USAID Project Management Specialist - President’s Malaria Initiative at USAID

Solicitation No.: 72062020R10020
Location: Abuja, Nigeria with possible travel as stated in the
Statement of Duties
Period of Performance: Five (5) years renewable, estimated to start o/a
December 2020.
Eligible Offerors: Open to Cooperating Country National (Nigerians only).
Security Level Required: CCNPSC Clearance

General Statement of Purpose of the Contract

• The goal of the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) is to reduce malaria-related mortality by fifty percent (50%) across a number of high-burden countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and elsewhere, through rapid scale-up of proven and highly effective malaria prevention and treatment measures, including: insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs); indoor residual spraying (IRS); accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment with artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs); and intermittent preventive treatment of pregnant women (IPTp). Malaria prevention and control remain major US foreign assistance objectives, and the PMI Strategy fully aligns with the USG vision of ending preventable child and maternal deaths and ending extreme poverty. Under the PMI Strategy, the USG goal is to work with PMI-supported countries and partners to further reduce malaria deaths, and substantially decrease malaria morbidity, towards the long-term goal of elimination.
• The USAID Project Management Specialist (President’s Malaria Initiative) provides technical leadership, management, and coordination of an array of programs/projects/activities designed to further PMI objectives through malaria control and elimination efforts, and through close coordination with appropriate host-country ministries and the private sector, in order to leverage USG inputs, and to raise domestic sources of funding to manage malaria programs. The work includes serving as a Program/Project Manager and COR/AOR for significant and targeted interventions, service as an Activity Manager for centralized programs, providing technical assistance to the appropriate host-country Ministry in the development of host-country policies, and the design and management of in-country programs/projects/activities, reflecting best practices in malaria prevention, control, and elimination.
• The Specialist works with the host government and other donors to ensure a well-coordinated approach to PMI, including complementary support with other donor inputs; and, ensures information flows on best practices related to improving malaria prevention, control, and elimination, in order to inform other decision making by USAID and the USG.
• The Specialist works in a complex and rapidly evolving country context, requiring regular contact and collaboration, at technical and policy levels, with counterparts and senior members in the host government, with the private sector, with other donor and international organizations, and with other USG entities.
• The Specialist exercises extensive judgment in planning and carrying out tasks, in resolving problems and conflicts, and in taking steps necessary to meet deadlines.
• The Specialist serves as a COR/AOR, with a program/project/activity portfolio that has an estimated annual burn rate at least in the US$5-10M range; or, as an Activity Manager with responsibility for activity in the US$10-50M range.

Statement of Duties to be Performed
Program/Project/Activity Management:

• The USAID Project Management Specialist (PMI) serves as a COR/AOR and/or Activity Manager, with full responsibility for management, implementation, evaluation, and monitoring of assigned aspects of the malaria prevention, control, and elimination portfolio. The Specialist manages programming and activity design for all USAID activities in the sector and serves as primary liaison with other Health Office Specialists, and Implementing Partners (IPs) implementing malaria activities.
• The Specialist advises the supervisor, Office Chief, Mission Director and Deputy Mission Director, and others on local matters of importance to the President’s Malaria Initiative, and ongoing and planned malaria programs/projects/activities, on monitoring activities, and providing management oversight of IP programs. The Specialist provides critical inputs to the achievement of overall results and Mission and USG Goals and objectives, requiring the Specialist to remain current on the economic, political, and social trends of the host government, the host country, and the region, in order, to analyze trends in relation to their impact on the overall malaria program, and to collaborate with other donors in order to assure synergy and complementarity.

Provides Technical Assistance in Prevention, Control, and Elimination of Malaria:

• The Specialist coordinates with other USG agencies to ensure the delivery of systematic and consistent technical assistance to the host government and to NGO partners and IPs in the areas of PMI, and other health-related issues involving malaria prevention, control, and elimination.
• In addition, the Specialist provides strategic input on all programs with PMI or other malaria-related components; serves as a key liaison for strategic PMI issues; identifies short-, mid-, and long-range achievable and sustainable strategies for improving malaria prevention, control, and elimination activities, and other malaria-related programs within the host-country health sector, with a focus on decentralized areas; and, represents USAID, the USG, and the broader USAID health program at high-level meetings, and at seminars and conferences on malaria-related topics.
• The Specialist keeps informed of and collaborates with other donors on malaria-related activities; works with the host government to develop policies that result in improved malaria prevention, control, and elimination; works to harmonize Health Office, USAID, and USG malaria activities to ensure consistency with host government policy; and, ensures that programs/projects/activities are consistent with internationally accepted best practices, and that they are relevant in the host country context.

Data Collection and Analysis:

• As COR/AOR and/or Activity Manager, the Specialist monitors and reports on developments in the PMI and other health sectors, especially as they relate to successful implementation of malaria-related activities; and, monitors, analyzes, and reports on relevant aspects of host government policy, regulation, and programming, and on malaria-related and other health and development issues, based on an in-depth understanding of USAID and USG policy and program objectives and priorities.
• The Specialist prepares technical and policy analyses, evaluates sectoral issues, and provides input to Mission activities with respect to malaria and related sectors; summarizes information and conclusions in written and oral form for presentation to senior USG, and other, decision-makers, and for incorporating into other activity documents as appropriate; organizes field trips, conferences, and seminars to ensure maximum exposure to emerging trends and various points of view, and for monitoring assigned malaria-related activities, providing translation as needed; and, prepares written reports that reflect a sound understanding of assigned areas of responsibility, and that clearly document that a wide variety of sources and points of view have been consulted in undertaking analyses, and in drawing conclusions.
• The Specialist prepares oral and written briefings for the supervisor, the Office Chief, the Mission Director and/or Deputy Mission Director, Embassy staff, and others, on request.

