Date: 04/18/2010 Subject: Solicitation #388-S-00-10-00095-00 for US/TCN Personal Services Contractor – Senior Program Coordination Advisor Type: Personnel Agency Notice Message: USAID/General Notice PERSONNEL USAID/Bangladesh 04/18/2010 Subject: USAID/Bangladesh - Solicitation for US/TCN Personal Services Contractor - Senior Program Coordination Advisor ISSUANCE DATE: April 18, 2010 CLOSING DATE: May 06, 2010 Ladies/Gentlemen: The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking applications from qualified individuals interested in providing US/TCN services as described in the attached solicitation. Submissions shall be in accordance with the attached information at the place and time specified and must include signed SF-171 or OF-612 which is available at the USAID Web site http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/forms.asp, or at Federal Offices. A written statement that responds to the requirements of the position (Education/ Experience required for the position) and applicant's Curriculum vitae (CV) should also be included as an attachment. Incomplete, unsigned applications and late submissions will not be considered. Applications must be submitted electronically to [email protected] (attention to Penelope A. Thomas-Attar, EXO/Contracting Officer, Executive Office, USAID, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Any questions on this solicitation may be directed to: Penelope A. Thomas-Attar, EXO/Contracting Officer, USAID/Bangladesh, (880-2) 885-5500, or Shefali Saha, Human Resources Specialist, USAID/Bangladesh, (880-2) 885-5500, or Abdus Sobhan Khan, Human Resources Assistant, USAID/Bangladesh, (880-2) 885-5500. Any questions concerning this notice may be directed to -- Leslie Vaughn, AA/ASIA, (202) 712-4030. SOLICITATION NO: 388-S-00-10-00095-00 ISSUANCE DATE: April 18, 2010 OPEN TO: U.S. CITIZENS, GREEN CARD HOLDERS AND THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS (TCNS) SUBJECT: USAID/ BANGLADESH--SOLICITATION FOR US/TCN PERSONAL SERVICES CONTRACTOR – SENIOR PROGRAM COORDINATION ADVISOR Ladies/Gentlemen: The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking applications from qualified individuals interested in providing personal services as described in the attached solicitation. Submissions shall be in accordance with the attached information at the place and time specified and must include signed SF-171 or OF-612 which is available at the USAID website http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/forms.asp, or at Federal Offices. A written statement that responds to the requirements of the position (Education/ Experience required for the position) and applicant’s CVs should also be included as an attachment. Incomplete, unsigned applications, and late submissions will not be considered. Any questions regarding this solicitation may be directed to Penelope A. Thomas-Attar, EXO/ Contracting Officer, USAID/Bangladesh, Tel: (880-2) 885-5500. The selected applicant must be able to obtain security and medical clearances. The US Citizens should obtain USG Secret Level of clearance and Third Country Nationals should be able to obtain employment authorization. For medical clearances, the US Citizens should obtain Department of State Medical Services Clearance; Third Country National should obtain a Post Medical Clearance issued by the U.S. Embassy Bangladesh Health Unit. Applicants should retain for their records copies of all enclosures which accompany their applications. 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, Penelope A. Thomas-Attar EXO/Contracting Officer USAID/Bangladesh Tel: (880-2) 885-5500 ATTACHMENT TO SOLICITATION NUMBR: 388-S-00-10-00095-00 ISSUANCE DATE: April 18, 2010 POSITION TITLE: Senior Program Coordination Advisor MARKET VALUE: $84,697 – $110,104 (GS-14). Compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value based upon the candidate’s past salary, work history and educational background. ORGANIZATIONAL LOCATION: USAID, Dhaka, Bangladesh DIRECT SUPERVISOR: Senior Governance Advisor, Democracy and Governance Office SUPERVISORY CONTROL: Minimal. Incumbent is expected to act independently with little direction. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: The initial contract is two years with an option for possible extension upon mutual agreement and subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds. SECURITY CLEARANCE: US Citizen: Secret Level Clearance TCN: Employment Authorization STATEMENT OF WORK: A. BACKGROUND: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been a key partner with the Government of Bangladesh over the past 30 years in all major development sectors. Currently, USAID/Bangladesh’s development portfolio includes programs in Health, Education, Democracy and Governance, Food Security and Food Aid, Private Enterprise, Environment, Infrastructure, and Disaster Mitigation, Response and Reconstruction. The USAID/Bangladesh Office of Democracy and Governance (DG) manage an expanding portfolio of democratic governance programs that: • Strengthen the Parliament as an open, effective and accountable body of governance; • Facilitate the development of internally democratic and responsive political parties, as well as improve the electoral process; • Help develop strong elected local governments with sufficient resources and authority to provide basic services and engage local communities in public policy; • Promote accountability and transparency in the public sector; • Improve safeguards for the protection of human rights, especially in the areas of trafficking in persons and violence against women; • Engage leaders of influence in promoting democratic values and local development. The Senior Program Coordination Advisor will provide expert advice to DG project teams on monitoring, evaluation, reporting and coordination of democracy and governance activities. S/he will lead monitoring and coordination of political governance activities currently managed by DG, which include programs in legislative strengthening, political party reform, electoral assistance and public participation. The initial performance period will be two years. Based on the programmatic results achieved and possible required programmatic follow-up, an extension of this Contract will be considered based on availability of funds and satisfactory performance. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. B. BASIC FUNCTION OF POSITION: This position is located in the DG Office of the USAID Mission in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The position is supervised by the Senior Governance Advisor and reports directly to this person. The Senior Program Coordination Advisor plays a key role in DG efforts to harmonize and align aid delivery in promoting democratic development and good governance. S/he provides expert advice and analysis on all matters pertaining to activity coordination to achieve synergetic results, streamlining of project implementation, communication and information sharing across projects, progress monitoring and impact evaluation, tracking of crosscutting development themes, and result-based reporting. The Senior Program Coordination Advisor’s primary responsibility is to ensure effective coordination and monitoring of USAID’s projects under the Strengthening Political Governance Activity (SPG). S/he also works closely with the SPG team to ensure effective coordination with other donor projects, especially those funded under the Strengthening Political Participation (SPP) program of the British Department for International Development (DFID). The Senior Program Coordination Advisor is responsible for developing synergetic linkages in the area of political governance programming and implementation. This consists primarily of a cluster of programs – some of which are implemented in partnership with DFID – that are designed as an integrated strategy to support the Parliament, political parties, the election commission and civil society. The goal of the strategy is to strengthen key democratic institutions and practices, promote a governance regime that is responsive to the development needs and aspirations of the Bangladeshi public, and increase citizen participation in public policy. The Senior Program Coordination Advisor ensures that parts of that strategy are optimized to work together to achieve the goal stated above. S/he maps out related USAID and DFID activities, surveys implementation timelines and intervention areas, and liaises with program managers and project implementers to ensure ongoing coordination and information sharing. The Senior Program Coordination Advisor coordinates monitoring, reporting, and evaluation activities of USAID political governance programs. S/he will ensure that appropriate mechanisms are in place to measure program effectiveness and develop and/or employ efficient methods for empirical data-gathering, analysis, and reporting. S/he ensures that project/activity information systems accurately monitor, evaluate, and report on the progress and impact of development programs. S/he assists in setting appropriate performance targets in accordance with stated project objectives and strategy goals, develops impact indicators, and work collaboratively with project officers and implementing partners to track progress. S/he studies implementing partner periodic reports, performs analytical tasks and drafts progress reports. The Senior Program Coordination Advisor may serve as an alternate Agreement Officer's Technical Representative (AOTR) for one or more political governance projects. S/he could also potentially serve as AOTR and will receive appropriate training for that purpose. C. MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Program Coordination: 1. Document the Senior Program Coordination Advisor position responsibilities in a position binder to contain the following: an inventory of tasks, an annual calendar for accomplishing these tasks, written procedures and relevant references and resources to be used, performance standards, and any other relevant supporting information related to the position. 2. Provide expert advice and analytical support on the state of political governance in Bangladesh, the scope and potential impact of development assistance in this area, best practices in coordinated efforts and appropriate applications in the context of Bangladesh, and coordination priorities to best tackle interconnected challenges. 3. Devise ways to systematically collect and synthesize related activity details across projects, implementing organizations and donors. 4. Advise on the development and/or modifications of annual work plans for each project which includes significant political governance activities. The purpose is to help plan activity implementation within and across separate projects to eliminate duplication of efforts and maximize development impact. 5. Facilitate regular coordination meetings and exchanges of information between development partners. 6. Extend outreach efforts to mine further coordination opportunities with programs and events in development sectors other than political governance, especially in local governance, basic service delivery, and anti-corruption. Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting: 1. Develop information and communications tools to assist with the management of performance data. 2. Work with DG technical staff and USAID Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor to facilitate the application of USAID’s M&E systems and procedures to programming and reporting in the area of political governance. 