Supervisory USAID Development Assistance Specialist (Family Health Team Lead) – USAID Vacancy Announcement

I.        GENERAL INFORMATION

1.      SOLICITATION NO.: 72066323R10008

2.      ISSUANCE DATE: 06/28, 2023

3.      CLOSING DATE AND TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: 07/27, 2023, no later than 5:00 p.m (EAT) (close of business).

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

5.      POSITION TITLE:  Supervisory USAID Development Assistance Specialist (Family Health Team Lead)

6.      MARKET VALUE:  $ 35,053 – $ 63,097 yearly i.e., equivalent to FSN – 13. In accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of USAID/Ethiopia. Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.  Salary will be paid in local currency at the exchange rate in effect when the payroll is processed.

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

The expected period of performance will be from 11/26/2023 – 11/25/2028.

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

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

10.  SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Facilities access.

11.  STATEMENT OF DUTIES

1.      General Statement of Purpose of the Contract

USAID/Ethiopia’s Health Office is responsible for one of USAID’s largest and most complex bilateral assistance health programs, with an annual budget of US$213M. Currently, there are five technical teams: 1) Family Health; 2) Health Systems & Resilience (HS&R); 3) Infectious Disease (ID) and its sub-team for Emerging Pandemic Threats and Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA); 4) President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI); and 5) Operations, which provides support to the Office and to other technical teams. The Health Office staffing footprint consists of 54 persons, including 5 US direct hires (USDH), 42 Foreign Service Nationals/Cooperating Country Nationals (SN/CCN), 6 US/Third Country National (US/TCN) personal service contractors (PSC), and one seconded staff from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Health Office is headed by a USDH (FSO FE-00) who reports directly to the Mission Director, and is assisted by two Deputy Office Directors (1 FSN/CCN, and 1 USDH [FS-01]) in providing leadership and management oversight to the health office and for the Mission’s health activities.

The Supervisory USAID Development Assistance Specialist serves as the Family Health Team Lead, providing strategic, technical and administrative leadership for the management and coordination of all funded Family Health activities and personnel assigned to manage them within the team. The Specialist ensures that US Government (USG) support in primary health care services and systems strengthening for improved health outcomes is provided according to evidence-based national plans and strategies, and that USG strategically provides expert advice, financial support, and other assistance in harmony with USG foreign assistance policies. The Specialist is a key representative of the Health Office and the Mission to the Government of Ethiopia (GoE), particularly the Ministry of Health and other high-level ministerial officials at national and regional levels, as well as with Regional Health Bureaus, USAID/Washington counterparts, bilateral and/or multilateral development partners, civil society, private sector entities, UN agencies, and non-governmental organizations working in the health sector. The Specialist represents USAID and the USG on various national and international high-level governing bodies key to family health, and serves on GoE technical working groups and development partner working groups to advance the policy objectives of the USG, while simultaneously supporting coordination and harmonization of health activities in Ethiopia; and provides essential communication and liaison within USAID offices and with other USG agencies.

As Family Health Team Lead, the Specialist works closely with the Health Office Director and USAID/Ethiopia’s Front Office to provide consistent leadership in planning, managing, and monitoring the health components of the USAID Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) and plays a leading role in ensuring achievements of CDCS and U.S. Presidential health initiative objectives. The Specialist leads, mentors, and supervises a team of approximately nine staff (8 FSN/CCNs and 1 TCN/PSC, a direct report as Deputy Team Lead), reporting directly to the Health Office Director and/or their designee. The Specialist provides day-to-day technical direction, management, oversight, and supervision to the family health activity portfolio (valued at US$77M annually), and both facilitates and ensures collaborative working relationships with the Economic Growth & Resilience (EGR) Office on nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and humanitarian and public health emergency response activities, and the Education and Youth Office (EYO) on adolescent and youth reproductive health. The Family Health activity portfolio works within the Feed the Future Initiative and USAID-integrated nutrition programs to prevent under-nutrition with economic growth and agriculture programs, and in managing the USG’s humanitarian and emergency nutrition investments in Ethiopia. The Specialist maintains responsibility for technical advice, leadership, and strategic direction for USAID/Ethiopia under the framework of USAID’s Global Health priorities. The Specialist is the primary Health Office resource and advisor on quality improvement, working across the Health Office and the entire Mission to ensure strong integration within USAID-supported programs. As an Agreement/Contracting Officer’s Representative (A/COR) and/or Activity Manager (AM), the Specialist monitors program performance and progress, identifies implementation achievements, as well as problems in performance, and initiates appropriate actions in consultation and coordination with their supervisor, other A/CORs, and technical experts in Health, other Mission Offices, and USAID/Washington, as appropriate. As the Team Lead for the Family Health portfolio which also includes family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH), the Specialist is also responsible for leading Mission compliance with USG statutory requirements and policies for family planning resources.

