USAID Project Management Specialist (Budget)

GENERAL INFORMATION

SOLICITATION NO.: 72066324R10005

ISSUANCE DATE: 02/07/2024

CLOSING DATE AND TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: 02/21/2024, no later than 5:00 p.m (EAT) (close of business).

POINT OF CONTACTS: James Cerwinski, Supervisory EXO and Fekadu Tamirate, HR Specialist, e-mail at addisusaidjobs@usaid.gov.

POSITION TITLE: USAID Project Management Specialist (Budget)

MARKET VALUE: $19,728 $35,508 yearly i.e., equivalent to FSN - 10. In accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of USAID/Ethiopia. Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value. Salary will be paid in local currency at the exchange rate in effect when the payroll is processed.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Five (5) years. The services provided under this contract are expected to be of a continuing nature through a series of sequential contracts, subject to continued need, satisfactory performance, and the availability of funds.

The expected period of performance will be from 05/01/2024 04/30/2029.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: US Embassy, Entoto Road, Addis Ababa, with travel as stated in the Statement of Duties.

ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: Cooperating Country Nationals (CCNs). Cooperating country national means an individual who is a cooperating country citizen, or a non-cooperating country citizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the cooperating country.

SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Facilities access.

STATEMENT OF DUTIES

General Statement of Purpose of the Contract

The USAID Project Management Specialist Budget (the Specialist) is a member of the Office of Humanitarian Assistance (OHA) and reports to the OHA Disaster Risk Management Team Lead. The Specialist serves as a subject matter expert on the full range of USAID/OHA budget activities. The Specialist is responsible for leading or performing a wide array of budget actions for the entire OHA portfolio, including budget planning, development, implementation and monitoring of complex, multi-million-dollar humanitarian and DRM resources. The Specialist provides senior-level guidance to OHA and other Mission colleagues related to all budget and financial components of the OHA portfolio and liaises closely with technical teams within the Mission, with the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) and with USAID/Washington. The Specialist also plays a primary role in coordinating financial aspects of OHA and other Mission reporting requirements. OHA manages a large and complex portfolio that encompasses Humanitarian and Development Assistance and Title II-funded activities to improve the food security and nutrition of vulnerable populations responding to multisectoral emergency needs in Ethiopia. Through its $1 billion-dollar annual budget, the OHA manages multisectoral humanitarian and recovery programs including large-scale live-saving humanitarian response activities, and activities that protect household assets and build community resilience

Statement of Duties to be Performed

Budget and Financial Management (40%)

• Provides guidance to the OHA office team as subject matter expert in leading the preparation of annual and multi-year office budgets and ensures program budget planning and development is aligned with Mission and OHA strategy and cross-cutting priorities.
• Provides the appropriate fiscal data to be used for new and existing projects and lead discussion during Quarterly Financial Reporting (QRF) and Operational Planning (OP) exercise.
• Advises the OHA on budgeting issues and pertinent regulations that apply to the use of USAID funds by source, type and duration.
• Ensures humanitarian and DRM program budgets adhere to agency requirements (adequate documentation, forward funding compliance, adherence to earmarks, initiatives, directives, and budget guidelines).
• Updates uncommitted balances regularly and provides technical and programmatic recommendations to OHA management on the use of un-sub-committed balances for new or ongoing activities.
• Tracks obligations, outlays, accruals and pipeline and ensures conformity to action plans, budgets and U.S regulations, as well USAID guidelines.
• Makes recommendations to the Teams regarding appropriate contractual and financial actions.
• Compiles budget information, project obligation materials and budget scenarios in conjunction with the Office of Financial Management (OFM) and the Office of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA).
• Coordinate closely with USAID/Washington BHA team on BHA funded activities.
• Prepares field support budget requests, in coordination with the Technical Teams.
• Develops and/or edits obligation documents, action memos, waivers and other documents needed for budget decisions.
• Provides extensive advisory services to a wide array of stakeholders including project managers, USAID teams as well as implementing partners to ensure annual multi-million-dollar USAID budgets are aligned with USAID priorities in the host country.
• Analyzes budget guidance from a variety of sources, and guides OHA and Mission leadership to ensure adherence.

Portfolio Operation and Management (30%)

• Serves as OHAs subject matter expert (SME) for Global Acquisition and Assistance System (GLAAS).

• Initiate GLAAS requisitions for new and active awards
• Advises Contracting Officers Representative/Agreement Officers Representative (COR/AORs) and others on the requirements of GLAAS.
• Provides technical guidance on solving errors and GLAAS updates.

• Develops the annual calendar of budget actions that will ensure effective management of the budget.
• Works with Health Office COR/AORs to ensure procurement plans are up to date.
• Coordinates the development and use of budget tools and practices.
• Provides operational, financial, administrative and logistics support to the Health Office.
• Provides support related to program monitoring and implementation, partner communications, and interfacing with relevant support offices.
• Supports organization of field trips, conferences, and seminars and to ensure maximum participation by target audiences.
• Analyzes existing financial data, including pipelines, disbursements, accruals and forecasted expenditures to inform the budget formulation process.

