1. SOLICITATION NO.: 72066319R00007

2. ISSUANCE DATE: January 29, 2019

3. CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: February 15, 2019 (5:00 pm Ethiopia's local time.)

4. POSITION TITLE: Food for Peace Officer (Humanitarian Food Assistance Advisor)

5. MARKET VALUE: $89,370 to $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: One year, with one additional year extension pending approval, need, performance, and funding, not to exceed five years.

7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with possible travel as stated in the Statement of Work.

8. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: The final selected candidates must obtain both the appropriate security and medical clearances within a reasonable period of time. If such clearances are not obtained within a reasonable time or negative suitability issues are involved, any offer made may be rescinded. Facility Access (USPSC); and Background Check (TCNPSC).

9. STATEMENT OF DUTIES
1. General Statement of Purpose of the Contract
Despite maintaining one of the fastest rates of economic growth in the world, Ethiopia remains beset by severe challenges that threaten its development gains. Nearly 30 million Ethiopians live at or near the poverty line. A single shock-such as a drought, outbreak of conflict, or illness-can plunge a household into a food security crisis. Multiple, consecutive years of slow-onset disasters (droughts, disease) have left nearly 18 million Ethiopians on some form of food assistance, and recent outbreaks of inter communal conflict have led to massive internal displacement in several parts of the country. At the same time, the country continues to host one of the largest refugee populations in Africa.

USAID/Ethiopia's Office of Assets and Livelihoods in Transition (ALT) implements a diverse portfolio of activities that aims to save lives, build resilience, and enhance the livelihoods of the most vulnerable people in Ethiopia. The office manages 23 active awards that reach more than eight million direct beneficiaries with agriculture and livelihoods support, nutrition programming, disaster risk management, and food assistance. Humanitarian food assistance and emergency nutrition comprise the largest single element in the portfolio, with six current activities combining for a life of portfolio value of more than $1 billion. The ALT Office houses one of the largest Food for Peace programs in the world and its emergency activities include both in-kind and market-based assistance.

The Humanitarian Food Assistance Advisor provides oversight and leadership to ALT's emergency portfolio. S/he will develop and execute USAID strategies, priorities and programs for food assistance to save lives, reduce suffering, and support the early recovery of people affected by humanitarian crises. As ALT's focal point for emergency programs, s/he will monitor, analyze and guide reporting on the humanitarian situation and developments across Ethiopia, with particular focus on the food security impacts of ongoing and potential humanitarian crises. S/he will analyze and assess data from a variety of sources - including field assessments, technical data, early warning information, and reporting from USAID staff, NGOs, and PIOs - to inform Title II food aid funding decisions, modifications to ongoing programs, and recommend appropriate food assistance activities. In a fast-paced and continually shifting complex emergency context, the incumbent develops immediate solutions in times of crisis to enable Food for Peace to respond to the food security needs of its targeted beneficiaries

The incumbent is deeply engaged in the Government of Ethiopia's humanitarian coordination community and the UN cluster system. S/he has overall responsibility for ensuring coordination and coherence of the office's investment in humanitarian activities and works closely with the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and the Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration to influence and shape the direction of their complementary humanitarian investments in-country. S/he represents USAID and liaises with senior leadership of the Government of Ethiopia, major donors and partners on humanitarian assistance and emergency food security forums. S/he will interact with senior USG officials, senior UN officials, Ambassadors, and NGO country directors on a daily basis.

2. Statement of Duties to be Performed

HUMANITARIAN FOOD ASSISTANCE RESPONSE AND STRATEGY (50%)
• Analyze and synthesize complex information to identify and prioritize emergency food assistance needs, response options and/or policy issues in Ethiopia. Apply this analysis to inform Food for Peace funding actions.
• Serve as the Mission's lead strategic advisor on emergency food assistance programming. Ensure programmatic and operational excellence in: a) in-kind and market-based response(s); b) approaches to prevent malnutrition during crises; c) improving food security and self-sufficiency in vulnerable populations; d) national guidelines and norms for emergency food assistance; and e) the humanitarian-development nexus and continuum of response.
• Develop technically sound and time-sensitive solutions in times of crisis to enable Food for Peace to respond to the food security needs of its targeted beneficiaries. Lead discussions and decisions on resource allocations across all modalities of food aid (in-kind, cash, vouchers, local and regional procurement, IFRP).
• Produce high-quality technical reports and analyses on all food security issues, to include changes in the food security and food aid requirements, government policies, and actions affecting food aid programs, government food aid programs, and donor pledges and programs.
• Prepare and deliver presentations, briefings, and ad hoc analyses to senior government officials and other stakeholders on USAID's emergency food assistance programs and activities at local, regional and international workshops and conferences.
• Lead Mission to proactively plan for and respond to emergency food security needs. Guide Mission thinking to link short-term emergency food assistance activities and long-term development programs.
• Develop policy and programmatic options to support development of a national system for delivery of emergency food assistance as part of Ethiopia's Journey to Self-Reliance.

