SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Democracy Rights& Governance Advisor, GS-14 - Solicitation
- Notice Date
- 3/1/2018
- Notice Type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- NAICS
- 812990
— All Other Personal Services
- Contracting Office
- Agency for International Development, Overseas Missions, Pakistan USAID-Islamabad, Department of State, Unit 62206, APO, 09812-2206
- ZIP Code
- 09812-2206
- Solicitation Number
- 72039118R00009
- Archive Date
- 3/27/2018
- Point of Contact
- Zunnera Pervaiz, Phone: 92 51 201 5196, Jamshaid Iqbal, Phone: 92 51 201 5086
- E-Mail Address
-
zpervaiz@usaid.gov, jiqbal@usaid.gov
(zpervaiz@usaid.gov, jiqbal@usaid.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- USPSC, Democracy, Rights and Governance Advisor SOLICITATION NO: 72039118R00009 ISSUANCE DATE: MARCH 1, 2018 CLOSING DATE: 12:00 PM ISLAMABAD TIME ON MARCH 26, 2018 OPEN TO: U.S. CITIZENS SUBJECT:USAID/PAKISTAN - SOLICITATION FOR ONE UNITED STATES PERSONAL SERVICES CONTRACTOR (USPSC) POSITION - Democracy, Rights & Governance Advisor Dear Prospective Offerors: The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking applications from qualified individuals interested in providing services as a Democracy, Rights & Governance Advisor as described in the attached solicitation. Offers must be in accordance with Attachment 1, Sections I through V of this solicitation. Incomplete or unsigned offers will not be considered. Offerors should retain copies of all offer materials for their records. This solicitation in no way obligates USAID to award a PSC contract, nor does it commit USAID to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of the offer. The selected offerors must be able to undergo a thorough background check and obtain a United States Government (USG) security clearance and a Department of State medical clearance. USAID IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: In selecting personnel there will be no discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, politics, marital status, physical handicap, age or membership or non-membership in an employee organization. Sincerely, /s/ Nathan Drury Contracting Officer Office of Executive Management USAID/Pakistan U.S. Agency for International Development Embassy of United States of America, Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, IslamabadTel: [+92] 51 208 0000 Fax: [+92] 51 208 8061 www.usaid.gov/pk I. GENERAL INFORMATION 1.SOLICITATION NUMBER: 72039118R00009 2.ISSUING DATE: March 1, 2018 3.CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS:March 26, 2018 (12pm local time) 4.POSITION TITLES: Democracy, Rights & Governance Advisor 5.MARKET VALUE:$89,370 - $116,181 (equivalent to GS-14). Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value. 6.PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:The USPSC contract will be for an initial one (1) year period, with one (1), one-year option year. Option year(s) may be exercised based upon satisfactory contractor performance, mutual agreement between the Contractor and USG, continued Mission requirements and the continued availability of funds. 7.PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Islamabad, Pakistan - with possible travel as stated in the Statement of Duties 8.SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED:SECRET 9.AREA OF CONSIDERATION:US Citizens 10.STATEMENT OF DUTIES: A. Background USAID/Pakistan manages one of the largest and most complex United States Government (USG) assistance programs in the world. The Mission's high profile and politically sensitive portfolio, valued at over $4 billion, is implemented across six technical sectors (Energy, Economic Growth, Agriculture, Health, Education, and Governance) by more than 300 positions, including 64 U.S. Direct Hire (USDH) positions. As first among USG civilian assistance agencies, which are all loosely embedded within a larger civilian assistance formation in Pakistan, USAID takes a lead role in ensuring continual interagency coordination. B. Basic Function of the Position: The United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) Office of Stabilization and Governance (OSG) applies the broad technical skill set represented by the agency's Crisis, Stabilization and Governance officers to design, implement, and oversee activities that support the Government of Pakistan's efforts to extend the writ of government, improve governance and justice, deliver essential services, and expand economic opportunity in focus areas of instability. USAID and other USG entities address these challenges to build resilience and to improve the prospects for the sustainable stability of the nation. OSG is responsible for a complex and politically visible portfolio to address the drivers of instability in Pakistan. OSG coordinates this portfolio with several independent implementing units, including the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI), Food for Peace (FFP), the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), the Community Resilience Office (CRO), and the Mission's geographically-focused Offices working with the three U.S. Embassy consular districts based in Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi. OSG coordinates budgeting, program planning, design, procurement and reporting with the units responsible for USAID/Pakistan's Development Objective 2 activities. Additionally, OSG manages and oversees the Democracy, Rights and Governance (DRG) elements of the portfolio. Reporting to the Director of the Office of Stabilization and Governance, the Democracy, Rights and Governance Advisor works independently, takes initiative, and provides input and direction