Solicitation- Senior HIV Advisor - rev jss.pdf

SOLICITATION NUMBER: 72061220R00008

ISSUANCE DATE: September 18, 2020 CLOSING DATE AND TIME: October 15, 2020

SUBJECT: Solicitation for U.S. Personal Service Contractor (USPSC) SENIOR HIV

ADVISOR

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 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, Janine Scott Supervisory Executive Officer

1. SOLICITATION NUMBER: 72061220R00008

2. ISSUANCE DATE: September 18, 2020

3. CLOSING DATE AND TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: October 15, 2020 - 1700 hrs. Malawi Time

4. POINT OF CONTACT: Fiskani Mbeya, HR Assistant, e-mail at fmbeya@usaid.gov

5. POSITION TITLE: Senior HIV Advisor

6. MARKET VALUE: $92,977 to $120,868 per annum (GS-14 equivalent). Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value

7. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: One year, beginning o/a 1 December 2020. Based on the Mission needs, the Contracting Officer may exercise (an) additional option period(s) for two additional one-year periods for the date(s) estimated as follows:

Base Period: o/a December 1, 2020 – November 30 , 2021 Option Period 1: o/a December 1, 2021 – November 31, 2022 Option Period 2: o/a December 1, 2022 –November 31, 2023

8. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: USAID/Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi, with possible travel as stated in the Statement of Duties.

9. ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: U.S. citizens and lawful permanent U.S. residents

10. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: The selected candidate must be able to obtain a

Security Clearance at the HSPD12 level or “Logical/Physical Access” within a reasonable period of time. If such clearance is not obtained within a reasonable time or negative suitability issues are involved, any offer may be rescinded.

11. STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

1. BACKGROUND

One of the five poorest nations in the world, Malawi faces a long list of interwoven and inseparable development challenges. Malawi’s population is forecasted to almost double by 2040, only 6 percent of children who start primary school graduate from secondary school, and 80 percent of the population is dependent on subsistence farming for their livelihoods. While Malawi is doing relatively well in most measures of its commitment, its capacity to manage and finance its journey to self-reliance is low.

Malawi is also one of the 23 bilateral programs in the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Started in 2003, PEPFAR is a unified USG strategy which aims to reduce the HIV/AIDS burden on the countries that are the most impacted by the epidemic. In particular, PEPFAR focuses support on low income countries, and in FY 2019 USAID obligated approximately $1.8 billion, of which $159 million went to Malawi. Since the start of PEPFAR funding, Malawi has received nearly $1 billion in PEPFAR funding. Malawi has made remarkable progress toward stemming the HIV epidemic and is expected to achieve the UNAIDS 90-90-90 goals by 2020 but will require considerable support to maintain these gains and accelerate toward the 95-95-95 goal.

As of 2019, Malawi placed over 825,000 people on treatment, 92% of whom are virally suppressed. Increasing the capacity of and funding for local partners is seen as a major priority for both USAID and PEPFAR to improve the sustainability of the HIV response. To sustain epidemic control, it will be important that locally owned and operated organizations have sufficient technical and operational capacity and durability to ensure long term impact. PEPFAR has set a goal that 70% of all funding provided to USAID should be directed to local partners by the end of FY2020. To date, 43% of all USAID/Malawi funding is directed to local partners, which includes treatment, key populations, and orphans and vulnerable children services.

PEPFAR Malawi is an interagency effort led by the PEPFAR Coordination Office in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Defense, Peace Corps, and USAID. The HIV team within the HPN Office is responsible for USAID’s PEPFAR funded activities and consists of twenty-eight staff, who manage a portfolio of 20 activities with a total estimated value of over $229 million. USAID/Malawi’s PEPFAR-funded activities also contribute to USAID/Malawi’s new Country Development and Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) through which USAID/Malawi will implement a new cross-sectoral strategic approach to support the country to become more gender equitable and democratically accountable. Over half of USAID/Malawi’s FY19 budget goes toward a diverse and complex health portfolio that is integral to the success of USAID/Malawi’s CDCS.

