SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- USPSC - Program Officer, Sudan (Multiple Positions Available) DCHA-OFDA-06-001
- Notice Date
- 9/26/2005
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 921190
— Other General Government Support
- Contracting Office
- Agency for International Development, Washington D.C., USAID/Washington, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Room 7.10-006, Washington, DC, 20523
- ZIP Code
- 20523
- Solicitation Number
- DCHA-OFDA-06-001
- Response Due
- 10/17/2005
- Archive Date
- 10/31/2005
- Description
- SOLICITATION NUMBER: DCHA/OFDA-06-001 ISSUANCE DATE: September 26, 2005 CLOSING DATE: October 17, 2005 5:00PM EDT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: SUBJECT: Solicitation for Personal Services Contractor (PSC) - Program Officer, Sudan (Multiple Positions Available) The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking applications from qualified U.S. CITIZENS ONLY interested in providing PSC services as described in the attached solicitation. Applicants interested in applying for this position MUST submit the following materials: 1) Complete and hand-signed federal form OF-612 2) Supplemental document specifically addressing the Quality Ranking Factors (QRFs) shown in the solicitation. Substitute forms and/or submission of resumes in lieu of the OF-612 form will not be accepted. Please note that all information to be evaluated by OFDA must be contained in the QRF response document and the OF-612 form and may not depend on references to your resume. No exceptions to the minimum document submission requirements will be allowed. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Applications that are incomplete or received without a handwritten signature and supplemental QRF document will not be considered for the position. Applicants are responsible for submitting materials that are in accordance with the attached information at the place and time specified. There will be no exceptions. Applicants should retain for their records copies of all enclosures which accompany their applications. Any questions on this solicitation may be directed to: Amy Feldman or Stephanie Paul Telephone Number: (202) 661-9377 or 202-661-9369 E-Mail Address: posudan@globalcorps.com Website: www.globalcorps.com Facsimile: 202-315-3803 or 240-465-0244 All applications should be submitted to: GlobalCorps 1201 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 200 Washington, DC 20004 E-Mail Address: posudan@globalcorps.com Facsimile: 202-315-3803 or 240-465-0244 Sincerely, M. E. Yearwood Contracting Officer 1. SOLICITATION NUMBER: DCHA/OFDA-06-001 2. ISSUANCE DATE: September 26, 2005 3. CLOSING DATE/TIME: October 17, 2005 5:00 PM EDT 4. POSITION TITLE: Program Officer, Sudan (Multiple Positions Available) 5. MARKET VALUE: GS-13 ($64,478 - $83,819 per year) Post Differential and Danger Pay Authorized 6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: 1 year, renewable up to 5 years 7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Khartoum, Sudan 8. SECURITY ACCESS: Secret 9. AREA OF CONSIDERATION: Open to all U.S. Citizens POSITION DESCRIPTION Background On January 9, 2005, the Government of Sudan (GOS) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) officially ending Africa's longest running civil war. Over the course of the 21-year conflict, fighting, famine, and disease killed more than 2 million people, forced an estimated 628,000 people to seek refuge in neighboring countries, and displaced more than 4 million people within Sudan - the largest internally displaced person (IDP) population in the world. In April 2003, a separate conflict began in Darfur, Western Sudan when the locally based Sudanese Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) attacked GOS security forces in the city of El Fasher. The resulting humanitarian emergency in Darfur affects an estimated 2.6 million people, approximately 40 percent of the population, including 2 million IDPs and 180,000 refugees in eastern Chad. The concurrent emergencies have exacerbated already fragile humanitarian conditions, and challenged local capacity to provide for the population. Introduction The Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) is the office within USAID that is responsible for providing 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 three divisions under the management of the Office of the Director. The Program Support (OFDA/PS) Division provides programmatic and administrative support including budget/financial services, procurement planning, contracts and grants administration, and communication support for OFDA's Washington and field offices. The Disaster Response and Mitigation (OFDA/DRM) Division is responsible for coordinating with other organizations for the provision of relief supplies and humanitarian assistance. OFDA/DRM also devises, coordinates, and implements program strategies for a variety