Solicitation_Senior Commodities and Supply Chain Advisor_GS-14.pdf

SOLICITATION NUMBER: 72012123R00002

ISSUANCE DATE: April 04, 2023 CLOSING DATE/TIME: May 04, 2023 (11:59 p.m. EST)

SUBJECT: Solicitation No.: 72012123R00002 for U.S. Personal Services Contractor (USPSC), Senior Commodities and Supply Chain Advisor, GS-14

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, Sections I through VIII 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 PSC contract, nor does it commit USAID to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of the offers.

Any questions must be directed in writing to the Point of Contact specified in the attached information.

Sincerely, Annmarie McGillicuddy Contracting Officer

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. SOLICITATION NO.: 72012123R00002

2. ISSUANCE DATE: April 04, 2023

3. CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: May 04, 2023 (11:59 p.m. EST)

4. POSITION TITLE: Senior Commodities and Supply Chain Advisor

5. MARKET VALUE: $99,908-$129,878 per annum, equivalent to GS-14.

Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: one (1) year, with two (2) option years. Options may be exercised based upon satisfactory contractor performance, mutual agreement between the Contractor and USG, continued Mission requirements and the continued availability of funds.

7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Kyiv, Ukraine

8. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Secret

9. STATEMENT OF DUTIES

BASIC FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION:

UNAIDS estimates that 30 percent of PLHIV in Ukraine are at risk of treatment interruption because of the conflict, massive population displacement, attacks on health care workers, and damage to Ukraine’s health system and transportation infrastructure. USAID PEPFAR and the Global Fund have coordinated support since the beginning of the Russian invasion to avert stockouts and provide continuity of HIV/AIDS treatment for Ukrainians. PEPFAR committed $12.7 million for USAID to procure 53 million emergency doses of life saving medications, enough to support Ukrainians living with HIV for a year. It is likely that there will be continuing gaps in ARV drug supply, TB drugs and vaccines as the war progresses. The Senior Commodities and Supply Chain Advisor is playing a critical role, working with the Ministry of Health and other donors, to ensure adequate supply of essential drugs and commodities and their effective delivery to conflict affected regions.

The Senior Commodities and Supply Chain Advisor will be an expert resource responsible for PEPFAR-Ukraine and USAID-Ukraine program management and monitoring activities related to commodity selection, procurement, and supply chain technical assistance. S/he will represent USG interests regarding commodity security for USG-purchased HIV and other health-related commodities, meaning that products are available and accessible and maintained at appropriate quality at designated sites and that they are dispensed to patients according to standards. S/he will be responsible for providing technical leadership for all essential pharmaceutical management and supply chain components, including: (1) product selection (including registration and patent protection issues); (2) quantification and supply planning; (3) procurement; (4) distribution and storage; (5) logistics management information systems; and (6) implementation guidelines and monitoring. The Senior Commodities and Supply Chain Advisor liaises with the Ministry of Health, Oblast Health Authorities, UN and Global Fund, and Global Fund-supported Principal Recipients, and other key USG staff and implementing partners to thoroughly understand their procurement and supply chain systems and ensure that a harmonized approach is successfully negotiated between all relevant parties.

The Senior Commodities and Supply Chain Advisor will manage procurement and supply chain communications between the PEPFAR interagency partners and within the Ukraine interagency team, while ensuring that agency leadership and the PEPFAR Coordinator are aware of interagency communication. S/he will develop a monthly report that will be shared among all interagency partners and draft weekly bullets and monthly success stories for USAID management. As it relates to health sector procurement reform goals, the Advisor also serves as the procurement and supply chain technical liaison with USAID and partners on Government of Ukraine procurement reform initiatives.

The Senior Commodities and Supply Chain Advisor will serve as an Agreement/Contract Officer's Representative (A/COR) or Activity Manager, and s/he will provide technical expertise for interagency project managers and USAID A/CORs. He/she will be responsible for documenting, drafting, and reviewing procurement and supply chain sections in PEPFAR Country Operational Plans and USAID Operational Plans and Performance Monitoring Plans; the incumbent will also review relevant Implementing Partner work plans and quarterly reports and furnish expert advice to coordination and technical working groups, including the MOH Pharmaceutical Management Technical Working Group and Immunization Technical Working Group.

