USPSC Resident Hire, Director for Strategic Operations Center of Excellence, GS-15 At US Agency for International Development

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. SOLICITATION NO: 72061524R10063
2. ISSUANCE DATE: August 26, 2024
3. CLOSING DATE AND TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: September 16, 2024 1700 Nairobi local time
4. POINT OF CONTACT: Noel Sikasa and Patrick Bii, e-mail: nairobipscjobs@usaid.gov
5. POSITION TITLE: U.S. Personal Services Contractor (USPSC) Resident Hire, Director for Strategic Operations Center of Excellence
6. MARKET VALUE: $123,041 – $159,950 equivalent to GS-15 base rate. Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value. USPSCs performing overseas are not entitled to Locality Pay.
7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: USAID Kenya and East Africa in Nairobi.

Overseas USPSCs may be authorized to telework or remote work only from a location within the country of performance, in accordance with Mission policy. Telework or remote work from outside the country of performance may only be authorized in certain situations in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract.

8. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: .

The base period will be two years, estimated to start in November 2024. Based on Agency need, the Contracting Officer may exercise an additional three (3) one-year option periods for the dates estimated as follows:

Base Period: November 2024 – October 2026

Option Period 1: November 2026 – October 2027

Option Period 2: November 2027 – October 2028

Option Period 3: November 2028 – October 2029

9. ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: Open to U.S. Nationals (U.S Citizens and/or U.S Resident Aliens). Citizenship, if dual, must be clearly stated.

Resident Hire U.S. Personal Services Contractor means a U.S. citizen or resident alien who, at the time of contract award, –

(i) resides in the cooperating country for reasons other than U.S. government or non-U.S. government employment, or under any contract or other arrangement, that provides repatriation to the U.S.; or

(ii) is a spouse or dependent of a U.S. citizen or resident alien who resides, or will reside, in the cooperating country for the purpose of U.S. government or non-U.S. government employment, or under any contract or other arrangement that provides repatriation to the U.S.

10. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Facilities/Computer Access

11. STATEMENT OF DUTIES

1. General Statement of Purpose of the Contract

The OEGI Director for Strategic Operations Center of Excellence (COE) is a key member of the office leadership team, who will provide management of the full range of USAID program cycle functions, including budgeting; monitoring and evaluation (M&E); collaborating, learning and adapting (CLA); outreach and communications; procurement and activity management; and a liaison to human resources; bringing these elements together to ensure the effective and efficient staffing, development, implementation, and reporting of OEGI programs.

OEGI is engaged in a wide range of high-profile activities across Kenya and East Africa, including in the trade, investment, agriculture, resilience, energy, and water and sanitation sectors, among others. OEGI’s cross- cutting Strategic Operations COE serves as the nexus of the office, leading on functions necessary to all teams and the office as a whole, as well as our implementing partners. The COE is tasked with internal and external communications and outreach, aligned with the Mission Development Outreach and Communications (DOC) team; compiling quarterly, annual, and ad hoc reporting, including USAID’s Operational Plan (OP), Performance Plan and Report (PPR), Quarterly Financial Reviews, and Portfolio Reviews; training implementing partners on financial management, communications, and monitoring and evaluation; managing timelines and actions related to activity designs, procurement and incremental funding; overseeing human resources to ensure tracking and appropriate actions for staffing, awards, training plans; and tracking and reporting on implementation of a broad range of activities in support of Agency priorities and initiatives such as localization, the Global Food Security Strategy and Feed the Future, Power Africa, Prosper Africa, and Water for the World. In addition, the Strategic Operations COE is the central unit ensuring that all teams are responding to the priorities of both the embassy and USAID Front Offices, through mandatory production of briefing documents, events, press releases, slide decks, portfolio summaries, VIP site visits, etc.

The OEGI Director for Strategic Operations COE will be based in OEGI as a member of the office leadership team, and will report directly to an OEGI Deputy Office Director or his/her designee. The OEGI Senior Operations Specialist will manage up to six staff, including one local-hire GS-13/14 Personal Services Contractor (PSC) Communications Advisor, two M&E Specialists, and up to three Budget and Procurement Specialists and/or Financial Analysts, who collectively comprise the Operations team.

At the Kenya bilateral level, OEGI currently manages an annual budget exceeding $40 million. At the regional level, OEGI manages a $21 million portfolio, which includes trade, energy, and resilience activities, as well as direct engagement with Regional Intergovernmental Organization (RIGO) partners, such as the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). OEGI’s work with the RIGOs focuses on promoting regional economic integration and expanding regional and international trade, particularly in agriculture goods.

OEGI works collaboratively with USAID technical offices within USAID/KEA, bilateral USAID missions across East Africa, regional USAID missions across Africa, and USAID/Washington, as well as with USAID/KEA lifeline offices and USAID/KEA management, to achieve the objectives of the USAID/KEA Kenya Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) and Regional Development Cooperation Strategy (RDCS).

