SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist - Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist
- Notice Date
- 6/5/2014
- Notice Type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Agency for International Development, Overseas Missions, Liberia USAID-Monrovia, USAID/Monrovia, Department of State, Washington, District of Columbia, 20521
- ZIP Code
- 20521
- Solicitation Number
- SOL-669-14-000009
- Point of Contact
- Sylvester s. Browne, Phone: 23177766402
- E-Mail Address
-
sbrowne@usaid.gov
(sbrowne@usaid.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist ATTACHMENT 1: SOLICITATION SOLICITATION NO.: SOL-669-14-000009 ISSUANCE DATE: June 4, 2014 CLOSING DATE/TIME: June 24, 2014, 4:00 pm Local Time POSITION TITLE: Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist MARKET VALUE: GS-14 equivalent with a base annual salary range of $85,544 to $111,203. This does not include cost of living allowance (COLA), post differential or other allowances. Liberia currently provides a 30% COLA and 30% post differential in addition to base salary. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: The contract will be for two years, with three renewable one-year option periods up to a maximum of five years. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: USAID/Liberia, Monrovia, Liberia AREA OF CONSIDERATION: U.S. citizen or Third Country National (TCN) SUPERVISORY CONTROL: Minimal. Incumbent is expected to act independently with little direction. POSITION TITLE OF DIRECT SUPERVISOR: The Contractor will report to the Director of the Office of Acquisition and Assistance. PHYSICAL & SECURITY CLEARANCE: The selected candidate must be able to obtain required medical and security clearances prior to the execution of the contract. I. POSITION DESCRIPTION A.Overview and Background This position is located in the Office of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA) at USAID/Liberia. The position's primary purpose is to execute acquisition and assistance actions in support of critical USAID programs in Liberia. The mission portfolio includes the technical sectors of Education, Economic Growth, Democracy and Governance, and Health. The portfolio contains approximately 30 instruments with a combined TEC of approximately $487 million, including water, power, roads and other infrastructure activities, and covers programs involving every aspect of international development work and every type of procurement instrument. The responsibilities of the incumbent include providing support on all aspects of contract management relating to and affecting USAID assistance programs in Liberia. This includes providing policy guidance, project planning, project design, and implementation and the evaluation of on-going programs. He/she is responsible for planning, developing, carrying out, managing, and advising on all aspects of procurement and contract management relating to and affecting USAID/Liberia assistance programs, policy and project planning, design, implementation, and evaluation. He/she will participate in projects, mission policy formulation, and project design. He/she will develop and execute plans for the procurement of and provide contract management support to achieve program objectives. He/she is the office's lead resource on establishing formal and informal procurement training within the mission. This includes training and mentoring of local A&A specialists, AORs/CORS, Development Leadership Initiative (DLI) Foreign Service Officers, other staff within USAID/Liberia and the larger mission. The incumbent will demonstrate expertise on training/mentoring the full-range of acquisition and assistance functions. Given the sensitivity, scope, and purpose of the role and position of the Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist and the critical nature and complexity of the Mission programs that are being implemented in a very fluid political environment, it is essential that the incumbent be able to function as an expert in all technical areas of the assignment, and fulfill the position responsibilities with the supervisor's complete confidence in their understanding of the assignment and ability to integrate issues, conflicts, continually changing working requirements, creative problem solving, and the introduction of new theories and methods to resolve unique problems. The Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist reports directly to the Director of the Office of Acquisition and Assistance or his/her designee, and is expected to function at an expert level with minimal supervision. B.Duties and Responsibilities The Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist will provide a full-range of acquisition and assistance support, including but not limited to: 1.The negotiation, award, and administration of both Assistance- and Acquisition-type instruments to accomplish traditional development programs. He/she prepares pre-award documents, conducts negotiations, and finalizes award documents and award file documentation for a Contracting/Agreement Officer's review and signature. He/she must be available for consultation on contracting issues with Mission technical staff, other in-country U.S. Government officials and representatives, Government of Liberia (GOL) officials, Implementing Partners, and others, as required. This effort requires extensive knowledge of Federal and USAID regulations, and the associated governing guidance (e.g., the FAR and USAID Supplement (AIDAR), CFR, OMB Circulars, FAM, and FTR) for all types of procurements. 2.In addition to the execution of contracts and modifications as identified above, the Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist researches and resolves issues, and draft responses in official correspondence as assigned. Examples include, but are not limited to: subcontract consent requests, salary approvals, equipment approvals, etc., on a wide variety of contract and assistance awards. 3.Providing expert-level technical assistance to USAID/Liberia in the execution of program/project-funded contracts, cooperative agreements, grants, and US Government Agreements, such as PASAs. This entails providing staff support on all aspects of acquisition and assistance activity including: project planning, design, implementation and evaluation; mission policy development and formulation; project resource assessments, sector analyses, and other studies. He/she serves as a primary contractual advisor to major development program initiatives and activities in the Mission. He/she prepares and negotiates modifications of basic contractual text, terms and conditions, specifications, scopes of work, program descriptions, and costs in the full range of award instruments. He/she plans for and provides procurement and contract management support to accomplish program objectives, and proper and timely administration of all assigned Acquisition and Assistance awards. This includes clarifications and interpretations of directive correspondence, and miscellaneous administrative modifications to procurement instruments. He/she seeks resolution and settlement of contract disputes, termination and settlement of procurement instruments, close outs, and reporting of contractor performance. The Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist composes and prepares all contractual correspondence, signing within their own delegated authority or for a Contracting Officer's signature. 