The Specialist co-leads the Mission’s Empowering Communities for Better Health (ECBH) Project under USAID/Ethiopia’s 2019-2024 Country Development and Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), whose activities represent a combined value of US$428M over five years. The Specialist is recognized by the USG as a senior-level health professional and Mission Advisor, and therefore serves as a senior member of the USAID/Ethiopia Health Office, contributing to overall Office strategy and vision, and supporting administrative and managerial decisions across the office. Garnering an extensive knowledge of global health issues, the Specialist serves as a senior technical leader and resource to USAID/Ethiopia and to the entire USG Mission in Ethiopia in strategic planning, program and activity design, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and managerial oversight of all USAID investments in family planning (FP), nutrition, polio, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH), social and behavior change communication (SBCC), and WASH.

The Specialist’s technical knowledge and experience to advise on the Mission’s health portfolio also includes the health systems building blocks of effective health services, human resources, health management information systems, equitable access to medicines and vaccines, health financing, and governance and leadership. As such, the Specialist ensures coordination across the Health Office to support health systems strengthening, infectious disease (HIV/TB/COVID-19), and malaria programming, which are all inextricably linked to the Family Health portfolio.

The Specialist may be assigned to act for the Health Director and/or Deputy Health Office Director in their absence or preoccupation

2.      Statement of Duties to be Performed

Program Strategy and Technical Leadership (30%)

● The Specialist provides policy and strategic leadership to Health Office senior leadership, other Team Leads, the Deputy Health Office Directors, other USAID/Ethiopia technical offices, and to the entire USG Mission in Ethiopia in areas of family health, including FP, nutrition, polio, RMNCAH, SBCC, and WASH. Ensures all references to technical decisions on family health issues are informed by best practices, lessons learned, and evidence-based approaches.

● Serves as an authority and principal technical resource on health systems and service delivery for the Mission; provides analysis and recommendations to senior Mission management and staff regarding the formulation of Mission strategy for assistance in health systems and service delivery, and on the management and implementation of related activities in the Mission’s portfolio; identifies short and long-range achievable, sustainable strategies, and participates, as required, in the development of Mission results analysis, resource requests, and other strategic planning and reporting documentation. The Specialist engages in a broad range of high-level, integrated health activities, including the development of in-depth analyses of existing programs and potential opportunities.

● Providing expert technical and programmatic information and assistance, as requested by the Ambassador, the USAID/Ethiopia Mission Director or Deputy Mission Director, and the HO Director, pertaining to areas of the family health portfolio, including content for technical and programmatic taskers and urgent requests, reporting documents, speeches, cables, analyses, and briefing papers.

