US Agency for International Development
SOLICITATION NUMBER: 720BHA22R00044
ISSUANCE DATE: June 10, 2022
CLOSING DATE AND TIME: July 8, 2022 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 Africa (OA) is seeking offers from qualified U.S. citizens to provide personal service as a Regional Humanitarian Program Officer (RHPO) 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. Failure to identify an academic discipline will result in disqualification.
(d) U.S. Citizenship
(e) Optional: How did you hear about this opportunity? (SAM.gov, BHA 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.
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 ENSURING ADEQUATE COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOLS FOR FEDERAL CONTRACTORS
The contractor will be required to show proof that the contractor is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 on or before the first date of onboarding, or submit an approved reasonable accommodation to the CO. If the contractor does not meet this requirement the contract may be terminated.
NOTE REGARDING UNIQUE IDENTIFIER (UEI) NUMBERS AND THE SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT
All USPSCs with a place of performance in the United States are required to have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) 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 UEI 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=d2e67885db0d5f00b3257d321f96194b& 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 must be emailed to:
OA Recruitment Team
E-Mail Address: [email protected]
Website: www.BHAjobs.net
Any questions on this solicitation may be directed to the OA Recruitment Team via the information provided above.
Sincerely, Sonja Stroud-Gooden Contracting Officer
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Working under the guidance and supervision of the Regional Humanitarian Advisor, the RHPO supports BHA/SECARO through the management of humanitarian, resilience, and DRR activities in the region, assisting with program analysis, strategy development, and coordination with partners in the humanitarian community. The RHPO will work closely with a program team that includes field-based Senior Humanitarian Advisors, Senior Regional Humanitarian Program Officers, and Program Management Specialists. The RHPO will also be expected to deploy to support programs throughout the region on a regular basis, as well as serve on humanitarian responses as required.
This position requires effective daily coordination with several BHA staff members, as well as representatives from other USAID offices, Embassy staff, and the humanitarian community, and therefore requires a highly collaborative work style. This position requires travel for an extended period of time, and the willingness to deploy within the region for one month or more annually on sudden-onset emergency responses.
The RHPO will perform the following duties and responsibilities:
Contextual Specialty:
● Develop and maintain a thorough understanding of humanitarian developments across the region to include political, social, and operational issues impacting humanitarian efforts.
● Develop and maintain knowledge of USAID and USG humanitarian priorities and strategies within the region, and BHA’s contributions and comparative advantages to those efforts.
● Develop strong understanding of country specific portfolio priorities across the region in humanitarian and resilience interventions.
● Provide regular reporting, through cables and other means, on issues related to the humanitarian situations within the region.
● Provide regular reports on site visits, meetings, relevant current events, and other issues that impact humanitarian relief efforts.
● Develop fluency in BHA program systems and guidelines across sectors and streams of funding within the region.
Portfolio Management:
● Work with BHA’s Washington-based and SECARO program staff to develop program strategies for emergency response, early recovery, resilience, and DRR activities within the region, overseeing day-to-day management of portfolio and its budgets.
● Support team members in assessing emergency response, early recovery, resilience, and DRR needs in the region to ensure that BHA’s programs are appropriately responsive.
● Assist Washington-based Agreement Officer’s Representatives (AORs) in managing and monitoring humanitarian awards by providing field-based insights, knowledge, and perspectives.
● Provide guidance on USAID and USG regulations and policies.
● Participate in USAID Mission Kenya and East Africa discussions in technical areas to ensure complementarity and help to leverage BHA funding for longer term sustainability, specifically focusing on complementarity outside of Kenya and throughout the region.
● Assist in humanitarian activities outside of immediate areas of responsibility, as needed.
● Travel as needed to support team efforts to assess, evaluate and monitor humanitarian conditions in the assigned portfolio, to support the management of portfolios, and to make strategic recommendations for appropriate interventions.
Representation:
● Support the regional team in maintaining relations with senior leadership in the humanitarian community through regular coordination and collaboration with BHA, relevant USG staff, and the humanitarian community.
● Assist the regional team to coordinate with the donor community on policy issues affecting humanitarian operations, and develop integrated, non-duplicative programs, as needed.
● Engage in, and report on, joint donor humanitarian evaluations and UN-led assessments, and participate actively in the international community response structures.
● Prepare briefing papers, notes, and presentations on BHA programming for official USG visitors interested in humanitarian issues.
● Represent BHA with various audiences, as requested.
Leadership:
● Serve as peer mentor to team members on grants and portfolio management, to include BHA’s business process, portfolio-specific budget and workload management, and post-award monitoring and management.
● In close coordination with program team members in the SECARO, and Washington, DC office, work with NGOs, international organizations , and UN agencies that are developing proposals for BHA (including grant amendments and extensions) to ensure compliance with BHA’s guidelines.
● Participate in office-wide discussions on initiatives that impact program implementation to provide field-based perspectives, as assigned.
● Participate in technical evaluation committees for staffing and programming, as requested.