2. BASIC FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION

The Senior HIV Advisor is a recognized HIV/AIDS subject matter expert responsible for providing a full range of consultative, advisory, program planning, financial management, reporting, and monitoring and evaluation duties in the technical areas of HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, testing, counseling, and care and support within USAID and for the PEPFAR interagency team. Reporting to the HIV Team Leader, the Senior HIV Advisor will provide technical expertise grounded in strong development program implementation and program management experience. The Senior HIV Advisor will provide high-level technical advice and assistance to the HPN Leadership in the design, integration and implementation of HIV/AIDS care and support programs and will provide technical leadership in the development and improvement of programs in line with USAID and PEPFAR strategies and objectives. The Senior HIV Advisor will advise and make significant contributions toward the establishment of overall program priorities and work assignments, development of strategies, program and project designs, and scopes of work, as well as provide technical guidance and direction to CORs and AORs in project implementation. The Advisor will participate in the review and evaluation of existing policies on pediatric, adolescent and adult HIV treatment, prevention, care and support, including related service platforms and associated policies, and will contribute to building strong linkages between HIV treatment and other clinical services. The Senior HIV/AIDS Advisor maintains highly collaborative USG interagency relationships and serves as the US Mission HIV/AIDS technical expert in working with the Government of Malawi, private and non-governmental sector, donor organizations, and other players in the technical area.

3. MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Senior HIV Advisor will serve as the HIV/AIDS subject matter expert within USAID/Malawi and will provide expert technical advice in the design and implementation of the PEPFAR-funded USAID HIV/AIDS activities, including programmatic guidance and advice on the implementation of pediatric, adolescent, and adult treatment, prevention, care and support initiatives.

Technical Leadership and Advisory Services 70%

1. The Senior HIV Advisor will provide high-level technical and programmatic advice to the HPN

Office Director and HIV Team Leader in strategic planning and overall direction of the development and execution of USAID/Malawi’s PEPFAR-financed activities. The Senior HIV Advisor will serve as a trusted policy and technical advisor to the HPN Office Director, HIV Team Leader, and HIV team, providing technical leadership and program implementation oversight to USAID/Malawi funded implementing partners.

2. The Senior HIV Advisor collaborates with and guides the HPN Leadership in the formulation of Mission strategy for HIV/AIDS and on the management and implementation of related activities in the Mission’s portfolio; identifies short and long-range achievable, sustainable strategies and participate, as required, in the development of Mission strategic plans, results analysis, resource requests, and other strategic planning and reporting documentation.

3. The Senior HIV Advisor provides expert technical advice and guidance in the development, oversight, management, and assessment of HIV/AIDS programs in areas such as voluntary, testing and counseling, HIV treatment and retention, voluntary male medical circumcision, and comprehensive HIV programming targeting priority populations such as Key Populations, orphans and vulnerable children, and Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW). S/he keeps current on new developments in clinical and community HIV and TB treatment, care and support, to advise the Mission and interagency PEPFAR teams on technical priorities and implementation approaches.

4. The Senior HIV Advisor will advise, collaborate and work with office, mission, and interagency colleagues in the planning, formulating, implementing, and monitoring and evaluating of health activities and strategies. The Senior HIV Advisor will work with the interagency PEPFAR team and USAID/Malawi HIV team to provide technical direction and guidance to USAID and PEPFAR implementing partners, especially local implementing partners. The Senior HIV Advisor will search for and address emerging issues in need of USAID support and guidance on HIV/AIDS initiatives.

5. The Senior HIV Advisor provides expert technical assistance and direction to the HIV Team in planning for a broad range of HIV/AIDS activities, including identifying opportunities for integrating development assistance principles with HIV/AIDS sector programs; participating in the formation of policies and guidelines to further HIV/AIDS activities in the geographic area;

and, coordinating program development, implementation, and performance monitoring plans that encourage HIV/AIDS activities.

6. The incumbent must keep abreast of the latest innovations and developments in the international public health sphere related to HIV/AIDS policy and programming, will be responsible for bringing in the latest developments and innovations from international HIV programming, determining their applicability to the Malawi context, and working with USAID’s management team to identify the best methods for promoting their adoption. The Senior HIV Advisor will review and evaluate existing policies and will provide recommendations and suggest modifications to existing policies or the creation of new policies to support and/or enhance USAID HIV activities in Malawi.

7. The Senior HIV Advisor will analyze, synthesize and disseminate key research findings and best practices to the Mission and its partners. The incumbent will provide research and programmatic recommendations to the HPN Leadership and HPN partner organizations, including advice on design and methodology of new research areas, guidance on project design, and guidance on best practices related to the treatment and care and support activities.

Program Management and Representation Duties 30%

1. The Senior HIV Advisor will manage projects, conferring and negotiating with senior Government of Malawi and USG officials, other donors, implementing partners, civil society, and private-sector partners to improve implementation, strengthen partnerships, and improve coordination in consultation with the HIV Team Leader and HPN Office Director.

2. The incumbent will ensure timely review and approval of PEPFAR implementation partner annual work plans and budgets as well as compliance with approved work plans and budgets.

3. S/he will assist in collecting information and evaluating the impact of HIV sector activities. This responsibility includes participating in evaluation efforts of current and completed projects, including the performance of contractors and grantees; ensuring that relevant recommendations are implemented and taken into consideration in the design of new initiatives; and evaluating audit report findings and recommending and participating in corrective action.

