Solicitation No.:72012119R00006 for an Off-Shore Hire U.S. Personal Services Contractor (USPSC), Senior Energy Advisor, GS-14, USAID/Ukraine
SOLICITATION NUMBER: 72012119R00006
ISSUANCE DATE: July 03, 2019
CLOSING DATE/TIME: August 03, 2019 (11:59 p.m. EST)
SUBJECT: Solicitation No.: 72012119R00006 for an Off-Shore Hire U.S. Personal Services Contractor (USPSC), Senior Energy Advisor, GS-14, USAID/Ukraine
Dear Prospective Offerors:
The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking offers from qualified persons to provide personal services under contract as described in this solicitation.
Offers must be in accordance with Attachment 1, Sections I through VIII of this solicitation. Incomplete or unsigned offers will not be considered. Offerors should retain copies of all offer materials for their records.
This solicitation in no way obligates USAID to award a PSC contract, nor does it commit USAID to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of the offers.
Any questions must be directed in writing to the Point of Contact specified in the attached information.
Sincerely,
/s/
Magdalena Maxwell
Contracting Officer
I. GENERAL INFORMATION
1. SOLICITATION NO.: 72012119R00006
2. ISSUANCE DATE: July 03, 2019
3. CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: August 03, 2019 (11:59 p.m. EST)
4. POSITION TITLE: Senior Energy Advisor
5. MARKET VALUE: $90,621 - $117,810 per annum, equivalent to GS-14
Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value
6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: one (1) year, with four (4) option years. Options may be exercised based upon satisfactory contractor performance, mutual agreement between the Contractor and USG, continued Mission requirements and the continued availability of funds
7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Kyiv, Ukraine
8. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Secret
9. STATEMENT OF DUTIES
BACKGROUND:
Ukraine's goal of energy security is complicated by deep systemic challenges in the sector. The energy landscape is currently characterized by dependence on Russia's energy supply, energy inefficient industries, non-competitive markets, pervasive corruption in the sector that has concentrated wealth in groups that resist changes to the status quo, the unsustainable burden of energy subsidies, popular resentment to flagrant corruption in the sector, and the requirement to restructure the energy market and promote competition and transparency in it in order to integrate with the European Union energy markets. Some of these factors are:
● Ukraine has one of the most energy-intensive and energy-inefficient economies in the world;
● Ukraine's energy markets are non-competitive, and the government plays a massive and distorting role;
● Decades of dependence on Russia as its single, non-reliable energy supplier has left Ukraine vulnerable to political and market manipulation and unable to commit to self-reliant development;
● Aging infrastructure and networks with a lack of investment; and
● Pervasive corruption.
ENERGY SECURITY PROJECT:
The role of the Senior Energy Advisor will be crucial for the implementation of USAID's energy security portfolio in Ukraine through its flagship activity -- the Energy Security Project, a five-year $85 million contract designed to improve energy security in Ukraine. USAID's Energy Security Project will improve Ukraine's energy security by developing competitive markets, integrating Ukraine with European energy markets, helping diversity energy production, improving regulatory practice, and combatting corruption.
BASIC FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION:
The Senior Energy Advisor will report to the Economic Growth Office Director at USAID/Ukraine on administrative and management issues; and as a senior-level advisor and technical expert, he/she will exercise significant independent judgment on matters of policy and technical direction and will make decisions to ensure successful program implementation. Moreover, he/she may be required to provide policy analysis and options on energy issues as requested by senior Mission management and other US Government officials through Mission management. The Senior Energy Advisor will also represent USAID, as requested and appropriate, at meetings with senior Ukrainian officials and technical counterparts, donors, non-governmental organizations, and implementing partners.
The Senior Energy Advisor must be able to rapidly assimilate, analyze and respond to rapidly changing circumstances and help guide project implementation process to achieve optimal results. He/she must be proactive and innovative in bringing state-of-the-art technical skills, and international best practices to Ukraine's country specific development in the energy context. Cross-cultural communications, cultural sensitivities, and outstanding communication and interpersonal skills are essential for success. In coordination with USAID Washington, up to 10 percent of the Senior Energy Advisor's duties could be to support regional energy initiatives.
