USPSC Senior Program Officer 67 views1 applications

SOLICITATION NUMBER: 720FDA19B00120
ISSUANCE DATE: October 17, 2019
CLOSING DATE AND TIME: November 14, 2019, 12:00 P.M. Eastern Time

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

Dear Prospective Offerors:

The United States Government (USG), represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), is seeking offers from qualified U.S. citizens to provide personal services as a Senior Program Officer (SPO) under a United States Personal Services Contract (USPSC), as described in the solicitation.

Submittals must be in accordance with the attached information at the place and time specified. Offerors interested in applying for this position MUST submit the following materials:

1. Complete resume. In order to fully evaluate your offer, your resume must include:

(a) Paid and 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 all field 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) Education and any other qualifications including job-related training courses, job-related skills, or job-related honors, awards or accomplishments.
(d) U.S. Citizenship
(e) Optional: How did you hear about this opportunity? (FedBizOpps, OFDA Jobs, Career Fair, etc.).

Your resume must contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the experience requirements as stated in this solicitation. This information must be clearly identified in your resume. Failure to provide information sufficient to determine your qualifications for the position will result in loss of full consideration.

1. Supplemental document specifically addressing the Quality Ranking Factors (QRFs) shown in the solicitation.
2. USPSC Offeror form AID 309-2. Offerors are required to complete sections A through I. This form must be physically signed. Electronic signatures will not be accepted. AID 309-2 is available at http://www.usaid.gov/forms.

NOTE REGARDING DATA UNIVERSAL NUMBERING SYSTEM (DUNS) NUMBERS
AND THE SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT

All USPSCs with a place of performance in the United States are required to have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database prior to receiving an award. You will be disqualified if you either fail to comply with this requirement or if your name appears on the excluded parties list. The selectee will be provided with guidance regarding this registration.

NOTE: As of March 28, 2018, all new SAM.gov entity registrations will now require a signed notarized letter identifying the authorized Entity administrator for the entity associated with the DUNS number. Additional information on the format of the notarized letter and where to submit can be found via the below Federal Service Desk link:

https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/answer.do?sysparm_kbid=d2e67885db0d5f00b3257…
sysparm_search=kb0013183

Offerors can expect to receive a confirmation email when offer materials have been received. Offerors should retain for their records copies of all enclosures which accompany their offers. Your complete resume and the supplemental document addressing the QRFs must be emailed to:

OFDA Recruitment Team
E-Mail Address: [email protected]
Website: www.OFDAjobs.net

Any questions on this solicitation may be directed to OFDA Recruitment Team via the information provided above.

Sincerely,

Renee Newton
Contracting Officer

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. SOLICITATION NO.: 720FDA19B00120
2. ISSUANCE DATE: October 17, 2019
3. CLOSING DATE AND TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: November 14, 2019,
   12:00 P.M. Eastern Time
4. POINT OF CONTACT: OFDA Recruitment Team, [email protected]
5. POSITION TITLE: Senior Program Officer
6. MARKET VALUE: $76,687 – $99,691 equivalent to GS-13 (not eligible for locality pay)

Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value and based upon the candidate’s established salary history. Salaries over and above the top of the pay range will not be entertained or negotiated.

1. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: One (1) year, with four (4) one-year options
2. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

There may be an initial training program in Washington, D.C. for three months, which will include formal classroom training and on-the-job training; and may include security training. After completion of Washington training, the Senior Program Officer will be assigned to the place of performance.

1. ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: U.S. Citizens
2. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret up to Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information level clearance as provided by USAID.
3. STATEMENT OF DUTIES

POSITION DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

The Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) is the office within USAID that is responsible for providing emergency non-food humanitarian assistance in response to international crises and disasters. OFDA is part of the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA) and is organized into six divisions.

The Africa (AFD) Response Division and the Asia, Latin America, Europe, and Middle East (ALE) Response Division are responsible for the provision of emergency humanitarian assistance through a grants mechanism to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations (IOs) including United Nations (UN) agencies and to other partners to ensure the implementation and delivery of this assistance. These divisions also oversee OFDA’s non-response efforts in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and resilience. AFD and ALE Response Divisions also coordinate with other organizations for the provision of relief supplies and assistance. They devise, coordinate and implement program strategies for a variety of natural and complex disaster situations. Both Divisions encompass groups of operations specialists who provide technical expert capability in assessing the quality and strategic function of disaster response and risk reduction activities. The AFD Response Division is divided into two teams: East and Central Africa (ECA), and Southern, West, and North Africa (SWAN). The ALE Response Division is divided into four teams: East Asia and the Pacific (EAP), Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia (EMCA), Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), and South Asia (SA).

