SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- U.S. Personal Services Contractor - Off Shore Hire Democracy and Local Governance Office Director at USAID/Macedonia
- Notice Date
- 4/30/2009
- Notice Type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- NAICS
- 541618
— Other Management Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- Agency for International Development, Overseas Missions, Macedonia USAID-Skopje, Skopje, Washington, District of Columbia, 20521-7120
- ZIP Code
- 20521-7120
- Solicitation Number
- 165-09-03
- Archive Date
- 6/16/2009
- Point of Contact
- Risto E Ricliev,, Phone: +389-2-310-2000, Timothy Pruett,, Phone: +389-2-310-2000
- E-Mail Address
-
rricliev@usaid.gov, tpruett@usaid.gov
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- USAID/General Notice PERSONNEL USAID/MACEDONIA 04/30/2009 Subject: Solicitation No. 165-09-03 for a U.S. Personal Services Contractor – Off Shore Hire Democracy and Local Governance Office Director at USAID/Macedonia, in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia ISSUANCE DATE: 04/30/2009 CLOSING DATE: 06/01/2009 CLOSING TIME: 5:00 P.M. in Macedonia (CET) Ladies/Gentlemen: The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking applications (Optional Form 612) from qualified U.S. citizens interested to provide services as Democracy and Local Governance Office Director under a Personal Services Contract (PSC), as described in the attached solicitation. Submittals shall be in accordance with the attached information at the place and time specified. In order to be considered for the position a candidate must meet the required qualifications listed in the solicitation. Applicants are responsible for submitting the OF-612, so as to reach the Government office designated in the solicitation by the closing date and time specified in the solicitation whether submitted by courier, overnight mail services, hand delivery, fax or e-mail (at the addresses or number below). An application received after the closing date and time will be considered late, unless there is acceptable evidence to establish that it was received by the Government installation prior to the time and date specified in the solicitation. Submission of the applications and the required documents in response to this solicitation must be directed to: Attn. Risto Ricliev, Acquisition Specialist American Embassy Skopje United States Agency for International Development Samoilova 21, 1000 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia Fax: +389 2 310 2463 E-mail: rricliev@usaid.gov Applicants should retain for their records copies of all enclosures accompanying their applications. Any questions regarding this solicitation may be directed to Timothy Pruett, Executive Officer, who may be reached by phone at +389 2 310 2000 ext. 2268, fax +389 2 310 2463 or e-mail tpruett@usaid.gov Sincerely, Michael Fritz Mission Director USAID/Macedonia Solicitation for Personal Services Contractor (PSC): Democracy and Local Governance Office Director for USAID/Macedonia 1. SOLICITATION NUMBER: 165-09-03 2. ISSUANCE DATE: 04/30/2009 3. CLOSING DATE FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS: 06/01/2009 4. CLOSING TIME FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS: 5:00 P.M. in Macedonia (CET) 5. POSITION TITLE:Off-Shore Hire Democracy and Local Governance Office Director 6. MARKET VALUE:Equivalent of GS-14 level (from $83,445 to $108,483). Final compensation will be based on individual’s salary history, working experience and educational background. 7. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:One year with possible one year extension. 8. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE:Skopje, Republic of Macedonia 9. AREA OF CONSIDERATION/SECURITY ACCESS: U.S. Citizen Only (Security Clearance Required) 10. STATEMENT OF WORK 10.1BACKGOUND USAID initiated its assistance program to Macedonia in 1993, and since then nearly $500 million has been made available in support of activities contributing to a stable democracy, a responsible local government, a market economy led by the private sector, and improved educational quality. The Mission's program is organized under three significant objectives plus supporting activities that are cross-cutting in nature. USAID programs focus on: (1) Accelerating economic growth through policy reform, workforce development, energy policy and competitiveness in technology and agri-business; (2) Promoting good governance through local government decentralization, judicial reform and strengthening civil society; and (3) Providing quality education via projects in primary education and teacher training. Macedonia is one of the poorest and smallest of the former republics of Yugoslavia. With a population of two million, the country is landlocked and only seven years removed from a civil war. Whereas stability and security have improved dramatically from 2001, USAID programs are still crucial to Macedonia's successful transition to a market-based democracy with social equity. United States Government (USG) goals in Macedonia include: bolstering Macedonia’s prospects for North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and European Union (EU) membership, strengthening judicial and democratic systems and promoting economic growth. 10.2POSITION DESCRIPTION a. Duties and Responsibilities of the Position Based in Skopje, the PSC Democracy and Local Governance Office Director (DLG-OD) will be responsible for development, management, monitoring and evaluation of a broad range of democracy and governance (DG)-related programs undertaken by USAID in the Republic of Macedonia. Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic integration has stalled. In April 2008 Greece blocked Macedonia’s NATO invitation pending resolution of the name dispute. Although the United Nation’s mediator has worked diligently to develop the outlines of a compromise, there is no resolution in sight. The EU annual report on Macedonia again recommended against setting a start date for accession negotiations, citing numerous shortcomings in governance and democratic development. Among the other findings, the Republic of Macedonia was criticized for the ongoing lack of political dialogue, failing to meet international election standards, and the ineffective functioning of political institutions, Parliament in particular. There are also concerns about a growing concentration of government power. The Macedonian public is strongly pro-American, and U.S. influence needs to remain an important stabilizing factor in Macedonia. To address the current environment and opportunities to advance the country’s democratic reforms, USAID programs work to institutionalize the connections between the citizens and their government. Our objectives: 1) Entrench a sense of civic empowerment through a more robust, experienced and effective civil society that practices advocacy, policy analysis and regular consultation with government. 2) Build trust in political processes by reconnecting political parties to their electorate and institutionalizing connections between the Parliament and the people. 3) Increase independence and efficiency within the judiciary to further embed rule of law and act as a counterweight to other branches of government. 4) Encourage institutionalization of transparency, accountability and responsiveness to the public in local and national government structures. USAID also plans to re-engage in media programming to empower media to act as the fourth estate to connect the people and their leaders and to further protect freedom of the press USAID assistance to Macedonia was scheduled to phase out in 2011. However, following an inter-agency review process, assistance has been extended through at least 2015. As a result, a number of assessments, evaluations and program designs will take place in 2009 and 2010 to determine how best to target assistance funds to address the above-stated objectives. The DLG-OD will be required to have the academic and work experience to be a master of an extensive range of DG -related issues. He/she must possess expert-level technical knowledge and have demonstrated expertise at project design and implementation, including methodologies and philosophies that guide development program design and that draw from experiences in other countries analogous to Macedonia. The DLG-OD will be expected to serve as a mentor for USAID’s Macedonia staff and American Junior Officers and to actively work to build their capacity and technical knowledge. The DLG-OD will report to the Mission Director, but he/she will be expected to operate with great independence in dealing with complex programs and high-level government and donor counterparts in guiding the design and management of a comprehensive set of technical assistance programs. Due to the high level of responsibility in this position, the DLG-OD will have considerable latitude in the exercise of her/his duties for program design, management, and evaluation, and for the identification and resolution of issues affecting program performance both within and outside of the Mission. He/she will have the following specific duties. •Provide leadership on the development and implementation of USAID/Macedonia DG programs in a manner designed to promote their consistency with other political, democracy, governance and justice objectives of the Government of Macedonia (GOM) and USG, and which replace and build on the successes of current activities which are scheduled to end between 2009-2011. The DLG-OD will have overall responsibility for the development and implementation of Mission administration of good governance, civil society, parliamentary reform, political party strengthening and media programs and assist in coordinating their planning and execution with senior GOM, donor, and relevant USG officials, as well as coordination with other Embassy programs. Responsibilities may include serving as contracting officer’s (or agreement officer’s) technical representative (COTR or AOTR) for one or more projects. •Provide authoritative policy and operational guidance to the Mission Director and DG team for program design, development and implementation. This includes guidance to team members to conceptualize, implement, and report on the new and ongoing activities in the DG portfolio. •Guide the development of the DG project/program-funded budget; working with technical advisors and senior management to determine funding needs and uses. Provide close supervision of project mortgages, pipelines, and funding requirements. •Analyze economic, political, and other trends affecting democratic development. Identify ways to further meet both USG foreign policy and GOM reform policy objectives in Macedonia. Provide authoritative input in the formulation of USAID’s strategy, annual report, program reviews, and other activities and events as requested by Mission management. •Liaise with top level government officials including at the state secretary, deputy minister and minister level, as well as with mayors and other local government officials. This includes working to build consensus on topics where there may be disagreement between Macedonian government officials; between the USG and Macedonian government officials; and/or between private sector actors and Macedonian government officials. The DLG-OD will guide and play a leading role in the development and maintenance of active dialogue on the development of key policy initiatives and institutional reforms. •Liaise with representatives of other USG agencies in Macedonia, national and local