USAID Systems Strengthening Advisor Job Vacancy in Monrovia, Liberia

ATTACHMENT 1:
Solicitation

SOLICITATION NUMBER:
SOL-669-11-000006
ISSUANCE DATE: November 21, 2011
CLOSING DATE/TIME: January 21,
2012 / 4PM Local time
POSITION TITLE: Systems
Strengthening Advisor, USAID/Liberia
MARKET VALUE OF POSITION (Base
Pay): GS-14. ($84,697 – $110,104). Salary to be paid within this grade
will depend on experience, qualifications, and salary history. The
standard compensation package also includes a contribution for life and
health insurance and a contribution to FICA. If the selected candidate
qualifies as an off-shore hire under USAID regulations, the employee will
additionally receive post differential approved for Monrovia, Liberia
(currently set at 30%), post allowance, housing, international travel,
UAB, HHE, consumables and POV shipment benefits.
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: One year,
to start on or about March, 2012 with the possibility of extensions.
Extensions will depend on the need for continuation of such services,
availability of funds, and satisfactory performance.
AREA OF CONSIDERATION: U.S.
Citizens/ Third Country Nationals
PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Based in
Monrovia, Liberia

JOB DESCRIPTION:

A. STATEMENT OF WORK

I. OVERVIEW

As the largest
bilateral donor in Liberia, USAID works closely with the Government of Liberia
(GOL) and strives to align program priorities with the country’s priorities and
goals. The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW) has recently finalized
Liberia’s ten-year health policy and plan (2011-2021), which will feed into the
next Poverty Reduction Strategy. USAID/Liberia has been providing technical
assistance and inputs to develop this plan, which will focus on providing an
Essential Package of Health Services (EPHS) to all Liberians and strengthening
the health system building blocks.

Health system
weaknesses in Liberia continue to negatively impact efforts aimed at improving
disease-specific health outcomes. USAID/Liberia concentrates on several key
health systems areas in its work, including human resources, financing, supply
chain management, and the health management information system (HMIS). Across
these areas, USAID collaborates closely with GOL to strengthen policies and
implementation in coordination with other donors.

Financing the health
system in Liberia continues to be a difficulty, and donor support finances the
bulk of all primary and secondary service delivery. Approximately 6.7% of the
overall GOL budget is allocated to the MOHSW; however, the overall health
sector expenses far exceed this $25 million – which covers roughly 25% of the
overall health costs. The donor community covers approximately 40%, and private
out-of-pocket expenditures account for the remaining 35% of total health
expenditures. Improved health financing is critical to Liberia’s ability to
make and sustain gains in health outcomes. With the new 10-year national health
policy, the MOHSW is maintaining the temporary elimination of user fees until
2013, while initiating work to increase resource mobilization, improve
allocation, and increase efficiency of utilization.

USAID/Liberia is
committed to country ownership and country-led development. Over the next
several years, USAID will begin to direct funds to the MOHSW to contract
international and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to implement
jointly designed activities, a function that has previously been supported
through intermediary USAID bilateral projects.

Water, sanitation,
and hygiene (WASH) remains a challenge for Liberia and its citizens. Incidence
of diarrheal disease is high, and access to improved water and sanitation is
low. USAID’s health program includes substantial support for WASH activities in
Liberia. During 2011, USAID will manage two multi-year water projects aimed at
improving WASH in rural and urban areas with measurable results in reducing the
burden of disease and the impact of illness (particularly on women and girls).
This assistance will contribute to building GOL capacity and strengthening
coordination plans for improved WASH. While the rural project focuses on
household and community level training and WASH promotion, the upcoming urban
project will improve municipal water supplies through support to GOL and water
system operating entities in three major secondary cities.

B. Position Objective
and Principal Tasks:

The objective of this
contract is to obtain the services of a Systems Strengthening Advisor to
provide technical support to the USAID/Liberia Health Office for the
implementation of health systems and institution strengthening activities,
including support for new models of financing healthcare and water services,
strategies to improve Human Resource management, and organizational development
of host institutions for health care delivery, as well as water supply service
and infrastructure operation and maintenance.

The Systems
Strengthening Advisor will provide technical direction and guidance to
USAID-financed activities within the health portfolio around health and water
systems strengthening. S/he will have broad responsibilities for planning and
managing USAID-financed programs including collaborating on strategic planning
and activity design, development of program descriptions, oversight of work
plan development and activity implementation, periodic review of financial
performance, and monitoring and evaluation of programs and activities that
contribute to USAID’s health portfolio.

This incumbent will
also support and advise USAID/Liberia’s WASH portfolio.

S/he will be
responsible for working closely with the MOHSW, Ministry of Public Works, and
the Liberia Water and Sewer Cooperation (LWSC) on WASH activities, as well as
general capacity building and support. The Systems Strengthening Advisor will
be the COTR for the Municipal Water Project and will collaborate closely with
GOL, as well as with local and international NGOs and private sector
institutions implementing activities in the health and water sector.

S/he shall ensure
coordination with other bilateral and multilateral donors working in the health
and water sector in Liberia, as well as other U.S. Government (USG) entities
working in the country. Additionally, the incumbent shall liaise with technical
and administrative backstops in USAID/Washington as necessary.

As a technical member
of USAID/Liberia’s Health Office, the incumbent is expected to work closely
with various sub-sectoral teams in the Mission to plan and implement a broad
range of programs. The incumbent will have broad latitude in exercising
judgment and is responsible for carrying out the function of this position according
to USG policies, professional knowledge, and operational best practices. The
incumbent will report to USAID/Liberia’s Health Office Director or designee.

The incumbent is
expected to respond flexibly and capably to a wide-range of work-related requirements
including Washington policy and operational requests and ad hoc assignments as
dictated by unforeseen operational requirements at the discretion of the Health
Office Director.

C. Duties and
Responsibilities:

The incumbent will
fulfill a range of supervisory and oversight responsibilities, including
program management and implementation, analytical, evaluative and a broad scope
of administrative duties. Program management duties include technical
leadership, as well as effective and efficient oversight and monitoring to
ensure program performance, objectives and results are achieved in accordance
to work plans and formal agreements. This includes stewardship over financial
and other resources. The program management responsibility requires continued/regular
contact with implementing partners (both contractors and grantees), GOL
institutions and officials, civil society organizations, private and corporate
sector partners, and donors.

The responsibilities
of the Systems Strengthening Advisor are prioritized as follows:

Health Systems and WASH Strategy
Support (40%)

Support MOHSW to make more rapid,
visible progress in health financing and other systems to improve equity,
accountability, and health outcomes.
Guide the development and
implementation of USAID’s ongoing strategies to support key health
systems.
Lead efforts to assess and address
policy and institutional constraints that affect access and use of water
in Liberia and identify priority issues requiring policy reform, such as
utility reform, institutional strengthening, benchmarking, and regulatory
reform.
Identify and coordinate among the
various USG and internal USAID water and sanitation-related activities and
players. Actively engage with government, other donors and organizations
involved in the sector within Liberia in order to promote collaborative
planning toward long term sustainable solutions.
Compile, analyze, and disseminate
reports to USAID mission staff and USAID/Washington on health systems,
health financing, and WASH issues and accomplishments.

Partner
Relationships (30%)

Advise and collaborate with senior
government officials on important implementation and policy issues related
to health financing, health service delivery, and health systems
strengthening. Contribute expertise and guidance to MOHSW and County
Health and Social Welfare Teams (CHSWTs) to strengthen systems necessary
for implementing USAID-funded activities.
Establish and maintain productive
collaborative relationships with a wide range of partners and
stakeholders, the MOHSW, county governments, WHO, other donors, and NGOs
to effectively assure that USAID’s activities are collaborative and
complementary.
Coordinate technical assistance to
provide a supportive legal and policy environment that enables public
health programs to operate at a high level of service.
Participate and contribute to
technical and coordination meetings hosted by the MOH and other partners.
Develop and implement strategies
for improved networking by partners and sharing of best practices learned
in the course of implementing health activities, in order to accelerate
program implementation and impact.

Program
Management and Oversight (30%)

Monitor financial, logistical and
reporting aspects of USAID-supported programs, assuring compliance with
USAID legal and reporting requirements.
Supervise the design and
implementation of water programs and activities with the goal of ensuring
that program design and implementation will achieve planned results and
USAID goals. o This includes preparing statements of work or program
descriptions, requests for proposals/applications, Acquisition and
Assistance requests, decision memos, Congressional Notifications,
inter-agency agreement letters, etc.
Complete certification
requirements and become an AOTR (Agreement Officer’s Technical
Representative) or COTR (Contract Officer’s Technical Representative) for
the Municipal Water project and other projects that may be assigned as
needed.
Ensure program implementation achieves
planned results, document developmental impacts and resolve any
implementation issues in an efficient and professional manner. This
includes reviewing quarterly and annual program and financial reports from
program partners, paying particular attention to the data pertaining to:

o
Activity performance indicators as identified within the Performance Management
Plan (PMP) and Operational Plan;

o
Program objectives achievement, methodology and lessons learned paying
particular attention to inputs, output and expected outcomes including
economic, social, cultural, and technical factors;

o Financial indicators (e.g., expenditures,
burn rate/pipeline analysis and congruity of expenditures against activities;
and

o
Incremental funding needs.

Work closely with USAID Engineers
to approve design and engineering documents for construction or repair of
water supply capital works.
Participate in, coordinate, and
manage evaluations and assessments that are conducted in conjunction with
GOL, international organizations, and/or other donors. Work closely with
the USAID Liberia Office of Financial Management to review and assess
monthly accruals and disbursements, and track funding pipelines to ensure
compliance with the ADS guidelines. D. Position Title of Direct Supervisor:
Health Office Director, USAID/Liberia (or designee) E. Supervisory
Controls: The incumbent may supervise FSN health program managers as
needed.

II.
QUALIFICATIONS:

In
order to be considered for this position, a candidate must meet the Required Minimum
Qualifications listed below. Consideration and selection will be based on panel
evaluation of the Required Minimum Qualifications and Evaluation Factors.
Additionally, interviews and writing samples may be requested. Applicants are
encouraged to address each of the criteria on a separate sheet describing
specifically and accurately what experience, training, education, or awards
that are relevant to each. Failure to address the minimum qualifications and
evaluation factors may result in your not receiving credit for all pertinent
experience, education, training, and awards.

Required
Minimum Qualifications:

A graduate degree in a relevant
field – e.g. public health, public administration, or management with a
concentration of public health, international health, or water supply
engineering.
Minimum 8 years progressively
responsible experience working for a U.S. Government Agency or a
development organization, of which at least 3 years served in a developing
country context supporting health and development programs. Experience
with health systems strengthening, innovative health financing, and/or
water, sanitation and hygiene preferred.
Written and spoken fluency in
English is required.
Familiarity with US government
initiatives and legislation relating to development assistance, USAID
programming policies, regulations, procedures, and documentation
requirements for strategy and project design, implementation, management,
and evaluation.

III.
EVALUATION FACTORS
Candidates will be evaluated and ranked based on the following selection
criteria:

A.
Education (20 points) 1. Minimum of a Master’s Degree in public health, public
administration/policy, management, international development, or other related
field of study.

B.
Work Experience (40 points):
1. Minimum of eight years of progressively responsible experience in designing,
implementing and managing health system strengthening programs; at least three
years of this experience in a developing country context supporting health and
development programs focusing on WASH, Health Financing, Health Information
Systems, or Human Resource Development. Preference will be given to candidates
with experience in Africa on systems strengthening, institutional or
organizational development, or water supply and utility services management.

2.
Demonstrated experience with an international organization or donor agency.
Familiarity with USG policies would be preferred.

3.
Demonstrated experience working with developing country policy makers, program
managers, and health service providers.

4.
Demonstrated technical leadership, strategic planning, policy experience and
problem solving skills working on complex projects in a highly sensitive
environment.

C.
Abilities and Skills (40 points)

1.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills including ability to collaborate
with host-country officials in program implementation and interact with
partners, contractors and other stakeholders at senior levels.

2.
Ability to facilitate meetings and make oral presentations logically and
persuasively to senior officials and partners in a multi-cultural context.

3.
Ability to work effectively in a team environment and communicate highly
technical health information to both health and non-health audiences, and
achieve consensus on policy, project, research, and administrative matters. 4.
Strong computer, verbal, and writing skills required. Must be fluent in English
and have proven ability to communicate quickly, clearly, and concisely in both
speech and writing.

Maximum
Points Available: 100

ATTACHMENT
2: PSC Contractor Benefits (As allowable under applicable regulations)

AS
A MATTER OF POLICY, AND AS APPROPRIATE, AN INDIVIDUAL MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS
OF OFFSHORE HIRE USPSC IS NORMALLY AUTHORIZED THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS:

Benefits a. Employee’s FICA
Contribution b. Contribution toward Health & Life Insurance i. –72%
of Health Insurance Annual Premium (not to exceed $20,339.00 for a family
and $7,266.00 for employees without dependents) ii. –50% of Life
Insurance Annual Premium (not to exceed $500) c. Vacation & Sick
Leave
Allowances* (If Applicable): As a
matter of policy, and as appropriate, an offshore/ USPSC is normally
authorized the following allowances:

a.
Post Differential (Section 500)

b.
Living Quarters Allowance (Section 130)

c.
Temporary Lodging Allowance (Section 120)

d.
Post Allowance (COLA)(Section 220)

e.
Supplemental Post Allowance (Section 230)

f.
Payments During Evacuation (Section 600)

g.
Education Allowance (Section 270)

h. Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section
260)

i.
Danger Pay (Section 650)

j. Educational Travel (Section 280)

*
Dept. of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR) (Government Civilians Foreign
Areas).

Federal Taxes: USPSCs are not
exempt from payment of Federal Income taxes.
List of REQUIRED Forms for USPSCs

a.
Optional Form 612. (U.S. Government Optional Form 612 is available at the USAID
web site, http://www.usaid.gov/procurement_bus_opp/procurement/forms
or internet http://fillform.gsa.gov , or at USG
offices.)

Forms
(b) through (e) shall be completed only upon the advice of the Contracting
Officer that an applicant is the successful candidate for the position.

b.
Medical History and Examination (DS-1843).

c.
Questionnaire for Sensitive Positions (for National Security) (SF-86), or
d. Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85).

e.
Finger Print Card (FD-258). (NOTE: Form is available from the requirements
office.)

Contract Information Bulletins
(CIBs.) and Acquisition and Assistance Policy Directives (AAPDs) Pertaining
to PSCs

CIBs
and AAPDs 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/psc_solicitations.html
to determine which CIBS and AAPDs apply
to this contract.

How to apply:

RFP No.
SOL-669-11-000006

ISSUANCE DATE: November 21, 2011 CLOSING DATE: January 21, 2012

SUBJECT: Solicitation
for Personal Services Contractor (PSC) – Systems Strengthening Advisor,
USAID/Liberia

To All Interested
Applicants:

The United States
Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID), is seeking proposals (Optional Form 612’s) from U.S. citizens/ Third
Country Nationals interested in providing the PSC services described in the
attached.

Submissions shall be
in accordance with the attached information and delivered to the undersigned in
Monrovia, Liberia at the place and by the time specified. Email submissions
shall be sent to: Monrovia-HR@usaid.gov.

Applications should include salary
history for the prior three years and the names and contact points
(telephone/fax numbers, email addresses) for at least two references with
knowledge of the applicant’s prior work skills). To ensure delivery by the due
date it is recommended that applications be sent in as email attachments. Late
applications may be considered in USAID’s sole discretion. The award of a
contract hereunder is subject to the availability of funds.

Only short listed candidates
will be contacted. Any questions regarding this position should be directed to
Monrovia-HR@usaid.gov

Applicants should
retain for their record copies of all enclosures which accompany their
applications.

Sincerely,

Magdalena Maxwell
Executive Officer USAID/Liberia