GENERAL INFORMATION

USAID DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING) AND DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANT’S BANK ACCOUNTS.

1. SOLICITATION NO.: 72061524R10070
2. ISSUANCE DATE: October 18, 2024
3. CLOSING DATE AND TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: November 03, 2024 (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 Development Program Specialist (Design and Planning)
6. MARKET VALUE: Ksh. 5,565,120.00 to Ksh. 9,460,674.00 KSH per year (including 13th month bonus), equivalent to FSN-11 grade levelin 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: Five (5) years estimated to start o/a May 04, 2025. 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.
8. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Nairobi, Kenya;with possible travel as stated in the Statement of Duties.
9. ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: Open to qualified Cooperating Country National (CCN) (an individual who is a cooperating country citizen or a non-cooperating country citizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the cooperating country). Employees presently on probation are ineligible to apply.
10. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Security certification issued by the US Embassy RSO.

STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

General Statement of Purpose of the Contract

The USAID Development Program Specialist (Planning & Design) position is located in USAID/ Program Office, which leads the Mission’s strategic planning, project design, budget management, monitoring, evaluation and learning, and environmental compliance. The Program Office is responsible for ensuring that technical teams and Mission leadership are adequately supported to develop, implement, and achieve USAID’s foreign assistance goals for the host country and to meet Agency programming standards and policies.

The primary function of the Design and Planning Specialist is to be the Mission’s subject matter expert in project design and in that role provide expertise in program development, activity design and implementation, to all Technical Teams. The Specialist will lead a group of program office staff to backstop each technical office and assist other staff in executing the Office’s core functions. The job holder will be involved in all sectors supported by USAID and will coordinate closely with technical teams as well as lead all project design support efforts for technical teams. The key functions of the position include: 1) Program/Activity Design, and 2) Activity Implementation and Monitoring. The job holder will report to the Program Office Director and/or designee. When necessary, the job holder will also provide oversight to the daily tasks of the Administrative Assistant. The job holder is required to perform work-related travel up to 15% of the time to conduct field visits and oversee program design and implementation.

Statement of Duties to be Performed.

Program/Activity Design – 70%

• Serves as the subject matter expert in project and activity design.
• Provides Mission-wide leadership, advice, assistance and training to staff in the planning, development and preparation of design documents for USAID Projects from their inception to their final approval.
• Supports Technical Teams and Mission to integrate cross-cutting issues, including gender and youth, into the design, implementation, and evaluation of projects.
• Ensures the integration of gender into program design and implementation.
• Serves as a subject matter expert in the formulation and review of USAID development strategies as they apply to the host country and context.
• Keeps abreast of development issues and changes in Government of the host country policy and regulations and conceptualizes approaches USAID might adopt to address identified problems.
• Assists Technical Teams in updating existing country and Agency-wide strategies or developing new strategies.
• Advises and guides Technical Teams and Program Office staff to ensure integration of priority cross-cutting issues across Mission programs.
• Designs and participates in technical, economic, financial, administrative and social feasibility analyses of new activities for assigned sector(s).
• Leads, trains, and mentors the Program Office team technical office backstops to design activities and support technical teams in the full suite of Program Office functions.
• Recommends acceptance, postponement or rejection of activity proposals citing findings/results of the analytical studies.
• Manages the project development process and ensures compliance with USAID Project Design Guidance and pre-obligation requirements.
• Assists in formulating project design strategies, prepares project documents, outlines and schedules, and reviews and revises project documents, etc.
• Reviews and ensures that design documents produced by Technical Teams meet procurement and mission requirements.
• Designs and executes training in innovative project design to new and existing Mission staff in all aspects of the project development process.
• Prepares statements of work for designing activities working closely with Technical Teams.
• Oversees the procurement of technical services for design activities and reviews of scopes of work, technical proposals, and related tasks.
• Supports Technical Teams in preparing bilateral agreements and amendments to agreements to ensure timely obligation of funds.
• Recommends changes and make revisions to agreement annexes, and suggests language for the terms and conditions of said agreements.
• Assists Mission’s Procurement Specialists and Technical Teams in developing procurement plans and ensures relevant procurement documents are submitted to the Contracting Office in a timely manner.
• Communicates and advances donor coordination and activity design implementation with international partners, local partners, and Government of the host country.
• Oversees the management of the unsolicited proposal process at USAID/host country.

