Inactive 8(a) Set-Aside (FAR 19.8)

SOLICITATION NO: Sol: 72066920R00001 ISSUANCE DATE: October 28, 2019 CLOSING DATE: November 27, 2019 05:30 Local Time SUBJECT: Solicitation for US/TCN Personal Services Contractor for Senior Acquisiti... SOLICITATION NO: Sol: 72066920R00001 ISSUANCE DATE: October 28, 2019 CLOSING DATE: November 27, 2019 05:30 Local Time SUBJECT: Solicitation for US/TCN Personal Services Contractor for Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist, USAID/Liberia - Two (2) Positions To All Interested Applicants The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking applications (Offeror Information for Personal Services Contracts Form - AID 302-3) from qualified U.S. Citizens and Third Country Nationals to provide services as Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist under a Personal Services Contract, as described in the attached solicitation. The place of performance for this position is Monrovia, Liberia. Submissions to this solicitation shall be in accordance with the attached information, at the place and time specified. Email submissions shall be sent to sbrowne@usaid.gov and jkemah@usaid.gov. Incomplete, unsigned or late applications will not be considered. Applicants should retain for their records copies of all enclosures which accompany their applications. USAID/Liberia will not consider an extension to the submission deadline for this procurement. Any questions or comments regarding this solicitation should be in writing and directed to sbrowne@usaid.gov and jkemah@usaid.gov. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Phone calls or e-mail to any address other than the one specified in this solicitation will not be accepted. Sincerely, Robert W. Appiah Supervisory Executive Officer USAID/Liberia USAID/Liberia Mailing Address: 8800 Monrovia Pl Dulles, VA 20189 ATTACHMENT Solicitation for US/TCNPSC Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist, GS-14 TWO (2) POSITIONS I.GENERAL INFORMATION 1. SOLICITATION NUMBER 72066920R00001 2. ISSUANCE DATE: October 28, 2019 3. CLOSING DATE/TIME: November 27, 2019 05:30 local time 4. POSITION TITLE Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist 5. MARKET VALUE: From $90,621 to $117,810 per annum equivalent to a GS-14 non-locality pay. Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value. 6. EVALUATION FACTORS: Evaluation will be based on a 100-point Scale: Education (10 Points), Relevant work experience (40 Points), Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (20 Points), Portfolio Management (20 Points) and Communications and Computer Skills(10 Points) 7. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Two (2) year-based contract with three (3) one year options which will depend on a continuing need for services, availability of funds and satisfactory performance. 8. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Monrovia, Liberia 9. AREA OF CONSIDERATION: This vacancy is open to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent U.S. residents as well as Third Country Nationals, 10. SECURITY ACCESS: USPSCs (Secret Clearance or DOS Facility access in lieu of Secret clearance is acceptable) and TCNPSCs (DOS Facility access) 11. STATEMENT OF DUTIES: Introduction: USAID and Liberia maintain a long-standing partnership to support economic stability and growth, strengthen democratic governance, and improve health and education systems. USAID/Liberia fosters a spirit of self-reliance and self-sufficiency, building and supporting local systems so there is no longer a need for external support. USAID/Liberia is the first bi-lateral program to have an approved 2019-2024 Country Development Cooperation Strategy; the Mission is in the midst of designing and procuring a significant number of new activities, and the Mission fully embraces the Agency’s newly issued Acquisition and Assistance Strategy as well as the Effective Partnering and Procurement Reform Initiative. Given the quantity, complexity, and high dollar value of current instruments and future designs, USAID/Liberia is seeking Senior Acquisition and Assistance (A&A) Specialists who are highly skilled, experienced, self-motivated, and who is capable of independently performing quality and professional work in an expedited manner and under stressful conditions. The Senior A&A Specialist will serve as USAID/Liberia's senior acquisition specialist and key advisor to the Supervisory Contracting Officer for all A&A matters. The OAA specialist will be part of the Mission’s acquisition staff, and should provide expert advice on how to leverage the tools of procurement to more effectively advance USAID’s goals, and should identify opportunities to assist mission staff in improving their Contracting/Agreement Officer Representative (C/AOR) skills. The Senior A&A Specialist is responsible for providing the full range of A&A services in support of USAID/Liberia's foreign assistance objectives. S/he will be required to apply highly specialized A&A knowledge, skills, and abilities involving a variety of actions that range from simplified acquisition to complex multi-million dollar, multi-year awards. This includes providing support to the Development