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1. SOLICITATION NO.: 22-103
2. ISSUANCE DATE: August 5, 2022
3. CLOSING DATE AND TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: September 10, 2022 (4:30 PM East Africa Time).
4. POINT OF CONTACT: USAID Kenya and East Africa Human Resources, e-mail at nairobiusaid.hr@usaid.gov
5. POSITION TITLE: USAID Project Management Specialist (Education) - Education and Youth Deputy Office Director.
6. MARKET VALUE: Equivalent to FSN-12 Step 1 (6,834,442.00 KSH per annum) to Step 13 (11,618,566.00 KSH per annum). In accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of USAID/Kenya and East Africa. Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.
7. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: The services provided under this contract are expected to be of a continuing nature that will be executed by USAID through a series of sequential contracts, subject to the availability of funds, the continued need for services and successful performance. It is anticipated that the selection of the successful candidate will be completed within an estimated six-month period from the closing date of this solicitation. The base period will be for one year with the commencement date based upon successful medical clearance and security certification. Contingent on Agency needs, the Contracting Officer may exercise four additional option periods from the contract commencement date.
8. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Nairobi, Kenya;with possible travel as stated in the Statement of Duties.
9. ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: Open to qualified Kenyan Citizens, including current locally hired employees of the US Government in Kenya. Employees presently on probation are ineligible to apply.
10. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Security certification issued by the US Embassy RSO.
11. STATEMENT OF DUTIES:
General Statement of Purpose of the Contract
The USAID/KEA Office of Education and Youth (EDY) invests in education and training that put children and youth on the path to economic prosperity. This includes improving primary grade literacy outcomes; strengthening the Kenyan education system; increasing educational and employment opportunities for youth; building the capacity of youth networks; and preparing the next generation of young African leaders to transform the region. The Project Management Specialist (Education) serves as the Deputy Office Director who reports to the Office Director and helps manage a 16-person team. The Specialist serves as the Office Director upon his/her absence and represents EDY in senior leadership meetings. S/he provides leadership and managerial support to a portfolio that includes early grade literacy, social and emotional learning, continuous assessment and evaluation, teacher training, education system strengthening, education access and distance learning, youth employment and entrepreneurship, youth networks, TVET and university partnerships, youth leadership and empowerment, and private sector and government engagement. The Specialist also supports USAID’s East Africa regional education and youth portfolio.
The Specialist takes a leading role in engaging with the Government of Kenya (GOK), the Ministry of Education, and other national and county senior-level officials to ensure the effective coordination of the U.S. Government’s (USG) education investments. S/he represents USAID/KEA and EDY to bilateral donors, UN organizations, NGOs, the private sector, and other stakeholders. S/he oversees the implementation of EDY’s contribution to USAID’s Kenya and East Africa strategies. The Specialist serves as an Agreement Officer/Contracting Officer Representative (AOR/COR) or alternate for activities including a flagship basic education program which underpins the five-year $137.3 million EDY portfolio and a regional East Africa Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity $300 million contract. S/he oversees a team managing approximately $59 million in education/youth activities and mentors/coaches junior AOR/CORs.
The Specialist possesses senior level expertise in multiple areas including but not limited to early grade reading, girls’ education, distance learning, teacher training, TVET and university education, and youth workforce development. S/he has extensive experience and practical knowledge of project design/management; M&E; technical, analytical, and organizational skills; staff management skills including supervision, coaching, and mentoring of staff/teams. S/he has a highly technical body of knowledge as well as applicable USG rules and regulations. S/he serves as a trusted policy advisor and provides vital technical leadership to EDY, USAID/KEA senior leadership, the U.S. Ambassador, the Department of State, USAID Washington, and other USG agencies, implementing partners (IPs), and the GOK on education and development priorities. S/he advances USAID’s contributions to USG priorities including those outlined in the USG Strategy on International Basic Education, the USAID Education Policy, and the USAID Youth in Development Policy.