of natural and human caused disaster situations. OFDA/DRM hires sector specialists to provide technical expertise in assessing the quality of disaster response. The Operations (OFDA/OPS) Division develops and manages logistical, operational and technical support for disaster responses and administrative support to all offices and operations. OFDA/OPS maintains readiness to respond to emergencies through several mechanisms, including managing Search and Rescue (SAR) Teams, Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DARTs) and Washington-based Response Management Teams (RMTs). The Sudan Program Officer will be part of the OFDA team based in Khartoum, Sudan. The position will be contracted for an initial period of one year with the option to extend up to five years. Foreign language ability in one or more major world languages is preferred. OBJECTIVE OFDA must recruit a Program Officer for Northern Sudan in order to meet its program objectives. The incumbent will serve as a primary point of contact for OFDA in the field and is responsible for developing strategies and plans, reviewing proposals, monitoring grants, liaising with grantees and other members of the humanitarian community, and reporting on the humanitarian situation. STATEMENT OF WORK The OFDA Program Officer will primarily provide full time in-country coordination and management of the humanitarian emergency in areas defined as under the authority of the Government of National Unity in Northern Sudan and the transitional areas. The Program Officer may assist in humanitarian assistance activities in all parts of Sudan as needed. The current USAID structure in Sudan consists of a Sudan Field Office in Nairobi, Kenya which coordinates all assistance to Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) areas, and an office in Khartoum which covers the Northern provinces, including Darfur, and the transitional areas. All DCHA staff, including OFDA, Food for Peace (FFP) and the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI), fall under the overall management of the DCHA Senior Humanitarian Advisor based in Khartoum. There is close daily coordination between the DCHA units in Nairobi, Kenya and Khartoum, and with the development programs managed by the Sudan Field Office. The Program Officer will exchange information regularly with colleagues covering Southern Sudan and Darfur portfolios, as well as with the Sudan program team in Washington D.C. This includes sharing project ideas, strategies, and soliciting advice and guidance. The Program Officer will work and live in Khartoum, reporting to the Senior Humanitarian Advisor and to the Sudan Program Team in Washington D.C. S/he will work with a small team of experienced national staff specializing in the areas of food security, health, gender, and livelihoods. Each national staff member also is responsible for a specific geographic area and specific grants. The Program Officer will ensure a smooth allocation of the work load between all national staff so that maximum efficiency is achieved. This position requires substantial daily coordination with several OFDA staff members, as well as representatives from other USAID offices and the humanitarian community, and therefore requires a highly collaborative work style. The Program Officer must be prepared to function effectively in a challenging and restrictive work environment and be willing to strictly abide to U.S. Embassy security guidelines. The incumbent may be required to serve as a critical component of a U.S. government disaster assessment team, a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), a Response Management Team (RMT), or to backfill other staff members in the overseas office. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES The Program Officer's responsibilities will include, but not be limited to, the following: * Serves as one of the principle contact points for OFDA in Sudan for humanitarian issues related to Northern Sudan. Coordinates with the Darfur Field Office, manages national program staff, and maintains regular contact with DCHA colleagues in the Sudan Field Office. * Assesses a broad spectrum of emergency conditions to provide recommendations, implementation strategy, management oversight and evaluation of OFDA response programs. * Maintains regular contact with OFDA grantees, as well as other UN agencies, International Organizations (IOs), and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Meets regularly with U.S. government personnel, donors, Sudanese authorities, and others on humanitarian issues. Represents OFDA at humanitarian coordination meetings. * Works in close consultation with the Senior Humanitarian Advisor (SHA) and the Deputy SHA for Darfur to ensure that national and international staff competencies are used in the most efficient way to enhance the overall US Government response in Northern Sudan. * Travels frequently (security permitting) to