● Stays abreast of state-of-the-art knowledge on programming and policy development in Ethiopia and globally, as well as on funding opportunities and programs/projects in support of the Mission’s Family Health activities; continuously monitors Mission, USAID/Washington (USAID/W), and GoE programming initiatives and activities, in order to ensure that the Family Health portfolio stays aligned to internationally accepted best practices, and relevant to Ethiopia, as well as to USG, USAID/W, and GoE priorities. The Specialist actively identifies areas of potential coordination, collaboration, and leveraging of resources with other development partners, in support of the Mission’s Family Health objectives; remains current on innovations within the field of health systems strengthening and service delivery, promoting the introduction of key, high-potential innovations to accelerate progress towards USAID/Ethiopia and GoE goals; and, support learning exchanges and sharing of best practices and research findings among USAID, USG, and other stakeholders to strengthen Family Health approaches. The Specialist advises on how these policies and strategies can most effectively be incorporated to enhance USAID’s approaches.

● The Specialist prepares comprehensive, written, health-related concept papers for Mission and USG leadership, requiring an understanding of the Ethiopian health sector and political environment, with the ability to convey important yet difficult, and often politically sensitive, ideas in a logical, persuasive, and coherent manner, facilitating senior leadership and policy makers in Ethiopia and Washington to be updated on progress, roadblocks, and other issues requiring higher level intervention.

Program/Project Management (30%)

● The Specialist co-leads the Mission’s ECBH Project (valued at US$428M over five years), as per Mission guidelines related to this role, which includes providing oversight of designs of new family health activities; coordinating all AOR/COR/AMs with activities in this project to achieve project-level results; reporting to the DO4 Lead, Program Office, and Office of Acquisition & Assistance (OAA), in order to ensure DO-level results, and identifying problems and providing solutions for their resolution.

● Works extensively with the Health Office operations teams, and all relevant A/COR/AMs to: (1) plan and manage complex financial budgeting, sub-obligation and M&E processes for five separate funding sources for the Family Health portfolio – FP, maternal and child health (MCH), nutrition, polio earmark, and WASH; (2) design and commission evaluations, learning reviews, strategic trend analyses, and/or research studies to support measuring the impact and outcomes of family health activities; and, (3) ensure lessons-learned from activity implementation and/or evaluations are compiled, and results are disseminated in relevant for a, both locally and internationally.

● Provides technical leadership in reviewing progress and consolidation of family health investments and results into the preparation of key annual and midterm planning and reporting documents, including the Operational Plan, Congressional Budget Justifications, Technical Notifications, Health Implementation Plan, and Quarterly, Semi- Annual and Annual Progress Reports, Mission Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Plans, Feed the Future Plans, and other ad hoc requests for information.

● Provides financial and programmatic management oversight for FH budget and finances (for project design, management, administration and oversight), including ensuring obligations, expenditures, and budget pipelines conform to approved work plans; appropriate and timely incremental funding of activities and liquidation of advances; accurate and timely reporting of program finances and progress status; compliance with USAID financial regulations and reports of any discrepancies; and, compliance with audits, including Non-Federal Audits and closure of any recommendations. Coordinates with other HO team leads and other project team leads within DO1 (Highlands Resilience) and DO2 (Lowlands Resilience), in representing the Family Health portfolio and, particularly, in prioritizing budget allocations of family health funding.

● Leads A/COR/AMs in substantial review, technical insights, and directions to track Implementing Partner (IP) performance for family health activities in development and monitoring of work plans; use of standardized indicators; data analysis, and corrective plan development for addressing weak performance; tracking and reporting of results and progress; documentation of lessons learned and best practices in real time; and, reporting of activity performance and data in quarterly and annual progress reports. Leads the consolidation of expert advice on program targets, and analyzes program results against targets, making recommendations for corrective actions, if needed. Based on consolidation of personal observations, assessment reports, performance statistics and other available data, makes programmatic recommendations to USAID/Ethiopia and, as appropriate, to IPs and GoE counterparts.

● Leads and ensures provision of technical assistance and oversight to IPs, in order to ensure that the Family Health activities are carried out in alignment with approved work plans, and are properly coordinated within USAID, aligned with all applicable Mission and Agency directives and requirements, as well as with GoE national policies and plans and with other key stakeholder priorities, and implemented within the framework of USG foreign assistance policies and priority initiatives, with a focus on strengthening links between humanitarian and development partners.