representatives of Macedonian government agencies, international and local NGOs, and other donors related to design and implementation of democracy activities. Play an active role in donor coordination, including attending and participating in sector-appropriate meetings to support the development of democracy and local governance with officials of other Embassies, international organizations, volunteer organizations, bilateral and multi-lateral donors. •Represent USAID on the U.S. Embassy Rule of Law Working Group and other related Working Groups that may be formed, coordinating USAID activities with other USG efforts related to democracy, governance and anti-corruption. •The DLG-OD will draw on his/her experience to help develop staff and support collaboration with other Mission offices. This includes mentoring DG staff in technical, programmatic, budgetary, managerial and staff supervisory areas, and assist in the hiring and training of FSN staff to ensure that adequate support is provided for efficient and effective office operations. •Perform other tasks, as requested by Mission management, and which are consistent with the advisory, managerial, and reporting requirements of the position of DLG-OD for USAID/Macedonia. Current DG programs are described on USAID/Macedonia’s web site at http://macedonia.usaid.gov/. b. Period of Performance The Contractor's period of performance for the above services shall be for one year with possible one year extension, subject to Mission approval. c. Place of performance The Contractor will be based in Skopje. The position may require limited travel, to be funded under this contract, to different parts of the country. Conference attendance outside of Macedonia is also envisioned. 10.3 QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS Education/Experience Required for the Position: This is a senior-level position in a high-profile USG foreign assistance program that requires extensive knowledge, experience, maturity, and an ability to function in a complex, highly demanding, and often uncertain environment. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in varied aspects of DG promotion activities. Minimum qualifications include a graduate degree in a field relevant to DG programs and ten years of relevant experience, including at least five spent in a developing country context. Specific characteristics of the ideal candidate include: •Mastery of DG program strategy, development and implementation. •Experience communicating and negotiating with high-level government officials and private sector actors. Demonstrated successes in achieving consensus on difficult and/or contentious issues. •Demonstrated experience in leading coordination efforts with other bilateral and multilateral agencies and private sector actors. •Experience working with minimal oversight to accomplish complex and demanding tasks that require both technical and managerial expertise. This includes complex project design; negotiation of new approaches to development with high-level government officials and representatives from the private sector; ability to independently conduct research, analysis and reports that both inform and guide not only USAID program direction but top-level USG policy as well. •Mastery of current DG development programming philosophies, theories, and best practices and demonstrated ability to use this knowledge to develop new and innovate approaches to DG development activities. •Demonstrated skills in successfully leading and managing multi-sectoral and complex projects, and supervising contractors in developing country and post-conflict situations. This includes the ability to effectively identify and respond to rapidly changing priorities and evolving needs. •Demonstrated skills in developing and maintaining counterpart contacts and relationships at both the senior management and technical implementation levels. This includes the ability to represent USAID to visiting members of Congress, leading representatives of foreign governments, representatives of nongovernmental organizations, the news media, and at important and high-level conferences and meetings. •Prior experience in developing and administering program monitoring and evaluation activities. •Ability to resolve potential problems in a team context, while maintaining an aggressive work pace in order to produce results under scrutiny and visibility. •Strong communications, interpersonal, teamwork, mentoring and leadership skills. Ability to prepare reports and technical and policy briefs, sometimes with short deadlines. Experience with the management and leadership of teams. Ability to interact and work effectively with organizational management and support offices. Experience and comfort with management information systems. •Knowledge of program management procedures, and experience with financed projects in line with those described in this position description. •Work experience in transition countries. The incumbent should provide at least three supervisor references including e mail addresses and working telephones. Physical Demands: The work is primarily sedentary, although some physical effort may be required, e.g., walking, standing, carrying light items such as manuals or briefcases, or driving or traveling by motor vehicle or aircraft. Work Environment The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, training rooms, and libraries. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. There may be occasional exposure to moderate risks during program/project and field visits. 