SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Economic Growth Advisor
- Notice Date
- 8/28/2009
- Notice Type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- NAICS
- 812990
— All Other Personal Services
- Contracting Office
- Agency for International Development, Overseas Missions, Nepal USAID-Kathmandu, Department of State, Washington, District of Columbia, 20521-6190
- ZIP Code
- 20521-6190
- Solicitation Number
- 367-09-000001
- Archive Date
- 10/10/2009
- Point of Contact
- Roshan Kafle, Phone: 977-1-4007200 ext. 4489, Timothy Bertotti, Phone: 977-1-4007200
- E-Mail Address
-
rkafle@usaid.gov, tbertotti@usaid.gov
(rkafle@usaid.gov, tbertotti@usaid.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- SOLICITATION NUMBER: 367-09-000001 ISSUANCE DATE: 08/28/2009 CLOSING DATE: 09/25/2009 SUBJECT: Solicitation for U.S. Personal Service Contractor for Economic Growth Advisor, GS-14, at USAID/Nepal General Development Office; Ladies/Gentlemen: The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking applications (Standard Form 171 or Optional Form 612 only) from qualified U.S. citizens or U.S. resident alien to provide personal services as a Economic Growth Advisor under a personal services contract, as described in the attached solicitation. Submittals shall be in accordance with the attached information at the place and time specified. Send one set of U.S. Government SF 171 or OF 612 and a recent resume only; any additional documentation other than these forms will not be accepted (i.e. CV's, and lists). Incomplete or unsigned applications shall not be considered. These signed forms must be mailed, delivered, faxed, or emailed (email applications must be signed) to: Human Resources Office US Agency for International Development USAID/Nepal Executive Office U.S. Embassy Building Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal Email: USAIDNepalHR@usaid.gov FAX No: 977-1-4007285 P.O Box: 295 Applicants should retain for their records copies of all enclosures which accompany their applications. Any questions regarding this solicitation may be directed to Roshan Kafle who may be reached by phone at 977-1-4007200 EXT 4489, or email at rkafle@usaid.gov Sincerely, Patrick J. Wilson Contracting Officer SOLICITATION NUMBER: 367-09-000001 Solicitation for a US Personal Services Contractor (PSC): Economic Growth Advisor 1. SOLICITATION NUMBER: 367-09-000001 2. ISSUANCE DATE: 08/28/2009 3. CLOSING DATE/TIME SPECIFIED FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS: 09/25/2009 (5 P.M. Kathmandu Time) 4. POSITION TITLE: Economic Growth Advisor 5. MARKET VALUE: GS- 14 ($83,445 - $108,483 per annum). Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value based upon the candidate's past salary, work history and educational background. 6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Two years 7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: USAID/Nepal, Kathmandu, with possible travel as stated in the position description. 8. JOB DESCRIPTION: A. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Nepal is a relatively small landlocked country situated between India and China. It has an estimated population of 28 million, with a rich diversity of ethnic and religious groups. Following a decade-long insurgency, Nepal has sustained a comprehensive peace agreement for more than three years and has taken major steps toward instituting democratic constitutional rule. The monarchy has been abolished, a representative Constituent Assembly has been elected, and a transitional government is in place. There is a broad national consensus on the need to address critical development challenges and on the need for political reform, although progress has been hampered by a lack of agreement about how to carry out reform. Nepal's principal political challenges are to consolidate the current peace process; draft a new, more inclusive constitution; and build a functioning government with sufficiently broad legitimacy and authority to uphold the rule of law and carry out national development in the years ahead. It must accomplish all of this in an environment of political and social divisions; high and often-unrealistic expectations on the part of the public; fragile and politicized state institutions and civil society; severely limited resources; and chronic unrest and physical insecurity. Nepal is one of the poorest, least-developed countries in Asia. Poverty is widespread - 31% of the population subsists on less than $1 per day. The workforce is largely unskilled; unemployment is high; and there is a high vulnerability to natural disasters - mostly floods and landslides, which annually disrupt the lives of tens of thousands. Agriculture accounts for 32% of GDP and 68% of the labor force, but Nepal is unable to meet domestic demand for food. Industry is limited and uncompetitive, due to location, high costs, low product quality, labor unrest and political instability. On the positive side, Nepal has major potential for increased growth through tourism and hydropower development, the former having great job-growth potential and the latter having great income-generating potential domestically and through a ready-made export market for its surplus electrical-power in India. The United States has had a positive and productive relationship with Nepal for more than 55 years and has contributed more than $1 billion in assistance. This assistance has affected the lives of the Nepali people in measurable ways. For example, during the