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Leading and managing the cooperation with GOU to support implementation of the energy activities, monitoring and evaluating implementation progress and budgets, performing site visits, addressing issues/problems as they arise, and providing feedback and progress reports to interagency team and senior USAID staff;
2. Providing professional advice to the GOU on energy sector reform, including appropriate models for private sector participation, approaches to improving utility management and operations, and development of an enabling legal and regulatory framework;
3. Assisting GOU in the development of Ukrainian regulatory institutions, as needed, and help enable them to effectively carry out their mandate;
4. Supporting an ongoing dialogue between GOU authorities, USG stakeholders, donors and partners to reach consensus on energy related activities and transactions; developing, tracking and monitoring milestones; and doing the necessary preparation of reports pertinent to performance monitoring and evaluation;
5. Working closely with the interagency team members in the course of advancing the five-year work plan under Project Appraisal Document for the enabling environment of private sector transactions;
6. Managing related outreach efforts with USAID's Development Outreach Coordinator and the State Department's Public Affairs Officer that may include public events, press releases, and close coordination with other USG partners;
7. Serving as Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) / Agreement Officer's Representative (AOR) for grants and contracts and assisting with the implementation of the overall energy portfolio. In particular it is foreseen that the Senior Energy Advisor will serve as COR for the Mission's 5-year, $85 million energy security activity, which seeks to develop competitive energy markets and increase stability of Ukraine's energy supply;
8. Monitoring and evaluating new and on-going programs; prepare performance reports, briefing papers, concept papers, and other periodic documentation for the Mission, USAID/Washington, the State Department, other USG agencies such as the Department of Energy, and the US Congress;
9. Submitting drafts and technical documentation (i.e., RFAs, RFPs, SOWs) needed to develop energy projects and activities, obligate funds, and award grants and contracts;
10. Serving as a member on various Technical Evaluation Committees (TECs), including those for proposal review and the hiring of personnel; and
11. Advising on regional energy programs, in particular, on issues relating to energy market integration and energy market regulation.
12. In the absence of the USDH Energy Team Lead, and as needed, the Advisor may serve as Acting Energy Team lead.
13. Coach, mentor, and train Mission staff, as needed, to impart technical knowledge and relevant skills and abilities.
SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIP:
The incumbent will work under the direct supervision of the Economic Growth Office Director of the USAID Regional Mission for Ukraine and Belarus, or his/her designee.
10. AREA OF CONSIDERATION: US Citizens only (off-shore hire)
11. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The work requested does not involve undue physical demands
12. POINT OF CONTACT: All questions and offers must be submitted by email to KyivVacancies@usaid.gov
II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION
Education: A Master's degree or equivalent in energy or a related field such as economics, engineering, law, public administration, or business management is required.
Prior Work Experience: Minimum of 15 years of experience specifically in the energy sector with diversity of experience across the energy sector, including: policy reform; competitive markets; energy sector finance; private sector development; utility management; energy sector regulation; electricity sector management and regulation; district heating development; oil/gas exploration, production, and transit; renewable energy technologies; as well as a demonstrable understanding of the current status of the energy sector in Ukraine is required.
Only offerors clearly meeting the above minimum qualifications will be considered for further evaluation.
Security and Medical clearances: The ability to obtain the required security and medical clearances in a reasonable timeframe is considered a minimum qualification. See Section V.
III EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS
Selection Process and Basis of Evaluation: Offerors who clearly meet the aforementioned minimum education and work experience qualification requirements may be further evaluated through review of the offeror's submitted required documents (see section IV below) and ranked based on the below evaluation and selection factors. A competitive range may be established of the highest-ranked offerors, who may be further evaluated through technical tests, interviews, and reference checks to determine the most qualified/highest-ranked offerors. Reference checks may be conducted with the highest-ranked offerors. Reference checks may be conducted with individuals not provided by the offeror. Any offeror not receiving satisfactory reference checks will no longer be considered for the position. Negotiations may be conducted with the most qualified/ highest-ranked offerors at the conclusion of evaluations.
Education (10 points): A Master's degree or equivalent in energy or a related field such as economics, engineering, law, public administration, or business management is required. Additional education in the aforementioned areas is desirable.
Prior Work Experience (30 points): Minimum of 15 years of experience specifically in the energy sector with diversity of experience across the energy sector, including: policy reform; competitive markets; energy sector finance; private sector development; utility management; energy sector regulation; electricity sector management and regulation; district heating development; oil/gas exploration, production, and transit; renewable energy technologies; as well as a demonstrable understanding of the current status of the energy sector in Ukraine is required.
