SOLICITATION NUMBER: 720BHA23R00053

ISSUANCE DATE: October 4, 2023

CLOSING DATE AND TIME: November 21, 2023 12:00 P.M. Eastern Time

SUBJECT: Solicitation for U.S. Personal Service Contractor (USPSC)

Dear Prospective Offerors:

The United States Government (USG), 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 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 offer.

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

Sincerely,

Ousay Wahaj

Supervisory Contracting Officer

Office of Acquisition & Assistance

(M/OAA/BHA-CPS/PSC)

ATTACHMENT 1

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. SOLICITATION NO.: 720BHA23R00053

2. ISSUANCE DATE: October 4, 2023

3. CLOSING DATE AND TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: November 21, 2023, 12:00 P.M. Eastern Time

4. POINT OF CONTACT: TPQ Recruitment Team BHA.TPQRecruitment@usaid.gov

5. POSITION TITLE: Senior Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Advisor

6. MARKET VALUE: $99,908 - $129,878 equivalent to GS-14

Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value and will include Locality Pay for domestic USPSCs based on the location of the Official USAID Worksite, or the approved alternative worksite if approved for remote work. USPSCs performing overseas are not entitled to Locality Pay.

Salaries over and above the top of the pay range will not be entertained or negotiated.

7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Remote

This position has been designated as suitable for remote work. The contractor will be authorized to perform the services under this contract from an alternative worksite. For PSCs authorized to remote work, the alternative worksite determines the locality pay for compensation purposes.

8. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Five (5) years, tentatively 145 day estimated start date from closing.

9. ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: U.S. Citizens Only

10. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Secret

If there is a change in circumstances requiring access to National Security information classified at the Top-Secret level, the offeror may be asked to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information level clearance as provided by USAID.

11. STATEMENT OF DUTIES

GENERAL STATEMENT OF PURPOSE OF THE CONTRACT

The Office of Technical and Program Quality (TPQ) leads the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance’s (BHA) efforts to ensure high quality programmatic and technical leadership, oversight, and guidance. TPQ captures, applies, and strengthens capacity in technical best practices and contextually appropriate programmatic approaches focused on all dimensions of BHA programming from humanitarian response and transition into longer-term resilience programming, as well as risk analysis and early warning.

The United States Government (USG), represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) BHA, is seeking applications from qualified U.S. citizens to provide personal services as a Senior Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Advisor under a United States Personal Services Contract (USPSC)in TPQ’s Public Health and Nutrition Division. The WASH Advisor will provide technical leadership, guidance, and support to ensure BHA’s programming across the spectrum from humanitarian response, to recovery, and transition is guided by targeted and effective public health strategies that are based on timely, relevant assessment and trend data and employ evidence-based approaches and interventions leading to high-quality, measurable outcomes.

STATEMENT OF DUTIES TO BE PERFORMED

● Provide expert technical support to WASH interventions for disaster response, early recovery, risk reduction and resilience programming to USAID and BHA staff based in Washington, D.C. and in field offices.

● Lead WASH assessments of vulnerable populations and make expert recommendations for appropriate humanitarian activities that improve public health.

● Lead, facilitate and coordinate USG emergency WASH technical response activities with the USAID Mission, other donor agencies, and the U.S. Embassy.

● Develop evaluations to determine the effectiveness of BHA-funded WASH projects with implementing partners.

● Actively represent BHA in emergency WASH and public health discussions and activities, serve as a USG emergency WASH sector resource person, and provide expert technical and organizational leadership in WASH activities as a senior resource person for humanitarian WASH interventions.

● Guide BHA thinking on WASH activities, and formulate sector strategies, provide guidance on innovative research and recommendations for humanitarian assistance, and provide expert technical support to BHA field offices, other bureaus within USAID, and to BHA’s Geographic Offices.

● Exercise independent judgment and decision-making related to global humanitarian WASH promotion activities.

● Actively represent BHA in interactions with high ranking officials at national and international levels, maintain contact with senior WASH officials in the private sector, non-governmental organization (NGO) partners, other donor agencies, the international humanitarian community, the WASH cluster and other USAID staff working in the various sectors associated with WASH to ensure effective coordination and collaboration.

● Provide expert technical review of applications submitted by NGO and United Nations (UN) partners for humanitarian assistance, applying new developments in emergency response, early recovery disaster risk reduction and resilience programming in the WASH sector to BHA programming.

● Identify humanitarian WASH risk reduction and prevention measures that could be linked to disaster response activities.

