SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Program Management and Policy Advisor, GS 15( Short term)
- Notice Date
- 9/24/2005
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Agency for International Development, Overseas Missions, Georgia USAID-Tibilisi, Dept. of State, Washington, DC, 20521-3180
- ZIP Code
- 20521-3180
- Solicitation Number
- 114-05-10
- Response Due
- 10/7/2005
- Archive Date
- 10/22/2005
- Description
- The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking proposals (Optional Form 612 or Standard Form 171) from U.S. Citizens interested in providing the PSC services described in the attached. Submission shall be in accordance with the attached information at the place and time specified. Any questions may be directed to Fernando Cossich, Supervisory Executive Officer, USAID/Caucasus, who may be reached at FAX No. 995-32 00.10.13, or E-mail: fcossich@usaid.gov. Applicants should retain for their records copies of all enclosures, which accompany their proposals. 1. SOLICITATION NUMBER:114-05-010 2. ISSUANCE DATE: 09-23-2005 3. CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS: 10-05-2005 4. POSITION TITLE: Program Management and Policy Advisor 5. MARKET VALUE: $89,625- $116,517 (The actual salary of the successful candidate will be negotiated depending on qualification and previous earning history.) 6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: 120 days 7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Tbilisi, Georgia 8. AREAS OF CONSIDERATION: Applicant must be U.S. Citizen 9. DIRECT SUPERVISOR: Deputy Mission Director USAID/Caucasus is responsible for coordinating development assistance programs throughout Georgia and Azerbaijan, which are financed by Freedom Support Act (FSA) funds. The Mission has been operating since 1992 and functions in a highly politicized work environment. Similar to other USAID Missions in the former Soviet Union, the Mission?s programs are part of the larger FSA assistance program under the general coordination of the State Department Office of Assistance Coordination (EUR/ACE). In addition to USAID, assistance programs are implemented by the Department of Justice, Department of the Treasury, Department of Agriculture, Peace Corps, and others. USAID/Caucasus staff are responsible for the design, implementation and monitoring of all USAID activities in Georgia and Azerbaijan, with a combined total estimated annual OYB of about $80 million. Direction for all programs is provided by USAID/Caucasus and support across all areas (program, technical, legal, administrative and financial) is provided to Baku from Tbilisi to supplement its staff. In both Georgia and Azerbaijan, recent events have signaled a shift in assistance to work more closely with the government (Azerbaijan?s program operates under a Presidential Waiver of Section 907). The total USG development assistance program to Georgia is about $86 million annually, of which USAID/Caucasus-Georgia directly manages approximately $55.5 million. The USAID/Caucasus-Georgia Strategic Plan is organized around a Results Framework containing four Strategic Objectives (SOs), which directly link with the Europe and Eurasia Bureau goals for economic growth, energy, democratic reform, and community mobilization, health and education (social development). A cross-cutting Program Support Objective manages the participant training program, a small grants program administered by the Eurasia Foundation, and program support costs (support personnel, office space, evaluations, assessments, TDY support, etc). Basic Function of the Position The incumbent will serve as Program Management and Policy Advisor and Acting Program Officer. As Acting Program Officer, the Advisor will: provide program management and policy inputs for the design, implementation, and monitoring of activity portfolios associated with the four Mission SOs; and, cover gaps in Mission executive leadership and management capacity due to home leaves, scheduled transfers of senior staff, etc. The Advisor will provide management, policy, and leadership support to Mission-wide activities, advise on program management, engage in liaison functions, and participate in project development, implementation, monitoring, and reporting. The Advisor will utilize skill and judgment in interactions with the highest levels of U.S. Embassy management, and with senior Government of Georgia (GoG) counterparts, including the Ministerial and Vice-Minister levels. As Acting Program Officer, the incumbent requires mastery of program and project design and implementation skills. Thus, to apply new theories and developments to extremely difficult problems is required. The assignment will be performed on a TDY, requiring a level of skill which may exceed that of a Program Officer who is constantly ?on the ground? and can continue efforts to apply concepts and theories and programs to resolve Georgia?s complex development challenges, particularly its unyielding problems in unemployment as well as in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Major Duties and Responsibilities: Serves as an expert advisor and technical authority on complex and, often, precedent-setting policy and program issues, developing policies, strategies, and plans for development assistance programs/projects for Mission-wide application. Provides specialized expertise to Offices and SO Teams in designing and monitoring policies, strategies, and programs in all functional areas. Provides strategic leadership in developing, drafting, and implementing the Performance Monitoring Plan, the annual SEED Report, and the Annual Report (formerly the R4). Advises Mission staff, host-country personnel, and PVO/NGO personnel on new developments, and the most effective approaches to problems of development assistance in the country, and articulates the benefits of interventions to effectively reach specific target audiences, from high-level government and opinion leaders, to technical audiences and community groups. Provides technical advice, guidance, and support to the Mission, PVOs/NGOs, and the host country on technical issues regarding the design, implementation, management, and evaluation of programs/projects. Provides written and oral reports to senior Mission management on a variety of subjects, as appropriate and when requested. Provides technical and managerial guidance for worldwide research on Mission-specific issues. Coordinates incorporation of research findings into implementable interventions within the Mission portfolio. Serves as an advisor and technical authority on policy, program, and implementation planning issues in development assistance. Provides expert advice and state-of-the-art professional assistance and support to the Mission, PVOs/NGOs, and the host country on incorporating research into programs and strategies. Provides technical liaison with other USG Agencies, other donor organizations, multilateral banks, PVOs/NGOs, and other organizations to coordinate their efforts with USAID programs, policies, and approaches in Georgia. Participates in the development of strategies, plans, program guidance, and dissemination of research results for Mission-wide (and regional, where applicable) application, and for incorporation into programs/projects. Provides assistance, as directed, to SO Teams and their partners in the organization and management of performance reviews and assessments. Based on findings and recommendations