last 25 years, U.S. assistance has helped Nepal reduce the fertility rate from 6.3 to 3.1 children per woman. In just the last 10 to 15 years, USAID has also helped to increase contraceptive prevalence from 15% to 44.2%, and lower under-five mortality by 52%. In recent years, more than 275,000 rural farmers have increased their incomes by at least 50% and 735,000 Nepalese now benefit from access to rural roads as a result of U.S. assistance programs. United States Government (USG) engagement is significant to Nepal's transition to democracy and the implementation of critical development priorities. The USG has the following Strategic Vision for Nepal for the end of the current strategy period (2013): Measurable progress in expanding and deepening democracy, strengthening public and private institutions, and supporting policies to promote economic growth and poverty reduction. U.S. assistance will target gaps in both host-country resources and capabilities and other donors' assistance programming, emphasizing those areas where it has a predominance of expertise and capability. In this way, U.S. assistance will achieve maximum impact relative to the amount of resources expended, avoid duplication of effort by either the host country or other donors, and be able to clearly demonstrate the results of its assistance. It is within this context that the Economic Growth (EG) Advisor will oversee the USAID Mission's economic growth portfolio. USAID/Nepal's EG portfolio consists of a complex set of newly designed and ongoing activities, aimed at macroeconomic policy reform, fostering private sector led growth, increasing agricultural production, strengthening microfinance policy and institutions, providing vocational education to youth and disadvantaged groups, improving efficiencies in the energy sector, and improving natural resource management. B) Basic Functions of the Position: The EG Advisor is a senior position in USAID/Nepal, requiring a broad combination of technical, analytical and managerial abilities, combined with excellent interpersonal and communications skills. The ideal candidate will possess significant professional knowledge and technical expertise in the field of economic development including macroeconomic policy, private sector led growth, energy, agriculture, microfinance, and youth and disadvantage group participation. Major duties and responsibilities involve development, implementation and monitoring of USAID EG assistance projects in Nepal. These include, but are not limited to, the following: C) Major Duties and Responsibilities: 1) Representation, Coordination, Technical Advice The incumbent will be expected to independently develop and maintain close and collaborative contacts with key players in the EG sector; provide sound technical advice; and engage in technical discussions with officials of the Government of Nepal (GON), senior representatives and staff of international organizations, senior US Embassy officials, and other bilateral and multilateral donors. S/he must work closely with senior officials representing Nepali economic institutions, non-governmental organizations, and professional associations. 2) Strategy Development The EG Advisor provides planning, analysis, evaluation and technical advice/recommendations to USAID's Senior Management Team. The incumbent works closely with Washington based staff on strategies for economic assistance-as well as on the design, management and implementation of EG assistance activities in Nepal. S/he tracks and regularly reports on progress toward achieving the goals of the USAID EG activities in Nepal. S/he participates in the development of the Mission Strategic Plan, Operational Plan, Congressional Notifications, and other strategic planning and reporting documentation for USAID/Nepal. 3) Program Management and Oversight The EG Advisor manages and provides technical oversight of a diverse set of EG and development activities in Nepal, including determination of work priorities; making decisions on activity implementation matters; identifying and resolving programmatic issues; ensuring that all activities are carried out in a technically-sound, timely, and cost-effective manner; working closely with USAID Nepali Foreign Service National (FSN) staff and providing technical advice on international best practices; and assigning responsibility for program management and implementation actions for FSN staff, as appropriate; and assuring that activities are carried out in accordance with all applicable Mission and Agency directives and requirements. The EG Advisor serves as Manager/Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) for USAID-funded organizations regarding the design and implementation of EG development activities planned or being carried out in Nepal. The incumbent is expected to contribute to the effectiveness of program implementation through monitoring via site visits and review of technical reports. The incumbent manages financial matters related to program activities such as providing administrative approval of vouchers, planning and preparing for annual incremental funding amendments, accruals and other financial administrative activities, as needed, to ensure that fiscal needs of the recipient (GON and US and local contractors) are met in a timely manner. S/he ensures that all activities are appropriately documented in required reports and through regular updates given to USAID stakeholders and external development partners, including Annual Reports, Portfolio