G
INL Coordinator
Quito, Ecuador
Issuance Date: 01/28/2019
Closing Date: 02/13/2019
SOLICITATION NUMBER: PSC-19-031-INL
SUBJECT
A solicitation for a Personal Services Contractor (PSC), Department of State (DOS), Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
The United States Government (USG), represented by the DOS, seeks applications from US citizens interested in providing PSC services as described in this solicitation.
PRE-AWARD ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF PSC (JUN 2011)
This solicitation may result in the award of one or more personal services contracts as defined in FAR 2.101. Prior to contract award, all offerors or quotes must advise the cognizant Contracting Officer if they have a personal conflict of interest, such as a financial conflict, that would prevent them from either meeting the requirements of the clause entitled, "Post-Award Ethical Responsibilities of Personal Services Contractors," or otherwise objectively performing their contractual duties upon contract award.
HOW TO APPLY
Offerors proposal shall be in accordance with the requirements stated in this solicitation at the place and time specified. A proposal will be determined non-responsive and ineligible for consideration unless all required documents and information are included in the submission. Offerors shall ensure their resume demonstrates their possession of the minimum qualifications outlined in this Solicitation, as well as their ability to fulfill all required duties. The Government is not responsible for any costs incurred by the offeror during the solicitation process.
NOTE REGARDING GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS FOR THIS SOLICITATION
This solicitation in no way obligates the Department of State to award a PSC contract, nor does it commit the Department of State to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of the application.
Proposals must include the following and not exceed twenty (20) pages (additional pages will not be accepted or reviewed):
1) Form SF 171 (Completed and signed)
2) Resume
3) Three (3) names and contact information (phone and email) of current and/or previous supervisors to serve as professional references.
Note: Your resume should contain explicit information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the experience requirements as stated in this solicitation. This information should be clearly identified in your resume. Failure to provide explicit information to determine your qualifications for the position will result in loss of full consideration. Additional documents submitted beyond the requirements will not be accepted or reviewed.
*** ONE PDF ATTACHMENT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
VETERAN'S PREFERENCE
Veteran's preference is not applicable to this position therefore do not submit DD-214.
ALL QUALIFIED APPLICANTS WILL BE CONSIDERED REGARDLESS OF AGE, RACE, COLOR, SEX, CREED, NATIONAL ORIGIN, LAWFUL POLITICAL AFFILIATION, NONDISQUALIFYING DISABILITY, MARITAL STATUS, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AFFILIATION WITH AN EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION, OR OTHER NON-MERIT FACTOR.
Submit proposal via e-mail to the attention of:
INL/Dominique Chittum
E-mail: [email protected]
Direct questions regarding this solicitation to:
INL/Dominique Chittum
E-mail: [email protected]
INL will not accept proposals beyond the closing time/date; unless it can be determined DOS mishandled the proposal.
1. SOLICITATION NUMBER: PSC-19-031-INL
2. ISSUANCE DATE: 01/28/2019
3. CLOSING DATE: 02/13/2019
4. TIME SPECIFIED FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS: 3:00 PM, EST
5. POSITION TITLE: INL Coordinator
6. MARKET VALUE: $85,181 - $125,091 (FS-02 Equivalent)
7. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: One year from date of award, with four optional years
8. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Quito, Ecuador
9. JOB DESCRIPTION: See below
GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT
The U.S. Department of State's (DOS) Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), has program authority derived from the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA). Under the FAA, INL is responsible for providing assistance to host governments to develop and implement effective counter narcotics, anticrime, and border control programs.
The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is part of the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights (J) within the Department of State. INL's mission is to minimize the impact of international crime and illegal drugs on the United States and its citizens by providing effective foreign assistance and fostering global cooperation.
INL Quito is charged with developing strategies and programs to achieve international narcotics control, law enforcement, and justice foreign policy objectives. The INL Section in Ecuador re-opened in July 2018 to better position INL to respond to national security threats presented by transnational criminal activities, including narcotrafficking.
The purpose of this INL Coordinator Personal Services Contractor (PSC) is to work with Ecuadorian and U.S. interagency partners to develop sustainable foreign assistance programs to combat rising crime and insecurity created by transnational criminal organizations carrying out drug trafficking and other illicit activities in Ecuadorian territory. The PSC will provide specialized expertise to advise and assist in the planning, development, coordination, and implementation of government initiatives to counter transnational organized crime (CTOC), including narcotics trafficking. The INL Coordinator reviews, develops, implements, and/or contributes to a wide variety of plans, policies, and procedures for advancing USG and Government of Ecuador (GOE) CTOC priorities. This PSC will assist INL in ensuring its CTOC programs have a sustainable impact. This will include a priority focus on Ecuador's northern border with Colombia to assist the GOE to reverse worsening TOC-related crime and violence trends in that area and strengthen Ecuador's capacity to detect, seize, prosecute, and convict criminal and drug-trafficking organizations.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Under the guidance of the INL Director, the INL/WHP South America Team Leader, and the INL/WHP Ecuador Program Officer, the incumbent will serve as the INL Coordinator and advise on implementation of the various INL program activities, including CTOC, counternarcotics, citizen security, anticorruption, criminal intelligence capacity building, and rule of law. The incumbent will coordinate these activities with U.S. government agencies operating in Ecuador and the region, as well as with appropriate partner nation stakeholders, including third nations such as Colombia.
