1. SOLICITATION NUMBER: 674-11-00025
2. ISSUANCE DATE: February 22, 2011
3. CLOSING DATE AND TIME: March 21, 2011, 17:00 Local Time, Pretoria, South Africa
4. POSITION TITLE: Senior Health Advisor
5. MARKET VALUE OF POSITION: The position is the equivalent of a GS-14, ranging from $84,697 to $110,104 per annum. Final compensation will be based on individual’s salary and work history, experience and educational background.
6. EVALUATION FACTORS: Evaluation will be based on a 100-point Scale: Education (20 Points); Knowledge/Experience (55 Points), and Skills and Abilities (55 Points)
7. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Two (2) years, with the possibility of extensions pending need, performance and funding, not to exceed a total of five (5) years.
8. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Luanda, Angola.
9. SECURITY ACCESS: Employment Authorization
10. AREA OF CONSIDERATION: United States (US) citizens or U.S. Permanent Residents (non-U.S. citizen lawfully admitted for permanent residency) & Third Country Nationals (TCN)
11. STATEMENT OF WORK/POSITION DESCRIPTION:
I. SCOPE OF WORK
A. Introduction:
USAID/Angola’s health program components fit under the Investing in People (IIP) element of the Country Operating Plan. This program works with the Angolan Ministry of Health (MOH) to improve the health status of Angolans though improvements to the quality of service delivery and health systems strengthening activities.
The USAID/Angola budget for Investing in People for FY2010 is over $55 million for family planning/reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB and polio. There is an opportunity to improve synergies among USAID-funded interventions and develop and implement robust integrated health services delivery and health systems strengthening programs.
To expand access to health services and address systemic issues, USAID’s program addresses issues related to human resources management, health systems finance, health commodity procurement and distribution and integrated delivery of high quality services in targeted health facilities. USAID also works with corporations to expand and improve their workplace health programs and with civil society organizations (CSOs) involved in health care to improve their technical and management skills.
USAID partners with the MOH to improve the Ministry’s ability to implement key functions resulting in better quality, more reliable services. Technical assistance focuses on areas such as pharmaceutical logistics, improved human resources and supervisory systems, data management related to program planning, monitoring and budgeting. To increase transparency and responsiveness to local needs, the program also fosters improved communications and relationships between local health staff and the communities they serve. As such, USAID is working with the MOH to develop systems at the national level that are informed by inputs from targeted provinces and municipalities.
Angola is a PEPFAR country, and has seen a significant increase in its HIV/AIDS funding in the last years. The U.S. Government (USG) recently entered into a Partnership Framework with the Government of the Republic of Angola (GRA) to combat HIV/AIDS and developed an implementation plan to support the execution of that framework, taking into account Angola’s relatively low HIV prevalence estimated at 2 percent. Under this implementation plan, USAID, in cooperation with CDC and DOD, will implement a wide array of prevention activities to help stem infections and prevent a generalized epidemic as witnessed in neighboring countries. Activities will be concentrated in transport corridors, where prevalence is highest and will include improvements in service provision of voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), condom distribution activities to high risk groups, promoting abstinence and delayed sexual debut messages to youth and services to prevent mother-to-child transmission.
Additionally, Angola was selected as one of the first countries in the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), which aims to rapidly scale up malaria prevention and treatment interventions in high-burden countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Angola will receive over $35 million for the PMI program in FY2010, making malaria the largest portion of the health budget. The goal of PMI is to reduce malaria mortality by 50% by achieving 85% coverage of key prevention and treatment interventions in each target country. In Angola, the program targets the most vulnerable groups—children under five years of age, pregnant women, and people living with HIV/AIDS—with proven preventive and therapeutic interventions, including artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) of pregnant women, and indoor residual spraying (IRS).
B. Position Objective and Principal Tasks:
The objective of this contract is to provide technical support to the USAID/Angola Health Office for the implementation of integrated and cross-cutting health programs, with an emphasis on family planning/reproductive health, malaria, HIV/AIDS and maternal and child health activities.
The Senior Health Advisor will provide technical direction and guidance to USAID-financed activities within the health portfolio. S/he will have broad responsibilities for planning and managing USAID-financed programs including collaborating on strategic planning and activity design, development of program descriptions, oversight of work plan development and activity implementation, periodic review of financial performance, and monitoring and evaluation of programs and activities that contribute to the Mission’s health portfolio.