The Specialist contributes to an inclusive work environment that values diversity and elicits the highest level of performance. S/he supervises Cooperating Country National (CCN) staff and may contribute to the mentoring/coaching and capacity building of 11 or more staff (junior, mid-level, and senior CCNs) and junior officers. S/he engages other offices to support the integration of education and youth priorities. S/he exhibits exceptional leadership, management, organizational, technical, writing/editing, diplomatic, and interpersonal skills.
This position is based in Nairobi and requires occasional travel across Kenya to monitor programmatic activities.
Statement of Duties to be Performed
A. Technical and Programmatic Leadership 35%
The Specialist provides strategic direction for the Mission’s education and youth investments. The incumbent oversees planning, activity design, and activity implementation.
● Support the Office Director in providing technical education expertise, guidance, and overall direction of the development and execution of education related activities and priorities in Kenya, with particular emphasis on activities related to early grade reading, higher education and training, youth and workforce development, distance learning, girls’ development, and systems strengthening. Ensure technical direction supports the achievement of results and contributes to sustainable outcomes that increase local ownership and leadership.
● Provide programmatic leadership for all EDY staff on the basic education, youth, and YALI portfolios while actively crafting the strategic vision for programming alongside the Office Director.
● Provide Mission critical advice and guidance on difficult, highly specialized, and sensitive technical education and youth development issues that impact essential Mission programming and East Africa regional dynamics. This includes expert technical input and leadership in the design, negotiation, and work planning for all EDY activities including regional coordination across 8 USAID missions in East Africa on basic education programming as well as 14 USG missions on YALI programming.
● Coordinate across multiple sectors and offices to identify and leverage opportunities for youth engagement and other cross-sector collaboration.
● Ensure the Agency’s local works priorities underpin all capacity building activities, leading to sustainability for a wide array of stakeholders, including the Government of Kenya, beyond USAID assistance.
● Oversee and lead multiple Chiefs of Party with the ability to convene them to discuss technical issues relevant to the education and youth portfolio. Provide critical financial, technical and general programmatic oversight to ensure awards achieve anticipated results and are linked to USG and USAID/KEA objectives. This will also involve serving as an AOR and/or COR for one or more activities focusing on early grade reading across Kenya or the East Africa region to support USAID’s country, regional, and education specific objectives.
● Lead EDY in the development of the yearly operational plan, annual performance plan and report, and other quarterly reviews and plans. Provide input on the budget, schedules for allocation, obligation, and expenditures; portfolio reviews; evaluation planning and implementation; audits; communication and outreach activities; and other EDY, USAID/KEA, or USG efforts to ensure effective, cost-effective, and responsible programming and reporting in compliance with USG and USAID regulations and ethics standards.
● Apply USAID policies, judgment, and mastery of technical knowledge to strategically guide the EDY portfolio to achieve impact in the education and youth sector.
● Provide oversight to EDY staff on monitoring and evaluation, site visits, and annual review of work plans and progress reports to ensure compliance with USAID guidelines; analyze and report on results; and practice adaptive management to make programmatic adjustments when necessary and make recommendations to AORs/CORs to increase project impact and enhance sustainability.
B. Management and Supervision 35%
The Specialist mentors and provides Mission critical leadership, technical assistance, and managerial support to individuals (junior, mid-level, and senior-level staff) within EDY.
● Maintain close working relationships with the interagency, U.S. Ambassador, senior USAID/KEA leadership, the EDY Office Director, and other EDY personnel, especially FSN staff under the Specialist’s supervision.
● Serve an integral role in the Mission’s senior staff and Mission Leadership Committee to help guide EDY’s implementation of USAID/KEA’s vision and strategy.
● Lead and/or assist in setting clear individual and teamwork objectives to ensure that staff members meet approved Mission critical goals and objectives.
● Provide mentoring and coaching to EDY staff to enhance capacity building and ensure accountability, transparency, and efficiency across Mission critical workstreams.
● Champion collaborating, learning, and adapting approaches within the team; engage the team in regular pause and reflect sessions for continuous assessment of team performance.
● Lead EDY’s contribution to organizational development goals/objectives; provide tools/resources, including guidance/coaching, to support the team in developing work objectives that contribute to USAID/KEA priorities.
