U.S./TCN Personal Service Contractor (USPSC) – Senior Pediatric Advisor/Child Health Lead

I.            GENERAL INFORMATION        1.      SOLICITATION NO.: 72066318R00012  2.      ISSUANCE DATE: April 12, 2018  3.   LOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: May 11, 2018, before and/or on 5:00 PM (Ethiopian local time) 4.  OSITION TITLE: Senior Pediatric Advisor/Child Health Lead 5.      MARKET VALUE:  $89,370-$116,181 equivalent to GS-14.The final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value based on the successful candidate’s salary history, work experience, and educational background.  Salaries over and above the top of the pay range will not be entertained or negotiated. 6.      PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:  Two years, with three year option to extend. Extensions will be contingent on satisfactory performance, continued need for the services and availability of funds. No PSC contract may exceed a five year period of performance 7.      PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: USAID/Ethiopia, Addis Ababa with possible travel as stated in the Statement of Work. 8.      WHO MAY

APPLY:  United States Citizens, and United States Permanent Residents. Third Country Nationals (non-US, non-Ethiopian) Nationals*9.      SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED:  Facility Access. The final selected candidates must obtain an Employment Authorization and medical clearances within a reasonable period of time (USAID will provide details regarding these clearances to the selected candidate). If such clearances are not obtained within a reasonable time or negative suitability issues are involved, any offer made may be rescinded. 10.  STATEMENT OF DUTIES1.      General Statement of Purpose of the ContractEthiopia is the second most populous country in sub-Saharan Africa, with a projected population estimated at 102 million people from 83 ethnic groups and languages.  Ethiopia’s population is young with 47% being under the age of 15 and 14.6% (13.2 million) being under the age of 5.  Despite increasing urbanization, approximately 85% of the population lives in rural areas. Ethiopia has a federal system of governance.  The country is divided into nine administrative regions: Afar, Amhara, Benishangul-Gumuz, Gambela, Harari, Oromiya, Somali, Tigray and the Southern Nation’s, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR); as well as two city administrations, Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa.  The woreda is the most decentralized level of the government structure, acting as the basis for most administrative and management functions.  Ethiopia’s public health system is based on a three-tiered system of healthcare delivery, where level one is a woreda health system is comprised of a primary hospital, health centers and satellite health posts that form the Primary Health Care Unit.  Level two is a General hospital and level three is a specialized hospital.  In addition,  Ethiopia’s flagship Health Extension Program (HEP) is the platform for the delivery of Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) focused health education and promotion services at the community and household level.  The HEP has revolutionized the decentralized delivery of primary healthcare services.   Ethiopia has made significant progress in child survival reducing under-five mortality from 123 to 67 deaths per 1,000 live births since 2005.  Despite significant reductions in overall under 5 mortality, newborn mortality remains high (29 deaths per 1000 live births) and now represents an increased proportion of all U5 deaths (43%).  Also, maternal mortality remains high with the 2016 DHS showing 412 deaths per 100,000 live births.  The reduction of maternal, neonatal and child health continue to be priority areas for both the Government of Ethiopia and USAID/Ethiopia. The USAID/Ethiopia Office of Health, AIDS, Population and Nutrition (HAPN) is responsible for the design, implementation and oversight of all USAID-financed health activities in support of the Ethiopian Health Sector Transformation Plan (HSTP).  The HAPN Office is currently comprised of four teams: Family Health and Infectious Disease (FHID), Health Systems Strengthening (HSS), Malaria and HIV.  The FHID Team portfolio covers a range of program elements including, but not limited to:  Family Planning and Reproductive Health (FP/RH), Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH), Water and Sanitation, Infectious Diseases, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Health Systems Strengthening and Health Sector Reform.   2.      Statement of Duties to be Performed USAID/Ethiopia, under the HAPN Office seeks an expert to fill the post of Child Health Cluster Lead and manage the Child Health Cluster.  The successful candidate will act as the scientific and programmatic lead in Pediatric care with emphasis on newborn and child health issues and WASH in a multisectoral programming environment for child survival.  S/he will serve as the agency expert in providing authoritaive intellectual leadership and clinical guidance for child survival and WASH and will provide technical support to the GOE to strengthen the policy and programming landscape for child survival, including clinical practices, and WASH.  S/he will analyze, synthesize and disseminate key research findings, cutting edge methodologies and best practices within USAID/Ethiopia and at various health forums in Ethiopia.  