assess, evaluate and monitor conditions at OFDA project sites in Sudan, and make strategic recommendations for interventions. Reports to OFDA on the quality of the grantee's work, noting deficiencies, attributes and evolving operational conditions. * Participates in and reports on joint donor evaluations and United Nations (UN) led assessments, and participates actively in the international community response structures. * Provides regular reporting, through official cables and other means, on issues related to the humanitarian situation in Sudan. Provides overviews of patterns and trends in the humanitarian situation and keeps the Ambassador/Charge d?Affaires current on response issues. Provides regular reports on site visits, meetings, general atmospherics and other issues that impact humanitarian relief efforts. * Participates in development and implementation of OFDA and USAID strategy and plans for Sudan. * Works with NGOs, IOs, and UN agencies that are developing proposals (including grant amendments and extensions) for OFDA, ensures their compliance with "OFDA's Guidelines for Grant Proposals and Reporting," reviews concept papers and proposals, and provides recommendations/comments to OFDA for final funding determination. * Coordinates with the donor community on policy issues affecting humanitarian operations, and to develop integrated, non-duplicative programs. Prepares agendas and briefings for official U.S. government visitors interested in humanitarian issues. SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIP The Program Officer will report directly to the Senior Humanitarian Advisor or his/her designee in Khartoum, Sudan. SUPERVISORY CONTROLS The incumbent is expected to take initiative and act independently with the little direction and will have latitude for the exercise of independent judgment in responding to humanitarian needs. The supervisor will provide administrative direction in terms of broadly defined goals and objectives. BASIC REQUIREMENTS AND SELECTIVE FACTORS: (Determines basic eligibility for the position. Candidates who do not meet all of the basic qualifications and selective factors are considered NOT qualified for the position.) * Bachelor's degree with significant study in or pertinent to the specialized field (including, but not limited to, international relations, economics, food policy or a related field) and a minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in emergency relief and humanitarian assistance, including: on-the-ground international field experience working on multi-agency relief operations; familiarity with UN, IO and NGO structures; understanding of key issues that arise in humanitarian assistance in conflict; and basic understanding of food security, health/nutrition, livelihoods and protection issues. OR * Master's degree with significant study in or pertinent to the specialized field (including, but not limited to, international relations, economics, food policy or a related field) and a minimum of two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in emergency relief and humanitarian assistance, including: on-the-ground international field experience working on multi-agency relief operations; familiarity with UN, IO and NGO structures; understanding of key issues that arise in humanitarian assistance in conflict; and basic understanding of food security, health/nutrition, livelihoods and protection issues. AND * Two (2) years experience with humanitarian relief programs in areas of civil strife. * U.S. Citizen. * Complete and hand-signed federal form OF-612. * Supplemental document specifically addressing the Quality Ranking Factors (QRFs). * Ability to obtain a secret level security clearance. * Ability to obtain a Department of State medical clearance. QUALITY RANKING FACTORS: (Used with interview performance and reference check results to determine the ranking of qualified candidates in comparison to other applicants. The factors are listed in order of importance from highest to least.) QRF #1 - Direct work experience with a U.S. government humanitarian agency or international humanitarian relief agency reviewing and providing feedback on concept notes and proposals for funding; coordinating, evaluating and monitoring a portfolio of humanitarian programs; and supervising staff in a highly collaborative work environment; QRF #2 - Direct work experience assessing humanitarian conditions, evaluating emergency programs, and generating high caliber reports for a wide audience, including those at the policy-level; QRF #3 - Demonstrated knowledge of U.S. government grant and proposal compliance requirements, regulations, and procedures, and direct experience developing?and/or reviewing humanitarian assistance proposals to ensure identified needs are adequately and effectively met; QRF #4 - Demonstrated experience coordinating humanitarian relief activities/programs with foreign governments, U.S. government