The Senior Health Advisor will collaborate with units of the Government of the Republic of Angola (GRA) that plan and manage health programs, including select departments within the Ministry of Health (MOH) as well as with local and international NGOs and private sector institutions implementing activities in the health sector. S/he shall ensure coordination with other bilateral and multilateral donors working in the health sector in Angola as well as other U.S. Government entities working in the country. In addition, the incumbent shall liaise with technical and administrative backstops in USAID/Washington as necessary.
The incumbent is a senior technical member of USAID/Angola’s Health Office, and shall collaborate closely with other technical teams and their programs. In this capacity, the incumbent is expected to work closely with various sub-sectoral teams in the Mission to plan and implement a broad range of programs. In addition, the incumbent will have broad latitude in exercising judgment and is responsible for carrying out the function of this position according to USG policies, professional knowledge, and operational best practices. The incumbent reports to USAID/Angola’s Health Office Director.
The incumbent is also expected to respond flexibly and capably to a wide-range of work-related requirements; responding to Washington policy and operational requests, and carrying out ad hoc assignments as dictated by unforeseen operational requirements at the discretion of the Health Office Director.
The incumbent must possess a high level of technical expertise in the area of public health, preferably with experience in HIV/AIDS, family planning and/or malaria control, and possess a deep understanding of the social, economic and cultural determinants and implications of infectious disease and epidemics in Angola and neighboring countries.
C. Position Title of Direct Supervisor:
Health Office Director, USAID/Luanda, Angola
D. Supervisory Controls:
The incumbent may supervise FSN health program managers as needed.
E. Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Provide oversight and management to select existing and new integrated health projects funded by USAID/Angola.
2. Provide support and technical assistance to the USAID Health portfolio in family planning/reproductive health, malaria, HIV/AIDS, infectious diseases, and maternal and child health. Participate in all aspects of strategic program planning for USAID/Angola Health activities, including analysis of health programs, identification of gaps, proposal of interventions, recommendation of suitable indicators and evaluation needs.
3. Participate in evaluations of USAID/Angola health projects, including surveying the performance of contractors and grantees. Ensure that relevant recommendations are applied and taken into consideration in the design of new initiatives. Evaluate report findings and participate in corrective action.
4. Interact with other USAID offices on issues related to health, including reporting, budgeting, and outreach functions. Also, coordinate with other USAID/Angola technical programs on cross-cutting issues affecting the health sector, i.e. ensuring continued incorporation of gender, cultural adaptation and environmentally sound initiatives.
5. Maintain a wide range of contacts with government, private sector and civil society institutions as well as other multilateral and bilateral donors on matters related to the health portfolio.
6. Analyze trends in the health sector and identify ways to further meet both USG foreign policy and GRA sector objectives in Angola. Apply data for decision making at the highest levels.
7. Other duties within the USAID health portfolio as required and assigned.
The incumbent will fulfill a range of supervisory and oversight responsibilities including program management and implementation, analytical, evaluative and administrative duties of broad scope. Program management duties include technical leadership as well as effective and efficient oversight and monitoring to ensure that program performance, objectives and results are achieved in accordance to work plans and formal agreements. This includes stewardship over financial and other resources. The program management responsibility requires continued/regular contact with implementing partners (both contractors and grantees), Angolan government institutions and officials, civil society organizations, private and corporate sector partners and donors.
The incumbent shall have broad understanding of USAID/Angola’s health programs and thus will independently carry out the functions of this position, based on general procedural guidelines and policy direction from the supervisor. The incumbent may exercise formal supervision over non-United States Direct Hire (non-USDH) employees. The incumbent will be under the supervision and report to the Health Office Director.
The responsibilities of the Senior Health Advisor are prioritized as follows:
Program Management and Implementation Oversight (70%)
Provide technical assistance to the USAID Health Team, MOH, and Angolan public, nonprofit and private sector institutions in the design, management and implementation of the Mission’s health portfolio
Assist in developing health budget updates and programming
Assist in developing and implementing methods to track program implementation, performance, and results
Monitor financial, logistical and reporting aspects of USAID-supported programs; assuring compliance with USAID legal and reporting requirements
Assist the MOH and implementing partners set up reporting and tracking systems to provide correct, complete information in a timely manner
Assist in formulation of strategies, policies and operational approaches for program components
Analyze data and information to provide up-to-date information for decision-making regarding impact, effectiveness, and necessary inputs and outputs needed for USAID/Angola health programs
Ensure integration of and cooperation among health projects managed by USAID/Angola
Conduct monitoring and report the results of all health activities
Partner Relationships (30%)
Support USAID/Angola communication/coordination with multi-lateral, bilateral and private donor programs as they relate to the health program.
Coordinate activities of the implementing partners to ensure the USAID program is coherent, properly integrated with national and other donor programs and that USAID interests are safeguarded.
Maintaining productive collaborative relationships with a wide range of partners and stakeholders, including the WB, GFATM, WHO, UNICEF, other Donors, and NGOs working in the health sector in Angola.
Participate and contribute to technical and coordination meetings hosted by the MOH and other partners.
Develop and implement strategies for improved networking by partners and sharing of “best practices” learned in the course of implementing health activities, in order to accelerate program implementation and impact.
(f) Other duties as assigned.
II. QUALIFICATIONS:
In order to be considered for this position a candidate must meet the Required Minimum Qualifications listed below. Consideration and selection will be based on panel evaluation of Required Minimum Qualifications, Desired Qualifications and Evaluation Factors. Additionally, interviews and writing samples may be requested. Applicants are encouraged to write a brief appendix to a resume, OF-612 to demonstrate how prior experience and/or training addresses the Minimum Qualifications and Evaluation Factors listed below:
A. Required Minimum Qualifications:
A Master’s degree in public health or a related scientific field – e.g. international health, social work, medicine, nursing, or midwifery: or international relations, public administration/policy or management with a concentration of public health or international health; or selected social/behavioral science.
Minimum 10 years work experience on a large-scale public health programs; at least six years of this experience should have been in implementing public health or related development programs in sub-Saharan Africa
Familiarity with US government initiatives and legislation relating to development assistance, USAID programming policies, regulations, procedures, and documentation requirements for strategy and project design, implementation, management, and evaluation.
III. EVALUATION FACTORS:
The following factors are listed in descending order of importance and will be the basis for the evaluation of applications meeting the required minimum qualifications. All applications will be evaluated based on the documentation submitted with the application. USAID reserves the right to contact your previous employers for relevant information concerning your performance and may consider such information in its evaluation. The highest ranking applicants may be selected for an interview, but an interview is not always necessary.
A. Work Experience (25 points):
Minimum 10 years work experience on a large-scale public health programs; at least six years of this experience should have been in implementing public health or related development programs in sub-Saharan Africa
B. Abilities and Skills (55 points):
1. The incumbent must be able to:
i. Demonstrate the ability to provide strong analytical abilities to understand and design appropriate strategies and activities to address issues concerning various public health and communicable disease threats present in Angola, such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, polio, FP/RH and cholera.
ii. Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of U.S. Government legislation relating to development assistance, UGS health programming, USAID programming policies, regulations, procedures, and documentation requirements for strategy and project design, implementation, management, and evaluation; and, of the objectives, methodology, and status of the programs to which assigned.
iii. Demonstrate the ability to provide good interpersonal and communication skills and technical leadership qualities including ability to collaborate with host-country officials in program implementation and interact with partners, contractors and other stakeholders at senior levels such as Ministerial, Chief Executive Officer, Chief of Party or equivalent.
iv. Demonstrate the ability to be pro-active and to work independently with minimum supervision including ability to supervise technical and support staff and manage contractors.
v. Demonstrated experience using Microsoft Office applications including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access and other database software applications. (
vi. Demonstrated proficiency or fluency in oral and written English as well as Portuguese (preferred) or Spanish is required.
C. Education (20 points):
A minimum of a Master’s degree in public health, or a related scientific field.
12. INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANTS:
A) APPLYING
For applicants to be considered for this position the following guidelines will be adhered to and forms completed, signed and submitted, to allow the evaluation committee to thoroughly and objectively review your application vis-a-vis the requirements of the position.
i). Marking Applications: To ensure consideration of applicants for the intended position, please reference the solicitation number on your application, and as the subject line in any cover letter, as well as using the address/delivery point specified in this solicitation.
ii). CV: An up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) or resume. Your 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. Applicants are encouraged to write a brief appendix to demonstrate how prior experience and/or training addresses the minimum qualifications and evaluation criteria set forth in the solicitation.