on all aspects of USAID's DRG activities in Pakistan. The DRG Advisor displays a particular focus on problem analysis, activity designs, and monitoring and evaluation of these efforts. To meet these objectives, the DRG Advisor works closely with representatives from local and international implementers, bilateral and multi-lateral donors, Government of Pakistan (GOP) representatives at the national, provincial and local levels, and USG officials at U.S. Embassy Islamabad and USAID/Washington. USAID's DRG program encompasses four broad areas: transparent and accountable government, democratic representation, public administration and human rights/gender. Strong, well-performing institutions play a pivotal, positive role in sustainable transitions from instability and in achieving far-reaching democratic, economic, social and security objectives. Thus, USAID focuses a large share of its programming on developing the institutions of governance to better ensure stability, democracy and prosperity. Activities will be implemented through the program portfolio of Development Objective #2: Strengthened Societal Resilience to Violent Extremism. C. Major Duties and Responsibilities: The DRG Advisor is a member of the OSG team, which includes the Office Chief, Deputy Office Chief, Foreign Service National (FSN) Governance Specialists and an FSN Administrative Assistant. S/he will have specific program management responsibilities within the portfolio in designing and managing USAID/Pakistan's DRG programs, with a focus on the institutional responses at the nexus between governance and grievances. S/he will assist USAID to achieve its democracy, rights and governance objectives by providing strategic advice and analyses based upon recent trends and the country's political, institutional, socio-economic, and security conditions. The DRG Advisor's duties and responsibilities will support management and design of USAID's DRG assistance in Pakistan. Successful performance of these duties will require the advisor - and the projects that s/he supervises - to operate with flexibility, adaptability and creativity in responding to a very fluid, politically charged, and sometimes dangerous environment. Windows of opportunity can open and close quickly, necessitating rapidly responding to address time critical needs. The DRG Advisor's primary responsibilities include: •Serving as the DRG subject matter expert in the Office of Stabilization and Governance. •Managing key components of USAID's DRG program and provide program development expertise to support USAID's stabilization and governance strategy. This includes leading or contributing to the design and implementation of project activities and mechanisms and monitoring and evaluating project implementation to ensure that planned results are achieved, including through site visits (as permitted). •Working closely with staff, partners and stakeholders to resolve issues that may affect attainment of intended results. •Developing close, collaborative and effective working relationships with bilateral and multilateral donors working in the DRG sector. •Working with partners to develop relevant indicators, performance monitoring plans, and data collection systems for on-going and new projects. •Ensuring that DRG program results, success stories, and lessons learned are adequately disseminated and incorporated into the overall approach to stabilization and governance. •Conducting strategic analyses as needed for development of new policies and strategies for the DRG program. •Helping prepare all requisite USAID documentation and responses to relevant tasks including required reports, plans, scopes/statements of work, briefing materials for official visits, and additional reports as required. •Providing DRG technical guidance and support as required to other technical offices in the design and management of activities pertaining to governance issues in those technical sectors. •Supporting and guiding the DRG elements of the mission's work pertaining to the requirements of ADS 220 and the required Public Financial Management Risk Assessment Framework (PFMRAF) for activities implemented through Government to Government (G2G) mechanisms. •Provide in-formal mentorship and coaching to OSG and Mission staff, as need, to improve technical knowledge and professional competency in the DRG field. D. Direct Supervisor: Director, Office of Stabilization and Governance (OSG), Islamabad, USAID/Pakistan or his/her designee E. Supervisory Control: The incumbent is expected to work independently in carrying out responsibilities. While the exercise of independent judgment and initiative may be necessary when dealing with operational and policy matters, the DRG Advisor's actions and decisions should first be cleared with the OSG Office Chief. 11.PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The work in the OSG office located on the U.S. Embassy compound in the diplomatic enclave is sedentary. There is the possibility of some field visits, security conditions permitting. 