Senior Resource Management & Risk Assessment Advisor

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
BUREAU OF INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AFFAIRS (INL)

You have received this "Personal Services Contractor" (PSC) solicitation through the Department of State (DOS) Internet site. If you have any questions regarding this PSC, you may contact the DOS Official named in this solicitation. The Department is not responsible for any data and/or text not received when retrieving this document electronically. Amendments to solicitation documents generally contain information critical to the submission of an application.

Position Title: Senior Resource Management & Risk Assessment Advisor
Location: Washington, DC
Salary Level: $137,849 - $166,500 (Equivalent GS-15)
Period of performance: The period of performance for this contract is twelve (12) months from the date of award with four (4) optional one-year extensions.
Issuance Date: 07/11/2019
Closing date: 07/31/2019
Closing Time: 3:00 p.m. (EST)
Solicitation Number: PSC-19-069-INL
Job description: See below

Dear Prospective Offerors:

The Department of State is seeking offers from qualified U.S. citizens to provide personal services for the subject position under a personal services contract, as described in this solicitation. Submittals must be in accordance with the attached information at the place and time specified. Applicants interested in applying for this position MUST submit the following materials:

1. Form SF 171 (Completed and signed)
2. Complete resume. In order to fully evaluate your offer your resume must include:
a. Paid a non-paid experience, job title, location(s), dates held (month/year), and hours worked per week for each position. Dates (month/year) and locations for any overseas experience must also be detailed. Any experience that does not include dates (month/year), locations, and hours per week will not be counted towards meeting the solicitation requirements.
b. Specific duties performed that fully detail the level and complexity of the work.
c. Names and contact information (phone and email) of your current and/or previous supervisor(s).
d. Education and any other qualifications including job-related training courses, job-related skills, or job-related honors, awards or accomplishments.
e. U.S. Citizenship

Note: Resume must contain explicit information to make a valid determination that the candidate meets the experience requirements as stated in this solicitation. This information needs to be clearly identified in the resume. Failure to provide explicit information to determine qualifications for the position will result in loss of full consideration.

Supplemental document specifically addressing:
f. Each of the three (3) Evaluation Factors shown in the solicitation. Responses must be limited to 500 words per Evaluation Factor. Any additional words above the limit will neither be read nor scored.

Note: The Evaluation Factors are worth 70 out of 100 points. Offerors are required to address each of the Evaluation Factors in a separate document describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards they have receive that are relevant to each Factor.

3. Three (3) names and contact information (phone and email) of current and/or previous supervisors to serve as professional references.

Additional documents submitted will not be accepted. Incomplete or late offers will not be considered. Complete applications must be emailed to:

Deborah Strom
U.S. Department of State
INL/RM/GAPP
StromDG@state.gov

Sincerely,

Anthony Pierce
Contracting Officer
U.S. Department of State

SUBJECT
A solicitation for a Personal Services Contractor (PSC), Department of State (DOS), Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).

The United States Government (USG), represented by the DOS, seeks applications from US citizens interested in providing PSC services as described in this solicitation.

PRE-AWARD ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF PSC (JUN 2011)
This solicitation may result in the award of one or more personal services contracts as defined in FAR 2.101. Prior to contract award, all offerors or quotes must advise the cognizant Contracting Officer if they have a personal conflict of interest, such as a financial conflict, that would prevent them from either meeting the requirements of the clause entitled, "Post-Award Ethical Responsibilities of Personal Services Contractors," or otherwise objectively performing their contractual duties upon contract award.

HOW TO APPLY
Offerors proposal shall be in accordance with the requirements stated in this solicitation at the place and time specified. A proposal will be determined non-responsive and ineligible for consideration unless all required documents and information are included in the submission. Offerors shall ensure their resume demonstrates their possession of the minimum qualifications outlined in this Solicitation, as well as their ability to fulfill all required duties. The Government is not responsible for any costs incurred by the offeror during the solicitation process.

NOTE REGARDING GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS FOR THIS SOLICITATION

This solicitation in no way obligates the Department of State to award a PSC contract, nor does it commit the Department of State to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of the application.