The Senior Commodities and Supply Chain Advisor will represent USAID and PEPFAR interagency partners to senior national and subnational Government of Ukraine counterparts, UN Agencies, Global Fund, World Bank, development partners, and Civil Society Organizations on commodity procurement and supply chain issues. As technical leader, he/she will also be expected to provide expert procurement and supply chain advice to the health reform effort and work with all relevant national stakeholders and USG partners to take a public health approach to reduce corruption in the pharmaceutical procurement sector, and support resilience and recovery of the medical supply chain sector from disruptions and risks related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Additionally, the Advisor will provide coaching and mentorship to OH staff, as required, on areas related to their area of expertise.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

A. TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP AND MONITORING FOR USG-PROCURED HIV- AND

TB-RELATED PRODUCTS

The Senior Commodities and Supply Chain Advisor will be responsible for reviewing product selection, procurement, quantification, inventory management, recording and reporting, and consumption of all USG-procured HIV- and TB-related commodities. The objective is to ensure the timely delivery and receipt of all USG-procured HIV-related commodities to appropriate delivery sites and patients. Another objective is to ensure that these products are at appropriate supply levels and status (i.e., with sufficient buffer supply resulting in no stockouts) and complementing supplies procured by the Government of Ukraine and the Global Fund. This objective will be achieved by (1) monitoring and reviewing government HIV and TB commodity supply and consumption reports and documenting suboptimal stock levels and status and (2) undertaking regular field visits, reviewing logistics registers, taking physical inventories, and reviewing prescription forms. The Advisor will also support procurement of additional health commodities in support of response and recovery efforts related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Specific duties include:

1. Liaise with the Ukrainian Center for Public Health (CPH) and other public procurement entities such as the Medical Procurement of Ukraine (MPU) State-Owned Enterprise (SOE), review procurement, distribution, and stock records and review CPH commodity requests for inclusion in Country Operational Plans.

2. Coordinate procurement of USAID commodities, including forecasting, providing price quotations and monitoring the ordering, shipment, receipt, customs clearance, and delivery of USG-procured products to facilities and implementing partners.

3. Conduct site visits to review logistics registers and consumption reports and take physical inventories.

4. Review Global Fund and Global Fund Principal Recipient HIV and TB commodity procurements, distributions, and consumption reports to ensure complementarity between various-sourced and distributed products.

5. Provide feedback information to USG field team and OGAC and to USAID during Quarterly Portfolio Reviews, PEPFAR POART calls, and other data calls as necessary.

6. Provide relevant procurement and supply chain information and draft relevant sections in the COP, including leading on all supply chain and commodity tools.

7. Work with the USG-supported projects on issues of common concern (for example, rapid test kit and ARV utilization, or other essential medicines key USG health objectives).

8. Work with CDC's laboratory specialist and other USG implementing partners on common commodity issues.

9. Lead the drafting of procurement and supply chain programmatic and technical sections of briefing papers, cables, presentations, reports, and other relevant documents.

10. Make formal presentations on programmatic and technical aspects of procurement and supply chain issues.

11. Provide technical leadership to build the capacity of government and appropriate non-governmental organization counterparts on specific technical procurement and supply chain issues.

12. Draft procurement and supply chain technical sections of relevant documents.

B. TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP AND MONITORING FOR GOU PROCUREMENT AND

SUPPLY CHAIN REFORM

The USG is assisting the GOU to reform its drug procurement processes, including support for entities responsible for medical procurement and supply chain. The Senior Commodities and Supply Chain Advisor will advise the GOU on the development and reforms of the SOE Medical Procurement of Ukraine (MPU), and related public procurement and pharmaceutical sector reforms in Ukraine, to ensure that adequate processes are in place to prevent corruption and improve operational efficiency. S/he will also monitor stocks of government-procured drugs and commodities, including TB drugs and vaccines. The Advisor will also provide technical leadership to the GOU to ensure that appropriate mechanisms are in place to support regional procurement of essential drugs and equipment for medical facilities.

C. MULTI-AGENCY COORDINATION AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

The Senior Commodities and Supply Chain Advisor is the PEPFAR-Ukraine and USAID- Ukraine lead for health sector procurement and supply chain issues. S/he provides technical leadership for other USG agencies and represents USAID and the Ukraine interagency team to the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) and USAID/Washington, and the Ministry of Health, Ukrainian Center for Public Health (CPH), selected Oblast Health Administrations, UN Agencies, Global Fund, World Bank, USG-supported Implementing Partners, Civil Society Organizations, and other development partners. S/he develops strategic partnerships with these other parties to initiate coordinated approaches and to harmonize and strengthen national and subnational purchases and supply chains. Specific duties include:

1. Represent PEPFAR-Ukraine and USAID-Ukraine as a technical expert on procurement reform and supply chain issues to the organizations and agencies listed above.