The Operations (OPS) Division develops and manages operations for OFDA’s disaster responses by readying people and systems; projecting U.S. Government (USG) humanitarian capacity quickly into the field; and delivering material and technical assistance. The OPS Division maintains readiness to respond to emergencies through several mechanisms, including managing Urban Search and Rescue Teams, coordinating, staffing, training, and equipping Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DARTs), and Washington-based Response Management Teams (RMTs), and stockpiling emergency relief commodities in key locations around the globe to ensure OFDA’s capacity to execute and coordinate USG humanitarian assistance and response to natural disasters and complex emergencies. The OPS Division provides technical guidance and expertise in Disaster Logistics, Urban Search and Rescue, Operations Center management, activation/readiness, Civil-Military Liaison, and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive Consequence Management. It also provides overseas support to OFDA offices and personnel and to other sectors necessary to ensure OFDA’s capacity to execute and coordinate USG humanitarian assistance and response to natural disasters and complex emergencies. The OPS Division is divided into four teams: the Disaster Assistance Support Program (DASP), Military Liaison Team (MLT), Operations Support Team (OST), and Overseas Administration Team (OAT).

The Program Support (PS) Division provides operational management support, including general administration, budget and financial services, procurement planning, information technology, human resources management including staff care, and contract and grant administration support to OFDA. The PS Division supports OFDA’s mandate by providing innovative solutions in the areas of Information Technology, staffing, funds control, budgeting, human resource management, and procurement to facilitate timely disaster responses. The PS Division is divided into four teams: the Award, Audit, and Risk Management (AARM) Team, Human Resources Management (HRM) Team, Budget, Finance, and Information Technology (BFIT) Team, and the Acquisition and Management (ACQ) Team.

The Preparation, Strategic Planning and Mitigation (PSPM) Division is responsible for the technical oversight of all OFDA response and mitigation programs, as well as preparation for response, mitigation, and DRR activities. The PSPM Division houses technical experts in all sectors potentially affected by disasters, and leads the Agency in developing and promoting best practices for programming in these specific sectors. In addition, PSPM will be the focal point for technological innovations for humanitarian assistance in areas such as monitoring and evaluation, assessment, and information management. The PSPM Division is divided into four teams: Cross-Cutting Sectors Team, Natural Hazards Team, Health Team, and the Food Security and Livelihoods Team.
The Humanitarian Policy and Global Engagement (HPGE) Division assists the DCHA front office, the OFDA Director and OFDA Deputy Director with tracking trends and policy developments in the humanitarian assistance field. It engages in policy dialogue with other parts of USAID, the USG interagency, other donors, multilateral agencies, and NGO partners; recommends strategies for action to DCHA; initiates development of policy and internal guidance for OFDA; maintains global relationships with implementing partners, other donors, and the broader humanitarian architecture; and engages with the UN to advance USG humanitarian policy objectives and promote humanitarian principles within the USG and internationally. The HPGE Division leads OFDA’s communications and social media outreach to effectively communicate OFDA’s story to a variety of strategic audiences. It serves as the office’s primary interlocutor on strategic issues with other federal partners to provide guidance to OFDA on policy issues pertaining to the interagency, and to improve USG humanitarian coordination and response during large-scale crises. The HPGE Division staff manages global programs, policy and outreach, strategic communications, and interagency training and engagement. HPGE is divided into seven teams: Policy Team, Global Programs Team, Strategic Interagency Team, Strategic Communications Team, Global Capacity and Leadership Development Team, Public-Private Engagement Team, and the United States Mission to the UN (USUN) in New York, Geneva, and Rome.
INTRODUCTION

To effectively respond to the complex emergency in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), OFDA operates an office within the USAID Mission in Kinshasa, DRC, which, as of fiscal year 2018, is responsible for overseeing more than $70 million in OFDA funding in DRC. The Senior Humanitarian Advisor (SHA) is OFDA’s principal humanitarian representative in DRC and is located in Kinshasa. The Senior Program Officer (SPO) for DRC supports the SHA by providing program strategy development and implementation oversight. The SPO oversees field monitoring of OFDA programs and ensures reporting on humanitarian needs and programming in DRC. The SPO assists the SHA with assessment, analysis, and reporting on existing or evolving crises, maintenance of partner relationships, and coordination of award management activities.