● Leads preparations for site visits and associated orientation materials for high-level delegations from USAID Headquarters (HQ), the Department of State, other agencies, Congress, other high-profile visitors, and overall USG and USAID Mission needs.

Supervision and Activity Management (20%)

● The Specialist leads, supervises, and manages a team of approximately nine staff (including one TCN/PSC, a direct report as Deputy Team Lead), and other short-term staff (including A/COR/AMs) as required, focused on FP, nutrition, polio, RMNCAH, SBCC, and WASH. Directly ensures establishment of staff annual work plans, inclusive of annual work objectives, professional development goals, and training plans. Delegates assignments and/or tasks to appropriate technical experts and/or A/COR/AMs within the Family Health team, and conducts timely quarterly and annual performance reviews (inclusive of constructive feedback for professional growth).

● Serves as a A/COR/AM for selected programs/projects/activities, providing financial and programmatic oversight to ensure contracts and grants achieve anticipated results, and are linked to and enhance attainment of the Health Office, USAID/Ethiopia, USAID/W, and/or USG objectives.

● Conducts regular site visits, and routinely meets with IPs to review activity implementation, document activity progress and/or challenges, and to provide technical and programmatic recommendations to ensure effectiveness, efficiency, and judicious use of USG funding.

Representation and Coordination (20%)

● The Specialist establishes strategic working relationships with senior and mid-level GoE officials, including within the MOH, and with other relevant Ministry officials at the national, regional and district level, senior representatives from other development partner agencies, civil society organizations, faith-based organizations, private sector health counterparts, professional associations, and senior USG Mission in Ethiopia, USAID/Washington, and other USG staff to ensure strategic coordination and cross-collaboration on investments, and regular and timely sharing of information on critical issues, including changes in key policies, and legal and regulatory environments that could affect the implementation of USAID programs.

● Represents USAID/Ethiopia at designated national, regional and international-level technical, programmatic, and policy meetings and technical working groups, including donor and partner coordination meetings.

● As needed, assumes Acting Health Office Director, or Deputy Health Office Director, role and, as such, productively engages with the Mission Director and/or Deputy Directors, participates in senior leadership meetings and discussions, and represents HO in external meetings and functions.

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

3.      Supervisory Relationship

The Supervisory Development Assistance Specialist (Family Health Team Lead) works under the general supervision of the Health Office Director, and/or his/her designee. The Specialist works with considerable independence in carrying out responsibilities. The Specialist develops annual work objectives in consultation with the supervisor, who makes assignments in terms of overall objectives and resources available. Completed work is reviewed in terms of achievement of program/project/activity goals, effectiveness in meeting USAID objectives, and integration with other initiatives in the Health Office and the overall Mission portfolio. Some technical direction may come from other professionals in the Health Office and the Mission; in general, however, the Specialist is expected to exercise considerable autonomy and best judgment in discharging the duties of the assignment.

4.      Supervisory Controls

The Specialist leads, supervises, and manages a team of approximately nine staff (including one TCN/PSC, a direct report as Deputy Team Lead), and other short-term staff (including A/COR/AMs) as required, focused on FP, nutrition, polio, RMNCAH, SBCC, and WASH. The Specialist participates with considerable weight in selection decisions for Team staff and directly ensures development of staff annual work plans, inclusive of work objectives and professional development goals, as well as of timely quarterly and annual performance reviews (inclusive of constructive feedback for professional growth). The Specialist may be assigned to act for the Health Office Director and/or Deputy Health Office Director in their absence or preoccupation on an interim basis.

12.  PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

I.        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 as described below:

LINE ITEMS

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.