OEGI focuses on the following objectives:

• Increasing productivity enhancing jobs
• Increasing incomes
• Increasing access to essential services (energy, water/sanitation, finance)

2. Statement of Duties to be Performed

Supervision/Management (25%)

• Serve as a key member of the OEGI leadership team.
• Supervise up to six members of the Strategic Operations Center of Excellence and manage overall COE functions.
• Provide leadership and engage in professional development of COE staff with the goal of building human and institutional capacity and improving the professional development, efficiency and effectiveness of the team through inclusive and involved supervision.
• Serve as COR/AOR or Alternate for up to three activities that provide cross-cutting support across the OEGI portfolio.
• Supervise CORs/AORs or Activity Managers for cross-cutting activities which support the implementation of the OEGI portfolio.
• Assist in the management of relationships with key OEGI partners’ technical and senior leadership counterparts including Government of Kenya representatives, RIGO leadership, USAID bilateral mission staff, AID/W staff, and USAID interagency colleagues.

M&E CLA and Reporting (20%)

• Provide overall direction, quality control, and oversight of OEGI’s M&E and Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) efforts through the two M&E Specialists.
• Assess the effectiveness and efficiency of project management, M&E and CLA efforts across the four COEs within OEGI.
• Serve as a member of the OEGI leadership team, ensuring OEGI portfolio adherence to the Foreign Assistance (F), Agency, Africa Bureau, State/Africa, and Mission policies and directives.
• Ensure adherence of the OEGI portfolio to USAID and Mission-specific processes and requirements for design and formal approval of all new and amended projects and activities.
• Prepare and disseminate process and procedural advice and guidance, both written and verbal, to OEGI staff on cross-cutting issues.
• Lead OEGI’s preparation of the Mission’s annual Operational Plan and Performance Report, Portfolio Reviews, etc.
• Lead OEGI’s engagement in the design and development of feasibility studies, analyses, and evaluations for OEGI programs.

Budgeting and Procurement (25%)

• Provide overall direction, quality control, and oversight of OEGI’s budgeting and procurement efforts through the three budget specialists.
• Lead OEGI’s preparation of the Mission’s Quarterly Financial Reviews.
• Maintain OEGI’s spend plan and track execution against spend plans.
• Lead OEGI annual obligation of funds processes.
• Manage oversight of all procurement actions in OEGI, primarily through the Mission’s Office of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA), but also through USAID/Washington-led and other procurement mechanisms in order to provide updates to OEGI leadership.
• Provide OEGI leadership with routine and ad-hoc requests for information and analysis on OEGI’s budget and procurement plan for current management and planning for out-years, including providing recommendations for budgetary and procurement related decisions.

Outreach and Communications (20%)

• Provide overall direction, quality control, and oversight of OEGI’s outreach and communications efforts through the Communications Advisor.
• Provide quality control of communications products and services to ensure consistent and high quality messaging and engagement.
• Oversee OEGI coordination with East Africa bilateral USAID missions and Embassy Staff to ensure all parties are well informed of OEGI activities and programs and effectively coordinate implementation activities.
• Provide communication products and requests for information to OEGI, Mission, and Embassy leadership, including position papers, talking points, concept papers, activity progress reports, budget analyses, evaluations, briefings checklists (BCLs), newsletters, etc.
• Oversee development and training products for OEGI implementing partners on financial management, monitoring and evaluation, communications, etc.

Human Resources (10%)

• Provide overall direction, quality control, and intermediate oversight of OEGI’s human resources efforts, in conjunction with the OEGI leadership team.
• Ensure staffing aligns with office organizational planning.
• Track OEGI awards and training plans.
• Ensure EXO and OEGI are in alignment on efficient and effective staffing actions.
• Oversee adherence to PER timelines by working with relevant supervisors.
• Work with the OEGI leadership team to ensure adequate staff coverage; and appropriate and relevant approvals of official travel, training, and awards.

3. Supervisory Relationship

The Director for Strategic Operations Center of Excellence will work under the supervision of the Deputy Office Director, FSN-13 or his/her designee.

4. Supervisory Controls

The employee will supervise up to six staff, providing oversight of their day to day responsibilities, as well as coaching and mentoring for talent management and professional development.

12. PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work is generally sedentary and does not pose undue physical demands.

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

The incumbent must meet the following requirements in education and professional experience:

a. Education: A Master’s degree in a relevant professional discipline such as International Development/Affairs, Political Science, Public Administration, Business Administration or a related discipline is required.

b. Professional Experience: The candidate is required to have a minimum of eight (8) years of international development experience which includes some combination of effective leadership of teams, strategy design, activity management, communications, M&E/CLA, and budgeting and procurement, preferably related to food security, nutrition, WASH, energy, trade, investment, and/or resilience. The candidate must also have significant experience in program development and implementation; a broad and in-depth experience in implementing technical programs and strategies; experience in consultations and facilitation of various teams with diverse backgrounds and development perspectives; applying broad USG (or similar development organizations) principles, policies and strategies; effective coordination of the interagency, partner country, and/or other donors; and collaborating with USG leadership at working and senior levels. Experience in Kenya and/or East Africa is preferred.

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. The FAR provisions referenced above are available at https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far.

The technical evaluation committee may conduct reference checks, including references from individuals who have not been specifically identified by the offeror, and may do so before or after a candidate is interviewed.