3. Work with implementing partners to develop awareness of reporting guidelines and advise USAID technical staff on related improvements. 4. Contribute to the drafting of periodic performance reports, in conformance with USAID guidelines, and assist in compilation and submission of performance data and analysis narratives. 5. Contribute to the DG Office Performance Monitoring Plans (PMP) and Data Quality Assessments (DQAs). The Senior Program Coordination Advisor will participate in office-wide efforts to ensure that PMPs are reviewed and updated at regular intervals as part of the Mission’s annual performance monitoring and evaluation cycle. S/he will ensure that project PMPs capture impact data, as well as all required input/output data for annual agency reporting requirements. 6. Serves as technical expert on evaluation activities pertaining to political governance and assists the DG Office with planning and execution of external project evaluations. Program Management: The Senior Program Coordination Advisor will be expected to serve as an alternate AOTR and may progressively assume more program management responsibilities depending on work load and evolving program needs. Development Outreach: The Senior Program Coordination Advisor will assist in developing outreach materials that properly inform counterparts and the general public on collaborative efforts promoting democratic governance and participation. D. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: EDUCATION: The applicant must have a Masters Degree in international development or a related field is required. EXPERIENCE: This is a senior level position that requires a minimum of seven years of relevant experience with a proven track record of programmatic accomplishment and professional achievement. The candidate must have a minimum of 5 years of demonstrated practical experience in the following areas: • Management and/or coordination of complex development programs; • Design, management and evaluation of multi-component programs in one of the areas of political party development, legislative strengthening, electoral assistance, or civil society programming; • M&E systems development and maintenance, to span the development of program impact indicators, data collection and analysis, and performance reporting; and • Successful leadership experience in a team environment. LANGUAGE: Excellent English writing and speaking ability is required. The candidate should have a demonstrated capacity to communicate complex policy, strategy, and program issues orally and in writing in a clear, concise, and well-organized manner. Fluency in Bangla is a plus. KNOWLEDGE: The candidate should be familiar with democracy and governance programming and able to think strategically. S/he must have in-depth technical knowledge in at least one democracy and governance area. S/he must also have excellent knowledge of results-oriented development including strategic planning and coordination, integrated approaches, participatory implementation, and monitoring and evaluation systems. SKILLS AND ABILITIES: S/he should have strong project management skills as evidenced by previous experience in project implementation. Exceptional interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work in a collegial and persuasive fashion in a team environment are required. Must be fluent in English and demonstrate the ability to communicate, both orally and in writing, complex technical subjects in simple language. In addition, the incumbent must be able to interact effectively with a broad range of internal and external partners and USAID clients, international organizations, and host country government officials or NGO counterparts. E. SELECTION/EVALUATION CRITERIA: Applicants will be evaluated against the following criteria: • Technical Knowledge: 35 points • Program Management and Implementation: 30 points • Skills and Abilities: 25 points • Educational Qualification: 10 points Total: 100 points Applicants seeking the required qualifications for the position will be evaluated based on information presented in the application and reference checks. USAID reserves the right to conduct interviews with the most highly ranked applicants. F. REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES: The incumbent will be supervised by the Senior Governance Advisor, Office of Democracy and Governance (DG). G. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: The Personal Services Contract (PSC) will be for two years, with possible extension(s). Extension(s) will be contingent on satisfactory performance, continued need for services, and subject to the availability of funds. H. POSITION ELEMENTS: Available Guidelines: Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM), Foreign Affairs Handbook (FAH), Automated Directives System (ADS), Mission Orders and Mission Notices. Exercise of Judgment: Activities assigned to incumbent include a variety of duties and processes requiring extensive exercise of judgment and decision-making. Authority to Make Commitments: None. Nature, Level, and Purpose of Contacts: Personal contacts are with the host country Government officials, U.S. Embassy personnel, partners, implementers, International Organizations, NGOs and donor counterparts. Time Required to Perform Full Range of Duties: The first six months of employment will be considered a probationary period. The incumbent is expected to perform the full range of duties within this period. I. TERM OF PERFORMANCE, COMPENSATION AND LIVING CONDITIONS: The term of the contract will be for two years on/about December 2010 to December 2012 with an option for extension