The Child Health Cluster Lead will provide technical, operational and management support to the FHID Team in the HAPN office and will be involved in the planning, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of public health programs.  The incumbent will use his/her independent judgment and initiative to provide day-to-day technical, management and administrative oversight for selected USAID programs with minimal supervision.  S/he will utilize his/her technical skills, clinical expertise, and knowledge of project implementation, monitoring and evaluation to ensure programs are meeting desired results as well as identify opportunities for new initiatives.  The incumbent will work in collaboration with the HSS, Malaria and HIV teams and other USAID technical offices within USAID Ethiopia to ensure appropriate links among programs are made.  The Child Health Cluster Lead is expected to participate in national technical working group meetings including clinicians, representatives from various directorates within the FMOH, other government and non-governmental agencies, as well as other donors, particularly those within incumbent’s technical areas. The Child Health Cluster Lead will be directly supervised by the FHID Deputy Team Leader.  S/he will serve as Contracting Officer’s Representative/Agreement Officer’s Representative/Activity Manager (COR/AOR/AM) for relevant MNCH agreements or contracts, and provide technical support, planning, design, implementation, management, and evaluation expertise for the activities s/he manages.  S/he will also be responsible for preparing relevant components of the annual operational plan (OP) and Health Implementation Plan, and will contribute to the annual Performance Plan and Report (PPR), as well as supporting overall USAID Ethiopia health functions.  The incumbent will also be responsible for supervising a minimum of two staff members and their overall portfolios.   1)      INTELLECTUAL AND TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP (40%)Mission Support:a)      Provide technical and programmatic leadership to the child survival portfolio with emphasis on reducing neo-natal and child mortality and integrating innovative strategies in facility-based as well as community-based primary health care services for mothers and children; b)      Serve as the technical lead to ensure mainstreaming of child survival and WASH priorities into health systems strengthening activities; c)      Coordinate services to promote family-focused care including coordination with maternal child health, adolescent health, infectious disease, and other health office programming priorities as well as other technical offices; d)      Help optimize the impact of the Mission's resources by facilitating cross-sectoral programming with other USAID/Ethiopia offices and sections, including education, agriculture, food security, and democracy and governance;e)      Provide technical input and support the Strategic Information Advisor to draft and update relevant sections of the Performance Strategic Plans, Operational Plans, Health Implementation Plan, Performance Plan and Report and other pertinent documents;  f)       Verify the quality, tracking and synthesis of child health interventions performance indicators, in particular those provided through the mechanisms that s/he manages. Ensure all routine and ad hoc reporting requirements reflect fully child health indicators and targets; andg)      Coordinate lessons learned and dissemination with all Health and HIV/AIDS partners. GOE Support:  a)      Represent USAID on child survival at high level GOE fora including scientific/technical working groups such as the Immunization Coordination Committee; b)      Provide expert guidance on the development and/or adaptation of clinical guidelines for new-born and child health;c)      Provide clinical guidance to the GOE and other key partners to support quantification for essential commodities related to child survival on an annual basis;d)      Support the development and implementation of scale-up plans for key child survival interventions such as chlorhexidine, antenatal corticosteroids, post-natal care, and KMC; e)      Ensure strategic technical and geographic partnerships with the GOE and other key implementers to support new-born and child health; andf)       Provide clinical input to the ongoing development of child survival strategies for urban and agro-pastoral/pastoral settings. 2)      PROGRAM MANAGEMENT (25%)a)      Serve as designated COR/AOR/AM for selected activities;b)      Directly manage a portfolio of approximately $5 million USD per annum and provide supervision to an overall portfolio of approximately $15 million; c)      Maintain detailed and updated project management files for each activity;d)      Review performance reports to ensure that partner(s) are in compliance with bilateral government agreements, and with the performance expectations outlined in their work plan(s) and their agreement(s) with USAID;e)      Conduct regular site visits to review program implementation and meet with beneficiaries.  Based on the information collected during field visits, communicate findings and recommendations to the FHID, HSS and HIV/AIDS Teams and, as appropriate, implementing partners and GOE counterparts;f)       Oversee/conduct appropriate analyses of relevant data in order to strengthen activities in the areas of neonatal/child health and WASH, in particular, data collection, tracking and reporting efforts;g)      Provide financial management of assigned activities, including ensuring that obligations, expenditures, and budget pipelines conform to action plans.  