Summary
Date Posted: Tuesday, May 31, 2022 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
The initial term of the contract will be five years, which shall include a probationary period of six months to a year. Employees who do not meet the required standards for their position during this probation period may be reassigned to another position or terminated at the convenience of the U.S. Government. Employees are expected to demonstrate qualifications and general suitability for continued employment during the probationary period. If with written justification, the probationary period may be extended for another period not exceeding six months

Statement of Duties:
• This position is established as Acquisition and Assistance Specialist “Ladder” position, which includes positions at the FSN-09, FSN-10, and the full performance
• At the full performance level, the CCN PSC will perform the following general duties:
• The Specialist (Full Performance Level/FPL) is responsible for providing professional level acquisition and assistance (A&A) support to Mission Technical Offices, DO Teams, and any designated regional clients. USAID programs are diverse and multi-sectoral.
• The Specialist is required to guide designated Technical Offices, and/or DO Teams, through acquisition and assistance processes to support a variety of activities.
• These activities are implemented through complex A&A mechanisms, including but not limited to purchase orders, competitively negotiated contracts, task orders, cooperative agreements, Interagency Agreements (IAA), and sole source or limited competition awards, requiring the Specialist to be expert with regard to the full range of USAID instruments.
• The Specialist coordinates the development of A&A objectives for assigned portfolios, taking primary responsibility for all phases of the A&A process for complex actions.
• The Specialist performs complete A&A transactions for complex activities.
• The Specialist provides guidance and mentoring to junior-level staff, trainees, procurement technicians, and assistants on basic principles of USG and USAID acquisition, assistance, general A&A management, A&A policy direction, new/changed procurement policies, etc., as required.
• The Specialist is eligible for temporary duty (TDY) travel to the US, or to other Missions abroad, to participate in the "Foreign Service National" Fellowship Program, in accordance with USAID policy.
• The Specialist (FPL) must fully understand the USG laws, regulations, policies, and procedures governing each type of A&A mechanism, and to apply these requirements to make recommendations to the supervisor regarding the appropriate instrument type for the situation at hand.
• The Specialist works independently in the selection of the appropriate A&A instrument types to meet the Mission’s needs, and accurately applies United States Government (USG) A&A laws, regulations, policies, and procedures governing each type of instrument.
• The Specialist has an advanced knowledge of the procedures for acquisition of goods, for managing personal services and non-personal services contracting actions, and managing and awarding assistance agreements.
• The Specialist (FPL) performs his/her assignments independently, seeking the guidance of the Contracting/Agreement Officer (CO/AO) for the most complex activities.
• The Specialist works directly with technical specialists/activity managers in DO Teams throughout the Mission and/or the Region, assisting in the preparation of annual A&A plans, clear and concise statements of work/statements of objectives/program descriptions, etc., and supporting documentation.
• The Specialist provides well supported guidance to technical specialists/activity managers pertaining to their A&A-related responsibilities and procedures.
• Pre-Award Duties: The Specialist assists the Technical/DO Teams with A&A planning and advises on the selection of the appropriate A&A mechanisms to achieve program objectives.
• The Specialist collects and analyzes data, and prepares and updates tracking tools in order to monitor pending actions; works with clients to assist in the preparation of justifications, waivers, deviations, and other necessary approvals, as needed; and reviews GLAAS Requisitions (REQs) for completeness and clarity before endorsing them to the CO/AO.
• The Specialist conducts pre-award activities for highly complex competitive solicitations, assisting technical personnel in the preparation of required descriptions of proposed activities, including SOWs, specifications, and program descriptions.
• The Specialist 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
• The Specialist works with the requiring office to develop evaluation criteria and determine the extent of advertising required. The Specialist prepares Requests for Proposal and Notices of Funding Opportunities for review by the CO/AO.
• The Specialist ensures compliance with FAR and AIDAR advertisement requirements, including publication of synopses and solicitations.
• The Specialist responds to offeror/applicant questions during the proposal submission phase; and determines the need for, and prepares, clarifying amendments as required for solicitation documents.
• As necessary, the Specialist holds pre-bid or consultative meetings with potential partners to fully explain the Agency’s needs, and discusses solicitation documents. The Specialist evaluates applications and offers for responsiveness to particular solicitations, guides DO Teams in the review of the applications or proposals, and obtains reports and references, ensuring that any past performance of the offeror is relevant and of a high quality.
• The Specialist develops pre-negotiation cost objectives for approval by the CO/AO. The Specialist performs analysis 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 a waiver/deviation. The Specialist analyzes cost proposals and technical scores from technical evaluation committees; and, based on the analysis, makes a recommendation to the Contracting Officer/Regional Contracting Officer to establish the competitive range.
• The Specialist negotiates with potential awardees; documents negotiations in writing; recommends the selected contractor/recipient; and prepares contract files to include making required certifications and determinations necessary for each A&A action.
• The Specialist leads pre-award assessment surveys of potential contractors or recipients, ensuring that offerors have adequate management, accounting, personnel, and procurement systems, and appropriate corporate leadership, resources, and quality control systems to satisfactorily carry out contracts, in order to ensure eligibility prior to an award being made.
• The Specialist prepares award documents that accurately reflect all discussions and provisions relevant to the type of award mechanism to be implemented.
• The Specialist organizes and conducts orientation meetings with selected contractors, to ensure that mobilization efforts will be conducted efficiently, and that all terms and conditions of A&A instruments are clear and well-understood by all parties.
• The Specialist provides support in debriefings to unsuccessful offerors.
• The Specialist monitors performance as required by the terms and conditions of the award, through reviews of performance and reviews of financial reports. The Specialist administers the awards in his/her assigned developmental portfolio, monitoring funding levels and preparing incremental funding modifications; works with CO/AO and CORs/AORs to assure targets/milestones are set and being met (or that remedial action is taken), and that the overall goals of the activity are met. The Specialist ensures timely submission of technical progress reports, and works with the COR to develop Contractor Performance Assessment Reports (CPARs) that are consistent with implementation progress and performance; makes periodic visits to contractor work sites, and represents the Office at performance related meetings; assists any client Missions to develop appropriate indicators for work plans and contract documents; ensures contractors are fully compliant with performance standards contained in the Contract, and seeks corrective action in cases of non-compliance; expedites Change Orders or revisions when circumstances require it; and, issues ‘show cause' or ‘cure notices,’ and/or recommends termination of contracts for default or for convenience, and negotiates termination settlements. The Specialist analyzes and takes action to resolve procurement system review and 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 presents documentation to the CO/AO
• The Specialist reviews completed (after physical completion) contract files to determine that all contractual 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 contract is complete in every respect and ready to be closed; and, ensures that contracts nearing anniversaries or completion have a completed performance report from the COR/AOR, and submits reports to the Contractor for comment. The Specialist conducts closeout of acquisition and assistance awards (i.e., contracts, task orders, grants, cooperative agreements) after completion. This includes ensuring contract audits are conducted in a timely manner, preparing performance documentation, and resolving outstanding issues noted in audits. The Position Descriptions for each level are attachments to this solicitation.

Minimum Qualifications Required for This Position
• Offers will be initially screened for compliance with application instructions and eligibility in accordance with the minimum qualification criteria listed below. To ensure compliance with the entire set of this solicitation instructions the offer package must be completed and signed–where indicated - and offerors must include in their offers information to demonstrate how their prior experience and/or training addresses the position grade FSN-09 Minimum Qualifications and Evaluation Factors listed below. Full Performance Level (FSN-11): a. Education: Possession of a Baccalaureate Degree or the equivalent of a four-year US college/university (or equivalency accreditation if a non-US institution) degree is required. Note: Additional education will NOT be substituted for Experience. b. Prior Work Experience: A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in acquisition and assistance, development assistance, or a position that requires closely related skills, such as program management, law, or financial management, is required. One year of this experience must have been gained working in a position equivalent to no less than the next lower level of FSN responsibility in this or an occupation that requires similar skills, within a USG organization, the Host Government, the private sector, or within an international or donor organization. Note: Additional experience will NOT be substituted for Education.
• Post Entry Training: In order to qualify at the FSN-11 level, the Specialist must be certified at the Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Level - 1, and have additionally completed USAID Essential Elements in Assistance and CON 237 Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP) or equivalent. FAC-C Level II & III courses may be provided, in person or on-line, over a period of time as a part of the continuing requirement for all A&A professionals to complete a minimum of eighty (80) Continuous Learning Points for every two-year period. In addition, the Specialist may be provided with formal or on-the-job training to keep abreast of changes in the ADS, FAR, CFR, OAA-Intranet, the AIDAR, and Office and Mission operating and administrative procedures. Off-site formal training, if considered necessary, will be provided based on availability of course offerings, and availability of funds. ATTACHMENT 1 Solicitation No: 72061722R10021
• Language Proficiency: ADS 438 and Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) Level 4 (advanced professional proficiency, speaking and reading; see https://www.govtilr.org/) English and local language proficiency (if appropriate), both oral and written, is required.
• Job Knowledge: Knowledge of public and/or private-sector business processes is required. Professional level knowledge of USG A&A regulations and policies, and/or knowledge and understanding of how to execute and administer a complex acquisition and assistance portfolio is required, particularly as it relates to acquisition through methods of negotiation, sealed bidding, simplified acquisition procedures, and that result in standard and established contract types. A professional level of knowledge of host-country and regional markets pertaining to program/project/activity requirements for services and commodities, and a good knowledge and understanding of US/local market and pricing methods is required.

Skills and Abilities:
• The ability to independently plan and administer complex A&A activities and provide A&A support for Agency programs and projects in a timely manner, is required.
• The ability to apply contracting and assistance regulations, procedures, and policies to complex acquisition and assistance programs, is required. Ability to manage the competition phase of new agreements and contracts and to perform cost or price analysis in both a competitive and non-competitive environment is required.
• Skill in solving practical problems relating to A&A is required.
• An ability to deal effectively with mid- to high-level representatives of the US, local, and Regional business community, and with colleagues in USAID Missions and/or host governments throughout the Region, is required. Skill in the use of most elements of the Microsoft Business suite is required. Good analytical, negotiating, and time management skills, along with strong proofreading skills and attention to detail, are required.

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 60

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Job application procedure
Offers must be submitted as detailed in Section IV of the solicitation document and shall include:
A typed and signed (hand or electronic signature) (around Section 6 – Declaration) DS-174 Employment Application for Locally Employed Staff or Family Member (https://eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds174.pdf; Version Exp. 06/2022).
Cover letter (addressed to the USAID Supervisory Executive Officer) clearly indicating the position for which you are applying and describing how you meet the minimum requirements.
Completed curriculum vitae/resume as detailed in the solicitation document.
Supplemental [separate] document specifically addressing each QRF as outlined in the solicitation.
Copies of Academic Transcripts.
All offers must be e-mailed to: kampalausaidjobs@usaid.gov  on or before June 21, 2022:4:45 PM local time.
Offers should be in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). No other file types will be accepted. All documents should be scanned into one (1) document (one (1) ATTACHMENT) which should not exceed 10MB.

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