subject to the availability of funds and the continued need for the position. Within 2 weeks after written notice from the EXO/Contracting Officer that all clearances have been received or, unless another date is specified by the EXO/Contracting Officer in writing, the incumbent shall proceed to Dhaka to perform the above services which may be extended upon mutual agreement and subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds. This position bas been classified at a U.S. Government GS 14 level. The actual salary of the successful candidate will be negotiated depending on qualifications and previous salary history. If the successful candidate meets all the requirements of the position, the offered salary will be within the GS-14 band. It is unlikely that an individual will be selected who does not already have the prior training and experience to fully perform the GS-14 equivalent, or who in some other way does not fully meet all requirements for the position. However, should such an individual be offered a position, the offered salary may be below the GS-14 pay band. In addition, the Mission has a 30% Post Differential allowance, 5% Sunday Pay Differential and FICA and federal income tax will be withheld by USAID. Bangladesh is a family post with good education facilities. Medical and Security Clearances: The selected candidate must be able to obtain a USG secret level security clearance; and a Department of State medical clearance. The Third Country National must be able to obtain Employment Authorization clearance and medical clearance. Benefits and Allowances: As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, an individual meeting the requirements of an offshore hire US/TCN PSC is normally authorized the following benefits. 1. Benefits: (1) Employee's FICA Contribution (2) Contribution toward Health Insurance: 72% of Health Insurance Annual Premium (not to exceed $7,266 for a contractor or $20,339 for a contractor with family). The contractor shall be provided a contribution of up to 50% against the actual costs of annual life insurance not to exceed $500.00 per year. 100% Medical Evaluation (medevac) annual premium for contractor with family, if not covered by Health Insurance. (3) Pay Comparability Adjustment (4) Eligibility for Worker's Compensation (5) Vacation & Sick Leave 2. Allowances* (If Applicable): As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, an offshore hire US/TCN PSC is normally authorized the following allowances: (1) Post Differential (Section 500) (2) Living Quarters Allowance (Section 130) (3) Temporary Lodging Allowance (Section 120) (4) Post Allowance (COLA) (Section 220) (5) Supplemental Post Allowance (Section 230) (6) Payments During Evacuation (Section 600) (7) Education Allowance (Section 270) (8) Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section 260) (9) Educational Travel (Section 280) * Dept. of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR) (Government Civilians Foreign Areas). 3. Other Benefits: Additional benefits are available for individuals hired from outside Bangladesh in accordance with the AIDAR, Federal Travel Regulations and Standardized Regulations, e.g., international airfare from place of residence, R&R, international shipment of personal effects, unaccompanied baggage allowance, POV Shipment, Repatriation Travel, furnished housing and educational allowances for dependent children. FEDERAL TAXES: USPSCs are not exempted from payment of Federal Income taxes under the foreign earned income exclusion. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSCs: For initial consideration: 1. OF-612 or SF-171 Upon advice by the EXO/Contracting Officer that the applicant is the successful candidate: 2. Contractor Employee Biographical Data Sheet (AID 1420-17) 3. Contractor Physical Examination (AID Form 1420-62). 4. Questionnaire for Sensitive Positions (for National Security) (SF-86) 5. Finger Print Card (FD-258). **(Available from the law enforcement offices or in USAID/Washington). The list of required PSC forms above can be found at: http://www.usaid.gov/forms/ APPLICATION PROCESS: Qualified individuals are requested to submit a U.S government OF-612 which is available at the USAID website http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/forms.asp , or at Federal Offices. Alternatively, the old SF-171 may be submitted in lieu of the OF-612. All application forms must be signed and dated prior to transmittal. Applicant’s detailed CV and a cover letter of application should also be included. All applications must be submitted electronically to: Attention: Penelope A. Thomas-Attar, EXO/Contracting Officer and be emailed to [email protected] To ensure consideration of applications for the intended position, please reference the solicitation number on your application and as the subject line of cover letter. The highest ranking applications may be selected for interview. Applications must be received before the closing date. ACQUISITION AND ASSISTANCE POLICY DIRECTIVES (AAPDs) PERTAINING TO PERSONAL SERVICE CONTRACT (PSC): AAPDs contain information or changes pertaining to USAID policy, regulation and procedures concerning acquisition and assistance. A number of AAPDs pertaining to Personal Service Contracts. Please refer to the USAID website http://www.usaid.gov/procurement_bus_opp/procurement/psc_solicit/ to locate relevant AAPDs. Additionally, AIDAR Appendix D applies to PSCs and can be found at: http://www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/aidar.pdf Points of Contact 1. Penelope A. Thomas-Attar, EXO/Contracting Officer, USAID/Dhaka 2. Shefali Saha, Human Resources Specialist, USAID/Dhaka 3. Abdus Sobhan Khan, Human Resources Assistant, USAID/Dhaka

Bid Protests Not Available