Objective portfolios on all aspects of contract/award management relating to and affecting USAID assistance programs, policy and project planning, design, implementation, learning and evaluation. The incumbent will oversee the contractual actions for multiple USAID portfolios that are estimated at over $515 million. S/he will represent the OAA and the Supervisory Contracting Officer (SCO) in providing design feedback for new activities and will be responsible for reviewing A&A package documents to ensure completion in preparation for final review and approval by the Contracting/Agreement Officer. The Senior A&A Specialist will report to the Supervisory Contracting Officer and may be called upon to manage one or more Development Objective (DO) portfolios. S/he will be responsible for mentoring up to four (4) Cooperating Country National (CCN) staff members and is expected to further develop these employees’ skills. The incumbent will be expected to participate in the federally-mandated Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) program, including planning and performing on-the-job training assignments and coursework to ensure successful completion of the required competencies and annual training requirements to receive a CO/AO warrant of at least $10 million. The incumbent is expected to work primarily in accomplishing the specific tasks as outlined below. Given the nature of the position, the Senior A&A Specialist will also be expected to respond to any changes in priorities that emerge during the contract period to provide efficient, timely, and effective services to the Mission. Major Duties and Responsibilities The incumbent is responsible for a wide range of A&A support services to the Mission, will function as a principal counselor to the Supervisory Contracting Officer, and will manage office workload as well as one or more of the DO teams. A comprehensive and up to date knowledge of A&A processes and procedures is essential as little of the work involves repetitive actions and is assigned based on project support needs. The Senior A&A Specialist must provide informed technical assistance necessary to execute a full range of procurement actions, including but not limited to the following: Cost-reimbursement and fixed price contracts, task orders, delivery orders, purchase orders, blanket purchase agreements, grants, cooperative agreements, grants to public international organizations, interagency agreements, fixed amount awards, and other agreements and award types; Various modifications to all of the above; Other miscellaneous administrative requirements associated with A&A awards; The provision of training, mentoring, and coaching to Mission staff, especially OAA staff and designated Agreement Officer’s Representatives (AORs) and Contracting Officer’s Representatives (CORs), and local partners; and Management of the Mission’s Office of Acquisition and Assistance. The Senior A&A Specialist must be able to discuss and assess situations with a degree of expertise sufficient to provide the basis for well-founded recommendations to senior Mission management and the SCO. A clear understanding of the differences between acquisition and assistance in achieving USAID’s operation and strategic development is essential. Both the underlying purposes, as defined in law, and the different relationships, as reflected in the different terms and conditions, must be understood at a level that permits the specialist to effectively and accurately represent U.S. Government policy to outside organizations and to a full range of programmatic and administrative officials within USAID/Liberia up to the level of Mission Director. S/he must perform a full range of pre-award and post-award duties described below with independence. Actions will be highly complex and represent critical Agency objectives with short lead times. S/he must be available to Mission staff for consultation on all aspects of procurement from the procurement planning stage through to the administration stage. The Senior A&A Specialist must also provide expert advice on program objectives, budgetary issues, and procurement policy. S/he must be a recognized technical expert able to independently interact with high level officials to obtain advance approvals for critical actions. This requires extensive knowledge of the USAID and Federal Acquisition Regulations (AIDAR and FAR), USAID assistance regulations (2CFR 200 and 700, 2 CFR 228), OMB Circulars, the USAID Automated Directive System, the Department of State Standard Regulations (DSSR), USAID A&A Policy Directives (AAPDs), and Contract Information Bulletins (CIBs). S/he must also keep updated with new regulations issued through the Agency’s General Notices. The Senior A&A Specialist must also mentor OAA and its staff in their performance of the same. The Senior A&A Specialist will be responsible for on-the-job and online/classroom training of the Mission OAA, AOR, and COR staff in all relevant aspects of A&A policy and procedures including the development of training material and the revision of existing material as applicable. S/he is expected to mentor the OAA staff work actively to keep the team engaged and updated