2. Liaise with the MOH, CPH, the Global Fund, and other international donors to ensure an uninterrupted supply of commodities to the country.

3. Liaise with government and civil society bodies to track the appropriate registration and licensing of essential products.

4. In collaboration with interagency team leads, communicate with the Embassy Front Office and the Foreign Commercial Service about patent protection and drug importation and registration issues.

5. Participate in and support USAID TB Roadmap planning to advise and guide USG-funded TB procurement and supply chain support, and resilience and recovery efforts related to Russia’s invasion.

SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIP:

The incumbent will work under the direct supervision of the Health Office Director of the USAID Regional Mission for Ukraine and Belarus, or her/his designee.

10. AREA OF CONSIDERATION: U.S. Citizens only

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

12. POINT OF CONTACT: All questions and offers must be submitted by email to KyivVacancies@usaid.gov

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

Education: A Master’s Degree in Logistics, Pharmacy, Business or a related technical area is required.

Prior Work Experience: Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in procurement and/or supply chain management and logistics in the pharmaceutical sector.

Only offerors clearly meeting the above minimum qualifications will be considered for further evaluation.

Security and Medical clearances: The ability to obtain the required security and medical clearances in a reasonable timeframe is considered a minimum qualification. See Section V.

III. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

Selection Process and Basis of Evaluation: Offerors who clearly meet the aforementioned minimum education and work experience qualification requirements may be further evaluated through review of the offeror’s submitted required documents (see section IV below) and ranked based on the below evaluation and selection factors. A competitive range may be established of the highest-ranked offerors, who may be further evaluated through technical tests, interviews, and reference checks to determine the most qualified/highest-ranked offerors. Reference checks may be conducted with the highest-ranked offerors. Reference checks may be conducted with individuals not provided by the offeror. Any offeror not receiving satisfactory reference checks will no longer be considered for the position. Negotiations may be conducted with the most qualified/ highest-ranked offerors at the conclusion of evaluations.

Education (10 Points):

A Master’s Degree or higher in Logistics, Pharmacy, Business or related technical area is required.

Prior Work Experience (30 Points):

Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in procurement and supply chain management and/or logistics in the pharmaceutical sector. Experience working with national governmental health procurement entities and the Global Fund is desired. Experience working with USG HIV programs, including with USAID, PEPFAR, and/or Global Fund standards, strategies, and regulations and experience in Post-Soviet countries is preferred.

Knowledge (20 Points):

Expert professional knowledge of health commodity security and procurement and supply chain principles, concepts, and practices is essential. The Advisor should have practical knowledge on all aspects of the logistics cycle including product selection, quantification and procurement, inventory management, monitoring and reporting, and organization, staffing, and budgeting. S/he should also understand how to advise government counterparts on procurement and supply chain policies, technical guidelines, and regulatory requirements. Knowledge of logistics software, such as Quantimed or e-TB Manager, is also desirable.

Skills and Abilities (40 points):

Strong written and verbal communication skills are essential. S/he should be familiar with common office software, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills, in order to effectively function on a team and with USG and Government of Ukraine professional colleagues is essential. Ability to develop and present formal technical presentations, facilitate meetings, and write clear and precise reports with actionable items clearly described is highly desirable. Ukrainian and/or Russian language proficiency is desired.

Total Points: 100 pts

IV. APPLYING

1. Eligible Offerors are required to complete and submit all the following documents and information in English in order to be considered for the position. Submit your complete application package to kyivvacancies@usaid.gov:

a. Completed and signed form Form AID 309-2,“Offeror Information for Personal Services Contracts,” available also at Forms | U.S. Agency for International Development. Only include base salary information in box 4 of sections B and C.

Do not include bonuses, differentials, cost of living allowances, or other types of compensation. During negotiations, salary history may be verified through pay slips, earnings and leave statements, or other appropriate documentation.

b. A cover letter of no more than 2 pages that demonstrates how the Offeror’s qualifications meet the evaluation and selection factors in section III of this solicitation.

c. A resume or curriculum vitae (CV) of not more than 3 pages which, at a minimum, describes education, experience and career achievements relevant to the evaluation and selection factors in section III of this solicitation.

d. Names of three professional references, including at least one current/former supervisor, that have knowledge of the offeror’s ability to perform the duties set forth in the solicitation. This information may be included in the cover letter or resume/CV.

Late, incomplete, and/or un-signed offers will not be considered.

