Solicitation North Macedonia -Program Office Director GS 14.pdf

Solicitation Number: SOL-72016525R00001 Issuance Date: October 18, 2024 Closing Date/Time: November 18, 2024, 17:00 PM Local Time (Skopje)

Subject: Solicitation for Off-Shore U.S. Personal Services Contractor (USPSC) Program Office Director

Dear Prospective Offerors:

The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking offers from qualified persons to provide personal services under contract as described in this solicitation.

Offers must be in accordance with Attachment 1 - (IV) Submitting an Offer of this solicitation.

Incomplete or unsigned offers will not be considered. Offerors should retain copies of all offer materials for their records.

USAID will evaluate all offerors based on the stated evaluation criteria. USAID encourages all individuals, including those from disadvantaged and under-represented groups, to respond to the solicitation.

This solicitation in no way obligates USAID to award a personal services 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 at skopjeusaidhr@usaid.gov.

Sincerely, James Berscheit Regional Executive Officer/Contracting Officer

US Agency for International Development Samoilova 21 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia Tel: (389-2) 310-2000 www.usaid.gov/north-macedonia mailto:skopjeusaidhr@usaid.gov http://www.usaid.gov/north-macedonia

ATTACHMENT 1

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. SOLICITATION NO.: 72016525R00001

2. ISSUANCE DATE: October 18, 2024

3. CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: November 18, 2024, 17:00 Skopje Time

4. POINT OF CONTACT: Human Resources Office, email at: skopjeusaidhr@usaid.gov.

5. POSITION TITLE: Program Office Director (Off-Shore – USPSC)

6. MARKET VALUE: $104,604 - $135,987 equivalent to GS-14. Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value and will include Locality Pay for domestic USPSCs based on the location of the Official USAID Worksite, or the approved alternative worksite if approved for remote work. USPSCs performing overseas are not entitled to Locality Pay.

7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Skopje, North Macedonia. The contractor may be authorized to telework or remote work only from a location within the country of performance, in accordance with Mission policy. Telework or remote work from outside the country of performance may only be authorized in certain situations in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract.

8. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Estimated start on/about January 2025.

The base period will be one year, estimated to start on or about January 2025. Based on Agency need, the Contracting Officer may exercise one (1) one- option year period for dates estimated as follows:

Base period o/a January 2025 – January 2026 Option period 1 o/a January 2026 – January 2027

9. ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: U.S Citizens

10. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Employment Authorization (USPSCs) – Top Secret.

11. STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2024/GS.pdf

General Statement of Purpose of the Contract:

USAID/North Macedonia is seeking the services of a U.S. citizen under a Personal Services Contract (PSC) with extensive international development program management experience as a supervisory program advisor. The PRO Director for USAID/North Macedonia is a senior leadership position, reporting directly to the Country Representative, and collaborates closely with a dynamic interagency team and donor community. The PRO Director oversees all matters related to the Mission's programming processes, including those supporting strategic planning, assistance coordination, budget management, outreach communications, and monitoring, evaluating, and learning. North Macedonia’s EU accession negotiations are ongoing, placing increasing pressure to accelerate the pace of reforms required for EU membership. North Macedonia is continuing to pursue various initiatives to increase regional partnership among the Western Balkans with an eye to future EU membership.

PRO supports the design and implementation of strategic programs under three Development Objectives (DOs) focused on reducing corruption, increasing economic competitiveness, and better integrating citizens, especially youth, in society. The successful implementation of the Mission's strategy requires close coordination and contributions from country counterparts, which also includes USAID’s intentional creation of resource partnerships with government, private sector, and civil society institutions. The incumbent is responsible for overseeing PRO and providing daily direction to three senior technical Foreign Service Nationals (FSNs), one local-hire U.S. PSC, and one FSN program assistant. The breadth of the portfolio provides a unique opportunity for the incumbent to demonstrate the range of leadership, managerial, and technical skills. The incumbent must be up-to-date on Agency, Embassy, and Mission strategies and activities and be prepared to address queries from and provide updates to the Mission's Country Representative, the Embassy's Front Office, and Bureau leadership. The incumbent manages key relationships with counterparts in the interagency and serves as the Embassy Assistance Coordinator. The PRO Director is often called upon to serve as Acting Country Representative and participate in high level working groups and represent USAID in interagency meetings.