from reviews and assessments, assists SO Teams in developing and/or modifying annual procurement plans, and in adjusting the design of new/ongoing activities, as appropriate. Over the course of the assignment, the Advisor will organize and conduct at least two internal performance reviews of the activity portfolios for different Mission SOs. Assists the Program Office in conducting revalidations of the Mission Strategic Plan, in light of new developments and unexpected opportunities. Assists SO Teams in the design/oversight of sectoral and multi-sectoral assessments, and special topic analyses ? such as health, private enterprise, competitiveness, rule-of-law, anti-corruption/trafficking, or democratization and local government. Maintains knowledge of current literature and research, in order to advise USAID/Georgia to facilitate and coordinate activities in the development assistance area. Attends conferences and meetings, as required, for the purposes of professional interchange, and establishes and maintains effective working relationships with colleagues and institutions in related fields. Prepares, or oversees the preparation of, project papers, project agreements, project authorizations, Congressional notifications, and implementation letters. Participates, as requested, in the review of contractor selection and approval, including preparing related documents such as invitations for bid, and plans and specifications for professional services. Coordinates, as required, the evaluation of projects during or following project completion, to ascertain project and cost effectiveness, including implications for future programs/projects. Plays a key role in the development and review of USAID/Georgia strategic plans. Ensures all phases of project and/or non-project activity are developed to meet technical, legal, financial, statutory, regulatory, and policy requirements. As needed, assists SO Teams in developing SOWs for sector-level assistance initiatives and interventions, to be implemented through large, competitively let umbrella-type grants and contracts. Coordinates the development and maintenance of a database, and practical indicators, on trends in development assistance in Georgia. Utilizes research findings to assist SO Teams to refine overall efforts to achieve SOs and associated intermediate results, taking into consideration decreased budgets and other constraints. As a resource, operates at the strategic level, rather than at an operational and implementation mode. Analyzes trends with respect to the implications for future economic growth in Georgia, and makes recommendations for action to managers. As directed, organizes and leads internal Mission exercises to identify the broad parameters of new assistance initiatives and interventions, to serve as input for larger USAID/Georgia design efforts. Performs other duties as assigned or required. A. Required Qualifications 1) Education and Work Experience A Masters degree in a development field, technical area, management, economics, business or related specialty and at least ten years of relevant experience; or a related Bachelors degree and at least 15 years of relevant experience. 2) Language and Communication Skills Fluent English speaking, reading, and writing equivalent to the Foreign Service Institute 5+ proficiency level is required. Excellent English composition skills demonstrated by submission of two writing samples. 3) Special Skills Effective use of word processing and data management systems and applications, such as Microsoft Windows, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet and e-mail applications. 4) Clearance Requirements The selected candidate must obtain medical and security clearances. As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances (however, as conditions at post change, benefits and allowances may also be changed): A. Benefits: (1) Employee's FICA Contribution (2) Contribution toward Health & Life Insurance (3) Pay Comparability Adjustment --Annual across the board salary increase for USG employees and USPSCs (4) Eligibility for Worker's Compensation (5) Vacation & Sick Leave B. Allowances* (If Applicable): Not applicable for the intermittent position (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) Danger Pay (Section 650) (10) Educational Travel (Section 280) * Dept. of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR) (Government Civilians Foreign Areas). VI. HOW TO APPLY A. Please send a completed and signed Optional Form 612 or Standard Form 171 containing the following information: The Optional Form (OF) 612 is available at http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/formslibrary.do?formType=OP The Standard Form (SF) 171 is available at http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/formslibrary.do?formType=SF 1) Personal Information: Full name, mailing address (with Zip code) day and evening phone numbers, social security number, country of citizenship, highest federal civilian grade held (also, give job series and dates held); 2. Education: high school name, city and State (Zip code if known) date of diploma or GED, colleges and universities; name city and state (Zip code if known, majors, type and year of any degrees received, if no degree, show total credits earned and indicate whether semester or quarter hours); 3) Work Experience: give the following information for your paid and non-paid work experience related to the job for which your are applying (do not send job descriptions); job title (include series and grade if federal job), duties, and accomplishments, employers name and address, supervisor?s name and phone number, starting and ending dates (month and year), hours per week, salary. Indicate if we may contact your current supervisor; 4) Other Qualifications: job-related training courses (title and year), job related skills; for example, other languages, computer software/hardware, job related certificates (current only), job-related honors, awards, and special accomplishments. For example, publications, memberships in professional or honor societies, leadership, activities, public speaking, and performance awards (give dates but do not send documents unless requested). B. Names, past and present title, e-mail address, phone number, and mailing address of three professional references, one of which must be a direct or indirect supervisor. C. A signed statement certifying the date and length of time for which the applicant is available for the position. D. Two original, professional writing samples in 12 pitch type not to exceed a combined length of two pages. II. BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES: As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances (however, as conditions at post change, benefits and allowances may also be changed): A. Benefits: (1) Employee's FICA Contribution (2) Contribution toward Health & Life Insurance (3) Pay Comparability Adjustment (4) Eligibility for Worker's Compensation (5) Vacation & Sick Leave B. Allowances* ( following allowances not Applicable for short term position): (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) Danger Pay (Section 650) (10) Educational Travel (Section 280)
- Place of Performance
- Address: 20 Telavi str,, Tbilisi
- Zip Code: 0103
- Country: Georgia
- Zip Code: 0103
- Record
- SN00903370-W 20050926/050924211513 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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