Inactive

1. General Statement of Purpose of the Contract The Office of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA) plays a pivotal role in the successful execution of USAID/Mali Development Goals and Objectives through t... 1. General Statement of Purpose of the Contract The Office of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA) plays a pivotal role in the successful execution of USAID/Mali Development Goals and Objectives through the planning, solicitation, award and administration of contracts and agreements. OAA staff normally includes a stationed and warranted Contracting/Agreement Officer (USDH), Cooperating Country Nationals (CCNPSC) and a Third Country National (TCNPSC), all of whom work with the technical teams to develop, award and administer programs. This Contracting Officer (USPSC) is the primary/lead Contracting official assisting USAID/Mali Development Objective Teams (DOTs) with achieving implementation results and DO goals and objectives. The incumbent works independently on activity design and implementation of A&A assignments and is responsible for a wide range of A&A actions of all types. The incumbent must be able to apply professional procurement skills for any sector/program and will be expected to fulfill a leadership, training and supervisory role for USAID/Mali CCN employees. The incumbent is also required to work with multiple U.S. and host government entities and cross-cultural issues. The Contracting Officer is the team leader for acquisition and assistance actions within the Mali Office of Acquisition and Assistance, in the absence of the USDH CO position. The incumbent is a crucial player for assisting USAID/Mali Office of Acquisition and Assistance. The incumbent is readily able to apply comprehensive US Government contracting experience (either directly or via private industry experience performing US Government contracts at the prime and/or subcontract level) to a full range of Acquisition and Assistance challenges. The incumbent does this by applying high-level Acquisition and Assistance knowledge, skills and abilities while working as independently as possible on activity design and implementation related to Acquisition and Assistance assignments. Responsibilities involve a wide range of Acquisition and Assistance actions, including a preponderance of complex actions, e.g., term, award fee or completion cost type contracts, task orders, international and interagency agreements, grants and cooperative agreements. The incumbent is responsible for all pre-award and post-award functions involving highly complex negotiated procurements of significant importance to the Agency. Requirements of the contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and inter-agency agreements are typically highly specialized and involve complex systems or sensitive international programs. USAID/Mali has a varied and complex country program having multi-million-dollar Acquisition and Assistance actions, very complex multi-sector programs with numerous projects, high funding levels and significant infrastructure work. Besides being able to apply professional procurement skills through all manner of Acquisition and Assistance instruments, the incumbent will be expected to deal with multiple US and host government entities, and the complexities of cross-cultural business dealings. 2. Statement of Duties to be Performed a. The CO provides master-level acquisition and assistance planning advice and guidance to USAID/Mali Technical Offices, including advice on A&A policy and procedures in the design and implementation of Mission activities. The CO coordinates the development of A&A objectives for assigned portfolios in terms of potential implementing partner (IP) organizations, competitive issues, and socioeconomic issues, and identifies and constructs appropriate contract and/or grant instruments. Ensures A&A plans are current, have appropriate milestones, and related schedules are adequate. Alerts mission management of specific problems or anticipated needs and provides guidance on forthcoming actions or recommendations. b. The CO reviews GLAAS Requisitions (REQs) requesting acquisition and assistance awards for major and complex programs/projects/activities and/or services. The CO analyzes requirements, and determines instrument selection or approach, if SOWs or other PDs are complete, and if the request meets FAR, AIDAR, ADS, CFR, and/or other Mission, Agency, or USG policies; ensures that necessary Mission clearances have been obtained, and that waivers and other supporting documentation are complete; recommends revisions regarding SOWs or PDs, budgets, classification of terms, reporting requirements, and any special conditions, and ensures that required performance indicators are developed and included in the initial Request for Proposal or Request for Application; and, develops solicitation documentation in accordance with all appropriate regulations, selects and includes correct required clauses or provisions, and transmits solicitations for proposals or applications using Internet-based technology. The CO responds to offeror or applicant questions during the solicitation phase; and determines the need for, and prepares, clarifying amendments as required for solicitation documents. As necessary, the CO holds pre-bid or consultative meetings with partners to fully explain the Agency and partner needs, and to discuss solicitation documents. The CO applies a high degree of judgment and analysis when deciding among and between competing and often conflicting regulations and objectives, where the activities involved include