I. GENERAL INFORMATIONSOLICITATION NO.: 72060521R10001 ISSUANCE DATE: September 13, 2021 CLOSING DATE AND TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: October 13, 2021, at 17:00 (Bangui Time) POINT OF CONTACT: Christiane Lemba at usaidhrkinshasa@usaid.gov POSITION TITLE: USAID Project Management Specialist-BHA (Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance) MARKET VALUE: Equivalent to FSN-11 in accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of USAID/CAR. Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Five (5) years, estimated to start o/a February 2022. The services provided under this contract are expected to be a continuing nature that will be executed by USAID through series of sequential contracts, subject to the satisfactory performance, the continued need, and the availability of funds. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Bangui, Central African Republic (CAR) with possible travel as stated in the Statement of Duties. ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: Cooperating Country Nationals as defined in AIDAR Appendix J: “Cooperating country national (“CCN”) means an individual who is a cooperating country citizen or a non-cooperating country citizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the cooperating country.” SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Security Certification issued by the U.S. Embassy Regional Security Office. STATEMENT OF DUTIES*** General Statement of Purpose of the Contrac*t
The Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) leads all humanitarian assistance for USAID in close coordination with the State Department. The BHA office at the US Embassy in Bangui, Central African Republic (CAR) reports to the BHA Sub-Regional Office in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, which reports to BHA Washington via the BHA Regional Office in Nairobi, Kenya. The BHA CAR office comprises a Senior Humanitarian Advisor (SHA), a Program Officer, a FSN Project Management Specialist, and Administrative Assistant and a driver. The PMS reports to the Program Officer, who in turn reports to the SHA.
The BHA Project Management Specialist will ensure effective management of BHA resources in the Central African Republic. His/her primary responsibility is to effectively plan, assess, implement, monitor and evaluate emergency and development needs and utilization of resources towards a multi-sector, life-saving response, including increased greater food security and nutrition. S/He will be responsible for the proper, transparent application and use of USG emergency and development food and non-food assistance. The incumbent analyzes and reports on the humanitarian situation in the country and on the conditions of vulnerable communities. S/He helps design and monitor strategic approaches to saving lives and reducing suffering and food insecurity through partnerships with UN Agencies and International NGOs. The BHA Project Management Specialist ensures assistance is being targeted and distributed effectively and equitably with attention placed on protection of beneficiaries. S/He serves as an Activity Manager for multiple awards to partner organizations. S/He is further expected to support the full portfolio through technical backstopping in specialized fields such as markets, food security and livelihoods, agriculture, water/sanitation, nutrition, protection, shelter and settlements, health, humanitarian common services or supply chain management. The position requires a great deal of independence during travel and use of personal judgment, and at times will require the incumbent to represent USAID responsibly. S/He will be expected to represent the team’s interests with outside stakeholders, such as government officials and humanitarian working groups. The BHA Specialist is expected to spend approximately 25% of his/her time traveling for site visits.
Statement of Duties to be Performed
Project Management and Oversight – 55%
● Serves as an Activity Manager for multiple awards for Public International Organizations (PIO) and Private Voluntary Organizations (PVO) using primarily Title II and International Disaster account funding. Works closely with the Agreement Officer’s Representative (AOR) in Washington, ensuring that in-country activities are implemented in accordance with USAID regulations and in adherence to the approved award. Prepares follow-on recommendations for modifications, improvements and activity management needs. Prepares requests and generates reports through USAID systems (GLAAS, ABACUS, etc.) in support of program implementation and management.
● Routinely monitors implementing partner’s program performance in the field, ensures coordination across BHA programs, and addresses challenges. This includes ensuring that assistance is reaching the correct beneficiaries, evaluating partner’s management, reviewing program progress, and analyzing commodities issues, such as warehousing and distribution, supply chains and logistics, targeting, and post distribution monitoring. Reports findings of field monitoring visits and analysis to the SHA and the relavent AOR. Advises on implementation issues including immediate reporting of any actual or suspected diversions of USG resources, missed targets, and non-compliance with USAID regulations. Makes recommendations for addressing and solving any problems that are discovered, provides feedback to the implementing partner and concludes with follow-up to ensure improvements.
● Analyzes and provides formal feedback to partner reports, including analysis of trends and recommended follow-up actions – such as Annual Results Reports (ARR), Pipelines and Resource Estimate Proposal (PREP), quarterly required and ad hoc reports. Compiles information and populates Mission Operational Plans and Performance Results Reports.
● Ensures compliance by BHA and its partners with USAID regulations and policies governing the management of Title II food aid commodities, implementation of cash-based transfers, prevention of sexual misconduct and other relevant issues for emergency and development assistance. Documents any issues of possible fraud, waste or mismanagement to appropriate authorities.
Technical Leadership and Strategic Planning - 25%
● Co-Leads the design of new humanitarian programs for food security and non-food assistance, including the drafting of country-specific information for requests for applications.
● Co-Leads the evaluation of on-going or previous BHA programs.
● Serves on technical evaluation committees to review concepts, applications and proposals related to emergency and development assistance.
● Provides technical leadership for the humanitarian team (and where needed to the broader USAID Mission) on at least one specialty area, such as nutrition; water sanitation and hygiene (WASH); health, commodity management, assets and livelihoods, resilience, or vulnerability assessments.
