USPSC Regional Advisor

SOLICITATION NUMBER: 720BHA21R00008

ISSUANCE DATE: February 24, 2021

CLOSING DATE AND TIME: March 10, 2021, 12:00 P.M. Eastern Time

SUBJECT: Solicitation for U.S. Personal Service Contractor (USPSC)

Dear Prospective Offerors:

The United States Government (USG), represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Offices of Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean (ALAC) and Middle East, North Africa and Europe (MENAE) are seeking offers from qualified U.S. citizens to provide personal service as a Regional Advisor (RA) under a United States Personal Services Contract (USPSC), as described in the solicitation.

Submittals must be in accordance with the attached information at the place and time specified. Offerors interested in applying for this position MUST submit the following materials:

1. Complete resume. In order to fully evaluate your offer, your resume must include:

(a) Paid and non-paid experience, job title, location(s), dates held (month/year), and hours worked per week for each position. Dates (month/year) and locations for all field experience must also be detailed. Any experience that does not include dates (month/year), locations, and hours per week will not be counted towards meeting the solicitation requirements.

(b) Specific duties performed that fully detail the level and complexity of the work.

(c) Education and any other qualifications including job-related training courses, job-related skills, or job-related honors, awards or accomplishments.

(d) U.S. Citizenship

(e) Optional: How did you hear about this opportunity? (beta.SAM.gov, BHA Jobs, Career Fair, etc.).

Your resume must contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the experience requirements as stated in this solicitation. This information must be clearly identified in your resume. Failure to provide information sufficient to determine your qualifications for the position will result in loss of full consideration.

2. USPSC Offeror form AID 309-2. Offerors are required to complete sections A through I. This form must be physically signed. Electronic signatures will not be accepted. AID 309-2 is available at http://www.usaid.gov/forms. **

NOTE REGARDING DATA UNIVERSAL NUMBERING SYSTEM (DUNS) NUMBERS

AND THE SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT

All USPSCs with a place of performance in the United States are required to have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database prior to receiving an award. You will be disqualified if you either fail to comply with this requirement or if your name appears on the excluded parties list. The selectee will be provided with guidance regarding this registration.

NOTE: As of March 28, 2018, all new SAM.gov entity registrations will now require a signed notarized letter identifying the authorized Entity administrator for the entity associated with the DUNS number. Additional information on the format of the notarized letter and where to submit can be found via the below Federal Service Desk link:

https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/answer.do?sysparm_kbid=d2e67885db0d5f00b3257… sysparm_search=kb0013183

Offerors can expect to receive a confirmation email when offer materials have been received. Offerors should retain for their records copies of all enclosures which accompany their offers. Your complete resume must be emailed to:

MENAE Recruitment Team

E-Mail Address: [email protected]

Website: www.BHAjobs.net

Any questions on this solicitation may be directed to the MENAE Recruitment Team via the information provided above.

Sincerely,

Sonja Stroud-Gooden

Contracting Officer

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Working under the guidance and supervision of the SRAs, the RA will be responsible for program analysis, strategy development, and coordination with relief agencies, other donors, and USG interagency partners, as well as reporting to BHA/Washington. The RA will maintain close coordination and collaboration with USAID and Embassy staff across the affected region and in the relevant regional offices.

This position requires an individual who is able to travel outside of the country where he/she is based, on short notice for two to three weeks at a time, or longer, on occasion. The RA will serve as the primary contact and liaison for ongoing disaster activities related to disaster response, preparedness, mitigation, and training programs. The RA will work to increase the capability of host governments, International Organizations (IOs), and NGOs to respond and prepare for disasters in the affected region. The RA also will be responsible for disaster analysis, program monitoring, overseeing NGO partner implementation, reporting to BHA/Washington, and liaising with USAID Missions and U.S. Embassies.