multi-million-dollar issues, often with significant political and/or legal implications. c. The CO evaluates offers and applications for responsiveness to solicitations and documents the relative strengths and deficiencies of each proposal or application; guides technical office staff and A&A staff in the practice of 'best value' selection, and in performance-based technical approaches (if applicable); and obtains reports and references, ensuring that past performance of the offerors and applicants is relevant and reliable. The CO ensures that partners have adequate management, accounting, personnel, and procurement systems, and appropriate corporate leadership, resources, and quality control systems to satisfactorily carry out awards. The CO requests audit reports or pre-award surveys from the Office of the Inspector General, and/or the Defense Contract Audit Agency, and obtains clearance from the Department of Labor and/or the Small Business Administration on a variety of EEO and workplace issues. The CO analyzes cost proposals and technical scores from technical evaluation committees; and, based on the analyses, establishes the competitive range when appropriate. The CO performs analyses of cost issues, considering economic conditions and factors of material, labor, and transportation costs; examines cost and pricing data submitted by offerors to substantiate direct and indirect costs and profit; determines reasonableness of costs submitted; ensures data provided is consistent with USAID requirements on eligible geographic sources, and that salary structures are consistent with Agency policy; and identifies circumstances that may require waivers. The CO coordinates issues of technical weakness and excessive cost with technical evaluation committee members prior to commencement of negotiations; and clarifies, and as necessary, instructs the members of technical evaluation committees on the USAID selection process. The CO designs the negotiation strategy, identifies areas subject to negotiation, and consults with technical specialists concerning data submitted by offerors; conducts extensive negotiations on cost and technical issues prior to award, presenting USAID issues of concern, and persuading offerors to upgrade technical deficiencies and reduce costs; requests submission of revised final proposals; coordinates the last stages of selection with technical office staff and/or the technical evaluation committee(s); and prepares appropriate contract instruments for award; negotiates grants and cooperative agreements with US-based and local PVOs and NGOs, colleges and universities, and other non-profit organizations; analyzes transactions to ensure compliance with Agency cost-sharing and registration policies, as well as local laws governing status; and, coordinates contracting activities with other government agencies, frequently negotiating and drafting interagency agreements. The CO executes award decisions, with all the appropriate supporting documentation, including the development of appropriate performance indicators, in conjunction technical teams; and organizes and conducts orientation meetings with selected contractors and recipients, to ensure that mobilization efforts will be conducted efficiently, and that all terms and conditions of awards are clear and well-understood by all parties. The CO provides support debriefings to unsuccessful offerors and feedback to unsuccessful applicants. d. The CO monitors award performance in relation to the completion schedule required by the contract or assistance instrument; ensures timely submission of technical progress reports, making periodic visits to awardee work sites, and representing the contracting office at performance-related meetings held by other Mission Offices; assists clients to develop appropriate indicators for work plans and award documents; ensures awardees are fully compliant with performance standards contained in the award, and seeks corrective action in cases of non-compliance; expedites change orders or revisions when circumstances require; and, issues ‘show cause' or ‘cure notices,’ and/or recommends termination of contracts for default or for convenience, and negotiates termination settlements. e. The CO analyzes, and takes action to resolve, audit findings, such as cost items questioned or unresolved; supports recommendations with detailed analysis of each cost, category, or element as necessary; prepares necessary documents to resolve all aspects of audits, questioned or ineligible costs, and accounting issues; and makes determinations as appropriate. The CO reviews completed (after full performance) award files to determine that all terms and conditions actions are satisfied, and that there are no pending administrative actions to be resolved; ensures that all file documents are signed, that there are no litigation actions pending, and that the award is complete in every respect and ready to be closed; and, ensures that awards nearing annual anniversaries or final completion have a completed performance report from the COR/AOR, and submits reports to the awardee for comment. f. The CO provides training, guidance and mentoring to A&A staff on basic principles of USG and USAID acquisition and assistance, general procurement management, procurement policy direction, new/changed procurement policies, etc., as required. g. As required, the CO may be called upon to provide information and advice to the technical offices and Mission management on critical A&A issues, or on the effect of new or revised USG, USAID, or host-country requirements. The CO attends key Mission meetings on behalf of OAA.