Ensure appropriate and timely incremental funding of activities;h)      Ensure that program activities are in compliance with USAID financial regulations.  Report any financial discrepancies to the FHID Team Lead, the HAPN Office Chief and Financial Management Specialist.  Keep the Mission Controller and Financial Management Specialist informed of the liquidation of advances.  Review and provide administrative approval for assigned activities;i)         Ensure compliance with Non-Federal Audits (NFAS) and closure of open recommendations.  Maintain a monthly project financial management tracking system;j)        Ensure that implementing partners are in compliance with all relevant USAID and regulations and procedures, including environmental compliance and family planning regulations.  The Child Health Cluster Lead will communicate with partners regarding these rules and regulations, as well as their obligations to USAID; andk)      Work closely with USAID partners to ensure that program achievements and lessons learned are disseminated to sector representatives.  Maintain an up-to-date summary of all program technical and geographic areas. 3)      SUPERVISION (20%)a)      Provide leadership and guidance to a team of two health professionals focused on child health;b)      Provide formal semi-annual and annual performance evaluations in addition to ongoing feedback;c)      Support development and implementation of annual individual professional improvement plans;d)      Provide ongoing mentorship to achieve work objectives and coaching on specific technical/programmatic needs; ande)      Provide ongoing supervision to staff members to support management of their overall portfolios. 4)  RESEARCH (15%)a)   Prepare and/or coordinate thematic studies and technical evaluations on topics related to the assigned areas of responsibility;b)      Conduct program evaluations and/or prepare scopes of work for independent evaluations for projects related to assigned technical areas; c)      Coordinate the operational research agenda and activities with relevant implementing partners;d)      Represent USAID/Ethiopia on GOE National and Subnational Research Advisory Committees;e)      Support USAID/Ethiopia, GOE counterparts and key stakeholders to translate research findings on child survival, WASH and community health programming to support context-specific programming locally; andf)       Serve as the clinical and scientific lead for cutting edge medical and public health research on child health. 3.      Supervisory RelationshipThe Child Health Cluster Lead will work under the direct supervision of the Family Health and Infectious Disease Deputy Team Leader.  The Cluster Lead should be able to operate independently and 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. 4.      Supervisory ControlsThe incumbent will be expected to work under the supervision of USAID/Ethiopia Family Health and Infectious Disease Deputy Team Leader and is expected to work independently in carrying out responsibilities. The Advisor, having advanced expertise in the area of child health, has continuing responsibility for independently planning and carrying out important programs/projects and activities; determining the approach to be taken and the methods to be used; resolving most of the conflicts that arise; coordinating the work with others as necessary; and, interpreting policy in terms of established objectives. The Advisor keeps the supervisors informed of progress, potentially controversial matters, and problems with far-reaching implications. Completed work is reviewed for soundness, completeness and conformity with policy and USAID procedures. Completed work is considered technically sound and is normally accepted without significant change. Review is normally limited to fulfillment of program objectives, and the effect of work on the overall Strategic Information program.   11.  AREA OF CONSIDERATION:  According to ADS 309.3.3, a “USAID policy is that the use of CCNPSCs is preferred over the use of TCNPSCs in order to integrate the foreign assistance effort into the community, enhance the skills of the cooperating country's population, and contribute to the local economy. USPSCs are also preferred over TCNPSCs with equivalent qualifications.” For USPSC: ·         Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. Permanent Resident (“green card holder”); ·         Submit a complete application as outlined in the solicitation section titled APPLYING;·         Be able to obtain facility access authorization;·         Be able to obtain a Department of State medical clearance; ·         Be willing to travel to work sites and other offices as/when requested; ·         Employment is subject to funds availability and all the required approvals obtained.  For TCNPSC: ·         Be a Third Country National. Third Country National means an individual: (1) Who is neither a citizen nor a permanent legal resident of the United States nor of the country to which assigned for duty (Ethiopian), and (2) Who is eligible for return to his/her home country or country of recruitment at U.S. Government expenses; ·         Submit a complete application as outlined in the section titled APPLYING;·         Be able to obtain facility access authorization; ·         Be able to obtain a Department of State medical clearance;·         Be willing to travel to work sites and other offices as/when requested. ·         Employment is subject to funds availability and all the required approvals obtained.  