● Assist the EDY Office Director in creating a supportive work environment that values diversity and inclusivity and elicits the highest possible level of performance from the team.
C. Stakeholder Relations and Representation 30%
The Specialist facilitates key stakeholder relationships and identifies avenues to further meet and align USG foreign policy objectives with GOK and county government education objectives.
● Establish, strengthen, and maintain relationships at the highest levels of the GOK, including the Ministry of Education on issues related to the joint priorities outlined in the Education and Youth Implementation Letter, programming sustainability, fidelity of implementation, donor coordination, and public-private partnerships. Advocate to the Ministry of Education at the highest level to advance USG foreign policy objectives.
● Support EDY’s local engagement with 47 county governments including collaboration with USAID/KEA’s county liaison teams, providing guidance to EDY on relationship management, and identifying joint priorities.
● Liaise with donor partners in Kenya and East Africa including education donors to support multiple national, regional, and continental priorities from bilateral and multilateral organizations. This includes leveraging an array of funding sources from the aforementioned public sector and the private sector (global and local) actors.
● Communicate effectively and diplomatically with broad audiences in the education sector including international donors, non-governmental organizations, private sector, and youth networks. Special importance will be placed on the coordination of and relationship management with GOK and local county officials.
● Provide vital technical input and coordination to the national and county government on education priorities including, but not limited to, budgetary strategies, plans, and policies.
● Serve as a key advisor on education-related donor coordination activities and policy forums. Represent USAID with a wide range of stakeholders from the GOK at the national and county levels, academia, development partners as well as across the USG Mission in Kenya including the U.S. Ambassador, the State Department, Department of Defense, Center for Disease Control, and other USG agencies.
● Identify potential non-USG partners and develop relationships with private businesses, corporations, foundations, NGOs, and other traditional and non-traditional development organizations for the purpose of leveraging existing resources to sustain successful education and youth activities beyond the life of USAID awards. Connect county governments with private sector partners for collaboration and investment opportunities in support of education and youth activities that further a range of the Mission’s critical objectives.
● Represent USAID at meetings with USG, national/county level GOK, IPs, donors, local partners/beneficiaries.
● Present and deliver remarks to senior level audiences on USG related issues about education and youth programs to local, regional, and international audiences.
● Liaise with USAID and other USG agencies on strategic planning, management, and policy issues.
Supervisory Relationship
Receives overall supervision, policy guidance, and managerial oversight from the Office Director or a designee. The supervisor makes assignments in terms of overall objectives and resources available. Completed work is reviewed in terms of achievement of program, project, and/or activity goals, effectiveness in meeting host-country and USAID objectives, and integration with other initiatives in the EDY and USAID/KEA portfolio.
Supervisory Controls
Will directly supervise three FSN-12 team leads (youth, basic education, and YALI) and indirectly manage six FSN-09 to FSN-11 positions. Coach and mentor foreign service officers at the FS-04 to FS-02 levels. Assist in creating a supportive work environment that values diversity and elicits the highest possible level of performance from the entire team. Assist in setting clear individual and teamwork objectives and ensure that staff members meet those approved work objectives. Exercise considerable autonomy and best judgment in all supervision duties and responsibilities.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION
Any application that does not meet the minimum requirements stated below will not be evaluated.
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
- Job Knowledge (30 points)
Comprehensive knowledge or the potential to acquire knowledge of USG/USAID policies, procedures, and regulations required. There should also be sufficient knowledge of topics such as early grade reading, youth and workforce development, distance learning, education in crisis or conflict settings, girls’ development, systems strengthening, and/or monitoring and evaluation, especially in an African context. An understanding of Kenya's development challenges and the resources, resource constraints, and the overall development prospects and priorities of Kenya and the region. Have or will rapidly develop a deep understanding of Kenya’s MOE, the private/public school landscape, and the priorities/actions of the international donor community.