Given the small size of the Mission, the incumbent must demonstrate strong teamwork and interpersonal skills with the support offices, many of which are led by officers based elsewhere in the region. Given potential Mission restructuring needs, the incumbent will help lead this process, including identifying and implementing operational changes for PRO.

Statement of Duties to be Performed: 100%

● Program Cycle Management: Guides the Operating Unit (OU) in all aspects of the “Program

Cycle” from strategic planning, to project and activity design and implementation to monitoring, evaluation, and Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA), to policy formulation. Implements, with regular guidance and supervision, policies, practices, and procedures based on a demonstrated understanding of development theory, U.S.

Government (USG) development and foreign policy priorities, USAID policies and guidance, and the legislative framework governing foreign assistance. Engenders critical thinking within the Mission and the interagency arena that examines assumptions and fully explores alternatives in plans, operations, and resources and adapts programming as necessary. Leads or assists in gathering and analyzing information and data for performance reporting; programming and performance-based budgeting; and program/policy coordination with other donors and USG agencies.

● Strategic Planning: Advises and guides strategic planning, including the work of technical and Development Objective teams on strategic analysis and theories of change. Understands and applies Agency strategy guidance, including strategic planning and analytical requirements, to create sound theories of change that include development hypotheses with clear causal linkages, and corresponding indicators at different levels; adapts these theories and indicators as needed. Promotes collaboration by technical and functional teams in the strategy development process, including collaboration with host-country and inter-agency priorities. Specific task: Leads the 2026-2030 Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) process including liaising with the Mission leadership and offices, interagency at post, and USAID/Washington.

● Assistance Coordination (internal) and Development Cooperation and Partnering (external):

Serves as Embassy Skopje Assistance Coordinator leading the Assistance Working Group and facilitating interagency processes related to assistance programming and reporting.

Manages the relationship with the Department of State’s Office of the Coordinator of U.S.

Assistance to Europe and Eurasia. Supports and advocates for donor and host government coordination and strategic engagement to leverage development resources with external partners, including non-traditional partners. Demonstrates and applies knowledge of aid and development effectiveness principles, supports donor coordination, and assists in US government interagency coordination to achieve common USG objectives.

● Project and Activity Design: Leads or assists in the design and development of projects and activities based on the approved Mission strategy and theory of change. Demonstrates an understanding of project development and corresponding analytical requirements, Agency policy directives and sector strategies, and how to apply them. Understands and applies Agency project design guidance, including planning and analytical requirements, to create sound theories of change that include development hypotheses with clear causal linkages and corresponding indicators. Has the appropriate knowledge needed to lead or participate on Project Design Teams and to apply Agency policy, directives, and sector strategies regarding project design. Promotes technical team collaboration in the project development process and leads on adaptive management.

● Budget and Resources: Provides subject matter expertise for budgeting of foreign assistance resources. Demonstrates and applies an understanding of budget cycle and resource management processes, including legislative requirements to optimally align program-budget resources with strategy and policy objectives. Implements project-level multi-year budgeting processes that reflect all resources required to implement a project. Prepares annual reports and analyses related to the budget cycle. Receives and processes budget allowances, and coordinates with technical teams regarding funding requirements. Maintains the OU’s planned and implemented budget. Analyzes budget data in order to propose budget solutions to pipeline issues, changes in country context, USG priorities, and programmatic performance.

