributes them, and is responsible for spelling, punctuation, grammar, and format of the completed work.

The incumbent maintains calendars for the Office of the Mission Director and uses initiative to arrange meetings and events, schedule appointments, and coordinate logistics (secures representational funding and reconciles expenditures; issues and tracks invitations; acquires meeting space; ensures proper seating arrangements; communicates specific security requirements with participants and facilitates access; produces and shares documentation; and facilitates catering, IT, RSO, and facilities support as necessary). During such meetings/events, the incumbent may take dictation and provide secretarial assistance.

The incumbent screens telephone calls and visitors, determines relative importance and directs inquiries to the appropriate personnel, handling administrative matters for the Front Office (FO) with minimal supervision.

Using personal initiative, the incumbent detects when the need arises for administrative or procedural notices, prepares them, and presents them for signature. The incumbent devises and installs office procedures, protocols, and standards.

The incumbent liaises with the Ambassadors’ offices to schedule meetings, track incoming task assignments, and submit completed taskers via the tracker. The incumbent coordinates materials and deadlines with contributing USAID offices and other sections.

The incumbent liaises and performs critical functions related to VIP visit as control officer, serves as retreat facilitator, and serves as liaison/coordinator for special events.

The incumbent advises, counsels, and mentors LES secretaries and other administrative employees on administrative practices, policies, mission notices and orders, FO’s protocols, norms, and social etiquettes. Provides orientation and training to new LES secretaries on procedural matters, including protocol, style, and format of written communication. The incumbent advises and provides recommendations regarding appropriate administrative coverage, leave dates, and staffing levels in order to ensure the office operates smoothly.

The incumbent handles timekeeping for the Office of the Mission Director.

The incumbent is responsible for the management of office space and organization, including the planning, management, and procurement of non-expendable and expendable supplies and filing systems/records.

3) USAID Consultation or Orientation:

The selected applicant shall proceed to Washington, D.C. for at least two (2) weeks of mandatory training to complete the Foreign Affairs Counter Threat CT-650 (FACT) and the Afghanistan Familiarization RS-415 (FAM) courses (if FAM was not completed within the past five (5) 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 reports directly to the Mission Director or the Deputy Mission Directors who exercise general control over the work of the position by establishing the overall objectives of the assignment area and by communicating relevant policies and priorities. The incumbent, in consultation with the supervisor, develops deadlines of work to be performed. The incumbent is required to handle a wide variety of situations and conflicts requiring the use of initiative to determine appropriate responses to complex office problems without the attention of a supervisor.

5) Supervisory Controls:

None

12. PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

In order to be considered for the position, a candidate must meet the minimum qualifications.

Offers will be pre-screened and only those that meet the minimum qualifications will be considered. The minimum qualifications necessary to be considered for the position are as follows:

a) Education: A bachelor’s degree in English, literature, business communications, business administration, public administration, psychology, sociology, international development, international relations, economics, or management studies from an accredited college or university is required. (Education requirements must be met at the time of application for the subject position).

b) Work Experience: A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible and comparable experience as an executive secretary, senior secretary, executive assistant, or administrative assistant managing an office to an upper management such as Office Director, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or Managing Director with public/private institution, non-governmental organization, bilateral/multilateral organization or Diplomatic Mission is required. (Work experience requirements must be met at the time of application for the subject position).

III. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

The Government may award a contract without discussions with offerors in accordance with FAR 52.215-1. The Contracting Officer (CO) reserves the right at any point in the evaluation process to establish a competitive range of offerors with whom negotiations will be conducted pursuant to FAR 15.306(c). In accordance with FAR 52.215-1, if the CO determines that the number of offers that would otherwise be in the competitive range exceeds the number at which an efficient competition can be conducted, the CO may limit the number of offerors in the competitive range to the greatest number that will permit an efficient competition among the most highly rated offers. FAR provisions of this solicitation are available at https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far.