Proposals must include the following and not exceed twenty (20) pages (additional pages will not be accepted or reviewed):
4. Form SF 171 (Completed and signed)
5. Resume and Evaluation Factor Responses
6. Three (3) names and contact information (phone and email) of current and/or previous supervisors to serve as professional references.

Note: Your resume should contain explicit information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the experience requirements as stated in this solicitation. This information should be clearly identified in your resume. Failure to provide explicit information to determine your qualifications for the position will result in loss of full consideration. Additional documents submitted beyond the requirements will not be accepted or reviewed.

*** ONE PDF ATTACHMENT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

VETERAN'S PREFERENCE
Veteran's preference is not applicable to this position therefore do not submit DD-214.

ALL QUALIFIED APPLICANTS WILL BE CONSIDERED REGARDLESS OF AGE, RACE, COLOR, SEX, CREED, NATIONAL ORIGIN, LAWFUL POLITICAL AFFILIATION, NONDISQUALIFYING DISABILITY, MARITAL STATUS, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AFFILIATION WITH AN EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION, OR OTHER NON-MERIT FACTOR.

Submit proposal via e-mail to the attention of:
INL/Deborah Strom
E-mail: StromDG@state.gov

Direct questions regarding this solicitation to:
INL/Deborah Strom
E-mail: StromDG@state.gov

INL will not accept proposals beyond the closing time/date; unless it can be determined DOS mishandled the proposal.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT
The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is part of the Under Secretariat for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights (J) within the Department of State (DOS). INL's mission is to keep Americans safe at home by countering international crime, illegal drugs, and instability abroad. INL helps countries deliver justice and fairness by strengthening their police, courts, and corrections systems. These efforts reduce the amount of crime and illegal drugs reaching U.S. shores.

The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) leads the Department of State's criminal justice and counternarcotic foreign assistance efforts. INL assistance programs, in over eighty countries and totaling $4.4 billion annually in active funds, help partner nations to build their capacities to extend the rule of law and disrupt criminal organizations. INL's resource management operations, oversight and controls are very complex due to the scope, dollar value, and high risk vulnerability of the extensive programs and management controls, both domestic and overseas. The Personal Services Contractor will be located in the INL Office of Resource Management (INL/EX).

The Personal Services Contractor shall serve as a Senior Resource Management and Risk Assessment Advisor ("Senior RM Advisor") carrying out complex, inter-disciplinary resource management analyses, special projects, management assistance, and control functions impacting or relevant to INL's overseas (bilateral and multilateral) and domestic programs for the INL Deputy Assistant Secretary and Executive Director. In addition, the Senior RM Advisor conducts resource management policy reviews and recommends new, or changes to, policies to strengthen management controls, align with business best practices and comply with Administration directives. While the above involves a wide range of resource management disciplines to be addressed, the Senior RM Advisor shall place special focus on the broad scope of INL financial management and budgetary policies, business practices, risk management, and internal management controls, including the impact on bilateral and multilateral programs and projects.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Provides authoritative advice/guidance to senior bureau management, INL/RM and program officers, post management and staff, senior management in other State Department bureaus, and officials in partner Federal agencies regarding INL and general foreign assistance authorities, INL resource management and operational policies, guidelines, business practices, Foreign Operations Appropriation Act and its provisions, including INCLE, Appropriations Law, and the resolution of unique business situations and anomalies regarding INL Foreign Assistance resource management. On behalf of INL senior management, liaises with functional and regional bureau management and partner agency offices, including the external oversight community such as the Office of Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office, on issues related to the above areas. The Senior RM Advisor will deal with offices that have diverse viewpoints and objectives. He/she will justify, defend, and negotiate significant INL resource management issues with those offices to achieve bureau objectives.