12.  PHYSICAL DEMANDSThe primary location of work will be on the U.S. Embassy/USAID compound in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. No special demands are required to perform the work. 13.  POINT OF CONTACT:   Shelby Hunt, S/EXO, and/or Fekadu Tamirate, HR Specialist, email at addisusaidjobs@usaid.gov. Note: No in-person appointments or telephone calls will be entertained, unless you are required to have more information about this solicitation.  MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION To be considered for the position, applicants must meet the following minimum qualifications. For those who do, further consideration and selection will be based on panel assessment of the selection criteria, also listed below. Applicants are required to address each of the selection criteria describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education, and/or awards or recognition they have received relevant to each criteria described below, and any related considerations. Be sure to include your name and the selection and the solicitation number at the top of each additional page. EDUCATION: An advanced degree in medicine, public health or a related field is required; specialization in pediatrics is preferred.   WORK EXPERIENCE: At least 10 years of experience in public health program implementation and/or clinical experience is required. Experience focused on clinical care of infants, children and adolescents and/or child health design, implementation and evaluation is preferred.  A minimum of two years working in developing countries is required; experience in Africa is preferred.  Supervision experience is highly desirable.   Experience managing international donor-funded projects and familiarity with U.S. government rules and regulations are preferred. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABLITIES: Thorough knowledge of child survival in a resource-poor setting, including both facility and community-based neonatal and child health interventions, and child-maternal health program linkages are required.  Ability to understand and translate clinical, scientific and programmatic research into public health program design is necessary.  Familiarity with child health strategies, including IMNCI, ICCM, and immunization, nutrition and WASH, is preferred.  A thorough understanding of program design, implementation and evaluation is preferred.  Previous experience working to strengthen health systems by integrating child health priorities into activity design and implementation is preferred.  Previous experience conducting operational and implementation research is preferred.  Knowledge of the Ethiopian government's national health and HIV/AIDS-related policies, the Ethiopian health care system, and the health-related programs of other donors is preferred. The incumbent should have the ability to establish and maintain contacts with a wide-range of government officials, implementing partners, and site-level providers engaged in neonatal/child health and WASH.  The incumbent also should be able to obtain and rapidly analyze information, evaluate data, and prepare reports and related documents.  S/he must be able to communicate effectively in writing and verbally in English, and participate in discussions and meetings effectively.  The selected candidate must be capable of producing high-quality work, often under time pressure and in complex situations.  Excellent computer skills with proficiency in word processing and Excel are required. II.               EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS The Evaluation Factors listed 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.  2.       EVALUATION FACTORS Those applicants who meet the minimum education and experience qualifications will be evaluated based on the content of their application as well as on the applicant’s writing, presentation, and communication skills. On a supplemental document included with the application package, applicants should cite specific, illustrative examples to address each factor. Responses are limited to 1,000 characters per factor, Times New Roman font, 12-font size, and 1” margins. Applicants should describe specifically and accurately the experience, training, education and/or awards they have received that are relevant to the factor. Applicants should include their name and the announcement number at the top of each additional page. Failure to specifically address the Evaluation Factors will result in the applicant not receiving full credit.  FACTOR #1: Describe your experience in pediatric/child health program design, implementation, research and evaluation, as well as technical/clinical leadership. Please highlight up to three successes you are most proud of.  