4.Serving as the office's lead in training and mentoring on USAID acquisition and assistance procedures. This includes training less-experienced local OAA staff, USAID technical and other mission staff, and local implementing partners. The incumbent manages the office's routine training responsibilities and mentors local staff to be able to deliver the trainings. 5.Serving as a lead role in preparing mission responses to Regional Inspector General (RIG) audit reports. This may include limited delegated authority to issue management decisions. The incumbent will be expected to transfer audit response skills to local staff. 6.Serving as a senior and trusted policy and technical advisor to the Supervisory Contracting Officer, and the U.S. Mission to Liberia on all manner of Acquisition and Assistance issues. He/she will speak for the Supervisory Contracting Officer on technical Acquisition and Assistance matters, as directed by the Supervisory Contracting Officer or as required. 7.Delegated Authority - The incumbent will be expected to undertake a wide range of delegated authority to take responsibility for approving their own or subordinate staff's administrative actions, such as for: key personnel, international travel, equipment and other actions that do not obligate Government funds. The incumbent may be expected to pursue a warrant, subject to consideration and approval by the USAID Procurement Executive. C.Position Elements 1.Reporting Responsibilities: The Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist will receive supervision, policy direction, and guidance from the Supervisory Contracting Officer, Director, Office of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA), located in USAID/Liberia. 2.Supervisory Controls: The Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist 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 Acquisition and Assistance Specialist will be discussed with the Office Director, and all acquisition instruments will be signed by the supervisor who is the Mission Contracting/Agreement Officer. Overall management of the Office is in a collaborative team environment, with the Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist participating fully in the process. Specific work plans and anticipated results are developed in consultation with the OAA Team. The Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist performs most assignments independently, providing leadership to others involved in the management of the OAA portfolio, and in the development, design, and drafting of the acquisition instruments. The work is reviewed in terms of achievement of established milestones, and the appropriateness of program/project activity focus. The Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist will meet weekly with the Office Director to update him or her on the progress of agreed upon milestones for projects. 3.Physical Demands: The primary location of work will be in Monrovia, Liberia. Work in the office is expected to be mostly sedentary. Secondary locations will include Implementing Partner offices and field offices, construction and project site field locations, the location of program beneficiaries in rural and in urban areas, GOL departments and offices and the offices of bi- and multi-lateral donors and NGOs, and attendance at conferences and training. The Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist may occasionally face challenging living and working conditions while in travel status. The Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist will also face heavy workload and in-country travel is a requirement of the position. D.Required Qualifications The Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist GS-14 required qualifications are: Formal Education: 1.Baccalaureate degree and at least 24 semester hours among one or more of these disciplines: accounting, law, business, finance, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management. 2.Professional Certification: Completion of or has substantially completed the requirements for certification under the USAID/OFPP FAC-C Certification program at a minimum of Level II. Certification requires successful completion of FAC-C specified courses in procurement, plus the achievement of certain competencies, through a combination of training and experience. Candidates should successfully demonstrate how they meet FAC-C Level II certification standards. 3.Work Experience: Minimum of ten (10) years substantive and directly-relatable professional contracting or procurement work is required. Experience working in various countries, with different cultures and under challenging circumstances is strongly preferred. Such experience must include the full range of contracting responsibilities, including: acquisition and assistance award execution, administration, termination, cost and price analysis; procurement planning, and analysis and evaluation of proposals; negotiation of changes; execution of options; investigation and resolution of contractor delays; contractor performance appraisal; subcontractor surveillance; and, disposition of claims. Experience should demonstrate knowledge of contracting laws, regulations, policies, and procedures; the ability to lead others; knowledge of cost principles; knowledge of cost plus/award fee and performance based contracting procedures; and, the ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing. Experience that demonstrates pre-award negotiation skills, contract execution and demonstrated experience in making formal presentations to senior organization officials is required. 4.Technical Knowledge: Mastery of procurement regulations and contracting principles including the latest acquisition procedures and techniques is required. An in-depth understanding of U.S. Government procurement rules and regulations is imperative. Knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and the ability to work with the regulatory context of the FAR is essential. In addition, knowledge of the following is preferred: USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR); USAID Contract Information Bulletins (CIBS) and Acquisition & Assistance Policy Directives (AAPDs); Procurement Executive Bulletins (PEBs); the USAID Automated Directive System (ADS); Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars; and, Title 22, Code of Federal Regulations as applicable to USAID. 5.Skills and Abilities: With no direction or assistance required, demonstrated ability to work in a highly demanding, cross-cultural environment and capable of handling tasks with varying deadlines. Must have good teamwork and interpersonal skills. Must be able to communicate complex and difficult policy and programmatic issues in a manner understandable by knowledgeable laypersons without oversimplifying. Must be able to maintain and adhere to high standards of professional conduct. Must be able to function as a leader during contract negotiations, and personally negotiate the majority of assigned contracts. Must demonstrate an ability to mentor and assist staff in the award and administration of contracts and agreements. Skill to manage and coordinate activities sufficient to contract a variety of actions concurrently is essential. Versatility in the use of computers, especially Word and Excel is a must. The ability to plan, organize, and manage complex negotiations and meetings is very important.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/AID/OM/LIB/SOL-669-14-000009/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: U. S. Embassy, 502 Benson Street, Monrovia, Non-U.S., Liberia
- Record
- SN03387487-W 20140607/140605235927-dbf582480dffe8a197fd1852d635be1d (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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