on the latest procurement guidance, and continuously improve the services they offer. The incumbent should possess strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work across teams and portfolios and with diverse clients. S/he must be fully versed in internet applications, vital of which is Google’s G Suite, and other mandated US Government and Agency applications and software related to A&A work, such as the full Microsoft Office Suite, the Global Acquisition & Assistance System (GLAAS), and the Agency Secure Image and Storage Tracking (ASIST) system. Specific Tasks a. Pre-Award Duties and Responsibilities The incumbent will: Manage assigned procurement planning functions for the Mission, which may include reviewing strategic objective agreements and/or results frameworks, participating in program planning meetings, identifying components of the plans that should be accomplished through the participation of outside provider organizations, the management of OAA’s internal procurement planning, and the Agency Business Forecast/A&A Plan. 2. Lead Mission technical and support offices in developing annual procurement plans for the Mission A&A activities. Ensure that these plans are always current. Collaborate with technical office members in the preparation of advance procurement planning documents for proposed actions. Input shall reflect the steps required by regulation or policy in the selected mechanism's process, realistic estimates of the time required to accomplish each step utilizing Agency Procurement Action Lead Times (PALTs) as a guide, and a commitment to maintain the agreed-upon timelines.. 3. Working in tandem with technical teams, ensure that all A&A planning documents are completed, such as the Individual Acquisition Plan, the Source Selection Plan, and the Assistance Selection Plan. Ensure that technical offices use M/OAA’s mandatory A&A templates. Advise Mission management and technical office personnel concerning the selection of appropriate A&A instruments to use in order to accomplish the Mission’s programmatic objectives. Working with technical counterparts and OAA, make choice of instrument recommendations to the Mission and to the CO/AO. Identify A&A issues/potential problems that require guidance or concurrence from the Resident Legal Advisor (RLA) and obtain such guidance and/or concurrence. Provide expert guidance to technical office members in the preparation of required descriptions of the proposed project including, as appropriate, statements of work, specifications, program descriptions, program announcements, evaluation criteria, etc. This guidance may take the form of directing them to the appropriate Automated Directive System (ADS) and/or to any other agency guidance, reviewing drafts, providing periodic training on the preparation of such documents or on Federal and USAID regulations, policies, and requirements. Emphasis should be placed on defining contractible, performance-based, results-oriented statements of work or program descriptions. 4. Carefully review incoming requisition documents to ensure they adequately reflect and protect U.S. Government interests in the accomplishment of the programmatic objective and comply with pertinent statutory, regulatory, and policy requirements and to ensure compliance with Agency and Mission requirements and appropriateness for the proposed action. Ensure proper recording of requisitions in Agency management information systems, such as ASIST and GLAAS. Analyze requisition and other documents and obtain necessary clarifications from the requesting technical office. Make recommendations for corrections to requesting documents when they are inadequate, inappropriate, or significant documentation is missing. 5. Depending on the action type, draft and/or review required pre-solicitation and solicitation documents, including determinations and findings (D&F), synopses, Justification and Approval (J&A) requests, Justification to Restrict Eligibility (JRE) requests, Request for Proposals (RFPs), and Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) which reflect Federal and USAID regulations, policies, and procedures governing A&A instruments, as applicable. Determine adequacy and choice of evaluation criteria, type of mechanism, the extent and mechanisms of advertising solicitation documents, the appropriateness of the time permitted for proposal or application preparation, the need for a pre-solicitation or pre-proposal conference, and any special terms and conditions that may be required, particularly if their use would require a deviation from governing regulations. Issue amendments, when necessary, to clarify questions or correct errors. Control the flow of information from the Mission to the offering community during the proposal/application preparation stage, ensuring that all competition requirements are met and that the integrity of the procurement process is upheld. 6. Prepare the Technical Evaluation Committee Instructions/Selection Committee Instructions and provide guidance to the evaluation/selection committees regarding rules and procedures in conducting source selection. Analyze proposals/applications, ensuring compliance with all published evaluation criteria and factors and Federal and USAID regulations, policies, and procedures. Coordinate and provide expert guidance in the technical and cost evaluations. 