Project Management Specialist (Resilience Team Leader) – Somalia Mission

GENERAL INFORMATION

USAID DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING) AND DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANT’S BANK ACCOUNTS

1. SOLICITATION NO.: 22-71

2. ISSUANCE DATE: May 23, 2022

3. CLOSING DATE AND TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: June 5, 2022 (4:30 PM East Africa Time).

4. POINT OF CONTACT: USAID Kenya and East Africa Human Resources, e-mail at [email protected].

5. POSITION TITLE: USAID Project Management Specialist (Resilience Team Leader).

6. MARKET VALUE: Equivalent to FSN-12 Step 1 (6,834,442 KSH per annum) to Step 13 (11,618,566 KSH per annum).In accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of USAID/Kenya and East Africa. Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.

7. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: The services provided under this contract are expected to be of a continuing nature that will be executed by USAID through a series of sequential contracts, subject to the availability of funds, the continued need for services and successful performance. It is anticipated that the selection of the successful candidate will be completed within an estimated six-month period from the closing date of this solicitation. The base period will be for one year with the commencement date based upon successful medical clearance and security certification. Contingent on Agency needs, the Contracting Officer may exercise four additional option periods from the contract commencement date.

8. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Nairobi, Kenya; with possible travel as stated in the Statement of Duties.

9. ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: Open to qualified Kenyan Citizens, Third Country Nationals and Current locally hired employees of the US Mission in Kenya Employees presently on probation are ineligible to apply.

Third Country Nationals will be hired under the U.S. Embassy Nairobi Local Compensation Pay Plan and paid in Kenyan Shillings. This position offers medical benefits to the employee and his/her immediate family – spouse and children only. Third country nationals will not receive a pension plan. Relocation to Kenya (including Entry Visa/Pass) is at the employee’s expense and will not be reimbursed by the U.S. Government.

10. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Security certification issued by the US Embassy RSO.

General Statement of Purpose of the Contract

The Somalia Mission aims to help Somalia and its people to more effectively withstand disruptions and increasingly drive their own development. To this end, USAID/Somalia has a new five year-strategy (2020 – 2025) which works to help targeted local institutions govern in a more legitimate manner, diminishing influence of VEOs, and enable marginalized Somalis to more effectively withstand shocks and stresses. This position will be based in the Mission’s Program Office. The Program Office manages and supports strategic planning, the design of new activities, monitoring and evaluation, and mandatory reporting requirements.

The Project Management Specialist (Resilience Team Leader) advises the Mission Director, Technical Offices, and the Program Office on implementation of the Mission’s Development Objective (DO 2) and manages the Resilience Team. The team is dedicated to directing USAID/Somalia’s various types of funding to achieve DO2: Marginalized Populations Withstand Shocks and Stresses (Resilience). In addition to leading the DO2 Team, the DO 2 Leader will further facilitate program designs for all new procurements contributing to DO 2.

The incumbent will also liaise with high-level representatives from the Federal Government of Somalia, the Federal Member States, multilateral organizations, and other development donors. S/he will also liaise closely with the Bureau for Humanitarian Affairs Somalia team, the State Department and other USG agencies.

The Resilience Team Leader is a highly influential position, acting as technical advisor in resilience capacity building, a strategic manager of the USAID Mission funding portfolio, and a leader of activity design processes across mission offices.

Statement of Duties to be Performed

Leadership and Resilience Oversight 50%

• The Resilience Team Leader is responsible for providing strategic and technical expertise, guidance, and oversight for Mission implementation of USAID/Somalia Country Development Cooperation Strategy Development Objective (DO) 2. DO 2 focuses on enabling marginalized Somalis to more effectively withstand shocks and stresses.
• Leads and oversees, Development Objective 2 (DO2), the jobholder will establish, maintain and manage sensitive high-level relationships with the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and several Federal Member States. S/he will liaise with several key FGS ministries, including the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Justice Endowments and Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Social Services and Development; Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs, and Reconciliation, the Ministry of Interior, Local Government and Rural Development; the Ministry of Women and Family Affairs, and the State Ministers of Law and Planning. S/he will facilitate frequent meetings with implementing partners, the Somali government, stakeholders and donors to guide cross-collaboration around DO 2 and programming related to resilience and efforts that enable marginalized Somalis to more effectively withstand shocks and stresses.
• Responsible for expanding the Mission’s network of influential validators, decision-makers, and institutional leaders in resilience and support to marginalized groups spaces, preferably in Somalia. S/he will be responsible for identifying and building trust-based relationships that leverage resources towards the expected results under DO 2.
• The jobholder will guide the Democracy, Stabilization and Governance Team, the Economic Growth Team, and the Social Services Team to respond in a complete and timely manner to all DO-2 related requests from the Program Office Director, USAID/Somalia Mission Director, the USAID/Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, the U.S. Ambassador to Somalia, USAID/Washington, and other duties as assigned.

Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

1. Providing recommendations and information to the Mission as part of the program activity cycle to ensure new and existing activities further Mission understanding of DO 2 theories and assumptions.
2. Assisting in the identification of opportunities and potential local partners to further advance DO 2.
3. Ensuring activities are prioritized to meet DO purposes.
4. Providing timely analysis and reporting support to the Mission as requested on DO 2 progress.
5. Overseeing budget planning and management for DO 2.
6. Strengthening/fostering linkages, coordination, and integration across Mission offices and among implementing partners (IPs) under DO 2.
7. Leading/overseeing stakeholder engagement related to DO 2

The Resilience Team Leader will also serve as the Agreement Officer’s Representative (AOR) for the Mission’s $9.8 million Resilience Portfolio Measurement Activity, guiding USAID’s substantial involvement in the activity and ensuring learning from the activity is utilized by USAID/Somalia’s portfolio of investments. S/he will also serve as the AOR for the $4 million Somalia Resilience Program, the Mission’s resilience coordination platform. As an authority on resilience evidence, the position will be an active member of regional and global resilience communities of practice (CoPs), tracking both specific resilience evidence efforts relevant to the USAID/Somalia portfolio and wider trends within resilience CoPs.

To contribute to the success of Mission activities under DO 2, s/he will engage implementing partners, key government officials, multilateral organizations, NGOs and other local organizations, USAID bi-lateral counterparts in the region, and donor and interagency working groups.

Project Design Facilitator 30%

• The Resilience Team Leader will also provide oversight of the Mission’s activity design processes for all future DO2 activities. This will include either leading activity designs or working closely with the activity design team lead. S/he will be responsible for ensuring that activity designs are prioritized to contribute to the Mission’s DO 2. S/he will foster linkages, coordination, and integration with other DO 2 activities. S/he will ensure each activity design team meets all Agency and Mission requirements, as well as articulates the activities’ contribution to the Mission’s DO 2. Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, facilitating the following design requirements:

1. Identifying or revalidating high-level parameters to guide the design process (e.g., how the activity will advance DO 2, information gaps that will need to be filled, available budget)
2. Drafting activity concept papers, specifically articulating the link of the activity to DO2
3. Ensuring the design is grounded in evidence, using existing analyses or commission new analyses (e.g. conflict sensitive analysis, political economy analyses)
4. Clearing on DO 2 activity approval memos
5. Contributing to preparation of activity design documents for Mission review and approval, including but not limited to, activity descriptions
6. Chairing DO 2 activity review meetings

Mission Environmental Officer 20%

• The Resilience DO 2 Team Leader also serves as the environmental compliance technical resource in strategic planning; activity design; implementation; and monitoring, evaluation, and learning. The Resilience Team Leader will serve as the Mission Environmental Officer (MEO) and ensure that all USAID/Somalia activities comply with Title 22 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulation (22 CFR 216 or “Reg. 216”). S/he will collaborate with and support technical office staff to ensure all activities meet environmental compliance requirements identified in an activity’s initial environmental examination document and climate risk assessment.

Supervisory Relationship

The jobholder is supervised by the Program Officer Director or designee within USAID Somalia, who establishes overall objectives and broad outlines of tasks to be performed. The incumbent handles work assignments independently with limited supervision and a high degree of initiative is expected. S/he develops his/her own work schedule, procedures for accomplishing tasks and independently resolves problems which may arise during accomplishment of objectives.

Supervisory Controls

No direct supervision of employees, however, the incumbent will lead the Resilience team of four employees from the three technical offices. The Resilience team management responsibility will take up approximately 50 percent of the incumbent’s time.

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

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

Any application that does not meet the minimum requirements stated below will not be evaluated.

1. Education: Master’s degree in political science, economics, public policy or administration, project management or related degree is required.
2. Prior Work Experience: A minimum of seven years of work experience in a relevant position, including a minimum of six years of experience in facilitation and project design or strategy development and implementation and at least three years of experience working in development at an International Organization, Donor Agency, Non-Governmental Organization or Embassy. Previous experience working in Somalia or other conflict prone countries. Demonstrated experience leading teams and working collaboratively with diverse internal and external stakeholders required.
3. Language Proficiency: Level IV fluency in both oral and written English and Somali language is required.

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.

– Job Knowledge (50 points)

The jobholder should have sound knowledge of technical and substantive issues on building household, community, and systemic resilience, particularly in non-permissive environments, as well as implementation of shared and integrated development objectives. A strong knowledge of the concepts, principles and approaches that relate to resilience is required.

– Skills and abilities (50 points)

Due to frequent interaction with external stakeholders in high stakes environments, the jobholder must be able to perceive, use, understand, manage, and handle emotions and communicate effectively to ensure positive working relationships are maintained. The jobholder should have the ability to plan, organize and facilitate strategic efforts that advance progress toward accomplishing DO 2, including participatory discussions and workshops; advisory and design support to technical teams, and identifying and leading internal and external collaborations. S/he must have excellent verbal and written communication skills to establish and maintain working relationships and trust with Mission staff, Somali government officials, implementing partners, and other key stakeholders. In addition, the jobholder should be self-motivated, work well within a team, and have good problem-solving and time management skills.

Total possible points: 100

LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS PRIOR TO AWARD

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

BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES

Benefits and allowances are offered in accordance with the Local Compensation Plan (LCP).

TAXES

The Contractor must observe Kenyan laws including those concerning income and related tax obligations.

IV. USAID REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND CONTRACT CLAUSES PERTAINING TO PSCs

USAID regulations and policies governing CCN and TCN PSC awards are available at these sources:

1. USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR), Appendix J, “Direct USAID Contracts With a Cooperating Country National and with a Third Country National 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.

3. Acquisition & 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

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

The PSC Ombudsman may be contacted via: [email protected]