● Participate in both field-led and Washington-based working groups and committees, as requested.
● Consistently model behaviors that demonstrate a commitment to fostering a non-hostile, inclusive work environment that values diversity, equity and is free of discrimination, bias, unfairness, bullying, offensive behaviors, and harassment of any kind.
General Duties:
● Become certified and serve as an AOR/Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), as assigned. AORs/CORs provide financial and programmatic oversight of all aspects of managing an agreement or contract; this includes, but is not limited to, reviewing invoices, requests for approvals, program/project deliverables (i.e. work plans, annual reports, monthly status reports), travel requests, key personnel requests, and financial/budget reports. They are responsible for drafting and submitting the annual contractor performance evaluation in the Contract/Assistance Performance Assessment Review System. They prepare and review contract/assistance modifications documentation and assist the Contracting/Agreement Officer to ensure performance is compliant with the terms and conditions of the contract/agreement, the Federal Acquisition Regulation, USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR) and relevant USAID policy. AOR/CORs are responsible for all related requirements in the COR designation letter and the AOR designation letter.
● May be requested to be on-call or serve as needed on Washington-based Response Management Teams (RMTs) or in other international locations on Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DARTs).
● As needed, may serve on temporary detail within the bureau. Duties performed while on detail will be aligned with the Team’s existing duties and responsibilities and will be directly related to the statement of duties provided.
SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIP:
The USPSC will take direction from and will report to the Regional Humanitarian Advisor in SECARO or his/her/their designee.
SUPERVISORY CONTROLS:
Supervisor sets overall objectives and resources available; the USPSC consults with the 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 approaches or methodology to be used in carrying out assignments.
12. 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).
13. 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.
14. 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 in any discipline. Must have a minimum of five (5) years of relevant work experience with a humanitarian or development focus and include responsibility in determining budget levels, selecting programs for funding, and managing or evaluating funded programs. Experience must include one (1) year of cumulative experience in international or domestic humanitarian or development assistance, emergency management/relief, disaster risk reduction, post-emergency rehabilitation or recovery, or resilience.
OR
Master’s degree in any discipline. Must have a minimum of four (4) years of relevant experience with a humanitarian or development focus and include responsibility in determining budget levels, selecting programs for funding, and managing or evaluating programs. Experience must include one (1) year of cumulative experience in international or domestic humanitarian assistance or development, emergency management/relief, disaster risk reduction, post-emergency rehabilitation or recovery, or resilience.
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. 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.
● Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret up to Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information level clearance as provided by USAID.
● Ability to obtain and maintain a Department of State medical clearance throughout the contract.
● Must not appear as an excluded party in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov).
● Satisfactory verification of academic credentials.
OFFEROR RATING SYSTEM
The offeror rating system factors are used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified offerors in comparison to other offerors. Offerors must demonstrate the rating factors outlined below within their resume, as they are evaluated strictly by the information provided. The rating factors are as follows:
Matrix (30 points)
● At least six months of experience working in a grantmaking organization (4 points)
● At least six months of experience working for a humanitarian or development donor organization. (4 points)
● One year of experience supporting or directly implementing humanitarian or resilience programming (4 points)
● Experience designing strategies or programs (4 points)
● Experience developing or reviewing proposals (4 points)
● Experience monitoring or evaluating programs (4 points)
● Experience drafting or editing documents. (6 points)
Timed Writing Test (20 points)
Interview Performance (40 points)
Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks (10 points)
Total Possible Points: 100
BASIS OF RATING: Offerors who meet the Education/Experience requirements and Selection Factors will be further evaluated in accordance with the Offeror Rating System. 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 factor of the Offeror Rating System in their resume, describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards 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 Offeror Rating System factors may result in not receiving credit for all pertinent experience, education, training and/or awards.
The most qualified offerors may be interviewed and required to provide a writing sample. BHA will not pay for any expenses associated with the interviews. Professional references and academic credentials will be evaluated for offerors being considered for selection package.
Note: Please be advised that references may be obtained independently from other sources in addition to the ones provided by an offeror. BHA reserves the right to select additional offerors if vacancies become available during future phase of the selection process.
How to apply
IV. SUBMITTING AN OFFER
Offers must be received by the closing date and time at the address specified in the cover letter. Qualified individuals are required to submit:
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. Failure to identify an academic discipline will result in disqualification.
(d) U.S. Citizenship
(e) Optional: How did you hear about this opportunity? (SAM.gov, BHA 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.
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.
Additional documents submitted will not be accepted.
By submitting your offer materials, you certify that all of the information on and attached to the offer is true, correct, complete, and made in good faith. You agree to allow all information on and attached to the offer to be investigated. False or fraudulent information on or attached to your offer may result in you being eliminated from consideration for this position, or being terminated after award, and may be punishable by fine or imprisonment.
To ensure consideration of offers for the intended position, please reference the solicitation number on your offer, and as the subject line in any email.
DOCUMENT SUBMITTALS
Via email: [email protected]