● Monitoring, Evaluation, and Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA): Applies a sound understanding of monitoring, evaluation, and CLA principles and associated USAID policy and guidance. Plans, budgets and manages monitoring and evaluation activities in coordination with technical or Development Objective teams. Monitors and assesses program performance, progress, and follow-up from portfolio reviews. Assists technical offices to design and secure resources for data-quality assessments, project and activity monitoring, evaluation, and learning plans and events; and to determine the knowledge gaps for program learning and adaptation. Applies an understanding of reporting requirements and formats through preparation of planning, budgeting, and performance reporting documentation, and guides staff in other offices to complete required documentation. Assists in applying learning to strategic planning, project and activity design and implementation through adaptive management.

● Development Outreach and Communications (DOC): Directly supervision the Mission DOC team, the incumbent assists and coordinates outreach and communication with various external entities, including the Embassy Public Diplomacy Section and USAID’s Bureau for Europe and Eurasia and the Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs in Washington to support development and foreign policy objectives. Advises and assists technical teams on how to align communications products and branding and marking plans with development objectives, key messages, and Agency policy.

Compiles and maintains USAID outreach materials and assesses the need for additional materials such as program descriptions, success stories, country sheets, and web-based social media tools.

Demonstrates the ability to articulate Agency policies and US foreign policy, to communicate well with people at all levels, and to effectively facilitate discussions and/or meetings.

● Annual Reporting: Leads or assists in gathering and analyzing information and data for performance reporting; programming and performance-based budgeting; and program/policy coordination with other donors and USG agencies. Leads in preparing annual reports (e.g., Operational Plans; Performance, Plan and Reports; Congressional Budget Justifications; and other required documents). Reviews and edits a wide range of documents through the clearance process, including development outreach and communications products.

● Provide strategic, programmatic and operational support to the Mission through other tasks, as assigned.

POSITION ELEMENTS

● Supervisory Controls: The incumbent is expected to work with a high degree of independence and must be able to establish priorities, adhere to and meet established deadlines, and perform responsibilities and duties with minimal guidance from the Country Representative. Work

Work produced by the incumbent is considered authoritative. Incumbent is expected to be proactive, self-directed, take initiative and support FSN staff as required.

● Supervision/oversight over others: The incumbent is required to supervise three CCN PSCs;

Deputy Program Office Director FSN12; DOC Specialist FSN 11; Development Program Specialist (Budget) FSN 11; and one US PSC DOC Editor GS 11.

● Knowledge, Skills and Ability: The incumbent should bring outstanding MEL/CLA expertise, a strong understanding of the Federal Budget process (including budget planning, management and reporting), and experience related to outreach and communications, strategy development, and project design and development. S/he should have the following skills: excellent oral and written communication; excellent coordination, teamwork, and interpersonal skills; excellent planning and organizational skills; excellent, analytical and synthesis skills; strong supervision, team management, and coaching skills. Should be able to work independently with minimal supervision; multi-task and prioritize deadlines in coordination with team members; and, exercise quality control over all documentation.

● Available Guidelines: The Office Director is required to understand and analyze Mission and

Agency specific policies. S/he must be proactive in keeping abreast of evolving guidelines and policies of the Program and Policy Office and the Mission, including but not limited to the Automated Directives System (ADS), Mission Orders, Mission Notices, USG Procurement regulations, and USAID and State Program Strategy and Policy Documents.

● Exercise of Judgment: A high degree of independent judgment is required in providing guidance and advice to the program office team and to Technical Offices, reviewing program documentation, and managing assigned programming actions and tasks such as coordinating input for the Operational Plan, Performance Plan Report, organizing portfolio reviews, or coordinating implementation of local solutions or client mission support.

● Authority to Make Commitments: None.

● Scope and Effect: Provides guidance and senior level leadership to USAID/North Macedonia to support technical teams on the relationship of projects to Development Objectives, works across several sectors to creatively identify common points of interest and best practices.

● Personal Contacts: Personal contacts include USAID/North Macedonia staff, U.S. Embassy personnel, USAID/North Macedonia implementing partners and other concerned stakeholders.

S/he must have the ability to represent USG interests by communicating effectively in English, using a great deal of tact, diplomacy, and technical knowledge as it pertains to senior management levels.