agencies, UN and other international organizations, and non-governmental organizations; QRF #5 - Direct work experience with a U.S.government humanitarian agency, or international humanitarian relief agency developing and/or designing strategic plans to complex emergencies. BASIS OF RATING: Applicants who meet the Basic Requirements and Selective Factors will be further evaluated based on the Quality Ranking Factors (QRFs), interview performance, and satisfactory academic and professional reference checks. Applicants are required to address each of the QRFs on a separate sheet describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards you have received that are relevant to each factor. Be sure to include your name, social security number and the announcement number at the top of each additional page. Failure to address the selective and/or quality ranking factors may result in your not receiving credit for all of your pertinent experience, education, training and/or awards. The Applicant Rating System is as Follows: QRFs have been assigned the following points: QRF #1 - 15 points QRF #2 - 15 points QRF #3 - 8 points QRF #4 - 7 points QRF #5 - 5 points Interview Performance - 30 points Satisfactory Academic and Professional Reference Checks - 20 points Total Possible Points: 100 WHERE AND HOW TO APPLY: Qualified individuals are required to submit: 1. A U.S. Government Optional Form 612 (available at the USAID website, http://www.usaid.gov/procurement_bus_opp/procurement/forms or internet http://fillform.gsa.gov or at Federal offices) or www.globalcorps.com (Resumes or CVs in lieu of the OF-612 Form are not acceptable). 2. Supplemental document specifically addressing each Quality Ranking Factor (QRF) shown in the solicitation. To ensure consideration of applications for the intended position, please reference the solicitation number on your application, and as the subject line in any cover letter. Via mail: GlobalCorps, 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20004 Via facsimile: 202-315-3803 or 240-465-0244 Via email: posudan@globalcorps.com The most qualified candidates 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 applicants being considered for selection. NOTE: If a temporary secret security clearance and State Department Medical Clearance are not obtained within nine months, the offer may be rescinded. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSCs Forms outlined below can found at: http://www.usaid.gov/forms/ or at http://www.forms.gov/bgfPortal/citizen.portal 1. Optional Form 612. 2. Medical History and Examination Form (DS-1843). ** 3. Questionnaire for Sensitive Positions (for National Security) (SF-86), or ** 4. Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85). ** 5. Finger Print Card (FD-258). ** 6. Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9 Form). ** * Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians Foreign Areas). ** Forms 2 through 5 shall be completed ONLY upon the advice of the Contracting Officer that an applicant is the successful candidate for the job. CONTRACT INFORMATION BULLETINS (CIBs) and ACQUISITION & ASSISTANCE POLICY DIRECTIVES (AAPDs) PERTAINING TO PSCs CIBs and AAPDs contain changes to USAID policy and General Provisions in USAID regulations and contracts. Please refer to http://www.usaid.gov/business/business_opportunities/cib/subject.html#psc to determine which CIBs and AAPDs apply to this contract. BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES: As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances: BENEFITS: Employer's FICA Contribution Contribution toward Health & Life Insurance Pay Comparability Adjustment Annual Increase Eligibility for Worker's Compensation Annual & Sick Leave ALLOWANCES (if Applicable).* (A) Temporary Lodging Allowance (Section 120). (B) Living Quarters Allowance (Section 130). (C) Post Allowance (Section 220). (D) Supplemental Post Allowance (Section 230). (E) Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section 260). (F) Education Allowance (Section 270). (G) Education Travel (Section 280). (H) Post Differential (Chapter 500). (I) Payments during Evacuation/Authorized Departure (Section 600), and (J) Danger Pay (Section 650). * Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians Foreign Areas). FEDERAL TAXES: USPSCs are not exempt from payment of Federal Income taxes. ALL QUALIFIED APPLICANTS WILL BE CONSIDERED REGARDLESS OF AGE, RACE, COLOR, SEX, CREED, NATIONAL ORIGIN, LAWFUL POLITICAL AFFILIATION, NON-DISQUALIFYING HANDICAP, MARITAL STATUS, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AFFILIATION WITH AN EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION, OR OTHER NON-MERIT FACTOR.
- Place of Performance
- Address: Khartoum
- Country: Sudan
- Country: Sudan
- Record
- SN00903754-W 20050928/050926211509 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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