Performance Monitoring:

• The Specialist ensures that performance monitoring systems are in place, and that periodic, reliable measures and indicators of portfolio impact are established; and, collects and monitors performance data on an ongoing basis, and prepares reports of program/project/activity progress for use within the Office, the Mission, the USG at Post, and for USAID/Washington and others.
• The Specialist assesses progress in achieving results for malaria-related activities, and evaluates and assesses activities as needed; and, continually strives to enhance the achievement of results by periodically reviewing the development context, results indicators,

Supervisory Relationship:

• The USAID Project Management Specialist (PMI) works under the very general supervision of the Health Office Chief, and the closer but general supervision of a lower-level supervisor. The supervisor makes assignments in terms of overall objectives and resources available. Completed work is reviewed in terms of achievement of program/project/activity goals, effectiveness in meeting host-country and USAID objectives, and integration with other initiatives in the Office and Mission portfolio. Some technical direction may come from other professionals in the Office; in general, however, the Specialist will be expected to exercise considerable autonomy and best judgment in discharging the duties of the assignment.

Supervisory Controls:

• Continuing supervision of other Health Office and/or Mission staff is not contemplated.

Physical Demands:

• The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

Minimum Qualifications Required For This Position
Education:

• The work requires a Master’s in Public Health (MPH), or Master’s in Nursing degree, or a degree as a Public Health Physician in a field involving and/or related to clinical and/or fieldwork in malaria.

Prior Work Experience:

• A minimum of five to seven years of progressively responsible experience in the field of public health, with a focus on clinical and/or field work in public health involving malaria is required. This experience must demonstrate that the Specialist has strong medical/clinical skills in the field.
• The Specialist must have demonstrated technical leadership in malaria prevention and control, program management, strategic planning, policy experience, and problem-solving skills while working on complex programs/projects/activities in a highly sensitive environment.
• Experience working in an English-language work environment with USAID or USAID-funded health programs is highly desirable.

Language Proficiency:

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

Job Knowledge:

• The Specialist must have in-depth professional-level knowledge of development principles, concepts, and practices, especially as they relate to malarial education, prevention, and treatment activities in the host country and/or region, and the problems and policies in the host country from the business, political, civil society, and social perspectives.
• The Specialist must have knowledge and understanding of the economic, political, social, and cultural characteristics of the host country; development problems in the health sector in the host country and the region; an understanding of the resources, resource constraints, and overall development prospects and priorities of the host country and the region; and, knowledge of, or the potential to quickly acquire knowledge of, USG legislation, policy, and practice relating to malaria prevention and treatment assistance, of USAID programming policies, regulations, procedures, and documentation, and of the objectives, methodology, and status of assigned activities.
• The Specialist must have knowledge and understanding of the organization and respective roles of the different levels of the host government, in order to enhance effective communication and to develop consensus on program/project/activity strategy and implementation.

Skills and Abilities:

• The Specialist must have a good knowledge and demonstrated experience in the programming of malaria prevention, control, and elimination programs/projects/activities; and, the role of malaria prevention, control, and elimination with other health areas such as health systems strengthening, PEPFAR, maternal and child health, and family planning.
• The Specialist should be able to facilitate and link culturally appropriate assessments, counseling, treatment deficits, and related issues and facilitation of linkages to food security programs, including water, sanitation, and hygiene promotion; and, be able to use this data for decision making. The Specialist must be able to provide technical leadership in malaria planning; and apply this knowledge to advanced programming in the host country and the region.

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.
  • Education (as stated above) 10 points
  • Prior Work Experience (as stated above) 20 points
  • Job Knowledge (as stated above) 30 points
  • Language Proficiency (as stated above) 10 points
  • Skills and abilities (as stated above) 30 points
• After the closing date for receipt of applications, all applications will initially be screened for conformity with minimum requirements and a shortlist of applicants developed. Applications from candidates which do not meet the required selection criteria will not be considered.
• A committee will be convened to review the shortlisted applications and evaluate them in accordance with the evaluation criteria as stated above. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. No response will be sent to unsuccessful applicants.
• USAID reserves the right to interview only the highest-ranked applicants in person or by phone OR not to interview any candidate.
• Reference checks will be made only for the successful candidate. If a candidate does not wish USAID to contact a current employer for a reference check, this should be stated in the application letter.

List of Required Forms for PSC Hires
The CO will provide instructions about how to complete and submit the following forms after an
offeror is selected for the contract award:

• Medical History and Examination Form (Department of State Forms)
• RSO Security Questionnaire
• BI Guide Questionnaire
• THOR Enrollment Intake Form

Market Value

• N15,890,203 - N23,931,775 equivalent to FSN-11; 40 Hours per week in accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of United States Mission, Nigeria (Effective August 30, 2020). Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.

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

Benefits:

• Health Insurance
• Annual Salary Increase (if applicable)
• Annual and Sick leave
• Annual Bonus

Allowances (as applicable):

• Transportation Allowance
• Meal Allowance
• Miscellaneous Allowance
• Housing Allowance

Taxes:

• The Mission emphasize to its employees of the fact that they are obliged to observe Nigerian Laws, including those concerning income and related tax obligations. Payment of such taxes is a matter between the individual employee and the Nigerian Government. In the absence of a specific international agreement, the U.S. Government will not withhold local taxes from an employee’s salary.

 

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