Working directly under the guidance and supervision of the SRA, the RA will work in close collaboration with a program team that may include other RAs, Senior Humanitarian Advisors, Program Officers, Field Monitors, Regional Team Leaders, and/or Humanitarian Assistance Officers. Specifically, the RA will be responsible for the following:

Contextual Specialty

· Serve as an expert on humanitarian issues, priorities, lessons learned, and opportunities in the region of responsibility.

· Provide expert guidance on political, humanitarian, organizational, structural, and stakeholder interests specific to the region of responsibility.

· Prepare and/or provide substantive guidance in the preparation of regular strategic and analytical reports on current or anticipated emergencies, as well as comprehensive preparedness documentation on assigned countries.

Portfolio Management

· Develop and maintain a detailed understanding of BHA’s program strategy and the implementation of resulting awards in the area of assigned responsibility.

· Guide regional team efforts to develop appropriate programmatic strategies for disaster responses and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) efforts in the area of responsibility.

· Review program proposals on disaster assistance activities and emergency projects for conceptual soundness, technical feasibility, and budget.

· Lead/conduct initial assessments to identify humanitarian needs and/or DRR opportunities across a broad spectrum of sectors, in current disaster sites or locations with high vulnerability.

· Monitor ongoing humanitarian response and DRR activities to validate that objectives are met and beneficiaries are served.

· Lead the development of country-, issue-, or disaster-specific strategies across the region of responsibility, as well as timely revision of these strategies as contextual realities shift.

· Re-assess implementation approaches and strategies on an ongoing basis and make recommendations for appropriate shifts to approach resource allocation.

· Participate in the development of field-based recommendations on difficult resource and programmatic trade-offs within the region.

Representation

· Develop and maintain relationships with representatives of host governments, donor governments, IOs, NGOs, U.S. embassies, and USAID missions to ensure efficient and coordinated humanitarian response and DRR activities.

· Represent USAID in joint efforts to design, develop, and implement humanitarian strategies and intervention with local governments and donor, partner, and UN organizations, as appropriate.

· Advise regional officials, including host country authorities and other USAID officials on disaster response, mitigation, and risk reduction efforts, including the review of sector disaster response and DRR plans.

· Work with local and regional institutions and private/public sector organizations to incorporate DRR into appropriate programs.

Leadership

· Support regional team efforts to develop current and future strategic direction for the regional office to include programmatic, liaison and representational prioritization, and human and financial resource requirements.

· Participate in a leadership role in office-wide policy initiatives to ensure field perspectives are well-represented.

· Serve as a peer-mentor for program staff working to increase exposure and experience in field-based humanitarian operations.

General Duties

· Supervise relevant USPSCs and foreign national program staff in assigned program offices.

· Serve in leadership, planning, or program positions on response teams, assessment teams, or to provide coverage for field offices within and outside the region.

· Serve in leadership, planning, or program positions on Washington-based RMTs, which provide services and support to DARTs deployed in response to disasters, for up to 45 days. The duties on RMTs will vary.

· Ensure timely reporting of BHA’s activities in the region through written cables, analyses, strategies, and other requests for written information and/or oral briefings.

· Maintain regular communications with the regional (and/or sub-regional) office in the area of responsibility and with BHA/Washington.

· As needed, serve on DARTs which may require immediate (within 24 hours) deployment overseas for an extended period of time.

· As appropriate, for cross-training purposes to enhance operational awareness, may serve on temporary detail, not to exceed six months, within the office. Duties performed, while on detail, will be directly related to the duties and responsibilities outlined in the scope of work.

· As needed, may serve on temporary detail within the office to meet operational needs during staff shortages, not to exceed six months. Duties performed while on detail will be aligned with the Team’s existing duties and responsibilities as well as directly related to the scope of work provided.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

(Determines basic eligibility for the position. Offerors who do not meet all of the education and experience factors are considered NOT qualified for the position.)