2. Offers containing all required documents must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3, and submitted electronically to the email Point of Contact in Section I, item 12.

3. To ensure consideration of offers for the intended position, Offerors should prominently reference the Solicitation number in the offer submission.

V. PRE-AWARD DOCUMENTATION / 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, needed to obtain medical and security clearances.

1. Medical History and Examination Form/ Medical Clearance Update (DS-1843; DS-1622 /DS-mailto:kyivvacancies@usaid.gov https://www.usaid.gov/forms/aid-309-2 https://www.usaid.gov/forms https://www.usaid.gov/forms

3057)

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

3. Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85)

4. Fingerprint Card (SF-87)

Timely completion and submission of the required documents are needed to obtain the necessary Security and Medical Clearances. Failure of the selected offeror to accurately complete and submit required documents in a timely manner may be grounds for the CO to rescind any conditional pre-contract offer letter and begin negotiations with the next most qualified/highest ranked offeror.

Selected offerors who are unable to obtain required Security and Medical Clearances in a reasonable timeframe are considered un-qualified for this position.

Within 2 weeks after written notice from the CO that all required clearances have been received, or unless another date is specified by the CO in writing, the selected offeror shall proceed to Kyiv, Ukraine to perform the services specified in section I, item 9.

VI. BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES

As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, an Off-shore hire USPSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances:

1. BENEFITS:

● Employer's FICA Contribution

● Contribution toward Health & Life Insurance

● Pay Comparability Adjustment

● Annual Increase (pending a satisfactory performance evaluation)

● Eligibility for Worker's Compensation

● Annual and Sick Leave

2. ALLOWANCES (If Applicable) *:

● Temporary Quarters Subsistence Allowance (Section 120)

● Living Quarters Allowance (Section 130)

● Cost of Living Allowance (Chapter 210) (d)

● Post Allowance (Section 220)

● Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section 260)

● Education Allowance (Section 270)

● Educational Travel (Section 280)

● Post Differential (Section 500)

● Payments During Evacuation/Authorized Departure (Section 600)

● Danger Pay Allowance (Section 650)

● Special COLA

● Hardship Differential (Section 500)

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

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

BENEFITS:

● Employer's FICA Contribution

● Contribution toward Health & Life Insurance

● Pay Comparability Adjustment

● Annual Increase (pending a satisfactory performance evaluation)

● Eligibility for Worker's Compensation

● Annual and Sick Leave

In accordance with AIDAR, Appendix D, 1 (Class Deviation M/OAA-DEV-AIDAR-21-02c):

(b) Definitions:

(5) Resident Hire U.S. Personal Services Contractor (PSC) means a U.S. citizen or resident alien who, at the time of contract award.

(i) resides in the cooperating country for reasons other than the U.S. government or non-U.S.

government employment, under any contract or employment arrangement that provides repatriation to the U.S.; or

(ii) is a spouse or dependent of a U.S. citizen or resident alien with U.S. government or non-U.S.

government employment, under any contract or employment arrangement that provides repatriation to the U.S, 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,” available at AIDAR, Appendix D https://www.acquisition.gov/aidar/appendix-d-chapter-7-direct-usaid-contracts-u.s.-citizen-or-u.s.-resident-alien-personal-services-abroad

2. Contract Cover Page form AID 309-1 available at Forms | U.S. Agency for International Development

Line Item Table

ITEM

NO

(A)

SUPPLIES/SERVICES

(DESCRIPTION) (B)

QUANTI

TY (C)

UNIT

(D)

UNIT

PRICE (E)

AMOU

NT (F)

0001 Compensation and Fringe Benefits/Other

Direct Costs (ODCs) Award Type: Cost Product Service Code: R497 Accounting Info:

1 year LOT

1001 Option Period (OP) 1 – Compensation and ODCs Award Type: Cost Product Service Code: R497 Accounting Info:

1 year LOT

2001 OP 2 – Compensation and ODCs Award Type: Cost Product Service Code: R497 Accounting Info:

1 year LOT

3. Acquisition & Assistance Policy Directives/Contract Information Bulletins (AAPDs/CIBs) for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals available are at Acquisition & Assistance Policy Directives/Contracts Information Bulletins

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 Standards of Ethical Conduct Standards of Ethical Conduct

5. PSC Ombudsman. The PSC Ombudsman serves as a resource for any Personal Services 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: Ombusdsman The PSC Ombudsman may be contacted via: pscombudsman@usaid.gov.

END OF SOLICITATION

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