12.POINT OF CONTACT: Completed offers (including all required documents - see section IV below) must be submitted electronically to: hrislamabad@usaid.gov. When submitting an application, the Solicitation number must be included in the subject line. Any questions regarding this solicitation may be directed to Zunnera Pervaiz, Human Resources Specialist, Pakistan, phone: 92-51- 201-5196, fax: 92-51-233-8061, and to Jamshaid Iqbal, Human Resources Assistant, Pakistan, phone: 92-51- 201-5086, fax: 92-51-233-8062, E-mail: hrislamabad@usaid.gov. II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION Education: A Juris Doctorate or Master's degree (equivalent to at least 17 or 18 years of formal education) or higher in political science, sociology, public policy, public management, conflict resolution, or other field relevant to the Major Duties and Responsibilities of the position is required. Work Experience: A minimum of five years of progressively responsible work experience in one or a combination of the following areas is required: advising on, developing, procuring, implementing, monitoring and evaluating programs in the Democracy, Rights and Governance (DRG) field. At least one year of cumulative overseas field experience working in one or more of the aforementioned fields is required. Only offerors clearly meeting the above minimum qualifications will be considered for further evaluation. Visas, Security and Medical clearances: The ability to obtain the required visas and security and medical clearances in a reasonable timeframe for the position is considered a minimum qualification. See section V below. III. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS Selection Process and Basis of Evaluation: Offerors who clearly meet the aforementioned minimum education and work experience qualification requirements may be further evaluated through review of the offeror's submitted required documents (see section IV below) and ranked based on the below evaluation and selection factors. A competitive range will be established of the highest-ranked offerors, who may be further evaluated through technical tests and interviews to determine the most qualified/highest-ranked offerors. Reference checks will be conducted with the highest-ranked offerors. Reference checks may be conducted with individuals not provided by the offeror. Any offeror not receiving satisfactory reference checks will no longer be considered for the position. Negotiations may be conducted with the most qualified/ highest-ranked offerors who have successfully passed the responsibility determination process. Education (10 Points): A Juris Doctorate or Master's degree (equivalent to at least 17 or 18 years of formal education) or higher in political science, sociology, public policy, public management, conflict resolution, or other field relevant to the Major Duties and Responsibilities of the position is required. Additional education in the aforementioned fields is desirable. Work Experience (35 Points): A minimum of five years of progressively responsible work experience in one or a combination of the following areas is required: advising on, developing, procuring, implementing, monitoring and evaluating programs in the Democracy, Rights and Governance (DRG) field. At least one year of cumulative overseas field experience working in one or more of the aforementioned fields is required. Additional experience in the aforementioned areas, especially working overseas, is desirable. Work experience in a field relevant to the Major Duties and Responsibilities of the position in Pakistan is highly desirable. Professional experience in a position that required developing close, collaborative and effective working relationships with government, bilateral and multilateral donors, ideally working in the DRG field, is highly desirable. Knowledge (25 Points) Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of one or a combination of the below fields is essential: •Knowledge of developing, procuring, implementing, monitoring and evaluating programs in the Democracy, Rights and Governance (DRG) field, especially best practices and their implementation in a developing country context; •Knowledge of democratic political processes, especially in parliamentary systems; •Understanding of donor agencies' processes and procedures. Skills and Abilities: (30 points) Demonstrated Skills and Abilities in the below areas are essential: •Strong interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to work constructively within a multicultural team-setting as well as develop close, collaborative and effective working relationships with bilateral and multilateral donors; •Excellent oral and written English communication skills, including the ability to develop concise, well-written products geared toward a variety of audiences and at different levels of technical complexity under time constraints; •Strong ability to manage DRG programs, lead or contribute to the design and implementation of project activities and mechanisms, and monitor and evaluate project implementation; •Ability to work independently, prioritizing and completing complex tasks/assignments with minimal supervision; •Proficiency in Urdu or other Pakistani languages is desirable. Total points = 100 IV. APPLYING 1.Eligible Offerors are required to complete and submit all the following documents and information in order to be considered for the position. a.Completed and signed form AID 302-3,"Offeror Information for Personal Services Contracts," available at https://www.usaid.gov/forms/aid-302-3. Only include base salary information in box 4 of sections B and C. Do not include bonuses, differentials, cost of living allowances, or other types of compensation. During negotiations, salary history may be verified through pay slips, earnings and leave statements, or other appropriate documentation. b.A cover letter of no more than two pages that describes: i.how the Offeror's qualifications meet or exceed the Minimum Qualifications Required for this Position stated in section II of this solicitation, and ii.how the Offeror's qualifications compare to the Evaluation and Selection factors stated in section III of this solicitation. c.A resume or curriculum vitae (CV) of no more than 3 pages which, at a minimum, describes education, experience, and career achievements relevant to the Minimum Qualifications Required for this Position stated in section II, and the Evaluation and Selection factors stated in section III of this solicitation. The resume or CV should clearly show full-time vs. part-time work. For part-time work, the resume or CV should include the average number of hours worked per week. d.Names of three professional references that have detailed knowledge of the offeror's ability to perform the duties set forth in the solicitation, including current and accurate contact information. This information may be included in the cover letter, resume/CV, or in a separate document. Incomplete/un-signed offers will not be considered. 