COORDINATION, REPRESENTATION, AND ADVOCACY (25%)
• Create and nurture strategic partnerships with stakeholders, including GOE flagship programs, UN agencies, government ministries, donors, international and national NGOs, and other international and regional professionals and institutions to advance emergency food security objectives.
• Represent USAID's emergency food assistance interests during formal and informal engagements with other principal donors and actors in the food security sector, such as the World Food Program, UNICEF, European Union, DFID, and World Bank.
• Lead discussions and negotiations with the Government of Ethiopia and donor community regarding USAID's emergency food assistance portfolio, activities, and implementation.
• Represent USAID in Government of Ethiopia and donor coordination fora, including the food cluster, the emergency food aid Prioritization Committee, Humanitarian Country Team and the Humanitarian and Resilience Donor Group.
• Lead USAID humanitarian outreach and information sharing through coordination of the Mission's Emergency Task Force (ETF) and drought response coordination platforms.

ACTIVITY RESULTS AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT (15%)
• Apply expert knowledge of applicable USG laws, legislative directives, and regulations-particularly regarding to the allowable use of Food for Peace resources-to ensure activity in-kind and cash resources are properly and effectively utilized during emergency response.
• Ensure that partners are in compliance with all relevant USAID regulations, policies, and procedures. Work in close coordination with the Food for Peace Country Backstop Officer in USAID/Washington to provide strategic management and oversight of the portfolio.
• Maintain up-to-date records and status reports of resource utilization, pipelines, and dispatch and distribution status of emergency programs.
• Conduct monitoring visits and/or coordinate with ALT Office food monitors to ensure effective oversight of activities. Report on implementation of ongoing Food for Peace programs. Based on the information collected during field visits, communicate findings and recommendations to ALT Office management, FFP and, as appropriate, to partners and GOE counterparts. Recommend adjustments and improvements in USAID partner food aid activities to promote efficiency, effectiveness, and cost savings.
• Prepare technical and program documentation, such as briefing papers, fact sheets, letters, cables, and memos for information and action.

ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION (10%)
• Give strategic direction and guidance to the Emergency Team of at least four technical experts. Oversee all related administrative processes for the members of FS Team. This includes day to day management of the staff and completion of annual performance reviews, reviews of position descriptions, professional development plans and leave requests. The incumbent will also advise, consult, and notify ALT Office management on personnel matters relevant to the team that require action.
• Manage and monitor Team budgets. This includes reviewing budget requests for appropriateness, monitoring use of funds and burn rates to ensure timely spending, reviewing quarterly pipeline reviews/budget status reports, following up on irregular audit findings, providing advice for realignments of budgets, and reviewing accruals.
• As necessary, the incumbent prepares progress reports on Emergency Team activities. These include the annual USAID Operational Plan and the Annual Performance Report.

3. Supervisory Relationship: The incumbent will directly manage a team of at least three FSNs and one USPSC.

4. Supervisory Controls: The incumbent will function as a Team Leader and technical expert within the ALT Office and work largely independently under a broad set of strategic objectives that are meant to be accomplished. His/her supervisor (ALT Chief or Deputy) will provide broad feedback and participate in priority setting, but work products will be accepted as technically authoritative. S/he will have designated representational responsibilities where s/he must speak and act independently on behalf of the USAID Mission. These key technical groups and steering committees include the Government of Ethiopia's Prioritization Committee, the United Nations Food Cluster, the multi-donor Multi-Agency Food Task Force and the Humanitarian Country Team. The incumbent is expected to plan work programs and projects with little or no guidance and as a expert he/she is expected to provide technical advice and support on emergency food assistance matters to other technical experts, the ALT Office, other USAID Ethiopia offices, Food for Peace in Washington, the GoE, international organizations, and implementing partners.

10. AREA OF CONSIDERATION: U.S. Citizens, Resident Aliens, and Third Country Nationals.

For USPSC:
• Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. Permanent Resident ("green card holder");
• U.S. resident alien means a non-U.S. citizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States;
• 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 (Ethiopia), 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.

11. PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

12. POINT OF CONTACT: Supervisory Executive Officer, Shelby Hunt and HR Specialist, Fekadu Tamirate at [email protected].

Note: No in-person appointments or telephone calls will be entertained, unless you are required to have more information about this solicitation.

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

Applications will be initially screened by the Human Resources Office to determine whether applicants have met the advertised minimum qualifications. A list of qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring office for further consideration and screening.

EDUCATION: A master's degree in international development, international affairs, public health, public administration, business administration, agriculture, social protection, food security or another related field is required. A master's degree can be substituted with an additional three years of relevant development experience.