10.4 SELECTION CRITERIA (beyond minimum qualifications) The candidate should be available to begin employment under this contract within 2 months of an offer of employment. Experience (40%): At least ten years of experience, at least five of which was in a developing country context, in various aspects of DG development promotion activities, including project development, monitoring and evaluation; successfully leading and managing multi-sectoral and complex projects; and supervising contractors and grant recipients. Demonstrated ability to work under difficult situations requiring and aggressive work pace and under scrutiny and visibility. Knowledge (25%): Previous experience in or knowledge of the Balkan region and/or knowledge of institutional structures is highly desirable. Communication and Management Skills (25%): Demonstrated ability in developing and maintaining counterpart contacts and relationships at both the senior policy and technical implementation levels. This includes contacts with host government counterparts, other donors, and USG agencies. The position requires strong communications, mentoring, interpersonal, teamwork, and leadership skills, as well as the ability to prepare reports and technical and policy briefs sometimes with short deadlines. Ability to interact and work effectively with organizational management and support offices. Staff Development (10%): Demonstrated ability to train, coach and mentor other employees. POSITION ELEMENTS: Language: English language proficiency is a pre-qualification. The candidate must have excellent and demonstrated English oral and written communication skills. There is no requirement for local language proficiency, though knowledge of Macedonian or related Slavic languages would strengthen an application. Supervision exercised: The incumbent will supervise four professional Foreign Service National (FSN) staff and one administrative FSN. Mentoring and support will also be provided to a DG Junior Officer. Supervision received: The immediate supervisor is the Mission Director. The DLG-OD will report to the Mission Director, but he/she will be expected to operate with great independence in dealing with complex programs and high-level government counterparts in designing and managing a comprehensive set of technical assistance programs. 10.5 OTHER REQUIREMENTS The PSC will receive administrative support from the U.S. Embassy and from the Mission, including office space, equipment and supplies. The selected candidate must obtain medical and security clearances. Accompanying spouse, if applicable, must also obtain medical clearance. 11. APPLYING Qualified individuals are requested to submit: A U.S. Government Optional Form 612 (available at the USAID website, http://www.usaid.gov/procurement_bus_opp/procurement/forms or internet http://fillform.gsa.gov, or at Federal offices); Applicants should note that the salary history for the purposes of the OF-612 is the base salary paid, excluding benefits and allowances such as housing, travel, educational support, vehicle use, etc. Applicants are reminded and required to sign the certification at the end of the OF-612. Unsigned applications shall NOT be considered. A most current curriculum vitae (CV) or resume; At least three supervisor references including e mail addresses and working telephones. A cover letter, or a brief appendix, demonstrating how they meet the required qualifications and evaluation criteria. Applications must be received by the closing date and time at the address specified in the cover letter. To ensure consideration of applications for the intended position, please reference the solicitation number on your application, and as the subject line in any cover letter. The highest ranking applicants may be selected for an interview. The selected candidate will be required to obtain and maintain a medical and security clearance. 12. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSCS Forms outlined below can found at: http://www.usaid.gov/business/business_opportunities/psc_solicitations.html 1. Optional Form 612. 2. Contractor Physical Examination (AID Form 1420-62). ** 3. Questionnaire for Sensitive Positions (for National Security) (SF-86), or ** 4. Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85). ** 5. Finger Print Card (FD-258). ** ** Forms 2 through 5 shall be completed only upon the advice of the Contracting Officer that an applicant is the successful candidate for the job. 13. CONTRACT INFORMATION BULLETINS (CIBS) PERTAINING TO PSCS AAPDs and CIBs contain changes to USAID policy and General Provisions in USAID regulations and contracts. Please refer to this website http://www.usaid.gov/business/business_opportunities/cib/subject.html#psc to determine which AAPDs and CIBs apply to this contract. 14. BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES: As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances: BENEFITS: Employee's FICA Contribution Contribution toward Health & Life Insurance Pay Comparability Adjustment Annual Increase Eligibility for Worker's Compensation Annual & Sick Leave Access to Embassy medical facilities, commissary and pouch mail service ALLOWANCES (If Applicable)*: (1) Temporary Lodging Allowance (Section 120) (2) Living Quarters Allowance (Section 130) (3) Post Allowance (Section 220) (4) Supplemental Post Allowance (Section 230) (5) Post Differential (Chapter 500) (6) Payments during Evacuation/Authorized Departure (Section 600) and (7) Danger Pay (Section 650) (8) Educational Allowance (Section 270) (9) Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section 260) (10)Educational Travel (Section 280) * Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians Foreign Areas). FEDERAL TAXES: USPSCs are required to pay Federal Income Taxes, FICA, and Medicare. Note: The selected candidate must be eligible for U.S.Government security clearance and obtain a full medical clearance for service.
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- Place of Performance
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