● Independently plan, design and carry out programs, projects, studies or other work related to humanitarian WASH programming

● Develop collaborative working-level relationships with BHA field and headquarters staff who oversee WASH-related programs.

● May be requested to be on-call/sign up for and serve on Washington-based Response Management Teams (RMTs), which provide services and support to Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DARTs) deployed in response to disasters. The duties on RMTs will vary.

● Serve on DARTs which may require immediate (within 24 hours) deployment overseas for an extended period of time. During deployment on DARTs (if required), and during site visits, there may be some additional physical exertion including long periods of standing, walking over rough terrain, or carrying of moderately heavy items (less than 50 pounds). Work is primarily performed in an office setting. During deployment on DARTs (if required), and during site visits, the work may additionally involve special safety and/or security precautions, wearing of protective equipment, and exposure to severe weather conditions.

● May serve on temporary details within the Bureau to meet operational needs during staff shortages.

● Duties performed while on detail will be aligned with the Team’s existing duties and responsibilities and will be directly related to the scope of work provided.

● Become certified and serve as an Agreement Officer’s Representative/Contracting Officer’s Representative (AOR/COR), as assigned. The AOR/COR provides financial and programmatic oversight of all aspects of managing the agreement or contract; this includes but is not limited to reviewing invoices, requests for approvals, program/project deliverables (i.e. work plans, annual reports, month status reports), travel requests, key personnel requests, and financial/budget reports. They are responsible for drafting and submitting the annual contractor performance evaluation in the Contract Performance Assessment Review System (CPARS). They prepare and review contract/assistance modifications documentation and assist the Contracting/Agreement Officer to ensure performance is compliant with the terms and conditions of the contract/agreement, the FAR, and USAID policy.

AOR/CORs are responsible for all related requirements in the COR designation letter and the AOR designation letter.

● The Senior WASH Advisor position does not have supervisory responsibilities; however, the USPSC may serve in an acting leadership role within the bureau in order to meet short-term staffing needs, not to exceed 120 days in a 12-month contract year.

SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIP:

The USPSC will take direction from and will report to the WASH Team Lead or their designee.

SUPERVISORY CONTROLS:

The supervisor provides administrative direction in terms of broadly defined missions or functions. USPSC independently plans, designs and carries out project, studies, and programs. Results of the work are considered technically authoritative. There is no higher level official technically responsible for administering the program/project.

12. PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

(Determines basic eligibility for the position. Offerors who do not meet all of the education and experience factors are considered NOT qualified for the position.)

Bachelor’s degree with significant study in environmental health, environmental engineering or relatedenvironmental or engineering fields such as civil engineering and minimum of nine (9) years of relevant work experience in WASH programming, three (3) years of which must include direct implementation experience in managing emergency WASH programs in international humanitarian contexts.

OR

Master’s degree with significant study in environmental health, environmental engineering or related environmental or engineering fields such as civil engineering and minimum of seven (7) years of relevant work experience in WASH programming, three (3) years of which must include direct implementation experience in managing emergency WASH programs in international humanitarian contexts.

OR

PhD with significant study in environmental health, environmental engineering or related environmental or engineering fields such as civil engineering) plus five (5) years of relevant work experience in WASH programming, three (3) years of which must include direct implementation experience in managing emergency WASH programs in international humanitarian contexts.

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 competitiverange to the greatest number that will permit an efficient competition among the most highly rated offers. FAR provisions of this solicitation are available at https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far.

The technical evaluation committee may conduct reference checks, including references from individuals who have not been specifically identified by the offeror, and may do so before or after a candidate is interviewed.

SELECTION FACTORS

(Determines basic eligibility for the position. Offerors who do not meet all of the selection factors are considered NOT qualified for the position.)

● Offeror is a U.S. Citizen.

● Complete resume submitted. See section IV for resume requirements. Experience that cannot be quantified will not be counted towards meeting the solicitation requirements.

● USPSC Offeror form AID 309-2. Offerors are required to complete sections A through I. This form must be physically signed. Electronic signatures may be accepted.

● Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance. If there is a change in circumstances requiring access to National Security information classified at the Top-Secret level, the offeror may be asked to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information level clearance as provided by USAID.

● Ability to obtain and maintain a Department of State medical clearance throughout the contract.

● Must not appear as an excluded party in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov).

● Satisfactory verification of academic credentials.

OFFEROR RATING SYSTEM

The offeror rating system factors are used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified offerors in comparison to other offerors. Offerors must demonstrate the rating factors outlined below within their resume, as they are evaluated strictly by the information provided. The rating factors are as follows:

Matrix (40 points)

Technical Experience (8 points)

● Demonstrated experience in international humanitarian WASH programming including:

o Demonstrated experience in disaster response. (2 points)

o Demonstrated experience in early recovery. (2 points)

o Demonstrated experience in risk reduction. (2 points)

o Demonstrated experience in resilience programming. (2 points)

Diversity/ Teamwork (5 points)

● Demonstrated experience working as part of a diverse WASH team, such as originating from different countries or cultures, or identifying as different genders, races or disabilities.

Field Experience (5 points)

● Demonstrated experience leading international humanitarian WASH assessments.

Program Design and Management (12 points)

● Demonstrated experience designing or managing international humanitarian WASH programs from the USG, NGO/PVO, or PIO side including:

o Strategy or program design. (4 points)

o Proposal development or review. (4 points)

o Implementation compliance or monitoring. (4 points)

Representation/Communication (10 points)

● Demonstrated experience with internal representation on humanitarian WASH issues to senior leadership. (5 points)

● Demonstrated experience with external representation on humanitarian WASH policy or programming matters. (5 points)

Interview Performance (50 points)

Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks (10 points)

Offerors must provide their references to BHA upon request no later than seven (7) days from initial request.Failure to meet this requirement will lead to a score of zero (0) in this portion of the Offeror Rating System.

Total Possible Points: 100

BASIS OF RATING: Offerors who meet the Education/Experience requirements and Selection Factors will befurther evaluated in accordance with the Offeror Rating System. Those offerors determined to be competitively ranked may also be evaluated on interview performance and satisfactory professional reference checks.

Offerors are required to address each factor of the Offeror Rating System in their resume, describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards they have received as it pertains to each factor. Be sure to include your name and the announcement number at the top of each additional page. Failure to address the selection factors and/or Offeror Rating System factors may result in not receiving credit for all pertinent experience, education, training and/or awards.

The most qualified offerors may be interviewed and required to provide a writing sample. BHA will not pay for any expenses associated with the interviews. Professional references and academic credentials will be evaluated for offerors being considered for selection.

Note: Please be advised that references may be obtained independently from other sources in addition to the ones provided by an offeror. BHA reserves the right to select additional offerors if vacancies become available during the future phase of the selection process.

IV. SUBMITTING AN OFFER

1. Eligible Offerors are required to complete and submit the offer form AID 309-2, “Offeror Information for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals,” available at http://www.usaid.gov/forms.

2. 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.

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

4. Complete resume. In order to fully evaluate your offer, your resume must include:

(a) Paid and non-paid experience, job title, location(s), dates held (month/year), and hours worked per week for each position. Dates (month/year) and locations for all field experience must also be detailed. Any experience that does not include dates (month/year), locations, and hours per week will not be counted towards meeting the solicitation requirements.

(b) Specific duties performed that fully detail the level and complexity of the work.

(c) Education and any other qualifications including job-related training courses, job-related skills, or job-related honors, awards or accomplishments. Failure to identify an academic discipline will result in disqualification.

(d) U.S. Citizenship

(e) Optional: How did you hear about this opportunity? (SAM.gov, BHA Jobs, Career Fair, etc.).

Your resume must contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the experience requirements as stated in this solicitation. This information must be clearly identified in your resume. Failure to provide information sufficient to determine your qualifications for the position will result in loss of full consideration.

Additional documents submitted will not be accepted.

By submitting your offer materials, you certify that all of the information on and attached to the offer is true, correct, complete, and made in good faith. You agree to allow all information on and attached to the offer to be investigated. False or fraudulent information on or attached to your offer may result in you being eliminated from consideration for this position, or being terminated after award, and may be punishable by fine or imprisonment.

To ensure consideration of offers for the intended position, please reference the solicitation number on

your offer, and as the subject line in any email.

5. NOTE: If the full security application package is not submitted within 30 days after the Office of Security determines eligibility, the offer may be rescinded. If a Secret security clearance is not obtained within nine months after offer acceptance, the offer may be rescinded. If Top Secret is required, and clearance is not obtained within nine months after award, USAID may terminate the contract at the convenience of the government. If Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access is not obtained within nine months after Top Secret clearance is granted, USAID may terminate the contract at the convenience of the government.

6. NOTE: If the full medical clearance package is not submitted within two months after offer acceptance, the offer may be rescinded. If a Department of State medical clearance is not obtained; the offer may be rescinded.

7. NOTE REGARDING GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS FOR THIS 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 offer.