WORK EXPERIENCE: A minimum of seven years of relevant, progressively responsible and professional work experience in designing, managing, evaluating, or providing technical assistance to food security, food assistance, commodity management, disaster management, or international development programs is required. At least three years of specialized experience in emergency food assistance that includes the following: design, management or evaluation of international food assistance activities (to include in-kind food, nutrition support, cash transfers or cash voucher programs); managing food aid commodity procurement and/or transport; or providing rapid responses to quick onset emergencies. Experience with USAID, USAID partners, other donors, or Public International Organizations is preferred.

III. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS
The following evaluation factors for evaluating applications are established. The Technical Evaluation Committee will establish the competitive range/cut-off points per the evaluation factors listed below. Applicants are encouraged to provide a narrative for each selection criteria listed below in this section. This information will be used for evaluating and scoring each criterion. The TEC will conduct interviews with all offerors in the competitive range and provide the final rating and ranking of the offerors based on the interview and satisfactory professional reference checks. Be sure to include your name and the solicitation number at the top of each page.

EDUCATION (10 points): A master's degree in international development, international affairs, public health, public administration, business administration, agriculture, social protection, food security or another related field is required. A master's degree can be substituted with an additional three years of relevant development experience.
Additional evaluation points will be given to offerors who exceed the minimum requirement.

EXPERIENCE (35 points): A minimum of seven years of relevant, progressively responsible and professional work experience in designing, managing, evaluating, or providing technical assistance to food security, food assistance, commodity management, disaster management, or international development programs is required. At least four years working in complex, disaster-prone, or other areas of recurring crisis (such as drought response) either in the field or from a headquarters/support position. At least three years of specialized experience in emergency food assistance that includes the following: design, management or evaluation of international food assistance activities (to include in-kind food, nutrition, cash transfers or voucher programs); managing food aid commodity procurement and/or transport; or providing rapid responses to quick onset emergencies. Experience with USAID, USAID partners, other donors, or Public International Organizations is preferred.

COMMUNICATION (10 points): Demonstrated excellence operating in cross-cultural environments and working with host country government officials, other donors, and stakeholders. Evaluation points will be given to offerors who highlight relationship development, negotiation, advocacy, and consensus building experience with donors, development partners, and host government officials.

SKILLS and ABLITIES (20 points): Ability to analyze and synthesize complex information to identify and prioritize emergency food assistance needs response options and/or policy issues. Ability to coordinate and incentivize disparate teams, activities, or stakeholders towards common action and collective impact to save lives, reduce suffering, and support the early recovery of people impacted by humanitarian crisis. This includes donor coordination, and/or ability to design, develop and manage programs in emergency contexts, coordinate the work of multiple implementing partners, and align programs with host country policies and/or humanitarian appeals.

KNOWLEDGE (25 points): Depth and breadth of expertise in approaches and methods for planning, designing, implementing, managing, monitoring and/or evaluating emergency food assistance (to include in-kind and market-based programs) in complex crisis settings. Practical understanding of technically-sound and time-sensitive solutions to enable Food for Peace to respond to the food security needs of its targeted beneficiaries in times of crisis. Ability to demonstrate expertise in USG policies and procedures, including those related to Food for Peace, as well as an understanding of humanitarian principles and the global humanitarian architecture.

IV. APPLYING

For your application to be considered, the following documents must be submitted:

1. Eligible offerors are required to complete and submit the offer form AID 309-2,"OfferorInformationforPersonalServicesContractswithIndividuals,"availableathttp://www.usaid.gov/forms.

2. 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.

3. To ensure consideration of offers for the intended position, Offerors must prominently reference the Solicitation number in the offer submission.

4. Letter of Application and current resume.

5. To ensure consideration of offers for the intended position, Offerors must prominently reference the Solicitation number in the offer submission.

6. Application must be submitted ONLY via [email protected] and the email subject must say -: 72066319R00007- Food for Peace Officer (Humanitarian Food Assistance Advisor.

7. Please submit the application only once; and

8. Late and incomplete applications will not be considered; the application must be submitted before or on the closing date at local Ethiopia time 5 p.m. (Local Ethiopia, Addis Ababa Time).

V. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSC HIRES

Once 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),or
3. Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85)
4. Finger Print Card (FD-258)

VI. BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES

As 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)

VII. TAXES
USPSCs are required to pay federal income taxes, FICA, Medicare and applicable state income taxes.

VIII. USAID REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND CONTRACT CLAUSES PERTAINING TO PSCs

USAID regulations and policies governing USPSC a wards 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," includingcontractclause"GeneralProvisions,"availableathttps://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf.

2. Contract Cover Page form AID309-1availableathttps://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 5CFR2635. See https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/OGE%20Regulations.

END OF SOLICITATION

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 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.