Reporting (30%)

• Provides guidance and coordinates OHAs contributions to a variety of plans and reports, including the Operational Plan (OP), Congressional Budget Justification, Mission Resource Request (MRR), and Performance Plan and Report (PPR).
• Organizes and coordinates OHA Portfolio Reviews and assists in preparing the necessary document and presentations for Mission Portfolio Reviews. Helps track and follow-up action items from the portfolio reviews.
• Identifies existing and potential program implementation and management problems as evident from tracking efforts and work with respective program managers to resolve problems/take corrective action.
• Serves as a key liaison with the Missions Program Office (PRO) responding, on behalf of OHA, to regular and ad hoc reporting and programmatic requests.

The contractor is eligible for travel to the U.S., or to other locations abroad, for training, for temporary duty, or to participate in the "Foreign Service National" Fellowship Program, in accordance with USAID policy.

Supervisory Relationship

The specialist will be directly supervised by the OHA Disaster Risk Management Team Leader and take general direction from the OHA Deputy Chief. The Budget specialist should require little supervision in carrying out routine responsibilities, and only general guidance for most tasks. The scope and flexibility of the duties will demand a great deal of initiative to identify and test innovative approaches and solutions to complex situations and the ability to work independently.

Supervisory Controls

None anticipated.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS PRIOR TO AWARD

The Contracting Candidates 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)
• Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85)
• Fingerprint Card (FD-258)

BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES

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

BENEFITS:

Group life insurance, medical coverage, annual leave and sick leave.

ALLOWANCES (as applicable):

Meal allowance and miscellaneous benefit allowance.

TAXES

Cooperating Country Nationals are expected to comply with all relevant Ethiopian laws and regulations.

USAID REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND CONTRACT CLAUSES PERTAINING TO PSCs

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

• 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
• 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

• 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
• 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.
• 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 agency. 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.

FAR Provisions Incorporated by Reference

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: The U.S. Mission in Ethiopia provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation. USAID/Ethiopia also strives to achieve equal employment opportunity in all personnel operations.

The EEO complaint procedure is available to individuals who believe they have been denied equal opportunity based upon marital status or political affiliation. Individuals with such complaints should avail themselves of the appropriate grievance procedures, remedies for prohibited personnel practices, and/or courts for relief.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

Education: Minimum of bachelors degree in financial management, Business Administration, Accounting, Economics, Statistics, Humanitarian Assistance or related fields is required

Prior Experience: Minimum of Three years of progressively responsible work in financial management, budgeting, accounting, and/or audit and compliance. At least one year must be related to preparing and/or monitoring development project budgets and expenditures. Must have experience working with implementing partners, host country government, and/or another international donor organization is required

Language: Fluency in English (Level IV) written and oral, fluency in Amharic (Level IV) written and oral

EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

The Government may award a contract without discussions with candidates 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 candidates 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 candidates 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.

Rating factors are used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified candidates in comparison to other candidates. Candidates 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:

EVALUATION FACTORS

EDUCATION (20 points): Points will be given for (1) education above the minimum level and/or (2) specialized education pertinent to the position. and/or (3) specialized training pertinent to the position.

WORK EXPERIENCE (20 points): Points will be given for (1) experience above the minimum levels required, (2) specialized experience pertinent to the position, (3) experience in pertinent development assistance activities, (4) experience in development organizations that are large and/or international.

KNOWLEDGE (40 points): Demonstrated familiarity and knowledge commonly applied to budget planning and execution is required. Knowledge and familiarity with food security and humanitarian assistance programming is preferred.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES (20 points): Expert-level skills in financial management and budgeting are required. Excellent computer proficiency, including skills with Microsoft Excel, spreadsheet development and management, pivot tables, data visualization, web-based databases, and electronic filing. Skilled attention to details and ability to ensure accuracy of documents, analyses, and reports. Good interpersonal skills, including ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. S/he must have strong conceptual and analytical skills to be able to quickly grasp and translate new concepts into operational plans which are reflected in the budget. This position requires an outstanding ability to exercise flexibility and prioritization skills to be able to accept and react to evolving planning and implementation contexts. Ability to exercise sound judgment, take initiative and offer leadership. The incumbent must be capable of rapidly analyzing information, evaluating data and preparing high quality written reports in English. S/he must be able to communicate clearly and succinctly in oral presentations and in meetings. The position requires good customer service and diplomatic skills, as the incumbent works closely with Implementing Partners, USG representatives, GOE officials, and other external stakeholders.

WRITTEN TEST (40 points)

INTERVIEW PERFORMANCE (60 points)

BASIS OF RATING: Candidates who meet the Minimum Qualifications will be evaluated in accordance with the Evaluation and Selection Factors.

Candidates should address these factors in the offer package, describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards they have received as it pertains to the factors. Failure to address the Evaluation and Selection Factors may result in not receiving credit for all pertinent experience, education, training and/or awards.

The highest-ranking applicants may be selected for an interview and writing test. Interviews may be conducted either in person or by telephone/video call at USAIDs discretion.

Final TEC recommendations for the candidates will be based on the initial evaluation of the applications, interview performance, and written test. USAID/Ethiopia will not pay for any expenses associated with interviews.

Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks Pass/Fail (no points assigned). Reference checks will be conducted only for the first-ranked candidate. Please be advised that references may be obtained independently from other sources in addition to the ones provided by an offeror. If a candidate does not wish USAID to contact a current employer for a reference check, this should be stated in the candidates cover letter, and USAID will not contact those references without contacting the candidate.