Knowledge (40 points): Mastery of the principles, concepts, best practices, and approaches related to energy in the context of development programs is required. The Senior Energy Advisor must be able to apply new developments to problems, and to design, administer, and/or conduct comprehensive activities, and to identify and propose solutions to problems which are characterized by their breadth and importance. The Senior Energy Advisor must also be capable of using judgment and technical expertise and ingenuity in order to continually assess, interpret, apply and integrate energy as a priority within other sectoral plans and priorities (e.g., economic growth, finance, business competitiveness, and water and sanitation). The Senior Energy Advisor must have the technical mastery of energy programming, policy and research issues to be able to serve as the lead senior energy representative for USAID/Ukraine in high-level stakeholder policy and technical meetings involving government officials, development partners and the private sector. A solid understanding of policies, strategies, technology, and social components related to energy sector reform, competitive markets, utility management, district heating systems, gas and oil exploration, production, and transit, and renewable energy is also essential.
Skills and Abilities (20 points): Strong analytical and problem-solving ability are a requirement. Demonstrated project management skills to effectively lead and manage multi-disciplinary teams in the design and execution of programs and projects. Proven interpersonal and teamwork skills in a fast-paced multicultural setting as well as the ability to engage effectively and diplomatically in multi-cultural and politically complex environments to build effective working relations with senior country officials, USG partners, donors, international financial institutions and other sector counterparts is required. The ability and willingness to travel within Ukraine, produce quality work under pressure and meeting deadlines is also essential.
Excellent communication skills in English are essential, including a proven ability to communicate quickly, succinctly, and tactfully in both speech and writing as well as the ability to facilitate meetings and make oral presentations logically and persuasively to senior USG and GOU officials and partners in a multi-cultural context.
Intermediate computer skills are highly desired, including the ability to produce concise, clear reports, and use word processing, spreadsheet, and database programs.
Total Points: 100pts
IV. APPLYING
1. Eligible Offerors are required to complete and submit all the following documents and information in order to be considered for the position:
a. Completed and signed form AID 309-2,"Offeror Information for Personal Services Contracts," available at https://www.usaid.gov/forms/aid-309-2. Only include base salary information in box 4 of sections B and C. Do not include bonuses, differentials, cost of living allowances, or other types of compensation. During negotiations, salary history may be verified through pay slips, earnings and leave statements, or other appropriate documentation.
b. A cover letter of no more than 2 pages that demonstrates how the Offeror's qualifications meet the evaluation and selection factors in section III of this solicitation;
c. A resume or curriculum vitae (CV) of not more than 3 pages which, at a minimum, describes education, experience and career achievements relevant to the evaluation and selection factors in section III of this solicitation;
d. Names of three professional references, including at least one current/former supervisor, that have knowledge of the offeror's ability to perform the duties set forth in the solicitation. This information may be included in the cover letter or resume/CV.
Late, incomplete, and/or un-signed offers will not be considered
2. Offers containing all required documents must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3, and submitted electronically to the email Point of Contact in Section I, item 12.
3. To ensure consideration of offers for the intended position, Offerors should prominently reference the Solicitation number in the offer submission.
V. PRE-AWARD DOCUMENTATION / LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSC HIRES
Once the Contracting Officer (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, needed to obtain medical and security clearances.
1. Medical History and Examination Form/ Medical Clearance Update (DS-6561/DS-3057)
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)
Timely completion and submission of the required documents are needed to obtain the necessary Security and Medical Clearances. Failure of the selected offeror to accurately complete and submit required documents in a timely manner may be grounds for the CO to rescind any conditional pre-contract offer letter and begin negotiations with the next most qualified/highest ranked offeror. Selected offerors who are unable to obtain required Security and Medical Clearances in a reasonable timeframe are considered un-qualified for this position.
Within 2 weeks after written notice from the CO that all required clearances have been received, or unless another date is specified by the CO in writing, the selected offeror shall proceed to Kiev, Ukraine to perform the services specified in section I, item 9.
VI. BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES
As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, the USPSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances:
1. BENEFITS:
Employer's FICA Contribution
Contribution toward Health & Life Insurance
Pay Comparability Adjustment
Annual Increase (pending a satisfactory performance evaluation)
Eligibility for Worker's Compensation
Annual and Sick Leave
2. ALLOWANCES (If Applicable)*:
Temporary Quarters Subsistence Allowance (Section 120)
Living Quarters Allowance (Section 130)
Post Allowance (Section 220)
Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section 260)
Education Allowance (Section 270)
Educational Travel (Section 280)
Post Differential (Section 500)
Payments During Evacuation/Authorized Departure (Section 600)
*Dept. of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR) (Government Civilians Foreign Areas)
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 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 & Assistance Policy Directives/Contract Information Bulletins (AAPDs/CIBs) for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals available are 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
Magdalena Maxwell, Contracting Officer, Email mmaxwell@usaid.gov