2.Offers containing all required documents must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3, and submitted electronically to the email Point of Contact in Section I, item 12. V. PRE-AWARD DOCUMENTATION / LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSC HIRES Once the Contracting Officer (CO) informs the successful Offerors about being conditionally selected for a contract award, the CO will provide the successful Offeror instructions about how to complete and submit the following forms: 1. Medical History and Examination Form (Department of State Forms) 2. Questionnaire for Sensitive Positions for National Security (SF-86), or 3. Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85) 4. Finger Print Card (FD-258) 5. Pakistan and United Arab Emirates (UAE) Visa application forms Timely completion and submission of the required documents are needed to obtain the necessary Visas and Security and Medical Clearances. Failure of the selected offerors to accurately complete and submit required documents in a timely manner may be grounds for the CO to rescind any conditional pre-contract offer letter and begin negotiations with the next most qualified/highest ranked offeror. Selected offerors who are unable to obtain required Visas, Security and Medical Clearances in a reasonable timeframe are considered not qualified for this position. Within 2 weeks after written notice from the CO that all required Visas and clearances have been received, or unless another date is specified by the CO in writing, the selected offerors shall proceed to Islamabad, Pakistan to perform the services specified in section I, item 10. VI. BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the benefits and allowances listed in this section. 1.BENEFITS: (a) Employer's FICA Contribution (b) Contribution toward Health & Life Insurance (c) Pay Comparability Adjustment (d) Annual Increase (pending a satisfactory performance evaluation) (e) Eligibility for Worker's Compensation (f) Annual and Sick Leave (g) Access to Embassy medical facilities, commissary and pouch mail service per Post policy 2.ALLOWANCES (If Applicable)*: (1) Temporary Lodging Allowance (Section 120) (2) Living Quarters Allowance (Section 130) (3) Post Allowance (Section 220) (4) Supplemental Post Allowance (Section 230) (5) Post Differential (Chapter 500) (6) Payments during Evacuation/Authorized Departure (Section 600) and (7) Danger Pay (Section 650) (8) Education Allowance (Section 270) (9) Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section 260) (10)Education Travel (Section 280) * Section numbers refer to rules from the Department of State Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians Foreign Areas) Islamabad currently has a 25% Post Differential allowance and 35% Danger Pay, housing, and other benefits per USAID regulations. Basic household furnishings will be available in quarters to be provided by USAID. FICA and federal income tax will be withheld by USAID. U.S. Resident hire PSCs are not eligible for any fringe benefits (except contributions for FICA, health insurance, and life insurance), including differentials and allowances. Pakistan is a no-dependent post. VII. TAXES USPSCs are required to pay Federal income taxes, FICA, Medicare and applicable State Income taxes. VIII. USAID REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND CONTRACT CLAUSES PERTAINING TO PSCs USAID regulations and policies governing USPSC awards are available at these sources: 1.USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR), Appendix D, "Direct USAID Contracts with a U.S. Citizen or a U.S. Resident Alien 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 3.Acquisition and Assistance Policy Directives/Contract Information Bulletins (AAPDs/CIBs) for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals available at: http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs AAPDs/CIBs specifically applicable to this position include: AAPD 16-03: Expanded Incentive Awards for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals AAPD 15-02 REVISED - Continuation of Deviation from the ‘Leave and Holidays' clause, including Family and Medical Leave, for U.S. Personal Services Contractors AAPD 10-03 Amendment 1: AIDAR, Appendix D: Implementing Benefits For Same-Sex Domestic Partners of USPSCs AAPD 10-03: AIDAR, Appendix D: Implementing Benefits For Same-Sex Domestic Partners of USPSCs AAPD 10-01: Personal Services Contracts -- Changes in USG Reimbursement Amounts for Health Insurance and Physical Examination Costs AAPD 06-10: PSC Medical Expense Payment Responsibility CIB 99-15: Changes to AIDAR Concerning Resident Hires and Deviations 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
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/AID/OM/PAK/72039118R00009/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Islamabad, Pakistan
- Record
- SN04840198-W 20180303/180301231758-8244512ba5df105ba217d991e8ed154d (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |