SOLICITATION NUMBER: 72064119R100009

ISSUANCE DATE: August 30, 2019

CLOSING DATE/TIME: September 17, 2019

SUBJECT: Solicitation for a Cooperating Country/Third Country National Personal Service

Contractor (CCN/TCN PSC) – Project Management Specialist (Education)
(Local Compensation Plan)

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, Sections I through V 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 information.

Sincerely,

Karla Camp
Contracting Officer

U.S. Agency for International Development Tel: 233-302-741-200

No. 24 Fourth Circular Rd. Fax: 233-302-741-365
P. O. Box 1630, Accra-Ghana www.usaid.gov/west-africa-regional
I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. SOLICITATION NO.: 72064119R100009

2. ISSUANCE DATE: August 30, 2019

3. CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: September 17, 2019 at 12:00 midnight
local time.

4. POSITION TITLE: PROJECT MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST (EDUCATION)

5. MARKET VALUE: GHC 132,729.00 – GHC 199,092 equivalent to FSN-12 in accordance with
AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of U.S. Embassy, Ghana.

Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Permanent position. However, position will be reviewed annually

contingent on satisfactory performance, continued need for the services, and availability of funds.

7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Accra, Ghana with possible travel as stated in the Statement of Work.

8. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Employment Authorization

9. STATEMENT OF DUTIES

BASIC FUNCTION OF POSITION

The USAID Project Management Specialist (Education), and Deputy Office Chief, provides
program/project/activity management and administrative oversight to the Education Office. The Specialist,
as Deputy to the Chief of the Education Office, participates fully in the oversight of all programmatic,
administrative, and financial aspects of Mission education sector activities, to ensure that Agency results
objectives are being effectively accomplished within Mission and USAID programmatic and financial
guidelines and regulations. The Specialist is responsible for approximately US$10M/per year, of an overall
Education portfolio valued at approximately US$100M during the 2020 to 2025 strategy period. The
Specialist provides the Office and the Mission with technical expertise, and has management responsibility
for programs/projects/activities in support of Government of Ghana (GoG) goals and objectives in improved
instruction, educational assessment, community participation, and education data management and use. The
Specialist shares responsibility with the Office Chief in all aspects of contract/grant management for
assigned activities, including performance of grantees and Implementing Partners (IPs) according to
approved work plans, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting on specific results and impact.

As Deputy, the Specialist is responsible for supervision and mentoring of other Office Team members in
improving and/or maintaining their administrative and project management skills; leading quarterly and
annual reporting processes including accruals, quarterly financial reports, and portfolio reviews; and,
ensuring that the Office Training Plan is current and complete.

The work requires the Specialist to coordinate with other USAID Offices, the Embassy, and other USG
Agencies. And, the Specialist liaises and coordinates with counterparts, and others, in the Ministry of
Education (MoE), the Ghana Education Service (GES), other stakeholders, other donors, IPs, and others to
assure complementarity of efforts and lack of overlap.

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MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

a. Supervisory and Office Management Responsibilities (30%)

As Deputy Chief, Education Office, the USAID Project Management Specialist (Education) provides direct
supervision over three subordinate Office staff, and participates fully in administration of the full Office
staff. As supervisor, the Specialist performs the full range of supervisory responsibilties, carrying out a
variety of administrative functions, as follows: the Specialist assists Office employees in resolving problems;
assigns tasks, provides guidance, and monitors performance; monitors the performance of tasks assigned
directly by the Office Chief; and, approves or recommends approval of Time and Attendance, overtime, and
annual leave usage. The Specialist prepares performance evaluation reports, or participates with
considerable weight in their preparation, on all Office staff, and recommends employees for awards,
promotions, or disciplinary action; for employees evaluated by the Office Chief, this includes providing input
on employee performance, and the identification of employee strengths and weaknesses, training needs, etc.
The Specialist schedules Office staff meetings to facilitate communication; and, prepares the office-wide
travel, leave, and training plans, and discusses them with staff the Office Chief. The Specialist attends senior
staff meetings with the Office Chief, and represents Office in the Office Chief’s absence or preoccupation,
ensuring that actions assigned during such meetings are carried out in a timely manner.

b. Program/Project/Activity Management (40%)

The Specialist serves as COR/AOR/Activity Manager for major programs/projects/activities in the Education
sector, and provides oversight and mentoring to the programs/projects/activities managed by other Office
Specialists. The Specialist assures objectives are being effectively met, within Mission and Agency
guidelines and regulations. The Specialist oversees, monitors, and reports on IP performance through review
of project documentation, communications, and periodic field visits. The Specialist manages the review and
approval process of annual work plans and other planned activities, evaluating and analyzing IP data to
ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of development activities. The Specialist assists the Office in
preparation and presentation of key reviews and documentation, including semi-annual portfolio reviews,
annual report narratives, implementation letters, activity approval documents, GLAAS software actions,
correspondence, and through other means, as required. The Specialist leads and/or participates in the design
and development of new education sector activities and initiatives, leveraging and coordinating the resources
available from technical experts and others, internal and external to the Mission and Agency. The Specialist
contributes to strategic and long-range planning, performance monitoring, and to major Office program
decisions.

c. Represents the Office Externally and Internally (20%)

The Specialist serves as liaison to counterparts within the MoE and GES, academia, civil society
organizations, education sector partners, IPs and other development partners, the media, etc. The Specialist
provides general and targeted briefings to visitors, short-term consultants, and other program-related guests
of USAID (e.g., congressional delegations, senior-level USAID officials, and others), and represents the
Office and USAID at internal and external events, receptions, conferences, and workshops. The Specialist
serves as a resource for USAID and the Embassy to inter-agency and other personnel, by addressing requests
for technical and programmatic information, and providing guidance related to USAID/USG educational
initiatives and goals. The Specialist provides liaison to other Mission Offices to ensure that cross cutting and
complementary objectives are met.

d. Financial Management (10%)

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The Specialist maintains, analyzes, and reports on information regarding the financial status of Education
Office portfolio obligations, expenditures, pipelines, and resource requirements. The Specialist coordinates
closely with OPPD, RFMO, and ROAA to analyze budget, expenditure, and pipeline trends and challenges.
The Specialist manages the quarterly Office process of presenting financial accruals of education portfolio
activities; participates as a technical advisor in financial assessments of education partners; and, assures all
activities are carried out in a technically sound, cost-effective, and ethical manner, in accordance with
Mission, USAID, and USG requirements and regulations.

10. POSITION ELEMENTS

a. Supervision Received: The USAID Project Management Specialist (Education) operates with a
high degree of independence under the general supervision of the Chief of the Education Office.
Most assignments are self-generated and occur in the normal course of the work. The Specialist
exercises independence in most phases of program/project/activity development and management.
The supervisor provides a review of the assignment, the goals and objectives to be achieved, and the
results expected. The Specialist seeks advice as required; work is reviewed in terms of results
achieved.

b. Supervision Exercised: As Deputy to the Office Chief, the Specialist will have direct supervision
of three subordinate staff, and participates fully in administration of the full Office staff. The
Specialist will often act as Office Chief in the absence or preoccupation of the USDH Office Chief.

c. Available Guidelines: Available guidelines include USG program/project/activity guidance, rules,

and requirements; USAID Mission Orders, Mission strategy, and other relevant reports; the
Automated Directives System (ADS); and, USAID Mandatory and Standard Provisions, the FAR
and AIDAR, and other published and unpublished guidelines. Guidelines are often general in
nature and not specific to the situation at hand, requiring considerable interpretation.

d. Exercise of Judgment: Substantial judgment (discretion) is used daily in giving technical

guidance to USG, USAID, and GoG colleagues, to IPs, and in representing USAID in multiple-
stakeholder fora. Management decisions over certain IPs are at the discretion of the Specialist.
Independent judgment is required for developing, implementing, and managing assigned
programs/projects/activities, for reporting, and for other assignments. Substantial judgment is
required in analyzing and determining whether or not to recommend approval of proposed
programs/projects/activities, in choosing among alternative proposals, and in evaluating data for
reliability.

e. Authority to Make Commitments: The Specialist exercises the authority given to activity
managers and CORs/AORs, and may make administrative arrangements consistent with ADS
guidance and Mission policy. The Specialist takes action and establishes priorities based on
available guidelines and professional judgment. Guidance is sought when needed, and the
supervisor informed of activity and project status. Within the scope of the authority delegated, the
Specialist may indicate to ranking counterpart and IP officials that they will make a
recommendation to USAID on a specific activity issue or problem. The Specialist may negotiate ad
referendum for the immediate supervisor.

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f. Nature, Level, and Purpose of Contacts: The Specialist has a full range of contacts within the
Mission, at all levels, and maintains contact with IPs and grantees implementing USAID-funded
programs/projects/activities in the sector. Within the Embassy, contacts are with counterpart staffs,
and with senior staff as needed. Host-government, local, and other contacts vary widely with the
type of activity being implemented, and may be at any level – including Ministerial, Deputy
Minister, etc. Frequent and substantive personal contacts with senior-level officials of the GoG, and
with the private sector, are for the purpose of explaining and defending USAID policies, objectives,
and procedures, and to transmit and interpret GoG and private-sector attitudes and concerns to
senior USAID officials.

g. Time Expected to Reach Full Performance Level: One year.

11. AREA OF CONSIDERATION: The position is open to all Cooperating Country Nationals (Ghanaians)
and Third Country National (Neither a U.S. Citizen, nor a Permanent Legal Resident Alien of the United
States, nor a Ghanaian Citizen). Third Country National applicants must attach copies of the required
Ghanaian residency and work permits to their application to be eligible for consideration. No relocation
expenses are provided to the job location, Accra-Ghana. If transportation to Accra is required, it will be the
employee’s responsibility.

12. PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

13. POINT OF CONTACT: acpersonnel@usaid.gov

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

In order to be considered for the position, a candidate must meet the Minimum Qualifications. Applications
will be pre-screened and only those that meet the Minimum Qualifications will be considered. These are the
minimum qualifications necessary to be considered for the position:

a. Education: Completion of a Bachelor’s Degree, or the local equivalent formal education, in education,
sociology/social sciences, anthropology, economics or a related education development field, is required.

b. Prior Work Experience: A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in education is
required; experience should be related to education development and/or development assistance work for
USG, the GoG, educational institutions, or other donor agencies. Experience in the field of education and
workforce development, and familiarity with related GoG and public institutions is required, and should
include experience in the analysis of large amounts of data, and making presentations in English, orally and
in writing.

c. Language Proficiency: Level IV (fluent) English in speaking, reading, and in writing is required.

d. Job Knowledge: A thorough knowledge of education development concepts, principles, and donor
assistance mechanisms, along with host-country economic, social, cultural, and political characteristics is
necessary. A good knowledge of the history of educational development efforts in Ghana and the region, and
the development perspectives, priorities, and resources of the GoG in the education sector is desired. The
Specialist must have a good knowledge of, or the ability to quickly gain knowledge of pertinent USAID
administrative and procurement regulations and procedures, and education program guidance such as the
Automatic Directive System (ADS).

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e. Skills and Abilities: The Specialist must have the ability to establish and maintain an extensive range of
counterpart contacts with relevant GoG institutions and other organizations from, including appropriate
Ministry of Education counterparts and officials, and other donor organizations such as the United Nations
Development Program, UNICEF, and relevant professional organizations, in order to represent and defend
USAID development policies and programs, and interpret host-country attitudes, priorities, and concerns to
senior USAID officials.

The Specialist must have excellent communication skills, computer and internet skills, and the ability to
obtain, analyze, and evaluate a variety of data; and to be able to organize and present findings in meaningful
terms to others. The position demands self-direction, independent judgment, problem-solving skills,
communication, and negotiation skills, both verbally and in writing; and, the ability to plan and organize
complex projects is required.

III. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

The Evaluation Factors listed below will be the basis for evaluating and ranking applicants for the
position. Applicants will be scored based on the documentation submitted within the application.
Applicants must submit a supplemental document outlining their responses to the evaluation factors in
order to be considered. Only the highest-ranked applicants will be interviewed.

1. SELECTION PROCESS

After the closing date for receipt of applications, a committee will convene to review applications that
meet the minimum requirements and evaluate them in accordance with the evaluation criteria.
Applications from candidates who do not meet the minimum requirements will not be scored. As part of
the selection process, finalist candidates will be interviewed. Reference checks will be made only for
applicants considered as finalists. The applicant’s references must be able to provide substantive
information about his/her past performance and abilities. If an applicant does not wish USAID to contact
a current employer for a reference check, this should be stated in the applicant’s cover letter; USAID will
delay such reference checks pending the applicant’s concurrence.

EVALUATION FACTORS

a. Work Experience (50%): A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in

education is required; experience should be related to education development and/or development
assistance work for USAID, the GoG, educational institutions, or other donor agencies. Experience in
the field of education and workforce development, and familiarity with related GoG and public
institutions is required, and should include experience in the analysis of large amounts of data, and
making presentations in English, orally and in writing.

b. Language Proficiency (10%): Level IV (fluent) English in speaking, reading, and in writing is required.
Language proficiency will be tested.

c. Job Knowledge (20%): A thorough knowledge of education development concepts, principles, and
donor assistance mechanisms, along with host-country economic, social, cultural, and political
characteristics is necessary. A good knowledge of the history of educational development efforts in
Ghana and the region, and the development perspectives, priorities, and resources of the GoG in the
education sector is desired. The Specialist must have a good knowledge of, or the ability to quickly gain
knowledge of pertinent USAID administrative and procurement regulations and procedures, and
education program guidance such as the Automatic Directive System (ADS).

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 d. Skills and Abilities (20%): The Specialist must have the ability to establish and maintain an
extensive range of counterpart contacts with relevant GoG institutions and other organizations , including
appropriate Ministry of Education counterparts and officials, and other donor organizations such as the
United Nations Development Program, UNICEF, and relevant professional organizations, in order to
represent and defend USAID development policies and programs, and interpret host-country attitudes,
priorities, and concerns to senior USAID officials.

The Specialist must have excellent communication skills, computer and internet skills, and the ability to
obtain, analyze, and evaluate a variety of data; and to be able to organize and present findings in
meaningful terms to others. The position demands self-direction, independent judgment, problem-
solving skills, communication, and negotiation skills, both verbally and in writing; and, the ability to
plan and organize complex projects is required.

PRESENTING AN OFFER

Submission of a resume alone IS NOT a complete application. This position requires the completion of
additional forms and supplemental materials as described in this section. Candidates who fail to provide the
required documentation will result in rejection of their applications from further consideration.

Qualified applicants must submit the following documents or their applications will not be considered for
this position:

1. Signed U.S. government AID 309-2 form (OFFEROR INFORMATION FOR PERSONAL SERVICES
CONTRACTS WITH INDIVIDUALS)which is available at the following link:
https://www.usaid.gov/forms/aid-309-2

All applicants must submit complete dates (months/years) and hours per week for all positions listed on
the form AID 309-2 to allow for adequate evaluation of your related and direct experiences. Applicants
should note that the salary history for the purposes of the AID 309-2 is the base salary paid, excluding
benefits and allowances such as housing, travel, educational support, etc.

2. Cover letter and current resume or curriculum vitae (CV). The CV/resume must contain sufficient
relevant information to evaluate the application in accordance with the stated evaluation criteria. Broad
general statements that are vague or lacking specificity will not be considered as effectively addressing
particular selection criteria. Complete dates (month/year) are also required on CV.

3. Minimum of three (3) and a maximum of five (5) professional references with telephone and e-mail
contacts, who are not family members or relatives. The applicant's references must be able to provide
substantive information about his/her past performance and abilities. At least one reference provided
should be a current or former supervisor.

4. A supplemental document with written responses to the Evaluation Factors listed under Section III.

5. Relevant educational certificate (s), and resident permit and/or work permit.

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 Interested Applicants must cite the solicitation number and position title within the subject line of the email.

Any attachments provided via email must be compatible with Microsoft Word 2003 or PDF and not zipped.
Note that attachments to email must not exceed 3 MB. Application letters and forms must be signed.
Incomplete and unsigned applications/forms will not be considered.
Only short listed candidates will be contacted.
The Agency retains the right to cancel or amend the solicitation and associated actions at any stage of the
recruitment process.

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, item 13.

II. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSC HIRES

Once the Contracting Officer (CO) informs the successful Offeror about being selected for a contract award,
the CO will provide the successful Offeror instructions about how to complete and submit the following
forms.

1. Medical History and Examination Form (Department of State Forms)

2. Background Investigation Form
3. Finger Print Card (FD-258)

III. BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES

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

1. BENEFITS:
Medical Insurance
Social Security Contribution
Local and American Holidays
Salary Advance (0% interest)
Annual Bonus

2. ALLOWANCES (as applicable):

Miscellaneous Benefits Allowance
Meals Allowance

Compensation is in accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of
U.S. Embassy, Ghana.

IV. TAXES

LE Staff are responsible for calculating and paying local income taxes. The U.S. Mission does not
withhold or make local income tax payments.

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

USAID regulations and policies governing CCN/TCN PSC awards are available at these sources:

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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

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

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

END OF SOLICITATION