7. Obtain pricing assistance as necessary and available and perform such cost evaluations as are necessary, reasonable, and appropriate to the circumstances. Document the results of these reviews in writing for use in source selection. Determine the need for further discussions. Prepare requests for confirmation of the results of the negotiation, including requests for proposal revisions, and revised financial or program plans, as applicable. Make competitive range determination recommendations to the cognizant CO/AO for competitively negotiated acquisitions. Take all reasonable steps necessary to determine the financial responsibility of any party to whom an award is expected to be made. This may include performing or requesting pre-award financial and program management reviews, as circumstances dictate or permit. 8. Prepare for the CO/AO’s signature the award documents, modifications, and administrative procurement documents that reflect the results of all discussions, any special needs of the project, and all required terms and conditions and applicable provisions and clauses. 9. Distribute award documents to relevant offices and provide all required notifications to unsuccessful offerors and applicants. 10. Provide notifications to U.S. Government award publication points (such as the Congressional Liaison Office and the Federal Business Opportunities). Provide debriefings when requested. b. Post Award Duties and Responsibilities: ‘1. Research issues contained in, and draft responses to, miscellaneous items of correspondence on a wide variety of A&A awards. Examples include, and are not limited to: subcontract consent requests, salary approvals, equipment approvals, etc. Perform procurement administration functions such as providing review, recommendation, and drafting of correspondence on administrative award approvals, and clarifying award terms and provisions to awardees and AORs/CORs. Monitor performance, as required by the terms and conditions of the award and by Agency policy; through report reviews, site visits, correspondence, and other mechanisms. Provide expert A&A guidance to Agency technical monitoring personnel to assist them in the performance of their programmatic duties and the avoidance of legal/contractual impropriety. Conduct post-award orientations to clarify issues on award requirements (eg. billing procedures, delivery schedules, terms and conditions of the award, reporting requirements, etc.), and work closely with the Financial Management Officer and Resident Legal Advisor to resolve issues associated with claimed costs, audit findings, fraud, disallowance of costs, organizational conflicts of interest, contractor/recipient personnel issues, headquarters/field office questions, and recommend corrective action to be taken o remedy situations when warranted. 2. Ensure that contractors submit required subcontracting plans, inventory reports, and quarterly financial reports. Responses to contractor performance reports, follow extension needs, follow funding needs, and ensure new requirements/clauses are incorporated in current awards as required and necessary. Disseminate performance reporting procedures to AOR/CORs and follow-up to ensure that reports are completed with input of contractors, cognizant Contracting Officer and AORs/CORs. Take appropriate action and prepare documentation on any issues that may arise in the course of performance, including changes, disputes, work stoppages, problems with Government Furnished Property or materials, changes in scope or direction, replacement of key personnel, failure to make acceptable progress, default, payment problems, or unacceptable performance/deliveries. 3. Working with the Financial Management Office (FMO), prepare responses to audit findings. Conduct desk audits of A&A instruments pursuant to Agency policy and procedures. Via the AOR/COR, ensure payment vouchers are processed in a timely manner and that outstanding invoice issues are resolved. Review procurement files to ensure that documents (such as, memorandum of negotiation, class justifications, and other relevant documentation) are included in procurement files and that the files are maintained in accordance with Agency policies and standards. Close out completed contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements in a timely manner following Agency procedures and prepare all relevant close-out documentation. Meet regularly with Mission offices to remain current on pending actions and issues. Work closely with Mission offices in developing procurement plans and responses to award implementation and administrative issues. Participate in special projects, as assigned, and contribute regularly to the office's participatory management structure. 