2. Performs special analyses of INL's overseas and domestic operations involving multiple resource management disciplines and a broad range of situations, including different types of foreign assistance programs and projects, risk assessments (including management controls), management support operations, operating environments, funding resource, and project implementing mechanisms. Conducts extensive research to determine opportunities and issues, isolate and define root causes of problems, develop policies and guidance applicable to broad range of situations, develop viable recommendations, and help implement senior management's decisions.
3. Identifies significant facets of INL financial transactions as they relate to INL program, project and resource management policies, guidelines, business practices and management controls that warrant special review, especially in light of recent U.S. Foreign Assistance directives. Designs and carries out special projects, presents findings and inter-functional recommendations to senior management, and works with various groups to implement management's decisions. The Senior RM Advisor's projects shall address the impact of external factors (e.g., Foreign Assistance policy shifts, legislative changes, and budget reductions), internal factors (phasing out and closing INL project and closings, strengthening controls over high-risk financial transactions, and using new systems to enhance management tracking, control and reporting), and opportunities to improve and establish standards for INL program, project and resource management operations.
4. On a continuing basis, reviews external audits, inspections, reviews and reports pertaining to INL foreign assistance programs and INL resource management as well as core Federal and State Department resource management operations impacting INL foreign assistance operations and business processes to then identify trends, underlying causes, best practices and required improvements as well as mitigate risks to INL Foreign Assistance operations and business processes. Briefs senior INL management and identifies special resource management analyses and projects, as necessary, to further scope out INL's multi-faceted foreign assistance situations, develop recommendations, risk mitigations, and corrective action plans, and implement needed changes working with appropriate interlocutors.
5. On a continuing basis, analyzes new legislation, policies, regulations, OMB circulars, and U.S. Code, regarding foreign assistance (e.g., new priorities, reorganizations and reductions in funds/staffing) to identify requirements that will impact INL's overseas and domestic programs as well as related resource management operations, policies, guidance and controls. Presents findings and recommendations to INL senior management for implementing required resource management changes which will impact wide swaths of the INL programs and operations. Works with impacted offices and posts to implement changes and report on progress.
6. Develops, or updates, INL resource management policies, guidelines, controls and ensures that all INL and related FSI training course content, as well as all published guidance provided by the CGFS bureau on financial management issues, are in sync. Identifies INL training requirements for overseas and domestic personnel and utilizes a variety of training content and mechanisms (e.g., virtual presentations and webinars) to bring tailored INL training to targeted audiences.
7. Overseas and domestic travel by the Advisor will be required, as necessary, to carry out the above duties and responsibilities.
TRAINING & DISTANCE LEARNING COURSES
Completes the Contracting Officer Representative (PA296) distance-learning (DL) course through the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) within 120 days of arriving in INL/EX.