● Nature, Level and Purpose of Contacts: Contacts are with senior management within and outside USAID. The contractor may advise and make recommendations to USAID staff, the USAID Country Representative, technical offices, implementing partners, and others in support of the Program and Policy Office in planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all development projects.

● Complexity: There is a high amount of complexity in the work environment due to the complex political nature of the Mission’s portfolio in addition to the Program and Policy Office’s management of the entire Mission portfolio.

12. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

A. Education: Minimum of Bachelor’s Degree in general studies, or in a field related to finance, business administration, international relations/studies, international development, public administration, etc. The educational requirement must be met at the time of application for the subject position.

B. Experience: The incumbent must have a minimum of ten (10) years of relevant work experience.

Previous work with an international organization is required. Relevant areas of previous experience include: economics, finance, business administration, energy security, human rights, international relations/studies, international development, or public administration.

C. Technical knowledge, skills and abilities:

● The incumbent must demonstrate experience in managing people, strategy design and writing, project design, development, program budgeting, the Federal budget process and budget planning, management and reporting systems, monitoring and evaluation. Excellent native English writing, editing and speaking skills, as well as an ability to process information from a wide variety of sources into cohesive, polished documents and/or presentations is required.

Proven ability to mentor staff in project development skills required. Attention to detail, the ability to work in teams, and strong interpersonal skills are necessary.

● They must have the knowledge, or the ability to quickly gain knowledge, of USAID policies and methodologies, the structure and workings of the USG including key agencies and international donors.

● They must demonstrate an ability to establish and maintain contacts at various levels of authority and among various sectors - governmental, civil society, the private sector, etc. They must be highly flexible and comfortable working with ambiguity, frequently changing timeframes and short deadlines. They must have the ability to efficiently manage multiple projects and/or requests at the same time. They must have the proven ability to meet deadlines including those with a quick turn-around. They must be able to quickly and effectively analyze information, draft briefing documents and other technical documentation, and conduct briefings. They must have skills and abilities to employ tact, judgment, and diplomacy in advancing U.S. government development and foreign policy goals.

III. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

The Government may award a contract without discussions with offerors in accordance with FAR 52.215-1. The 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. The FAR provisions referenced above are available at https://www.acquisition.gov/

The technical evaluation committee may conduct reference checks, including references from individuals who have not been specifically identified by the offeror, and may do so before or after a candidate is interviewed.

Offers will be initially screened for compliance with the solicitation instructions. Only the offers that are deemed compliant, will then be evaluated in accordance with the selection criteria below.

Education: (10 points) Prior Work Experience: (45 points) Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: (45 points)

IV. SUBMITTING AN OFFER

1. Eligible offerors are required to complete and submit:

A. A signed (hand or electronic signature) offer form AID 309-2, “Offeror Information for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals,” available at: https://www.usaid.gov/forms.

B. Cover letter clearly indicating the position for which you are applying.

C. Curriculum vitae/resume specifically which MUST include:

(i) Paid and non-paid experience, job title, location(s), dates held (month/year) and hours worked per week foreach position;

- Dates (month/year) and locations for all international field experience must also be detailed.

-Any experience that does not include dates (month/year), location, and hours per week will not be counted towards meeting the solicitation requirements.

(ii) Specific duties performed that fully detail the level and complexity of the work.

(iii) Names and contact information (phone and email) of your current and/or previous supervisor(s).

(iv) Education and any other qualifications including job-related training courses, job-related skills, or job-related honors, awards, or accomplishments.

https://www.acquisition.gov/search/advanced?keys=52.215-1&type%5Bfar_dita%5D=far_dita&sort_by=search_api_relevance&sort_order=DESC https://www.acquisition.gov/search/advanced?keys=52.215-1&type%5Bfar_dita%5D=far_dita&sort_by=search_api_relevance&sort_order=DESC https://www.acquisition.gov/search/advanced?keys=15.306+c&type%5Bfar_dita%5D=far_dita&sort_by=search_api_relevance&sort_order=DESC https://www.acquisition.gov/search/advanced?keys=52.215-1&type%5Bfar_dita%5D=far_dita&sort_by=search_api_relevance&sort_order=DESC https://www.acquisition.gov/ https://www.usaid.gov/forms

(v) Three (3) professional references (e.g. supervisor, peer and/or subordinate in current or previous employment) with current email address and telephone number.