4. The Senior HIV Advisor will serve as one of the leaders of the development of the annual PEPFAR Country Operational Plan, Annual Performance Report, quarterly PEPFAR Oversight and Accountability Review Team meetings, Expenditure Analysis, and End of Fiscal Year reporting with oversight from the HIV Team Leader. S/he will also guide and direct the HIV team to comply with the Site Improvement through Monitoring System (SIMS) requirements while ensuring that SIMS analysis is incorporated into program implementation; and contributing to high quality portfolio analyses and presentations, and other key requirements, as directed by OGAC or USAID.

5. The Senior HIV Advisor represents USAID/Malawi and PEPFAR/Malawi at high-level meetings with government, USG agencies (Malawi, HQ, regional), implementing partners, in-country donors, civil society, and international and local partners related to HIV. S/he also engages in national Technical Working Groups and meetings with implementing partners, government senior officials, principally the Department of HIV/AIDS at the Ministry of Health and the National AIDS Commission. The incumbent liaises with partner-country officials of other ministries and government entities, such as Finance, Planning, Education and Economic Development, on plans and programs.

6. S/he will serve as a core member of the interagency PEPFAR Management Team and represents USAID in internal and external PEPFAR meetings with Embassy Front Office, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Gender officials, civil-society organizations, and other development partners.

7. The Senior HIV Advisor will supervise, coach and mentor individuals (junior, mid-level, and senior foreign-service nationals) and teams within the HIV team to improve overall performance.

The Senior HIV Advisor will be required to assist in creating a supportive work environment that values diversity, and elicits the highest possible level of performance from the entire team. S/he will assist in setting clear individual and team work objectives and ensure that staff members meet those approved work objectives.

4. Supervisory Relationship: The Senior HIV Advisor will receive supervision, policy direction and guidance from the HIV Team Leader and HPN Office Director. The Senior HIV Advisor is expected to exercise considerable independent judgment and initiative. Such initiative is critical to the success of the assignment; however, the actions and decisions of the Senior HIV Advisor will be cleared by the HIV Team Leader and/or HPN Office Director.

Specific work plans and anticipated results are developed in consultation with the HPN Office team.

The incumbent works independently, providing leadership to others involved in the management of the HIV portfolio, and in the development, design, and drafting of the new HIV projects/activities.

The work is reviewed in terms of achievement of established milestones, and the appropriateness of program/project activity focus.

5. Supervisory Controls: The Senior HIV Advisor will be expected to directly supervise, coach and mentor individuals (approximately 3-5 junior, mid-level, and senior foreign-service nationals, who in turn supervise other staff) and teams within the HIV team to improve overall performance.

12. PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

1. Education The complex and highly technical and visible nature of the position requires a minimum a master’s degree in medicine, laboratory sciences, international public health, social sciences, health care development or other applicable related field.

2. Work experience: At least seven (7) years of progressive professional experience in designing, implementing, managing and monitoring large scale public health programs, including programs related to HIV epidemic control, is required. The ideal candidate should demonstrate a clear progression in his or her previous work experience and have experience working on HIV or other public health programming.

Experience working with US government agencies, donor organizations, international organizations, public international organizations, and/or other relevant development stakeholders is required.

Demonstrated experience working with high-level host country counterparts, in- country program managers, policy makers and a broad array of international health service providers and community leaders.

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/browse/index/far.

Education: Pass/Fail Experience: Pass/Fail

Knowledge, skills and abilities: 40 points A thorough knowledge of the latest HIV science and/or research related to both community- and facility-based ART retention, adherence and viral load suppression interventions and strategies, as well as knowledge related to broader health systems issues. Demonstrated technical leadership, policy experience, and experience designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating large HIV or public health programs.

Strong quantitative and analytical skills with a demonstrated ability to obtain, analyze, organize and interpret data and present findings in both oral and written form. Strong skills in interpretation of routine programmatic data, targeted evaluation and operational research data and advanced numerical skills for data analysis are required. Strong ability to produce concise, clear reports, and utilize word processing, spreadsheet and database programs.

Proven ability to work effectively with high level personnel from government, the donor community, implementing partners, and other development organizations is essential.

Demonstrated ability to work across agencies, and with high level senior-ranking host country government officials, is required. Ability to work effectively on her/his own, as a member of an office management team, and as a mentor to junior staff, is required. The incumbent must possess strong technical and management skills, complemented by outstanding cross-cultural communication and interpersonal skills to be successful.

Management skills: 20 points Demonstrated ability to manage a complex portfolio of health or HIV activities. Excellent organizational, communication and negotiation skills. Strong supervisory skills and ability to work effectively in a diverse, multi-cultural team of highly qualified technical experts.