RELATIONSHIP
The INL Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director provide general direction to the Senior RM Advisor in terms of broadly defined resource management missions and objectives. The advisor independently designs and carries out analyses, projects, reviews, and recommendations with final policy decisions being made by the INL Deputy Assistant Secretary, Executive Director or the Deputy Executive Director. The Senior RM Advisor will exercise independent judgement and authority, and will be recognized as the INL resource management expert. The advisor's work results are considered definitive.

COMPLEXITY
This position involves planning, organizing and completing financial, organizational, operational, resource management, and risk analyses of enormous complexity. Due to the high visibility and political sensitivity of the issues in which INL is involved, there is extreme difficulty in identifying the nature of the issues and planning, organizing and determining the scope and depth of studies/audits to be undertaken. The Senior RM Advisor is expected to address difficult scenarios by separating the substantive nature of the programs or issues into their components and determining the nature and magnitude of programs or issues, as well as in discerning the intent of the legislation and policy statements and determining how to translate the intent into program actions.

SCOPE AND EFFECTIVENESS
The Advisor performs broad and extensive assignments related to a complex resource management program, spanning the full-range of citizen safety, law enforcement, rule of law, and counternarcotics global programs in INL, which is of significant interest to the public and to Congress.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
The period of performance for this contract is twelve (12) months from the date of award with four (4) optional one-year extensions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
1. U.S. citizenship, able to obtain/maintain Department of State Top Secret security clearance.
2. Master's degree from an accredited U.S. institution in finance, business administration, logistics management, public administration, human resources or accounting.
3. Mastery of INL Foreign Assistance resource management (e.g., financial management and budget, logistics management, human resources, information technology management).
4. Mastery of Appropriation Law and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (Part 1, Chapter 8 and related parts of the General Provisions).
5. Ten years demonstrated experience working for an Agency-level resource management operation at the GS-15 level or above.
6. Six years demonstrated management experience working in INL Foreign Assistance resource management at the GS-15 level or above.
7. Four years demonstrated experience working in a U.S. Embassy's management section, with two years at the FS-01 level or above.
8. Ten years demonstrated experience in planning, organizing, and directing working groups and negotiating effectively with senior management to accept and implement improvement recommendations covering a broad field, multiple disciplines, and substantial agency resources such as in financial management, budgetary planning, and risk mitigation.
9. Ten years demonstrated experience in INL global operations, including direct experience in INL resources management such as financial management, budgetary planning, contract management, and information technology.
10. Two years demonstrated experience in establishing INL's complex financial management requirements for the Department of State's official financial management system, including the recent Bilateral Model Upgrade for tracking INL bilateral agreement finances in the Department's official accounting system.
11. Demonstrated knowledge of program management, including professionally recognized project management training or certification as a project management professional.
12. Demonstrated strong verbal and writing skills, including the ability to present and defend complex analyses and proposals and interact effectively with personnel at all levels.
13. Ability to develop/amend policies, guidelines, and controls for a major operation.
14. Ability to develop course/presentation material for targeted audiences, both overseas and domestic, and apply various training approaches (e.g., virtual presentation and webinars) to reach audiences at multiple locations.
15. Extensive knowledge of, and experience in, INL foreign assistance programs and resource and program policies and controls.

EVALUATION FACTORS
(Used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified offerors in comparison to other offerors.) Offerors should cite specific, illustrative examples for each factor. Responses must be limited to 500 words per factor. Any additional words above the limit will neither be read nor scored.

Factor 1 Federal and Foreign Assistance Resource Management (25 Points)
Demonstrated experience in the following: both Federal and Foreign Assistance resource management at the agency, including regional centers, functional bureau and post levels; policy, management, analytical planning, operational and internal control duties; and INL foreign assistance resource management operations and programs.

Factor 2 Appropriations Law and Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (25 Points)
Demonstrated experience with complex, broad, or rapidly evolving situations and issues that involve applying a range of Appropriations Law and Foreign Assistance Act provisions to resolve issues and to establish/amend resource management policies, guidelines, business practices and controls.

Factor 3: Management & Communication Experience (20 points)
Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, in a timely and concise manner; interact effectively with others at all levels to prepare, analyze, explain and defend determinations and requirements with respect to conformance to applicable laws, policies and other regulatory guidelines; and advise program officials.
BASIS OF RATING: Offerors who clearly meet the Education/Experience Requirements will be further evaluated based on scoring of the Evaluation Factor responses. Offerors are required to address each of the Evaluation Factors in a separate document describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards they have received that are relevant to each factor. Failure to specifically address the Evaluation Factors may result in your not receiving credit for all of your pertinent experience, education, training and/or awards.

The Offeror Rating System is as Follows:

Evaluation Factors have been assigned the following points:
Factor #1 - 25
Factor #2 - 25
Factor #3 - 20
Total Possible - 70 Points

Interview Performance - 30 points

Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks - Pass/Fail (no points assigned)
Past performance evaluation of applicant's ability to perform under the contract. In conducting the evaluation, the U.S. government reserves the right to utilize all evaluation information available at the time of evaluation, whether provided by the applicant or obtained from other sources.

Total Possible Points: 100

COMPENSATION (BASE PAY)
For award, INL will negotiate for this contract based on the market value as outlined above and overall experience relevant to the solicitation requirements.

BENEFITS & ALLOWANCES
AS A MATTER OF POLICY, INL NORMALLY AUTHORIZES THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES

BENEFITS - IF APPLICABLE
• Employee's FICA/Medicare Contribution
• Contribution toward Health and Life Insurance
• Pay Comparability Adjustment
• Annual Increase
• Eligibility for Worker's Compensation
• Annual, Sick and Home Leave
• 401K Plan
• MEDVAC (provided by DOS Med)

ALLOWANCES IN ACCORDANCE WITH DEPARTMENT OF STATE STANDARDIZED REGULATIONS (DSSR) - IF APPLICABLE
• Temporary Quarters Subsistence Allowance (TQSA) or Per Diem upon arrival at Post
• Housing Allowance
• Post Allowance
• Supplemental Post Allowance
• Maintenance Allowance (SMA)
• Education Allowance
• Educational Travel (full-time United States based secondary)
• Post Hardship Differential
• Danger Pay
• Shipment of HHE, UAB, POV and Consumables

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