E. Offers should be in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). No other file types will be accepted. All documents should be scanned into one (1) document (one (1) ATTACHMENT) which should not exceed 10MB.

Documents should be arranged and scanned in this order:

(i) Signed (hand or electronic signature) offer form AID 309-2

(ii) Cover Letter

(iii) Completed Curriculum vitae/resume(iv) Supplemental documents

(v) Valid work permit – if applicable

F. Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3, and submitted by email to HR Specialist at: skopjeusaidhr@usaid.gov.

Offeror submissions must clearly reference the number of this Solicitation to ensure the offer is for the position in this Solicitation.

For this position, the subject line must read: SOL NUMBER TITLE OF POSITION, LAST, FIRST CANDIDATE NAME or 72016525R00001 Program Office Director, Smith Joe

Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

No other form of submission will be permitted (e.g., courier, fax, or hand delivery). The US Government will not be responsible for incomplete/corrupted or missing information in electronic submissions and these applications may not be accepted. USAID will only confirm receipt and print out the electronic submission. USAID will not ensure quality or completeness of electronic files attached to the e-mails. The Offeror assumes all risk related to an electronic submission. Late offers or delayed electronic submissions will not be accepted.

V. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS PRIOR TO AWARD

Once the 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 forms relating to:

1. Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306)

2. USPSC Offeror Form (AID 309-2)

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

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

5. Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85). **

6. Fingerprint Card (FD-258). **

7. Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9 Form). **

** Forms 3 through 7 shall be completed ONLY upon the advice of the Contracting Officer that an offeror is the successful candidate for the job.

Requirements: The final selected offeror must be able to obtain Top Secret Clearance and medical clearance for work within a reasonable time period. If such clearances are not obtained within a reasonable time or negative suitability issues are involved, any offer made may be rescinded.

VI. BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES

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

1. BENEFITS:

(a) Employer’s FICA Contribution

(b) Contribution toward Health & Life Insurance

(c) Pay Comparability Adjustment

(d) Annual Increase pending a satisfactory performance evaluation)

(e) Eligibility for Worker’s Competition

(f) Leave and Holidays

2. ALLOWANCES:

Section numbers refer to rules from the Department of State Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians Foreign Areas) available at https://aoprals.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=282&menu_id=101

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 PSC 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/ads/policy/300/aidar.

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:

https://aoprals.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=282&menu_id=101 https://www.usaid.gov/forms

Item No.

Services Quantity Amount

0001 Base Period – Compensation, Benefits, and other direct costs (ODCs) Award Type: Cost Product Service Code: R497 Accounting Info: TBD

1 TBD at award after negotiations with Contractor

1001 Option 1 Period – Compensation, Benefits, and other direct costs (ODCs)

1 TBD at award

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, as indicated and applicable to USPSC offshore or resident hires.

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 https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/OGE%20Regulations

5. PSC Ombudsman. The PSC Ombudsman serves as a resource for any Personal Service Contractor who has entered into a contract with the United States Agency for International Development and is available to provide clarity on their specific contract with the agency.

Please visit our page for additional information:

https://www.usaid.gov//basic-page/personal-service-contracts-ombudsman

The PSC Ombudsman may be contacted via: PSCOmbudsman@usaid.gov.

6. FAR Provisions Incorporated by Reference

52.204-27 PROHIBITION ON A

BYTEDANCE COVERED

APPLICATION

05/22/2024

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

USAID 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.

SUBECT TO FUNDS AVAILABILITY

[END SOLICITATION]

https://www.usaid.gov/basic-page/personal-service-contracts-ombudsman mailto:PSCOmbudsman@usaid.gov

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY