SOLICITATION NUMBER/VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT: 72069522R100001

ISSUANCE DATE: August 24, 2022

CLOSING DATE/TIME: September 14, 2022/4:00 p.m. (CAT)

SUBJECT:   Solicitation for a Cooperating Country National Personal Service Contractor

Dear Prospective Offerors:

The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking offers from qualified persons to provide personal services under contract as described in this solicitation.

Offers must be in accordance with Attachment 1 of this solicitation.  Incomplete or unsigned offers will not be considered. Offerors should retain copies of all offer materials for their records.

This solicitation in no way obligates USAID to award a PSC contract, nor does it commit USAID to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of the offers.

Any questions must be directed in writing to the Point of Contact specified in the Attached 1.

Sincerely,

Molly Steinbauer

Supervisory Executive Officer

and Contracting Officer

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. SOLICITATION NO.: 72069522R100001
2. ISSUANCE DATE: August 24, 2022
3. CLOSING DATE AND TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: September 14, 2022/4:00 p.m. (CAT)
4. POINT OF CONTACT: Human Resource Office, e-mail usaidburundihr@usaid.gov.

5. POSITION TITLE: Administrative Assistant
6. MARKET VALUE: 35,493,602 to 56,789,772 Burundi Francs equivalent to FSN-08 in accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan for the U.S. government agencies in Burundi. Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.
7. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Employment under this contract is of a continuing nature utilizing a five-year contract as the hiring mechanism.  Its duration is expected to be a series of sequential contracts; all contract provisions, clauses and regulatory requirements concerning availability of funds shall apply.
8. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Bujumbura, Burundi with possible travel as stated in the Statement of Duties.
9. ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: Open to All Interested CCN (Cooperating Country National) Candidates. Cooperating Country Nationals as defined in AIDAR, Appendix J, Section (1)(7) “Cooperating country national” (“CCN”) means an individual who is a cooperating country citizen, or a non-cooperating country citizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the cooperating country.”NOTE: All applicants must reside in Burundi and have the required work and/or residency permits to be eligible for consideration.
10. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Facility Access / Employment Authorization

11. STATEMENT OF DUTIES

1. General Statement of Purpose of the Contract

The Administrative Assistant is located in the Office of the Country Representative. The Administrative Assistant serves as the personal assistant to the Country Representative, operating independently of any other position in the performance of the full range of secretarial, protocol, and administrative functions essential to the efficient operation of the Mission’s Front Office.

The Administrative Assistant is the primary contact person responsible for the Mission’s Front Office customer service to internal and external partners and other stakeholders, including Mission staff, contractors and grantees and potential contractors and grantees, Implementing Partners (IPs), host-government officials, the Embassy, USAID/Washington, and other customers. In this capacity, the Administrative Assistant is responsible for coordinating information about the USAID Mission and making sure that information gets to customers on a timely basis and in a professional manner.

2. Statement of Duties to be Performed

Serves as Administrative Assistant and personal assistant for the Country Representative, providing the following representative administrative support services: maintains Front Office calendar(s); organizes meetings as directed, ensures Offices scheduling meetings for the Country Representative provide sufficient background and other necessary information for meetings, and sends out meeting notices; makes regular travel arrangements, prepares trip requests, vehicle requests, and travel vouchers; composes complex non-technical correspondence, including reviewing and preparing official responses to unsolicited proposals, as required; researches and assembles information for various reports, briefings, and conferences; prepares routine reports, briefings, presentations, and analyses; follows up with Mission staff members to ensure that various commitments are met; edits written products prepared by or provided to the Front Office; and, on occasion participates on field trips and out-of-office meetings. 60%

Performs a variety of administrative and procedural duties, including providing telephone, receptionist, and protocol services for the Front Office; orders expendable supplies for the Office; files material and maintains the Front Office filing system; receives and controls incoming correspondence and communications; prepares requests for repair of office equipment and systems; and schedules the use of conference rooms in coordination with other Mission administrative staff. 20%

Manages arrangements for official USAID Receptions (tracking official representation funds). Reports and accounts for all expenses; develops invitation designs and ensures that invitations are distributed; maintains a record of acceptances on a master guest list; and, supervises service providers, as required. Prepares electronic country clearances (eCCs) and travel authorizations/vouchers for Front Office staff, and TDY guests of the Country Representative, and makes or follows up on hotel reservations and other arrangements, as required. 20%

The contractor is eligible for temporary duty (TDY) travel to the United States, or to other Missions abroad, to participate in the « Foreign Service National » Fellowship Program, in accordance with USAID policy.

3. Supervisory Relationship

The Administrative Assistant receives supervision from the Country Representative, and/or his/her designee, who provides assignments in terms of a discussion of the work to be performed and the Country Representative’s priorities. Most work occurs as a result of normal office operations, but special activities may be assigned at any time.

The Administrative Assistant independently plans and carries out assignments and is responsible for the accuracy of their personal work; work is normally reviewed in terms of results achieved, and in meeting Office objectives.

4. Supervisory Controls

Guidance may be provided to the Country Representative’s Chauffeur, and to administrative staff Mission wide.  However, continuing full supervision of other Mission staff is not contemplated.

12. PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

a. Education: Two or more years of post-secondary schooling in Secretarial Science or Business Administration, or other related field equivalent to a US junior college or community college diploma, is required.

b. Prior Work Experience: A minimum of five years of administrative or secretarial work experience, including experience gained in related work with a U.S. Government Agency, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), other donor organizations, host-government organizations, or private-sector institutions is required.

c. Post Entry Training: The Administrative Assistant will be provided familiarization training on USAID operations, and on specific regulations and procedures (such as records management, travel, and correspondence management). Additional training in-country may be provided from time to time, depending on course offerings and the availability of space and funds.

d. Language Proficiency: Level 4 (advanced professional proficiency) English and local language proficiency (if appropriate), both oral and written, is required.

e. Job Knowledge: The Administrative Assistant should have a general knowledge, or the ability to quickly gain such general knowledge, of USAID regulations and procedures, and of good office management practices; and, be knowledgeable, or able to quickly become knowledgeable, of overall USAID Front Office responsibilities and activities, as well as possess a very good knowledge of standard office procedures and practices. The Administrative Assistant to the Mission Director must have an excellent understanding of USG file management, mail handling, and correspondence formatting procedures.

f. Skills and Abilities: The Administrative Assistant must be proficient in keyboarding, including at least Level II typing ability (40 words per minute), and in operating computers with standard software, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other software programs as needed. The Administrative Assistant must be proficient in using the Internet and E-mail programs as designated. The Administrative Assistant must be proficient in using the Internet and E-mail.

III. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

The procedure for evaluating and ranking applications is outlined below.  Applicants will be scored based on the documentation provided with the application.  The applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to take a skills test.

1. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

The basic eligibility requirements for this position are:

• –  Authorized to work in Burundi;
• – Complete application submitted as outlined in section IV;
• – Eligible to attain clearance for Facility Access;
• – Cleared medically to work at USAID/Burundi;
• –  Available and willing to work additional hours beyond the established 40-hour workweek, including weekends, as may be required or necessary;
• –  Willing to travel to work sites and other offices as/when requested.

     2. EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS

After the closing date for receipt of applications, those that meet the minimum qualification requirements will be invited to take a skills test.  Applications from candidates who do not meet the minimum requirements will not be reviewed. Those who meet the minimum qualification will be referred to a technical evaluation committee (TEC).  The TEC will review and score the application based on the evaluation criteria outlined below. Candidates with competitive application scores will be invited for an interview and skills test.

         A. Application:                                         25 Points 

Extent to which the applicant has the education or training required to satisfy position elements, and quality of experience or skills necessary to successfully perform the work. The application review will be weighted as follows: Experience (10 points), Job Knowledge and Skills (15 points). (See II. b, e, f.) Candidates with superior scores from the application review will be invited to complete a skills test and participate in an interview.

          B. Skills test                                             25 points

          C. Interview:                                            50 Points

          D. Reference Check                               Pass/Fail

References of the finalists will be checked; applicant references must be able to provide substantive information about past performance and abilities. (If an applicant does not want a current employer contacted, please highlight such a request in the application cover letter. USAID will delay the checking of references pending the applicant’s concurrence.)

         Total Possible Points:                            100

IV. SUBMITTING AN OFFER

Eligible Offerors are required to complete and submit the offer form. A complete application package for this position will include:

1. Cover letter no longer than one page in length;
2. Application for US Federal Employment, form DS-174 (available on-line);
3. Current resume or curriculum vitae;
4. Any other documentation (e.g., essays, certificates, awards, and copies of degrees earned) that addresses the qualification requirements of the position as listed above.
5. Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3, and submitted to the Point of Contact in Section I.
6. Offeror submissions must clearly reference the Solicitation number on all offeror submitted documents.

V. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS PRIOR TO AWARD

1. The CO will provide instructions about how to complete and submit the following forms after an offeror is selected for the contract award:

• Pre-employment Medical Examination
• Form for Non-Sensitive Positions

2. Ensuring Adequate COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors – Please be advised that, upon award, the contractor will be required to follow the Mission policies and/or directives from the U.S. Department of State regarding COVID-19 requirements.

VI. BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES

As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances

• BENEFITS:

a. Health Insurance

b. Social Security insurance

c. Annual and Sick leave

d. Annual Bonus

e. Maternity Leave

f. Retirement Contribution

• ALLOWANCES (as applicable):

1. Housing Allowance
2. Transportation Allowance
3. Family Allowance
   
   
   VII. TAXES

The Mission emphasizes to its employees that they are obliged to observe all Burundi laws,

including those concerning income and related tax obligations. By international agreement,

payment of taxes is a matter between the individual employee and the Burundi government.

VIII. USAID REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND CONTRACT CLAUSES PERTAINING TO PSCs

USAID regulations and policies governing CCNPSC and TCNPSC awards are available at these sources:

1. USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR), Appendix J, “Direct USAID Contracts With a Cooperating Country National and with a Third Country National for Personal Services Abroad,” including contract clause “General Provisions,” available at https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf
2. Contract Cover Page form AID 309-1 available at https://www.usaid.gov/forms. Pricing by line item is to be determined upon contract award as described below: LINE ITEMS

3. Acquisition & Assistance Policy Directives/Contract Information Bulletins (AAPDs/CIBs) for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals available at http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs

[The CO must check http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs to determine which AAPDs/CIBs apply and insert the relevant AIDAR deviation or other policy text as applicable by the type of PSC.]

4. Ethical Conduct. By the acceptance of a USAID personal services contract as an individual, the contractor will be acknowledging receipt of the “Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch,” available from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, in accordance with General Provision 2 and 5 CFR 2635. See https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/OGE%20Regulations.
5. PSC Ombudsman
   The PSC Ombudsman serves as a resource for any Personal Services Contractor who has entered into a contract with the United States Agency for International Development and is available to provide clarity on their specific contract with the A Please visit our page for additional information: https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/personal-service-contracts-ombudsman.

The PSC Ombudsman may be contacted via: PSCOmbudsman@usaid.gov.