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 https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far 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

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 a 500 words (paper size A4 or Letter) typed (12 point font) per factor. Applicants should describe specifically and accurately the 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 skills and education and how would they be relevant to this position

FACTOR #2: Summarize (in no more than 250 words), how your past experience would be useful for you to succeed in this position.

FACTOR #3: Describe communication and problem-solving skills that you have utilized in managing an Office.

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

Interview Performance: 70 points

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

• Manage the secretarial functions of a complex office.

• Successfully and timely coordinate office activities, such as calendars, events, meetings, and be update/knowledgeable on current policies and procedures.

• Problem solving and successfully managing difficult situations.

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

Total Possible Points: 100

IV. SUBMITTING AN OFFER

1. Eligible offerors are required to complete and submit the offer form AID 309-2 (Offeror Information for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals,” available at http://www.usaid.gov/forms

2. Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3, and submitted by email to Afgpscjobs@usaid.gov

3. Offeror submissions must clearly reference the Solicitation number on all offeror submitted documents and in the subject line of the application email.

Eligible offerors are required to submit the following documents to be considered for this position:

1. Form AID 309-2, “Offeror Information for Personal Services Contract with Individuals,” available at: https://www.usaid.gov/forms/aid-309-2

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

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

Documents must be compatible with Microsoft Word or PDF and not compressed (.rar/.zip etc.).

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

V. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSC HIRES

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

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

2. Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306);

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

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

5. Questionnaire for Sensitive Positions for National Security (SF-86), or Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85);

6. Finger Print Card (SF-87);

7. Statement of Prior Service (SF-144A).

VI. BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES

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

1. BENEFITS:

1) Employer’s Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) Contribution http://www.usaid.gov/forms http://www.usaid.gov/forms http://www.usaid.gov/forms mailto:Afgpscjobs@usaid.gov mailto:Afgpscjobs@usaid.gov https://www.usaid.gov/forms/aid-309-2 https://www.usaid.gov/forms/aid-309-2

2) Contribution towards Health & life insurance

3) Pay Comparability Adjustment

4) Annual Increase (pending a satisfactory performance evaluation)

5) Eligibility for Worker's Compensation

6) Annual & Sick Leave

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

2. ALLOWANCES (If Applicable) *:

1) Post Differential (Chapter 500)

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

3) Danger Pay (Section 650)

4) Education Allowance (Section 270)

5) Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section 260)

6) 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 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,” 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. Pricing by line item is to be determined upon contract award as described below:

LINE ITEMS

ITEM NO

(A)

SUPPLIES/SERVICES (DESCRIPTION)

(B)

QUANTITY

(C)

UNIT

(D)

UNIT

PRICE

(E)

AMOUNT

(F)

0001 Base Period - Compensation, Fringe Benefits and Other Direct Costs (ODCs) - Award Type: Cost - Product Service Code: [e.g.

R497] - Accounting Info:

Appropriation: 7217/181037 Fund Code: es-oco/2017/2018

1 LOT $ TBD $ TBD at award after negotiations with contractor

1001 Option Period 1 – Compensation, Fringe Benefits and Other Direct Costs (ODCs) - Award Type: Cost - Product Service Code:

[e.g. R497] - Accounting Info: To be

1 LOT $ TBD $ TBD at award after negotiations with contractor https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/forms https://www.usaid.gov/forms incrementally funded 2001 Option Period 2 – Compensation, Fringe

Benefits and Other Direct Costs (ODCs) - Award Type: Cost - Product Service Code:

[e.g. R497] - Accounting Info: To be incrementally funded

1 LOT $ TBD $ TBD at award after negotiations with contractor

3001 Option Period 3 – Compensation, Fringe Benefits and Other Direct Costs (ODCs) - Award Type: Cost - Product Service Code:

[e.g. R497] - Accounting Info: To be incrementally funded

1 LOT $ TBD $ TBD at award after negotiations with contractor

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.

http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/OGE%20Regulations https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/OGE%20Regulations