Reviews, annual budget and pipeline analyses, Congressional Budget Justifications, briefings and talking points. S/he reviews annual work plans, negotiates program and activity issues with counterparts in the GON and other implementing partners. S/he prepares all necessary internal USAID program implementation documentation for smooth program implementation, including Program Implementation Letters, acquisition and assistance documents, and other required reporting. S/he prepares and submits the annual evaluation of contractors' performance to Washington for inclusion in their central database on contractors. The incumbent ensures that indicators to measure program impact are tracked accurately and used to revise strategy as necessary. S/he coordinates with members of the EG Team to ensure data submitted on activities are complete and consistent for reporting purposes. S/he keeps the EG Team and the USAID Senior Management Team abreast of current events and policy development in Nepal that are relevant to the EG program's implementation. S/he conducts consultations with stakeholders and tracks legislative developments related to economic growth and development. S/he collects, analyzes and synthesizes information to inform and strategically guide program planning. The incumbent develops scopes of work, coordinates Temporary Duty assignments, and manages evaluations and assessments of the Mission's EG portfolio. S/he plans, coordinates, and participates in audits of EG activities in Nepal and is responsible for close-out of activities. 4) General Management The EG Advisor continuously gathers and reports on information about the EG situation in Nepal for a variety of audiences including USAID/Washington, USAID/Nepal's Senior Management Team and U.S. Department of State and other USG agencies, as needed. The incumbent will serve as Team Leader for the EG team, which consists of five (5) senior FSNs. As such, s/he provides mentoring and staff development to EG FSN professional staff and provides overall direction and leadership to the team. A successful candidate for this position must be a team player and have strong interpersonal skills. The incumbent will report directly to the Director of the General Development Office. The EG Advisor manages all assigned work either independently or, as required, as part of the EG Team according to established Mission policies, practices and programmatic guidance; and in accordance with all applicable USAID regulations and guidance. The EG Advisor will be based in Kathmandu, Nepal. Travel throughout Nepal and occasional travel to the USAID regional office in Bangkok, Thailand and to USAID/Washington, may be required. 5) Reporting Requirements The EG Advisor shall be required to prepare and provide reports as required to effectively carry out the duties and responsibilities described above. S/he will also provide, orally or in writing, such reports on work progress as may be required by Mission management. D) Required qualifications and position Elements: The EG Advisor shall have the following qualifications. Note that in order to be considered, the applicant shall meet those qualifications marked "required." Education¬: A minimum of a Master's Degree in Economics, Agriculture, or Business with a focus on applied economics --, trade and fiscal policies, private sector led growth, trade and investment, value chain development or microfinance. (REQUIRED) Relevant Experience: At least 10 years of experience designing and implementing development programs, of which at least eight years spent working in developing countries. The incumbent should possess significant experience in economic policy reform, economic growth program design, management, and monitoring and evaluation. (REQUIRED) Familiarity with USG regulations is highly desirable. Technical Knowledge: Mastery of the economic development sector including macroeconomic reform, trade and fiscal policies, private sector led growth, trade and investment, value chain development and microfinance. Skills: Proven ability to communicate and work cross-culturally in a challenging environment is required. Excellent written and oral communications skills in English are absolutely critical. Strong interpersonal skills and the proven ability to multi-task and work on diverse technical teams are required. Knowledge of MS Outlook is required. D. Supervision Received: The incumbent will report to the Director of the General Development Office, USAID/Nepal. E. Available Guidelines: Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM), Foreign Affairs Handbook (FAR), USAID Automated Directives System (ADS), Mission Policies, Mission Orders and USAID technical handbooks F. Exercise of Judgment: Prompt and sound individual judgment is required in areas of expertise with the regular use of USAID and partner resources to better inform that judgment. G. Authority to Make Commitments: The incumbent will have no unilateral authority to make commitments of USG financial, technical, or personnel resources. However, the incumbent will play a key informational and analytical role in determining the Mission's positions on funding for grants and contracts approval or renewal, provision of technical assistance, training opportunities and other program elements regarding economic growth activities and budgets. H. Nature, Level and Purpose of Contacts: Extensive range of contacts up to the highest levels of the GON, U.S. Mission in Nepal, USAID/Washington, locally represented