4. The incumbent reviews completed official award files to determine that all contractual actions are satisfied, that no pending administrative actions remain, that all file documents are signed, that there are no litigation actions pending, and that the award file is ready to be administratively closed according to Agency policies and procedures. c. Additional Responsibilities: The Senior A&A Specialist may provide work guidance and/or supervise A&A staff/employees, thus the incumbent may provide administrative supervision, assign work, monitor workload, evaluate performance, monitor compliance with OAA training requirements for A&A, and establish training programs. Supervisory Relationship The incumbent will receive supervision from the Supervisory Contracting Officer. Supervisory Controls The incumbent will provide work guidance, training and supervision of up to four (4) CCN A&A staff, including mentoring, coaching, and implementation of continuous improvements that will ensure the office meets the needs of its customers. Also, the incumbent will provide mentoring, guidance and direction to AOR/CORs across the Mission. The work requested does not involve undue physical demands. However, the incumbent may be called upon to do site visits that may include overnight stays at remote sites without modern amenities. I.MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION a. Education A bachelor's degree or equivalent of a four-year US university degree (equivalency accreditation if a non US institution) in law, accounting, business/business administration, economics, finance, contract management, procurement, industrial management, marketing, or other related field is required. b. Prior Work Experience A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in the field of acquisition and assistance execution, administration, cost and price analysis, procurement planning, and analysis and evaluation of proposals is required, of which five or more years must be overseas experience working on complex pre-award, award, and post-award responsibilities in an international organization or USG agency. In addition, demonstrated experience in supervising, coaching and training acquisition and assistance staff is required. c. Language Proficiency Level IV (fluent) English skills are required with demonstrated fluency in both written and spoken English. d. Clearances The ability to obtain medical and security clearances (Public Trust level - with ability to obtain Secret level clearance if needed) in a timely manner is required. II. 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. Offerors who meet the minimum qualifications will be further evaluated, through their offer package, based on the factors listed below. Offerors must address each on a separate sheet describing specifically the experience, training, and/or education that s/he has relevant to each criterion. The committee may conduct interviews of the most highly ranked candidates before making a selection recommendation to the Selecting Official. The successful candidates will be selected based on a review of their qualifications, work experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities; interview (if deemed necessary); and the results of reference checks. The hiring panel may check references that have not been specifically identified by applicants and may check references before or after a candidate is interviewed. A. Education—10 points USAID will assess additional educational qualifications that increase the candidate’s competitiveness for the position, including achievement of advanced degrees in relevant fields of study such as law, accounting, economics, marketing, business administration, or other related field and additional training such as FAC-C certification that is pertinent to the specific duties and responsibilities for the position. B. Relevant Work Experience – 40 Points USAID will assess additional relevant work experience that increases the candidate’s competitiveness for the position, including working on complex pre-award, award, and post-award acquisition and assistance responsibilities in an international organization or USG agencies; supervising, coaching and training acquisition and assistance staff; and attainment of certifications or warrants equivalent to the U.S. Government Contracting Officer/Agreement Officer Warrants. C. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities – 20 Points Certification or substantial completion of certification requirements contract/agreement warrants equivalent to the Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Level II, or FAC-C Level III will be evaluated. Knowledge of U.S. Government acquisition and assistance regulations, policies and practices, including the FAR and relevant sections of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) will be assessed. In addition, USAID will evaluate applicant’s leadership and supervisory management skills, interpersonal skills, and demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with co-workers, , partners, and business and industry officials. The ability to exercise tact and diplomacy; to maintain strict confidentiality and high ethical standards relating to all areas of acquisition and assistance matters; to independently organize, prioritize, and follow through on all assignments in an efficient manner will be evaluated. A demonstrated ability to provide leadership and management while introducing innovations and best practices; demonstrated operational, analytical, and management skills, and experience in working in a team setting will be evaluated. D. Portfolio Management – 20 Points If a USPSC, the Applicant must have exercised a US Government issued Contracting/Agreement Officer warrant of $5 million or higher. Supervised or managed teams of at least five (5) A&A staff. Managed an A&A portfolio of more than $100 million. Managed, mentored, coached, guided, and trained seasoned and junior A&A staff and technical teams. Must have demonstrated experience working with diverse cultures and work environment. Demonstrated experience working in high volume, high visibility, politically sensitive environments, and a minimum of five (5) years overseas managing USG procurement activities. E. Communication and Computer Skills – 10 Points Applicant skills in oral and written communication in the English language, including the ability to obtain, evaluate, and interpret reports, and to effectively communicate organizational mission and policies to staff and partners will be evaluated. USAID will evaluate the applicant’s computer skills, including ease and skill in using MS-Office Suite of Applications and Google G Suite applications, and in using the internet to solve problems and conduct research on matters such as regulatory guidance and compliance. “USAID policy specifies that U.S. citizens or resident aliens (USNs) are preferred over third country nationals (TCNs). Therefore, USN and TCN offers will not be evaluated together. USAID will evaluate USN offers first and if the CO determines that there are no qualified USNs, only then will USAID evaluate TCN offers. Total possible points = 100 III. SUBMITTING AN OFFER DOCUMENTS REQUIRED AID 302-3, Offeror Information for Personal Services Contract Form Eligible offerors are required to complete and submit a hand-signed form AID 302-3, “Offeror Information For Personal Services Contracts”, available at the USAID website, on www.usaid.gov/forms. Offerors are required to sign and scan the certification at the end of the form. 2. Resume/Curriculum Vitae (maximum 3 pages) Offerors will submit a resume or curriculum vitae containing the following information: a. Personal Information: Full name, mailing address (with zip/postal code), email address, day and evening phone numbers, and if applicable highest federal civilian grade held (also give job series and dates held); b. Education: date of diploma or GED; colleges and universities, name, city and state, majors, type and year of any degrees received (if no degree, show total credits earned and indicate whether semester or quarter hours); c. Work Experience: provide the following information for each of your paid and non-paid work experience related to the job for which you are applying: job title (include series and grade if federal job), duties and accomplishments (do not send job descriptions), employer’s 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. In addition, offerors should highlight or make special note of relevant significant awards and achievements. This may include information that was listed in the AID 302-3 form. 3. Appendix (maximum 3 pages) a. Supplemental document specifically addressing the selection factors listed in the solicitation. Include other pertinent information related to the qualifications required for the position, such as job-related training courses (title and year), job-related skills, job-related certificates and licenses (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). 4. Reference Persons (maximum 1 page) a. Offerors are required to provide five (5) reference persons who are not family members or relatives, with working telephones and email contacts. The references must be able to provide substantive information about the offeror's past performance and abilities. Reference checks will be made only for offerors considered as finalists. If an offeror does not wish for the current employer to be contacted as a reference check, this should be stated in the offeror’s AID 302-3 form and/or resume/cover page. The interviewing committee will delay such reference check pending communication with the offeror. SUBMISSION OF OFFER Offers must be submitted to the e-mail address: sbrowne@usaid.gov. jkemah@usaid.gov. Subject line of your e-mail should read: “SOL- Sr. A&A Specialist [your name]” E-mail attachments should be in Adobe Acrobat Reader format (.pdf) and/or Word format (.doc or .docx) Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3. V. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS PRIOR TO AWARD Once the Selecting Official (SO) informs the successful Offeror about being selected for the position advertised, the SO will provide the successful Offeror instructions about how to complete the following forms. Other additional forms may be required to be completed. DS 6561, Pre-Assignment for Overseas Duty for Non-Foreign Service Personnel. Found at http://www.state.gov/m/med/c35188.htm AID 6-1, Request for Security Action OF-306, Declaration of Federal Employment SF-86, Questionnaire for National Security Positions or SF-85, Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions SF-87, Finge...