Under the guidance of the SHA, the SPO will coordinate closely with the USAID Mission and Embassy staff, and exchange information as needed with colleagues covering the DRC portfolio, as well as with the field and headquarters-based OFDA regional team. This includes sharing project ideas and strategies, and soliciting advice and guidance. The SPO will also work closely with the Agreement Officer’s Representative for all assigned awards.

OBJECTIVE

OFDA requires the services of one SPO for the DRC portfolio to ensure that OFDA’s objectives for disaster assistance, risk reduction, resilience programming, strategic reporting, and interagency coordination for the region are met.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• The OFDA SPO will primarily provide full time in-country coordination and management of OFDA programming for humanitarian emergency and DRR activities throughout DRC. The SPO may assist in humanitarian assistance activities elsewhere in the region, as needed.
• This position requires effective daily coordination with several OFDA staff members, as well as with representatives from other USAID offices, Embassy staff, and the humanitarian community, and therefore requires a highly collaborative work style. The SPO must be prepared to function effectively in a challenging and restrictive work environment and be willing to strictly adhere to U.S. Embassy security guidelines. The SPO may be required to serve as a critical component of a USG disaster assessment team, DART, RMT, or to backfill other staff members in the overseas office.
• Serve as the principal point of contact for OFDA programming in DRC. Coordinate closely with both field and headquarters-based components of OFDA’s Regional Team and maintain regular contact with concerned staff in other USAID Missions and U.S. Embassies.
• Lead OFDA’s DRC-based program staff in the development of OFDA’s programming for response and DRR activities in DRC and oversee implementation of OFDA’s overarching DRC strategy.
• Continually assess emergency response and DRR needs in DRC in order to ensure that OFDA’s programs are appropriately responsive.
• Support the SHA in maintaining relations with the senior leadership of the DRC humanitarian community to represent USAID and OFDA on humanitarian issues. This will include but is not limited to UN agencies, IOs, NGOs, USG personnel, donors, host government authorities, and others.
• Travel as permitted to assess, evaluate and monitor humanitarian conditions in DRC, and make strategic recommendations for appropriate interventions.
• Participate in and report on joint donor humanitarian evaluations and UN-led assessments, and participate actively in the international community response structures.
• Provide regular reporting, through official cables and other means, on issues related to the humanitarian situation in DRC. Provide overviews of patterns and trends in the humanitarian situation and keep the SHA, Team Lead, and other staff current on response issues. Provide regular reports on site visits, meetings, general atmospherics and other issues that impact humanitarian relief efforts.
• With guidance from the SHA, coordinate with the donor community on policy issues affecting humanitarian operations, and develop integrated, non-duplicative programs.
• Prepare briefing papers, notes and presentations on OFDA programming for official USG visitors interested in humanitarian issues.
• Conduct performance reviews and evaluations, and coordinate staff development plans for OFDA DRC program team members, with guidance from the SHA.
• May serve in program positions on Washington-based RMTs for up to 45 days.
• As needed, serve on DARTs which may require immediate (within 24 hours) deployment overseas for an extended period of time.
• As needed, may serve on temporary detail within the office or region not to exceed six months. Duties performed while on detail will be aligned with the Team’s existing duties and responsibilities as well as directly related to the scope of work provided.

SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIP:
The USPSC will take direction from and will report to the OFDA SHA for DRC, located in Kinshasa, DRC, or his/her designee, and maintain close coordination with OFDA’s Team Lead and the regional team for East and Central Africa, located in Washington, D.C.

SUPERVISORY CONTROLS:
The SHA in DRC sets overall objectives and resource available. The USPSC consults with supervisor to develop deadlines, projects and work to be done. The USPSC is responsible for planning and carrying out assignments. The USPSC is responsible for planning approach or methodology to be used in carrying out assignments.

1. PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work is generally sedentary and does not pose undue physical demands. During deployment on DARTs (if required), and during site visits, there may be some additional physical exertion including long periods of standing, walking over rough terrain, or carrying of moderately heavy items (less than 50 pounds).

1. WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work is primarily performed in an office setting. During deployment on DARTs (if required), and during site visits, the work may additionally involve special safety and/or security precautions, wearing of protective equipment, and exposure to severe weather conditions.

1. START DATE: Immediately, once necessary clearances are obtained.

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION
(Determines basic eligibility for the position. Offerors who do not meet all of the education and experience factors are considered NOT qualified for the position.)

Bachelor’s degree with significant study in or pertinent to a specialized field (including, but not limited to, international relations, economics, food policy, or a related field) plus a minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in emergency relief and humanitarian assistance, including at least two (2) years of international field experience working on multi-agency relief operations in a humanitarian emergency setting.

OR

Master’s degree with significant study in or pertinent to a specialized field (including, but not limited to, international relations, economics, food policy, or a related field) plus a minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in emergency relief and humanitarian assistance, including at least two (2) years of international field experience working on multi-agency relief operations in a humanitarian emergency setting.

III. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

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

SELECTION FACTORS
(Determines basic eligibility for the position. Offerors who do not meet all of the selection factors are considered NOT qualified for the position.)
• Offeror is a U.S. Citizen.
• Complete resume submitted. See cover page for resume requirements. Experience that cannot be quantified will not be counted towards meeting the solicitation requirements.
• USPSC Offeror form AID 309-2. Offerors are required to complete sections A through I. This form must be physically signed. Electronic signatures will not be accepted.
• Supplemental document specifically addressing the Quality Ranking Factors (QRFs) submitted.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret up to Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information level clearance as provided by USAID.
• Ability to obtain a Department of State medical clearance.
• Must not appear as an excluded party in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov).
• Satisfactory verification of academic credentials.

QUALITY RANKING FACTORS (QRFs)
(Used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified offerors in comparison to other offerors. The factors below are of equal value. The evaluation of QRF responses will also take into consideration the quality of written responses. Aspects of written responses including, but not limited to typos, grammatical errors, spelling errors, and incomplete sentences will be factored into the evaluation process.)

QRF #1 Describe your experience assessing humanitarian requirements in conflict situations and developing multi-sectoral response and early recovery strategies. Please detail any experience that you may have in these areas when field travel is restricted.

QRF #2 Detail your experience engaging with foreign governments at national and local levels, USG agencies (such as the Department of State and Department of Defense), other donors, and international organizations to coordinate responses to disasters and disaster preparedness activities.

QRF #3 Describe your experience in planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating USG grants, cooperative agreements, proposals, and contracts. Demonstrate your knowledge of USG regulations as they relate to the above award stages.

QRF #4 Please outline your approach to monitoring program performance in areas that are not consistently accessible for field visits.

QRF #5 Outline your unique experience and qualifications to evaluate, fund, and monitor USG humanitarian programs.

BASIS OF RATING: Offerors who meet the Education/Experience requirements and Selection Factors will be further evaluated based on scoring of the QRF responses. Those offerors determined to be competitively ranked may also be evaluated on interview performance and satisfactory professional reference checks.

Offerors are required to address each of the QRFs in a separate document describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, and/or education they have received as it pertains to each factor. Be sure to include your name and the announcement number at the top of each additional page. Failure to address the selection factors and/or Quality Ranking Factors may result in not receiving credit for all pertinent experience, education, and/or training.

The most qualified offerors may be interviewed and required to provide a writing sample. OFDA will not pay for any expenses associated with the interviews. Professional references and academic credentials will be evaluated for offerors being considered for selection. Note: Please be advised that references may be obtained independently from other sources in addition to the ones provided by an offeror. OFDA reserves the right to select additional offerors if vacancies become available during future phase of the selection process.

The Offeror Rating System is as Follows:
QRFs have been assigned the following points:
QRF #1 – 10 points
QRF #2 – 10 points
QRF #3 – 10 points
QRF #4 – 10 points
QRF #5 – 10 points

Interview Performance – 30 points

Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks – 20 points