iii). Form OF-612: The submitted form must be signed and completed as much as possible and may reference the CV/resume for a greater detailed explanation of work experience rather than repeat it in the OF-612. Form 612 is available at the USAID web site, http:/ or internet , or at USG offices. ; and,
iv). References: Three (3) to five (5) references, who are not family members or relatives, with working telephone and e-mail contacts. The references must be able to provide substantive information about your past performance and abilities. Reference checks will be made only for applicants considered as finalists. If an applicant does not wish for the current employer to be contacted as a reference check, this should be stated in the applicant’s cover letter. The interviewing committee will delay such reference check pending communication with the applicant.
v). Required Forms for PSCs: The following forms and others shall be completed only upon the advice of the Contracting Officer that an applicant is the successful candidate for the position. Additional forms may be required at the time the selection process is completed.
Medical History and Examination (DS-1843)
Questionnaire for the Sensitive Positions (for National Security) (SF-86), or
Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85)
Fingerprint card
vi). Late Submissions: Qualified individuals should note that applications must be received by the closing date and time at the address specified in the cover letter or they will not be considered eligible for evaluation or award, unless Contracting Officer determines that the documents were mishandled by the receiving agency. The closing time for the receipt of applications is 5:00 pm, local time, on the date specified on the covering letter to this solicitation. You are directed to Federal Acquisitions Regulation, Part “Submission, modification, revision, and withdrawal of proposals” for further information. USAID/Southern Africa reserves the right not to award any contract as a result of this solicitation.
B) SECURITY AND MEDICAL CLEARANCES
i). Medical Clearance: Prior to signing a contract, the selected individual and eligible dependents will be required to obtain a medical clearance or waiver for the country of performance specified. Instructions for obtaining the medical clearance will be forwarded to the selected individual once negotiations have been concluded.
ii). Security Clearance: Prior to signing a contract, the selected individual will be required to obtain an “employment authorization”. This temporary security clearance will be requested while a personal background investigation is conducted. Instructions for obtaining the security clearance will be forwarded to the selected individual once negotiations have been concluded.
C) REGULATIONS/BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES
i). USAID Regulations:
1. Contract Information Bulletins (CIBs): CIBs contain changes to USAID policy and General Provisions in USAID regulations and contracts. Please refer to this web site – to determine which CIBs apply to this contract.
2. AIDAR: The Agency for International Development Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR) Appendix D - Direct USAID Contracts With U.S. Citizens or U.S. Residents for Personal Services Abroad found at: is the primary regulation governing USPSCs for USAID.
ii). Benefits, Allowances and U.S. Taxes: As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances (however, as conditions at post change, benefits and allowances may also be changed):
1. Benefits:
a) Employee’s FICA Contribution (applicable to USPSCs only)
b) Annual Contribution towards Health and Life Insurance (applicable to US & TCNPSCs)
c) Pay Comparability Adjustment - - Annual across the board salary increase for USG employees and USPSCs (applicable to US & TCNPSCs)
d) Worker’s Compensation (applicable to US & TCNPSCs)
e) Vacation and Sick Leave (applicable to US & TCNPSCs)
f) Access to Health Unit if employee and/or dependents are medically cleared to serve at post of assignment
2. Allowances * (If Applicable):
a) Post Differential (Section 500)
b) Living Quarters Allowance (Section 130)
c) Temporary Lodging Allowance (Section 120)
d) Post Allowance (COLA)(Section 220)
e) Supplemental Post Allowance (Section 230)
f) Payment During Evacuation (Section 600)
g) Education Allowance (Section 270)
h) Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section 260)
i) Danger Pay (Section 650)
j) Educational Travel (Section 280)
* Dept of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR) (Government Civilians Foreign Areas)
3. In-Kind Allowances:
The USG will provide the following in-kind allowances, on par with US Direct Hires at the same location, in lieu of some allowances in paragraph “2. Allowances* (If Applicable)” above:
a) Housing
b) Furniture
c) Appliances
d) Furnishings (drapes/blinds, rugs, lights, etc.)
e) Utilities
f) Guard Services for Residence
4. Federal and State Taxes:
a. Federal Taxes: USPSCs are not exempt from payment of Federal Income taxes and will be withheld from compensation payments.
b. State Taxes: USAID does not withhold state taxes from compensation payments. State taxes are solely between the employee and the employee’s state of official residence.
END OF SOLICITATION