2. Design and lead implementation, oversight, monitoring, evaluation, and closeout of INL counternarcotics, security initiatives, and rule of law program activities to include strong bilateral and/or regional agreements and policies, capacity enhancement, and regional host nation and USG coordination.
3. Support a wide range of INL program activities, including capacity enhancement, vetting, and logistics support for program activities, including acquisitions and budgeting.
4. Work closely with U.S. and foreign counterparts - within and outside INL - on anti-crime, law enforcement professionalization, border security, and rule of law programs.
5. Assess partner government's current capability to respond to security, law enforcement, and rule of law challenges and make recommendations on effective strategies.
6. Provide full-scale support, including regular program reporting, a monthly cable and weekly program implementation report; budgetary advice; drafting briefing and other informational documents; assisting high-level coordination and planning meetings; and providing counsel on INL issues.
7. Liaise with host nation officials and other partners on action plans to address capacity deficits that prevent them from effectively addressing key threats in Ecuador.
8. Ensure that plans cover all aspects of citizen security: crime prevention, enforcement operations, prosecution of cases, judicial effectiveness and transparency, and effective messaging to the public.
9. Assist in liaising with international donors in the region to coordinate security support.
10. Review and make recommendations on INL program agreements, Ecuadorian citizen security and rule of law policies, and Ecuadorian laws or legislative proposals.
11. Provide advisory and capacity enhancement assistance to the host country to establish strong and professional security institutions that will coordinate in the fight to disrupt and dismantle transnational organized crime, and establish strong border enforcement practices that follow established policies, procedures, and systems required to operate in a challenging environment.
12. Provide policy analysis and program guidance on issues such as program milestones, strategies, and development of host country capacities and limitations of institutions.
13. Assist in managing and implementing all necessary logistics to facilitate projects in support of INL programs, including coordination with INL advisors and USG agencies.
14. Conduct periodic site visits to assure effective implementation of strategies, agreements, and to move forward initiatives in a timely manner.
15. Maintain robust and frequent communication with INL/WHP on program activities, developments, and challenges.
16. Coordinate with INL/WHP and INL Bogota on assistance programs with a cross-border nexus.
17. Oversee the performance of third party contractors and Locally-Employed Staff (LES) employees of the INL Section in Quito.
TRAININGS & DISTANCE LEARNING COURSES
The INL Coordinator must complete the following courses unless able to provide documentation of prior completion:
1. Completes the INL Program and Project Management (PP420) distance-learning (DL) course through the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) within 60 days of arriving at Post.
2. Completes the Managing Foreign Assistance Awards Overseas (PP223) distance-learning (DL) course through the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) within 60 days of arriving at Post.
3. Completes the Monitoring Grants and Cooperative Agreements (PA222) distance-learning (DL) course through the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) within 90 days of arriving at Post in order to serve as an Agreement Officer Representative.
4. Completes the Contracting Officer Representative (PA296) course at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) within 120 days of arriving at Post.
5. Completes the Introduction to Working in an Embassy (PN113) distance-learning (DL) course through the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) within the first six (6) months of arriving at Post.
6. Completes the INL Financial Management (PP421) distance-learning (DL) course through the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) within the first twelve (12) months of arriving at Post.
7. Completes the Foreign Assistance Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (PP425) distance-learning (DL) course through the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) within the first twelve (12) months of arriving at Post.
8. Completes the mandatory Foreign Affairs Counter-Threat (FACT) Course (CT650) prior to deployment to Post.
9. Consultations with the INL Program Office may be required.
10. INL PREP (pre-deployment training) may be required depending on past experience.
RELATIONSHIPS
The INL Coordinator will report to the INL Director, and liaise and coordinate with INL/WHP staff in Washington, DC. The INL Coordinator will provide general administrative and policy direction concerning overall INL program priorities and objectives, as well as work with INL/WHP to develop and manage programs and related issues. The INL Coordinator will liaise with other U.S. agencies and foreign governments active in the fields of policing, law enforcement, criminal justice, security assistance and cooperation, and with host government contacts. The INL Coordinator will monitor INL counternarcotics and CTOC projects in Ecuador, analyzing their effectiveness and suggesting improvements.
The INL Director will provide yearly performance evaluations for the INL Coordinator's official yearly review.
The Political Counselor will oversee the INL Coordinator in the extended absence of the INL Director or a temporary duty replacement.
COMPLEXITY
This position involves planning, organizing, and completing financial and organizational analysis of high complexity. Due to the high visibility and political sensitivity of the issues in which INL is involved, there is difficulty in identifying the nature of the issues and planning, organizing, and determining the scope and depth of studies/audits to be undertaken. The PSC is expected to address difficult scenarios by separating the substantive nature of the programs or issues into their components and determining the nature and magnitude of programs or issues.