● Advises on strategic planning and budgeting for future use of Title II and other USG humanitarian resources.
● Captures program results and generates systems to communicate program successes, lessons learned, useful examples for improved performance and long-term impact.
Situation Analysis and Coordination - 20%
● Collects information and provides regular situation reports on humanitarian needs.
● Regularly communicates on humanitarian and development issues related to the portfolio with a broad network of contacts (beneficiaries, community leaders, implementing partners, contractors, in-country authorities, associations, humanitarian agencies).
● Represents USAID in policy dialogues, early warning, and assistance coordination platforms at the national and provincial level.
● Due to security concerns, BHA staff cannot always visit many implementation sites. Therefore, the incumbent will be required to provide background knowledge of the geographic areas and population groups in the areas served, as well as analysis of security incidents and other shocks to the BHA team and colleagues to assist in assessing needs and prioritizing resource requests.
● Conducts independent verification of needs and independently review of internal and external analyses in areas such as targeting, modalities of assistance, crop production, nutrition, health, WASH, food security, markets, supply chain, assets and livelihoods, climate adaptation, and recommends actions to the BHA SHA and to BHA/Washington for forward planning and budgeting.
The contractor is eligible for temporary duty (TDY) travel to the U.S., or to other Missions abroad, to participate in the "Foreign Service National" Fellowship Program, in accordance with USAID policy.
Supervisory Relationship
The incumbent will be supervised by the BHA Program Officer.
Supervisory Controls
The incumbent may receive regular guidance from the BHA Senior Humanitarian Advisor for CAR or BHA/Washington on specific job elements. The FSN will be part of the broader BHA team and accordingly will liaise closely with the BHA Officers in regional platforms, as well as the Global BHA and other USAID humanitarian staff as needed.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.
II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION
Determines minimum qualifications required for the position. Offerors who do not meet all of the education, experience and language factors are considered NOT qualified for the position.
a. Education: University (Bachelor’s) degree in a technical field relevant to humanitarian assistance (such as agriculture, environment, health, economics, or international relations).
b. Prior Work Experience: At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in the implementation and monitoring of humanitarian or development programs with U.S. or host government agencies, United Nations, Private Voluntary Organizations or other such organizations where emergency or development capacity is required.
c. Language Proficiency: Level IV English and French proficiency (speaking/reading) is required. Level IV speaking for Sango. Written and oral English must be at the level to prepare reports, briefings, summaries, presentations, etc. at the USAID Mission and Ambassador levels.
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 Quality Ranking Factors listed below will be the basis for evaluating and ranking applicants for the position.
QUALITY RANKING FACTORS (QRF):
JOB KNOWLEDGE - 60 points:
(1) international relief or development programs, especially emergency or development food assistance modalities and implementation;
(2) assessment methodologies, such as for displaced populations, emergency nutrition, livelihoods and coping strategies, crop production;
(3) host government policies for aid administration and current political/security operating environment.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES - 40 points:
The position requires a great deal of independence during travel and use of personal judgment. Additional skills needed include the following:
(1) functional skills in Microsoft Office and the ability to rapidly learn and use new technology; (2) excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively and diplomatically in a team, with a variety of stakeholders, often under tight deadlines and with competing priorities, ability to work effectively with a wide range of interlocutors, such as host government officials, implementing partners, UN officials, U.S. Ambassadors and others;
(3) ability to work independently with minimal supervision on field visits;
(4) strong written and oral communication skills to effectively summarize disparate sources of information into succinct presentations, to recommend courses of possible action, and to record trip observations;
(5) strong judgment and critical thinking skills on assessing situations, judging possible infractions of USG regulations in areas of responsibility, recommending actions, and synthesizing information;
(6) demonstrated analytical skills and understanding of basic statistical and accounting principles; and
(7) ability to make proper judgments that respond to the situation on the ground, including a strong understanding of the political environment domestically and regionally.
Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks-Pass/Fail (no points assigned)
TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 100
EVALUATION PROCESS:
After the closing date for receipt of applications, EXO/HR Unit will review all applications and will short-list the candidates who meet and/or exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. A committee will then convene to review applications that meet and or exceed the minimum requirements and evaluate them in accordance with the evaluation criteria. Applications from candidates who do not meet the minimum requirements will not be evaluated and scored. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. No response will be sent to unsuccessful applicants.
As part of the evaluation process, the most qualified candidates may be requested to complete a written test and be interviewed either in person or by telephone at USAID’s discretion. USAID will not pay for any expenses associated with the interviews.
Professional references checks will be made only for applicants considered for employment. The applicant’s references must be able to provide substantive information about his/her past performance and abilities. Note: Please be advised that references may be obtained independently from other sources in addition to the ones provided by an offeror. Any offeror not receiving satisfactory reference checks will no longer be considered for the position.
The security clearance and medical clearance are required for the top-ranking candidate, after conducting and receiving the positive reference checks at the conclusion of evaluations.
https://reliefweb.int/job/3775478/usaid-project-management-specialist-bha-bureau-humanitarian-assistance-based-bangui
This vacancy is archived.