Activity Implementation and Monitoring – 30%

• Supports Technical Teams in activity implementation and monitoring activities and provides advice and guidance on a broad range of implementation issues.
• Advises and negotiates with Technical Teams in developing implementation plans and on the procurement of commodities and services.
• Participates in monitoring and evaluation of ongoing projects and identifies and proposes solutions to obstacles to project implementation.
• Assists technical staff in developing Performance Management Plans (PMPs), collecting and assessing data, conducting data quality assessments, and using PMPs as a tool for measuring program performance and effectiveness.
• Assists Technical Teams and Financial Management Office in preparing relevant documentation and analyses for portfolio reviews in accordance with Agency policy and the Mission’s PMP.
• Mentors and trains Technical Team members in USAID policy and procedures to build their capacity to design, implement and monitor programs.
• Serves as a key resource to Technical Teams on USAID procedures and business practices for project implementation, monitoring, evaluation and close-out.
• Communicates with the Policy, Planning and Learning Bureau at USAID/Washington on cross cutting issues and policies on Mission programs, activity planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting.
• Coordinates with the Government of the host country on activity implementation and related matters.
• Ensures gender is integrated into all technical programs, as required.

The contractor is eligible for temporary duty (TDY) travel to the United States, or to other Missions abroad, to participate in the “Foreign Service National” Fellowship Program, in accordance with USAID policy.

Supervisory Relationship

The job holder will directly report to the Program Office Director and/or designee. The job holder operates independently but consults closely as necessary with the supervisor and/or Office Director. The job holder assists in backstopping selected technical offices for selected design activities and handles all work independently according to USAID policies or accepted practices. S/he resolves design and activity implementation problems that arise by determining approaches to be taken and methods to be used. Supervisor’s review when necessary is limited to adherence to design decisions and agreed programming actions. The Specialist undertakes multiple design assignments across multiple years simultaneously with limited supervision. S/he consults when critical or urgent decisions are required from the Front Office, USAID/Washington, or the Government of the host country. The job holder acts during the absence of his/her supervisor to ensure continued smooth operations.

Supervisory Controls

Direct supervision of other Office and/or Mission staff is not contemplated. S/he will at times oversee and mentor technical staff across the Mission on design activities and processes and, when necessary, share daily leadership responsibilities for one Program Office Administrative Assistant.

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.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in international development, Social Sciences, Public/Business Administration, or Monitoring and Evaluation is required.

Prior Work Experience: A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible professional, managerial, and/or senior level technical experience in program design, implementation, monitoring, analysis, research and reporting (in written and oral form) on economic or social development activities and/or development assistance are required. Experience must include serving in a leading role in these areas with demonstrated conceptual and analytical capacity. Experience in the public or private sector is required and similar experience with the Government of the host country, USG or other similar international agencies. Experience working on multiple projects, in a fast paced environment and delivering quality products in a timely manner is required.

Language Proficiency: English and Kiswahili language Level IV fluency in speaking/reading/writing is required.

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.

Offerors who meet the minimum qualifications listed above will be evaluated and ranked according to the following job-related criteria. Top-ranking candidates will be invited for a skills test and an oral interview.

• Job Knowledge (60 Points)

Recognized expertise in project development and implementation is required. A thorough understanding of international development principles and approaches as well as the host country development context, economy and institutions is required. Familiarity with the host country political framework is essential. A thorough knowledge of the policy and objectives of USAID’s strategy and program in the country is a must. USG’s internal reporting requirements and procedures; USG’s budget processes and USG’s program evaluation system is essential.

• Skills and abilities (40 Points)

Must be extremely flexible in adapting to changing operations and working relationships. Must have the ability to conceptualize and analyze multi-sectoral development strategies; manage and coordinate a variety of project design activities and data under tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment. Mature judgment demonstrated leadership skills and excellent conceptual ability is required. Excellent analytical, negotiation, management and writing skills are also required. Excellent teamwork, interpersonal and communication skills to develop and maintain effective working relationships with technical staff and support office counterparts is essential. Must use judgment in planning and designing complex programs, guiding internal technical teams, and liaising with external government counterparts in undertaking the design of USAID/host country funded programs and activities. Proven ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and to proactively build consensus is essential. Ability to guide others in project design, implementation and/or evaluation. Able to write clearly and convincingly and produce high quality written products, for many different audiences, with short deadlines is a must. Must have standard skills in word processing, spreadsheet manipulation, PDF conversion, and Google Drive online software suite.

Total possible points: 100