SCOPE AND EFFECTIVENESS
The PSC performs broad and extensive assignments related to a complex administrative/financial program spanning the full-range of CTOC, citizen security, law enforcement, rule of law/criminal justice, and counternarcotics programs in Ecuador, which is of significant interest to the public and to Congress.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
1. U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain Department of State Secret level Security, Medical, and Ethics clearances (if applicable).
2. Bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. institution, AND
• Ten (10) years of professional experience related to project management, international development, international affairs, political science, and/or public administration.
• Demonstrated five (5) years of related experience managing bilateral or multilateral assistance programs in the fields of citizen security, policing, law enforcement, rule of law/criminal justice, foreign assistance management, counternarcotics, and/or counter-transnational crime.
3. Demonstrated experience in:
• Planning, developing, and managing foreign assistance programs, including assessment, monitoring and evaluation;
• Drafting related reports/documents, annual budgets, and strategic plan submissions;
• Planning, strategizing, implementing and reporting on projects;
• Drafting analytical briefing papers, memoranda, letters, and reports for review and/or signature by senior-level officials; and
• Coordinating and working closely with the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, the United Nations, or international community on security sector or criminal justice development programs.
4. Demonstrated ability to work effectively with host-nation counterparts, departments, and ministries to further program objectives, in a timely and concise manner.
5. Demonstrated ability to work independently on projects and issues within overall policy guidelines.
6. Demonstrated excellent oral and written English (4/4) and Spanish (3/3) communication skills.
TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS
Frequent travel to rural areas, small towns, and large cities throughout Ecuador, including the U.S. Consulate in Guayaquil, is a requirement of this position. The Coordinator also will have to travel outside of Ecuador to countries throughout Latin America, particularly Colombia, as well as the United States. Some of these areas are conflict zones where criminal organizations operate, and crime is generally high. In addition, others are tropical, with high temperatures, high humidity, tropical insects and diseases, and minimal infrastructure.
EVALUATION FACTORS:
Factor 1: Work Experience (25 points)
Demonstrated relevant foreign affairs experience in the fields of counternarcotics, citizen security, policing, law enforcement, and/or counter-transnational crime. PREFFERED QUALIFICATION: Demonstrated experience working directly for the Department of State and/or the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
Factor 2: Program Experience (30 points)
Demonstrated ability to design, implement, oversee, evaluate, and report on foreign assistance programs and projects, linking them to strategic U.S. national security interests. Demonstrated professional experience related to project management, international development, international affairs, political science, and/or public administration. Experience in initiating, performing oversight, and evaluating foreign and/or security assistance programs; and preparing budgets, spend plans, statements of work (SOW), procurement orders, and purchase requests. PREFERRED QUALIFICATION: Active Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and/or Grants Officer Representative (GOR) certification(s).
Factor 3: Management & Communication Experience (20 points)
Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, in both English and Spanish, in a timely and concise manner; interact effectively with others at all levels to prepare, analyze, explain and defend determinations and requirements with respect to conformance to applicable laws, policies and other regulatory guidelines; and advise program officials.
Factor 4: Past Performance (25 points)
Past performance evaluation of applicant's ability to perform under the contract. In conducting the evaluation, the U.S. government reserves the right to utilize all evaluation information available at the time of evaluation, whether provided by the applicant or obtained from other sources.
The most qualified candidates may be interviewed, required to provide a writing sample, and demonstrate an ability to operate commonly used office applications. INL will not pay for any expenses associated with the interviews. In addition, applications (written materials and interviews) will be evaluated based on content as well as on the applicant's writing, presentation, and communication skills. In the event that an applicant has fully demonstrated his/her qualifications and there are no other competitive applicants, INL reserves the right to forego the interview process. Professional references will be evaluated for applicants being considered for selection.
COMPENSATION (BASE PAY)
For award, INL will negotiate for this contract based on the market value as outlined above and overall experience relevant to the solicitation requirements.
BENEFITS & ALLOWANCES
AS A MATTER OF POLICY, INL NORMALLY AUTHORIZES THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES
BENEFITS - IF APPLICABLE
• Employee's FICA/Medicare Contribution
• Contribution toward Health and Life Insurance
• Pay Comparability Adjustment
• Annual Increase
• Eligibility for Worker's Compensation
• Annual, Sick and Home Leave
• 401K Plan
• MEDVAC (provided by DOS Med)
ALLOWANCES IN ACCORDANCE WITH DEPARTMENT OF STATE STANDARDIZED REGULATIONS (DSSR) - IF APPLICABLE
• Temporary Quarters Subsistence Allowance (TQSA) or Per Diem upon arrival at Post
• Housing Allowance
• Post Allowance
• Supplemental Post Allowance
• Maintenance Allowance (SMA)
• Education Allowance
• Educational Travel (full-time United States based secondary)
• Post Hardship Differential
• Danger Pay
• Shipment of HHE, UAB, POV and Consumables