Language and communication skills: 20 points Excellent written and oral English communication skills, particularly strong writing and editing skills, are required. S/he must have the ability to summarize and synthesize information from a wide variety of sources into cohesive, polished written and oral communication. Exceptionally strong interpersonal skills and abilities to work in a multi-cultural setting are required.

Experience motivating and leading teams of professionals are required.

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

Reference checks: 20 points

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. A signed Cover Letter of no more than two pages

3. Resume or the most recent Curriculum Vitae (CV). The CV/resume must contain enough relevant information to evaluate the application in accordance with the stated evaluation criteria.

To ensure consideration of applicants for the intended position, please reference the solicitation number on your application, and as the subject line in any cover letter, as well as using the address/delivery point specified in this solicitation.

4. Supplemental document with written responses to the evaluation factors describing specifically what experience, training, education, etc., the applicant has received relevant to each selection criteria (maximum 3 pages).

5. Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3, and submitted to the Point of Contact in Section I.

6. Offeror submissions must clearly reference the Solicitation number on all offeror submitted documents.

7. List of minimum three (3) professional references who are not family members or relatives, with complete name, title, organization where he/she works, description of relationship, with working/accurate telephone and e-mail numbers. The applicant’s references must be able to provide substantive information about his/her past performance and abilities. USAID/Malawi reserves the right to obtain from previous employers, relevant information concerning the applicant’s past performance and may consider such information in its final decision. At least one reference must be from a current or former supervisor. Reference checks will be done on selected applicants only. If an applicant does not wish for the current employer to be contacted as a reference, this should be stated in the applicant’s cover letter. The interviewing committee will delay such reference check pending communication with the Applicant.

8. Late Submissions: Qualified individuals should note that applications must be received by the closing date and time at the address specified in the cover letter or they will not be considered eligible for evaluation or award, unless the Contracting Officer determines that the documents were mishandled by the receiving agency. The closing time for the receipt of applications is 5:00 pm, local time, on the date specified on the cover letter to this solicitation. You are directed to Federal Acquisitions Regulation, Part 15.208 “Submission, modification, revision, and withdrawal of proposals” for further information. USAID/Malawi reserves the right not to award any contract as a result of this solicitation.

9. Phone interview(s): may be conducted with most highly rated Applicants only. The purpose of a phone interview may be to facilitate USAID’s proper understanding of the Applicant-provided information for Section IV: Evaluation Criteria, in order for the assigned a numerical score to reflect a well-informed basis. Although the interview is not subject to scoring, if and when information gained by USAID during the interview substantively adds to or detracts from USAID’s initial understanding based on the Applicant’s written submittal, an adjustment in a particular score may be justified.

V. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS PRIOR TO AWARD

The CO will provide instructions about how to complete and submit the following forms after an offeror is selected for the contract award:

Forms outlined below can be found at http://www.usaid.gov/forms:

1. AID 309-2

2. Contractor Physical Examination (AID Form 1420-62). **

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

4. Finger Print Card (FD-258). **

** Forms 2 through 4 shall be completed only upon the advice of the Contracting Officer that an applicant is the successful candidate for the job.

VI. BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES:

As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances: (NOTE: An individual defined as a Resident Hire employee may only be eligible for those benefits listed under item A below.)

A. BENEFITS:

1. Employee's FICA Contribution

2. Contribution toward Health & Life Insurance

3. Pay Comparability Adjustment

4. Eligibility for Worker's Compensation

5. Annual & Sick Leave

6. Access to Embassy medical facilities, commissary, and pouch mail service

B. ALLOWANCES (If Applicable):

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

1. Temporary Lodging Allowance (Section 120)

2. Living Quarters Allowance (Section 130)

3. Post Allowance (Section 220)

4. Supplemental Post Allowance (Section 230)

5. Post Differential (Chapter 500)

6. Payments during Evacuation/Authorized Departure (Section 600) and http://www.usaid.gov/forms https://aoprals.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=282&menu_id=101

7. Danger Pay (Section 650)

8. Educational Allowance (Section 270)

9. Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section 260)

10. Educational Travel (Section 280)

* Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians Foreign Areas).

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 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)

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:

[insert one or more citation(s) from Phoenix/GLAAS]

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 negotiations

- Product Service Code: [e.g. R497]

- Accounting Info:

[insert from Phoenix/GLAAS]

2001 Option Period 2 – Compensation, Fringe Benefits and Other Direct Costs (ODCs)

- Award Type: Cost

- Product Service Code: [e.g. R497]

- Accounting Info:

[insert from Phoenix/GLAAS] negotiations

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 .

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