Offerors who meet the aforementioned minimum education and work experience qualification requirements may be further evaluated through review of the offeror’s submitted required documents and ranked based on the below evaluation and selection factors.

Applicants should cite specific, illustrative examples for each Evaluation Factors #1-#5. Responses must be limited to 500 words per factor. Any words above the 500 word limit will neither be read nor scored.

Factor #1: Demonstrated experience managing or implementing operations functions, such as budgeting and procurement, M&E, CLA, reporting, and outreach and communications. Demonstrated capability for complex analysis and the ability to obtain, analyze, and evaluate a variety of programs.

Factor #2: Clear understanding and demonstrated skills in developing, implementing, and reporting on international assistance activities. Working knowledge of USG policies, priorities and strategies. Demonstrated experience developing and managing U.S. Government foreign assistance activities, preferably related to agriculture, WASH, nutrition, trade, investment, and/or resilience and reporting on progress and challenges of the activities.

Factor #3: Demonstrated experience coordinating with U.S. Government agencies, international organizations, national or local governments, and/or other high-profile entities preferably in support of agriculture, nutrition, trade, investment, WASH, and/or resilience activities.

Factor #4: Demonstrated content, writing, presentation and communication skills in written materials and interview. Ability to lead meetings and presentations with senior-level internal and external stakeholders.

Factor #5: Leadership skills that demonstrate a focus on professional growth, inclusiveness, and collaboration across a diverse workforce to promote unity and teamwork.

USAID will not pay for any expenses associated with the interviews. In the event that a candidate has fully demonstrated his/her qualifications and there are no other competitive applicants, USAID reserves the right to forgo the interview process.

Evaluation Scoring:

Factor #1 – 20 points

Factor #2 – 20 points

Factor #3 – 10 points

Factor #4 – 15 points

Factor #5 – 10 points

Interview Performance – 25 points

Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks – Pass/Fail (no points assigned)

Total Possible Points: 100

How to apply

1. Eligible offerors are required to complete and submit the offer form AID 309-2, “Offeror Information for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals,” available at http://www.usaid.gov/forms.
2. Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3, and submitted to the Point of Contact in Section I.
3. Offeror submissions must clearly reference the Solicitation number on all offeror submitted documents.
4. Offerors must submit an up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) or resume (no more than five pages), cover letter explaining your qualification and evaluation criteria for the position**, copies of all relevant certificates** and include three (3) referees, who are not family members or relatives, with working telephone and e-mail contacts.
5. Applicants are required to address each of the listed Evaluation Factors in a separate document describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards they have received that are relevant to each factor. Be sure to include your name and the solicitation number at the top of each additional page. Failure to specifically address the Evaluation Factors may result in your not receiving credit for all of your pertinent experience, education, training and/or awards.
6. Applications must be submitted electronically via email to nairobipscjobs@usaid.gov by the closing date and time.

LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS PRIOR TO AWARD

The CO will provide instructions about how to complete and submit the following forms after an offeror is selected for the contract award:

• Medical History and Examination (DS 6561)
• Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85)
• Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306)

BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES

As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a USPSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances:

BENEFITS:

i) Employer’s FICA Contribution

ii) Contribution toward Health & Life Insurance

iii) Pay Comparability Adjustment

iv) Annual Increase (pending a satisfactory performance evaluation)

v) Eligibility for Worker’s Compensation

vi) Leave and Holidays

This position is a Resident Hire U.S PSC and receives only the limited benefits specified above. Any contract offered under this solicitation will not offer benefits that are available to Offshore Hire U.S PSC. Benefits that the successful candidate will not receive include, but are not limited to:

i) Access to Embassy medical facilities, Cash Checking, AEA Commissary Access, Pouch Mail Service (DPO/APO)

ii) Cost of Travel to and from Post;

iii) Shipment and storage of UAB and HHE;

iv) Shipment of POV (Private Own Vehicle);

v) R&R and Home Leave Travel; and

vi) Housing

ALLOWANCES:

Resident Hire U.S. Personal Services Contractors are subject to U.S. Federal Income Tax, and are not eligible for expatriate fringe benefits including differentials and allowances, travel and transportation expenses, repatriation, rest and recuperation travel, or home leave of any kind. Such contractors may be eligible for certain differentials and allowances when in travel status for temporary duty (TDY.)

TAXES

USPSCs are required to pay Federal income taxes, FICA, Medicare and applicable State Income taxes.

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/ads/policy/300/aidar
2. Contract Cover Page form AID 309-1 available at https://www.usaid.gov/forms. Pricing by line item is to be determined upon contract award as described below:
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.
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/resources_standards-of-conduct.
5. PSC OmbudsmanThe PSC Ombudsman serves as a resource for any Personal Services Contractor who has entered into a contract with the United States Agency for International Development and is available to provide clarity on their specific contract with the agency. Please visit our page for additional information: https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/personal-service-contracts-ombudsmanThe PSC Ombudsman may be contacted via: PSCOmbudsman@usaid.gov.
6. FAR Provisions Incorporated by Reference52.204-27 PROHIBITION ON A BYTEDANCE COVERED APPLICATION – JUN 2023