Vous n'êtes pas autorisé à imprimer cette page

❗ Notice:

La date limite de cette publication a été dépassée

SOLICITATION NUMBER/VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT:  72069523R00001

                        ISSUANCE DATE: October 18, 2022

CLOSING DATE/TIME: November 8, 2022, 4:00 p.m. (CAT)

 

SUBJECT:      Solicitation for a Cooperating Country National Personal Services Contractor (CCNPSC), Senior Budget Specialist.

Dear Prospective Offerors/Applicants:

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.

USAID will evaluate all offerors based on the stated evaluation criteria.  USAID encourages all individuals, including those from disadvantaged and under-represented groups, to respond to the solicitation.

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.: 72069523R00001

2. ISSUANCE DATE: October 18, 2022

3. CLOSING DATE AND TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: November 8, 2022, 4:00 p.m. Africa Central Time.

4. POINT OF CONTACT: Human Resource Office, e-mail at usaidburundihr@usaid.gov

5. POSITION TITLE: Senior Budget Specialist.

6. MARKET VALUE: 62,594,383 to 100,151,035 Burundi Francs equivalent to FSN-11

In accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of USAID/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.”

10. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED Facility Access / Employment Authorization

11. STATEMENT OF DUTIES

1. General Statement of Purpose of the Contract

The ‘Senior Budget and Financial Specialist’ is a key, and essential, position within the Burundi office, directing the management of all programs financial planning and reporting of the office’s development portfolio. The incumbent is responsible for leading, developing and managing USAID/Burundi’s program budget, including PEPFAR, as well as providing technical leadership to senior-level management, including high-level embassy staff, and guiding all staff on all aspects of budget planning, formulation, implementation, and tracking. In addition, the incumbent leads the program budget and financial management analyses, reporting, accrual assessment, and also leads the internal control assessment for USAID/Burundi (e.g., Federal manager’s financial integrity Act review, testing, reporting, and related certifications).

2. Statement of Duties to be Performed

Under the general guidance of the Supervisory Program Officer, the Senior Budget and Financial Specialist will use his or her budget and financial analysis knowledge, expertise, abilities, and experience to manage the following responsibilities.

A. Program Budget development, budget data management, and analysis 40%

Budget development

This position serves as the principal liaison between USAID/Burundi, USAID/Rwanda (which exercises authority over the Burundi program) and USAID/Washington on all matters relating to program budgeting. In this capacity and in collaboration with the Controller’s staff and technical offices, prepares and tracks overall Mission program budgets utilizing FACTS Info Next Gen and OPS Master.

The incumbent is also responsible for independently drafting and providing technical leadership on all budgetary documentation in the USAID/Burundi program cycle including budget planning documents, the Congressional Budget Justification, field support, operating year budget submissions, individual country narratives, and operational plan, mortgage, and pipeline analysis in compliance with the Agency’s forward funding guidelines. Leads budget formulation for USAID/Burundi projects and activities.

The incumbent is the sole developer of all materials for the Quarterly Financial Reviews (QFRs) and facilitates the review meetings. The incumbent drafts an action memo to the Mission Director (based in Rwanda) through the Burundi Country Representative in accordance with the relevant Mission orders with action items from the QFR and tracks the completion of action items. The incumbent reviews, comments on, and/or recommends amendments to USAID/Burundi Development Objective Grant Agreement (DOAG) with the Government of Burundi. The position holder provides the Supervisory Program Officer with guidance and advice on the most appropriate means of reprogramming funds to achieve greater development impact within USAID/Burundi. Analyzes and advises the Supervisory Program Officer of the potential effects of budgetary actions on program viability and attainment of program objectives.

 Budget data management

The incumbent serves as the OPS Master point of contact and manages the OPS Master database, a data management tool that tracks all USAID planned programming and expenditures within the Mission. The incumbent utilizes OPS Master to prepare for QFRs, respond to senior staff inquiries, and analyze pipeline issues. The incumbent manages the OPS Master database, ensuring that discrepancies are resolved, standardized queries are accurate, and data is updated on at least a monthly basis. Furthermore, the incumbent  provides one-on-one and group trainings to increase USAID/Burundi  staff members’ understanding and knowledge on budgetary procedures, policies, and practices.

Program Office Liaison with Senior Officials, including GOB

The incumbent produces accurate and timely written and presentation materials that reflect relevant views; highlight essential points and clearly explains the subject matter to a range of intended audiences, including senior management at USAID/Burundi, USAID/Rwanda, the U.S. Embassy Bujumbura (USEB), Washington DC, and Department of State’s (DOS) Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy (S/GAC).

The incumbent acts as the main communication link between USAID/Rwanda, USEB, Washington DC, and S/GAC on all matters relating to the mission program budget. The incumbent is also responsible for the execution of the DOAG and the DOAG and the obligation of funds under it or other legacy Bilateral Agreements, which serve as the bridge between activity designs and implementation and must be fully executed before implementation activities may begin. The incumbent participates in negotiations with senior USAID and sector-level personnel in GOB Ministries to obtain agreement on Development Objective achievement, budget levels, counterpart contributions, and changes requested by the two parties to ensure that new activities will be properly implemented. The incumbent      meets and briefs senior USG official visitors and accompanies them in various meetings with GOB senior officials as escort and interpreters. These efforts are all geared to furtherance of jointly agreed objectives between GOB and USAID.

B. PEPFAR Budget analysis 30%

The incumbent leads budget management and monitoring services, as well as guides Health team staff, for USAID/Burundi’s PEPFAR budget allocations, obligations, and disbursements. The incumbent also develops PEPFAR specific Quarterly Report on Obligations and Outlays; and leads the Budget component of the annual Country Operational Plan (COP) Process and quarterly PEPFAR Oversight and Accountability Response Team (POART) Process. These processes determine the budget for the next fiscal year.

The incumbent leads the completion of the End of Fiscal Year (EOFY) Tool that determines the amount of pipeline to be applied to the following COP Envelope. Performs tasks that support the USAID Office of HIV/AIDS (OHA) Budget team goals of being highly responsive and highly flexible with providing accurate and timely budget information for decision making at all levels of the organization.

The incumbent coordinates with the USAID/Burundi Health team in communications with the OHA Budget team based in Washington regarding PEPFAR Budgets; and works independently and collaboratively with the USAID/Burundi Health team, OHA Budget team and other PEPFAR      stakeholders to achieve successful results in the areas of PEPFAR budget planning, execution, and reporting.

C. Financial Analysis including Accruals, Reporting, Implementing Partner Financial Management Coordinator for Capacity Building and Financial Reviews as well as Internal Control Coordinator 25%

Accruals, Financial analysis, Reporting.

The incumbent leads program financial oversight, including pipeline analysis, accruals assessments. The incumbent is the primary contact for technical teams with the Office of Financial Management (OFM) in Kigali, Rwanda on program-related financial matters. As the primary financial analyst in the Burundi Office, the incumbent performs a full range of analytical and advisory services including financial analysis, reporting, budgeting, and assessments of grantee financial management systems capacity. On a quarterly basis, the incumbent downloads the accrual report and distributes the modified report to the Agreement Officer’s Representatives or Contracting Officer’s Representatives (AOR/CORs) for their computations along with a guidance memo. The incumbent schedules meetings to discuss methods of developing accruals; and in coordination with AOR/CORs verifies the accuracy and validity of accrued amounts. The incumbent assists with all documentation and processes in order to assure timely and accurate accruals, obligations, incremental funding actions, and program modifications. The incumbent performs a variety of special projects and other duties including participating in meetings with other donor organizations, USAID’s implementing partners, and Mission staff. The incumbent performs analysis of financial plans for current and proposed activities and makes recommendations and advises Mission senior level staff and the Controller on the general financial feasibility of current and proposed projects. Such reviews and analyses form the basis for the USAID Controller’s formal approval of proposed project financial plans in accordance with USAID Guidelines. The incumbent prepares fund cite memoranda and reviews program-related procurement actions.

Implementing Partner Financial Management Coordinator for Capacity Building and Financial Reviews; as well as Internal Control Coordinator

The incumbent prepares financial sections of project papers, agreements, implementation letters and other project documentation. The incumbent reviews and comments on financial information submitted by grantees in fulfillment of conditions precedent to disbursements of project funds or in compliance with periodic reporting requirements. The incumbent monitors financial progress during the life of the project to identify deficiencies, to determine if earlier deficiencies have been corrected and to resolve any financial difficulties revealed by evaluation. The incumbent leads financial management capacity building for USAID implementing partners and advises them on capacity enhancements strategies/actions, as well as coordinates pre-award surveys for potential local awards USAID/Burundi. The incumbent leads internal controls assessment at USAID/Burundi such as the annual FMFIA (Federal Managers’ Financial Integrity Act) review, testing, reporting, and related certifications. As such, the incumbent develops in consultation with OFM the presentation materials for the Management Control Review Committee (MCRC) meetings to review, leads the meeting as well as discuss findings and recommendations, and follow-up subsequent actions.

D. Staff assistance 5%

  • Carries out other specific duties relating to program planning, budget, and development, as assigned
  • Builds capacity among USAID staff on budget and financial management related issues including OPS Master, QFR processes, and budget planning and execution
  • Serves as the resource person to assist staff in preparation of program documents such as DOAG amendments, Implementation Letters, Reprogramming Memos and official correspondence on policy issues.
  • Monitors compliance with agreed commitments, drafting related letters for Country Representative and/or Mission Director’s signature.
  • Works closely with the Program Office’s Program Development Specialist and AOR/CORs to ensure data quality in financial documents, and the best match between program development and financing

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.

  1. Supervisory Relationship

Under general direction of the Supervisory Program Officer, the incumbent plans and carries out complex analytic and writing assignments with a high degree of independence. The incumbent meets regularly with the supervisor, Program Team, the USAID/Rwanda Controller, and senior staff to discuss office needs and work parameters. The incumbent exercises considerable latitude for independently monitoring and adjusting the USAID/Burundi Office Program Budget.

  1. Supervisory Controls

            Not applicable

 12. PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

a. Education: Must possess a bachelor’s degree in public policy/administration, finance, or a budget-related field required.

b. Prior Work Experience: A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in complex project management including professional budgeting and/or financial analysis is required. Ideally, this experience will include program planning and budgeting.

c. Post Entry Training: Relevant USAID virtual and in-person courses such as:           Introduction to the Program Cycle (IPC),Activity Design and Implementation (ADI),      OPS Master; Phoenix overview, the Global Acquisition & Assistance System (GLAAS) training, Budget and Resource Management Training (BRMT), and Financial Analysis (basic and advanced).

d. Language Proficiency: Level IV reading, speaking and writing in English and French are required. Level III speaking and writing in Kirundi is desirable.

e. Job Knowledge: Must be able to analyze financial and budget management systems and reports, identify practices and procedures which require modification, develop recommendations, and present findings in writing and/or orally in a clear, concise manner.

f. Skills and Abilities: Excellent ability to communicate effectively on specialized subjects with non-budget personnel is important. Excellent working knowledge of G Suite (Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides) or Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) is a must. Excellent communication (verbal and written) skills are critical. Exceptional interpersonal and leadership skills, tact and diplomacy, ability to work accurately under short deadlines, and in a diverse team environment are required.

g. Supervision Received: Under general direction of the Supervisory Program Officer, the incumbent plans and carries out complex analytic and writing assignments with a high degree of independence. The incumbent meets regularly with the supervisor, Program Team, the USAID/Rwanda Controller, and senior staff to discuss office needs and work parameters. The incumbent exercises considerable latitude for independently monitoring and adjusting the USAID/Burundi Office Program Budget.

h. Supervision Exercised: Not applicable

i. Available Guidelines: In addition to oral and written instructions from supervisor, incumbent will follow USAID policies and procedures including the USAID Automated Directives System (ADS), current USAID handbooks, policy statements  relevant USG legislation (e.g., the annual Foreign Assistance Appropriation Act and Statement of Managers), Mission Orders, USEB policies, and joint USAID/DOS strategic plans.

j. Exercise of Judgment: Senior level professional judgment is required in all aspects of work. Includes ability to anticipate program needs, make appropriate contacts and meet with partners from the government, donor community, and other organizations. The incumbent works with financial and procurement-sensitive information and must be discrete in handling such information. Given the nature of programming in Burundi, there will be occasions when published guidance is inadequate and or incomplete; therefore, the incumbent will exercise their best judgment in making appropriate decisions.

k. Authority to Make Commitments: Authority to make financial commitments is limited to the incumbent’s responsibilities and within the scope of work  and applicable laws and regulations. The      incumbent’s verification of reported information and data are relied upon by the immediate supervisor in clearing and/or approving documents and in certifying required reports as valid and proper.

l. Nature, Level, and Purpose of Contacts: Personal contacts with high-ranking USAID officials and all levels of USAID/Burundi staff who seek the incumbent’s assistance and guidance in matters involving USAID budget planning and preparation, and with grantees, contractors, host country government officials in matters relating to financial aspects of USAID development assistance, and with USAID Washington on various budgetary and program issues.

III. 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. The FAR provisions referenced above are available at https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far.

The procedure for evaluating and ranking applications is outlined below. Applicants will be scored based on the documentation provided with the application.  The best-qualified among those applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to take an English proficiency test.  Only the highest-ranked applicants will be interviewed.

1. BASIC ELIGIBILITY

The basic eligibility requirements for this position are:

  • Authorized to work in Burundi;
  • Complete application submitted as outlined in the section IV;
  • Eligible to attain security 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;
  • All internal candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be interviewed.

 2. SELECTION PROCESS AND EVALUATION FACTORS

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.

Skills Test:                                        25 Points

Interview:                                         50 Points

Total Possible Score:                    100 Points

 

References:                           Pass/Fail

References of the finalists will be checked prior to offering the position.  Applicant references must be able to provide substantive information about past performance and abilities. USAID/Burundi reserves the right to seek references from anyone who may be able to provide information about a candidate; reference checks are not limited to the names provided. A preponderance of negative references will likely disqualify a candidate from consideration.

IV SUBMITTING AN OFFER

Eligible Offerors are required to complete and submit the offer form:

  • US Federal Employment, Form DS-174 (available on-line)
  • Cover letter no longer than one page in length.
  • Current résumé or curriculum vitae that includes at least three references.
  • Any other documentation (e.g., essays, certificates, awards, and copies of degrees earned) that addresses the qualification requirements of the position as listed above.

 

  1. 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.
  2. Offeror submissions must clearly reference the Solicitation number on all offeror submitted documents.

V. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS PRIOR TO AWARD

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

  1. Pre-employment Medical Examination
  2. Employee Biographical Data sheet
  3. Employee Contact form
  4. Employee Dependency Report

 

  1. 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:

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

  1. BENEFITS:
    a. Health Insurance
    b. Social Security insurance
    c. Annual and Sick leave
    d. Annual Bonus
    e. Maternity Leave
    f. Retirement Contribution
  2. ALLOWANCES (as applicable):
    a. Housing Allowance
    b. Transportation Allowance
    c. 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

ITEM NO

(A)

SUPPLIES/SERVICES (DESCRIPTION)

(B)

QUANTITY

(C)

UNIT

(D)

UNIT PRICE

(E)

AMOUNT

(F)

0001Compensation, Fringe Benefits and Other Direct Costs (ODCs)

– Award Type: Cost

– Product Service Code: [e.g., R497]

– Accounting Info: [insert one or more citation(s) from Phoenix/GLAAS]

1LOT$ _TBD__$_TBD at Award after negotiations with Contractor_

 

  1. 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.]

  1. 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. 
  2. 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.