international donor organizations, international and local Non-governmental Organizations (NGO), the private sector as well as research organizations/think tanks. I. Supervision Exercised: Oversees and manages USAID EG programs to include guiding programmatic relationships between USAID and contractors/grantees. Also manages and supervises staff members on the EG Team. J. Other Requirements: a) Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien and be able to obtain a secret security clearance. b) Ability to begin work in Nepal by October 2009. K. Selection Criteria: Candidates will be evaluated according to the following criteria: Education: 20 points Relevant Experience: 50 points Communication and Interpersonal Skills: 30 points Total points: 100 points Education and Training (20 points): a) Master's Degree in Economics, Agriculture, or Business with a focus on applied economics, trade and fiscal policies, private sector led growth, trade and investment, value chain development or microfinance. b) Training and experience in operational research and analysis. Relevant Experience (50 points): a) At least ten years' experience designing and implementing economic development programs, of which at least eight years have been working in developing countries. Prior professional and field experience designing and implementing economic or related programs and knowledge of the range of best practices from prior donor economic development experiences from around the world will be considered a significant strength. b) Demonstrated satisfactory experience managing challenging EG programs in complex development environments. Demonstrated ability to successfully cultivate and maintain a wide range of contacts with senior government, donor and NGO counterparts. c) Prior experience assisting governments identify and implement alternative approaches to the provision of economic services. Communication and Interpersonal Skills (30 points): a) University level English speaking, reading and writing proficiency. Candidates will be expected to provide a recent sample of their writing. b) Demonstrated ability to work collegially, and effectively communicate with senior government and other officials and to successfully lead and work with a multi-cultural team. c) Demonstrated ability to cultivate and maintain a wide range of contacts with senior counterparts. L. Selection Process: After the closing date for the receipt of applications, a committee will be convened to review applications and evaluate them in accordance with the evaluation criteria. Applications from candidates which do not meet the required selection criteria will not be scored. As part of the selection process, finalist candidates may be interviewed either in person or by telephone at USAID's discretion. Reference checks will be made only for applicants considered as finalists. If an applicant does not wish USAID to contact a current employer for a reference check, this should be stated in the applicant's cover letter, and USAID will delay such reference checks pending communication with the applicant. Only finalists will be contacted by USAID with respect to their applications. The final selected candidates must obtain security and medical clearances within a reasonable period of time (USAID will provide details regarding these clearances to the selected candidates). A substantial delay in obtaining either required clearance will make the applicant ineligible for selection. 9. APPLYING Qualified individuals are requested to submit: For USPSCs a U.S. Government Standard Form 171 or 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); Applications must be received by the closing date and time at the address specified in the cover letter. 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. The highest ranking applicants may be selected for an interview. Attachment 3 AS A MATTER OF POLICY, AND AS APPROPRIATE, A PSC IS NORMALLY AUTHORIZED THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS: 1. BENEFITS Employer's FICA Contribution Contribution toward Health & Life Insurance Pay Comparability Adjustment Annual Increase Eligibility for Worker's Compensation Annual & Sick Leave Eligibility for 401(k) 2. 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 required to pay Federal Income Taxes, FICA, and Medicare. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSCs 1. Standard Form 171 or Optional Form 612. **2. Contractor Physical Examination (AID Form 1420-62). **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). NOTE: Form 5 is available from the requirements office. * Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians Foreign Areas). ** The forms listed 2 through 5 shall only be completed upon the advice of the Contracting Officer that an applicant is the successful candidate for the job. 3. CONTRACT INFORMATION BULLETINS (CIBs) PERTAINING TO PSCs CIBs contain changes to USAID policy and General Provisions in USAID regulations and contracts. Please refer to this website http://www.usaid.gov/procurement_bus_opp/procurement/psc_solicit/ to determine which CIBS apply to this contract.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/AID/OM/NEP/367-09-000001/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: USAID/Nepal, US Embassy, Brahma Cottage, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal, Kathmandu, Non-U.S., Nepal
- Record
- SN01933000-W 20090830/090829012813-3a358fca0a8b94c1450e78b0625fc421 (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 |