- Skills and Abilities (40 points)
Demonstrated diplomatic and leadership skills with strong oral/presentation abilities at senior level required. Ability to provide high-level support to EDY in developing operational plans, performance plans and reports, and other plans. Ability to provide a work plan for accomplishing assigned duties and responsibilities and be responsible for daily management of assigned mission-critical activities. Ability to adapt, quickly analyze and synthesize new information for decision-making and troubleshooting, solve complex problems, manage difficult situations, and plan ahead. Operate with minimal supervision in fast-paced environment where work performance is reviewed primarily on the basis of results achieved within the broad constraints of policy and priorities. Accurately assess work burden and delegate to subordinates with requisite capacity to successfully complete these tasks. Organize and lead diverse groups to devise innovative solutions and approaches to complex problems. Due to frequent interaction with external stakeholders in high stakes environments, the incumbent must be able to perceive, use, understand, manage, and handle emotions and communicate effectively. Able to develop and maintain extensive range of contacts with high-level and working-level officials throughout the USG, GOK, IPs, donors, private sector, and NGOs. Ability to clearly communicate to broad audiences, both orally and in writing, particularly to those who may be unfamiliar with USAID. Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively in multicultural teams required. Effectively identify, mobilize, and draw upon expertise of technical and managerial personnel in USAID. Ability to provide information and advice with objectivity required. Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office suite, online platforms such as Google suite, administrative and management skills, and policy and diplomacy skills are necessary.
- Management and Supervision Experience (30 points)
Ability to maintain close working relationships with senior leadership, direct supervisors, supervisees, and other personnel. Possess strong supervision experience and proven ability to coach/mentor teams to enhance overall capacity, performance, accountability, and efficiency. Ability to lead and/or assist team members in setting individual and teamwork objectives. Ability to orient and train personnel is required. Demonstrated critical leadership, technical assistance, and managerial support to individuals (junior, mid-level, and senior-level staff). Champion collaborating, learning, and adapting approaches within teams; engage teams in regular pause and reflect sessions for continuous assessment of team performance. Ability to create a supportive work environment that values diversity and inclusivity and elicits a high level of performance from teams. Ability to conduct crucial conversations with team members and supervisees to improve performance and team collaboration. Ability to exercise considerable autonomy and best judgment in all supervision duties and responsibilities.
Total possible points: 100
LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS PRIOR TO AWARD
The CO will provide instructions about how to complete and submit any required forms after an offeror is selected for the contract award.
BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES
Benefits and allowances are offered in accordance with the Local Compensation Plan (LCP).
TAXES
The Contractor must observe Kenyan laws including those concerning income and related tax obligations.
USAID REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND CONTRACT CLAUSES PERTAINING TO PSCs
USAID regulations and policies governing CCN and TCN PSC awards are available at these sources:
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. Pricing by line item is to be determined upon contract award.
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
5. 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
SUBMITTING AN OFFER
Step 1: Register in MyJobsInKenya at www.myjobsinkenya.com
Step 2: Completethe job application atwww.myjobsinkenya.com.
Step 3: Internal Offerors/Current USG Employees: Attach an updated curriculum vitae/resume (no more than five pages), a copy of your most recent Performance Evaluation Report, and copies of all relevant certificates. Scan and attach all the documents as one attachment and upload them to MyJobsInKenya.
OR
External Offerors/Not Current USG Employees: Attach an updated curriculum vitae/resume (no more than five pages) and copies of all relevant certificates. Scan and attach all the documents as one attachment and upload them to MyJobsInKenya.
Offerors must provide a list of minimum three (3) professional references who are not family members or relatives, with complete name, title, organization where he/she works, description of relationship, with working/accurate telephone numbers and email addresses. The offeror’s references must be able to provide substantive information about his/her past performance and abilities.
Note to Applicants:
1. Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3, and submitted through myjobsinkenya.com.
2. Submissions will only be accepted throughwww.myjobsinkenya.com. Late and incomplete applications (those that do not contain the applicant’s most current and up to date detailed CV and relevant education certificates) will not be considered for the position.
3. All Applicants must provide at least three professional 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. USAID reserves the right to contact your previous employers for relevant information concerning your performance and may consider such information in its evaluation of the application.
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