Bachelor’s degree with study in, but not limited to, international relations, development, economics, food policy, or a specific country; and nine (9) years of progressively demonstrated experience in emergency relief, DRR and/or disaster preparedness programming and management, which must include five (5) years of overseas field experience as demonstrated by short-term deployments or assignments in emergency situations. Substantial overseas field experience is highly preferred.

OR

Master’s degree with study in, but not limited to, international relations, development, economics, food policy, or a specific country; and seven (7) years of progressively demonstrated experience in emergency relief, DRR and/or disaster preparedness programming and management, which must include three (3) years of overseas field experience as demonstrated by short-term deployments or assignments in emergency situations. Substantial overseas field experience is highly preferred.

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. FAR provisions of this solicitation are available at https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far.

SELECTION FACTORS

(Determines basic eligibility for the position. Offerors who do not meet all of the selection factors are considered NOT qualified for the position.)

● Offeror is a U.S. Citizen.

● Complete resume submitted. See cover page for resume requirements. Experience that cannot be quantified will not be counted towards meeting the solicitation requirements.

● USPSC Offeror form AID 309-2. Offerors are required to complete sections A through I. This form must be physically signed. Electronic signatures will not be accepted.

● Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret up to Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information level clearance as provided by USAID.

● Ability to obtain a Department of State medical clearance. **

● Must not appear as an excluded party in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov).**

● Satisfactory verification of academic credentials.**

OFFEROR RATING SYSTEM

The offeror rating system factors are used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified offerors in comparison to other offerors. Offerors must demonstrate the rating factors outlined below within their resume, as they are evaluated strictly by the information provided. The rating factors are as follows:

Professional Experience (10 points)

· Experience managing humanitarian interventions in an international disaster context across the entire disaster management cycle to include emergency response, early recovery and transition, disaster risk reduction, and resilience.

· Specific experience managing humanitarian interventions including needs assessment, strategy development, budget management, resource prioritization, program development, and program management.

Skills and Abilities (10 points)

· Demonstrated diplomatic, interpersonal, and representational skills in order to work effectively with host governments at senior levels in the midst of humanitarian crisis situations.

· Demonstrated diplomatic, interpersonal, and representational skills in order to work effectively with other donors and diplomatic missions at senior levels in the midst of international humanitarian crisis situations.

· Demonstrated diplomatic, interpersonal, and representational skills in order to work effectively with international and national non-governmental humanitarian partners at senior levels in the midst of humanitarian crisis situations.

· Demonstrated diplomatic, interpersonal, and representational skills in order to effectively achieve humanitarian objectives within the USG at senior levels, including with DOD, Embassies, Members of Congress, and senior executive branch staff the midst of international humanitarian crisis situations.

Leading Teams (10 points)

· Demonstrated experience leading teams of varied nationalities and cultural backgrounds working in a constant state of complex, international humanitarian crisis.

· Experience leading a diverse team of program, technical, and administrative staff, including senior U.S. professionals, working in a constant state of in complex, international humanitarian crisis.

Interview Performance (50 points)**

Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks (20 points)

Total Possible Points: 100

BASIS OF RATING: Offerors who meet the Education/Experience requirements and Selection Factors will be further evaluated in accordance with the Offeror Rating System. Those offerors determined to be competitively ranked may also be evaluated on interview performance and satisfactory professional reference checks.

Offerors are required to address each factor of the Offeror Rating System in their resume, describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards they have received as it pertains to each factor. Be sure to include your name and the announcement number at the top of each additional page. Failure to address the selection factors and/or Offeror Rating System factors may result in not receiving credit for all pertinent experience, education, training and/or awards.

The most qualified offerors may be interviewed and required to provide a writing sample. BHA will not pay for any expenses associated with the interviews. Professional references and academic credentials will be evaluated for offerors being considered for selection. Note: Please be advised that references may be obtained independently from other sources in addition to the ones provided by an offeror. BHA reserves the right to select additional offerors if vacancies become available during future phase of the selection process.