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

 

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

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I.        MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

a.   Education: Advanced degree in clinical care (i.e., nursing, midwifery, physician, and/or related health professionals, etc.) and Master’s degree in public health, Development Studies, Social or Behavioral Sciences, Epidemiology, Infectious Disease, Nutrition, or a very closely work-related discipline.

b.   Prior Experience:  The assignment requires a minimum of ten years of progressively responsible, professional-level experience in public health or international development. Minimum two years of supervisory experience      and minimum three years of working for bilateral or multilateral development partners, including USG agencies, The World Bank, The Global Fund, UN agencies, the private sector, civil society, faith-based organizations, and/or non-governmental organizations (NGOs), of which responsibilities must have included strategy development, program/project/activity design and implementation, direct financial and program management, data analysis, and performance monitoring. The work should include substantial time spent in direct management of medium to large health activities (minimum budget value of US$10M), including analysis, activity design, program implementation, financial management, and monitoring and evaluation. Substantial programming experience in areas of family health.

c.    Language:  Level IV fluency in English and in Amharic – reading, speaking, and writing. Language competence will be tested. Knowledge of other major Ethiopian languages will be considered an advantage.

II.      EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

The Government may award a contract without discussions with candidates in accordance with FAR 52.215-1.  The CO reserves the right at any point in the evaluation process to establish a competitive range of candidates with whom negotiations will be conducted pursuant to FAR 15.306(c).  In accordance with FAR 52.215-1, if the CO determines that the number of offers that would otherwise be in the competitive range exceeds the number at which an efficient competition can be conducted, the CO may limit the number of candidates in the competitive range to the greatest number that will permit an efficient competition among the most highly rated offers.  The FAR provisions referenced above are available at https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far.

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

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

The rating factors are used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified candidates in comparison to other candidates. Therefore, candidates must demonstrate the rating factors outlined below within their resume, as they are evaluated strictly by the information provided.

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

Final TEC recommendations for the candidates will be based on the initial evaluation of the applications (80%), written test (50%), and interview performance (70%). USAID/Ethiopia will not pay for any expenses associated with interviews.

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

EVALUATION FACTORS: The rating factors are as follows:

a.    APPLICATION REVIEW BY THE TECHNICAL EVALUATION COMMITTEE (80pts) (Education(10pts) + Work Experience(40pts) + Knowledge (30pts) = 80 pts):

EDUCATION (10 points): Advanced degree in clinical care (i.e., nursing, midwifery, physician, and/or related health professional, etc.) and Master’s degree in public health, Development Studies, Social or Behavioral Sciences, Epidemiology, Infectious Disease, Nutrition, or a very closely work-related discipline.

WORK EXPERIENCE (40 points): Minimum of ten years of progressively responsible, professional-level experience in public health or international development. Minimum two years of supervisory experience and minimum three years of working for bilateral or multilateral development partners, including USG agencies, The World Bank, The Global Fund, UN agencies, the private sector, civil society, faith-based organizations,  and/or non-governmental organizations (NGOs), of which responsibilities must have included strategy development, program/project/activity design and implementation, direct financial and program management, data analysis, and/or performance monitoring. The work should include substantial time spent in direct management of medium to large health activities (minimum budget value of US$10M), including analysis, activity design, program implementation, financial management, and monitoring and evaluation. Substantial programming experience in areas of family health.

KNOWLEDGE (30 points):

● Demonstrated comprehensive knowledge of development principles, concepts, technical, and practices – RMNCAH related.

● Demonstrated in depth awareness of integration and linkages with multi sectoral and humanitarian/emergency response programming.

● Demonstrated knowledge of program management strategies, including administration and management of contracts/cooperative agreements/grants/purchase requisitions, and also evaluation methodology.

● Demonstrated understanding of economic, political, social, and cultural characteristics of Ethiopia.

● Demonstrated understanding of historical development problems, current trends and strategic directions in the health development sector in Ethiopia (including at subnational levels), including understanding of the resources, development prospects, and priorities of Ethiopia.

● Understanding of GoE health development areas, e.g., HSS reforms, etc., including policies, regulations, strategies, existing programming from the relevant ministries, and multisectoral coordination.

b.   WRITTEN TEST (50 points). The candidate must complete the test to be considered for the interview.

c.    INTERVIEW PERFORMANCE (70 points).