FACTOR #2: Provide examples of your communication style and skills, such as experience presenting at technical conferences, negotiating with senior officials, resolving conflict, gaining the respect/support of your subordinates, etc. FACTOR #3: Discuss the key challenges and opportunities associated with child survival in a resource poor-setting, including both facility and community-based neonatal and child health interventions, and child-maternal health program linkages. FACTOR #4Provide specific examples of your experience in building successful partnerships with host government counterparts and other key stakeholders (donors, civil society, private sector, etc.) to implement pediatric/child health programs, particularly in developing countries. The Evaluation Factors listed 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.  3.      BASIS OF RATING Applicants who clearly meet the Education/Experience requirements and basic eligibility requirements will be further evaluated based on scoring of their Evaluation Factor responses. Those applicants determined to be competitively ranked will also be evaluated on their interview performance and satisfactory professional reference checks. The Applicant Rating System is as follows:  Evaluation Factors: 60 pointsFactor #1 15 points Factor #2 15 points Factor #3 15 pointsFactor #4 15 points Interview Performance: 40 points Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks – Pass/Fail (no points assigned) Total Possible Points: 100  III.            APPLYING Applicants must provide at least three references with current contact information, preferably both an e-mail address and a telephone number. (The Selection Committee will conduct reference checks of the highest ranked applicants). References will be asked to complete a questionnaire that assesses the applicant’s technical knowledge, work performance, communication skills, and group dynamics, using the above specific criteria. The references will be asked to provide a general assessment of the applicant’s suitability for the position.  It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure submitted references are available to provide a written or verbal reference in a timely manner. All applicants must complete the attached Application for Employment (AID 302-3) and submit a cover letter outlining their relevant qualification and experience for the position.  For your application to be considered, the following documents must be submitted:-1.      Letter of application/cover letter. 2.      Eligible offerors are required to complete and submit the offer form AID 302-3, “Offeror Information for Personal Services Contracts,” available at http://www.usaid.gov/forms. 3.      Current resume/CV. 4.      Written statements of the four factors (Section II.2. Evaluation Factors). 5.      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 12.6.      To ensure consideration of offers for the intended position, Offerors must prominently reference the Solicitation number in the offer submission. 7.   Application must be submitted ONLY via addisusaidjobs@usaid.gov and the email subject must say –: 72066318R00012 Senior Pediatric Advisor/Child Health Lead. 8.   Please submit the application only once; and  9.   Late and incomplete applications will not be considered; the application must be submitted before or on the closing date at local Ethiopian time 5:00 p.m. (Local Ethiopia Time)  IV.         LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSC HIRESOnce the 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.      Questionnaire for Sensitive Positions for National Security (SF-86), or3.      Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85)4.      Finger Print Card (FD-258) V.               BENEFITS/ALLOWANCESAs a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances: 1.      BENEFITS:(a)    Employer's FICA Contribution(b)   Contribution toward Health & Life Insurance(c)    Pay Comparability Adjustment(d)   Annual Increase (pending a satisfactory performance evaluation)(e)    Eligibility for Worker's Compensation(f)    Annual and Sick Leave 2.      ALLOWANCES (if applicable)*:Section numbers refer to rules from the Department of State Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians Foreign Areas) (a)   Temporary Quarter Subsistence Allowance (Section 120)(b)   Living Quarters Allowance (Section 130)(c)    Cost-of-Living Allowance (Chapter 210)(d)   Post Allowance (Section 220)(e)    Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section 260)(f)     Education Allowance (Section 270)(g)   Education Travel (Section 280)(h)   Post Differential (Chapter 500)(i)     Payments during Evacuation/Authorized Departure (Section 600), and(j)     Danger Pay Allowance (Section 650) * Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians Foreign Areas). *Eligibilities for allowances are in accordance with Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians Foreign Areas) based on the type of appointment and Mission Policy. VI.               TAXES USPSCs are required to pay Federal income taxes, FICA, Medicare and applicable State Income taxes. VII.               USAID REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND CONTRACT CLAUSES PERTAINING TO PSCs USAID regulations and policies governing USPSC awards are available at these sources: 1.      USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR), Appendix D, “Direct USAID Contracts with a U.S. Citizen or a U.S. Resident Alien 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 and 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 SOLICITATIONEQUAL 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 through continuing diversity enhancement programs. The EEO complaint procedure is not 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.