GENERAL INFORMATION
SOLICITATION NO.: Mission Notice 18-137
ISSUANCE DATE: 08/15/2018
CLOSING DATE/TIME: 09/14/2018 at 04:30 p.m. (Nairobi Time)
MARKET VALUE: $89,370 to $116,181 equivalent to GS-14
Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Two (2) years, with three (3) one-year options Not-to-exceed five (5) subject to funding availability and satisfactory performance or better.
SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Secret
STATEMENT OF DUTIES/POSITION DESCRIPTION
Background/Introduction
The Food for Peace (FFP) Office within USAID is the U.S. Government’s (USG) primary arm for responding to major food emergencies throughout the developing world. Somalia, historically and into the foreseeable future, is home to numerous large-scale and complex food emergencies, resulting from conflict, climatic events, poor governance, economic shocks, and other disasters. The scale, scope, and nature of these crises are constantly in flux. In response to emergency food needs, FFP targets food-insecure Somali households and internally displaced populations countrywide with emergency food and nutrition assistance. FFP partners with the UN World Food Program (WFP), other public international organizations and non-governmental organizations on relief, nutrition, livelihoods and resilience-oriented activities. These activities include in-kind food and nutrition assistance as well as cash- and market-based interventions, such as unconditional cash transfers, cash-for-work activities, food vouchers and vocational training.
To help determine the need for and improve, monitor, and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the assistance provided under the FFP program in Somalia, the USG, represented by USAID, is seeking applications from local-hire U.S. citizens interested in the position of FFP Advisor.
Major Duties and Responsibilities
The FFP Advisor will ensure effective management of FFP resources in Somalia, and may also provide support to other countries in the East and Central Africa region as needed. The incumbent is expected to travel approximately 25% of the time.
Specific Duties: S/he will have the following specific duties:
Serve as point of contact for all issues pertaining to FFP-funded food assistance programs in Somalia for USAID/KEA/FFP and Mission Management, USAID/Washington, other parts of the USG, the United Nations (UN) and non-governmental organization (NGO) partners, host nation government officials, and others.
Report on all food security issues, to include changes in the food security situation and food assistance requirements, government policies and actions affecting food assistance programs, government food assistance programs, and donor pledges and programs.
Undertake and report on assessments to inform FFP food assistance funding decisions or modifications to ongoing programs.
Monitor and report on implementation of ongoing FFP-funded food assistance programs, including progress and problems encountered by grantees, as well as commodity management, including following up with cooperating sponsors on the status of loss claims.
Provide information and guidance to FFP-funded food assistance award recipients on FFP regulations, policies and procedures.
Work with partners on preparation of annual work plans and program modifications, and with UN and NGO partners, and regional FFP staff on new appeals or revisions to existing ones.
Coordinate with the USG Country Team, host government, UN and other partners, donors, and others to address issues impacting FFP-funded food assistance programs.
Work with other parts of the USG and other donors to promote integration of food assistance with other programs to increase the effectiveness of the programs overall.
Represent FFP in program and strategy discussions with other USAID offices regarding linking humanitarian and development programs to build resilience.
Prepare and input into best practices, lessons learned, and other communications products on food assistance programming.
Position Elements
Supervision Received: The FFP Advisor will be supervised on a day-to-day basis by the USAID/KEA/FFP Office Chief, or his/her designee, and is expected to be in regular contact with FFP/Washington and report any information to them on issues pertaining to ongoing programs.
Available Guidelines: Food for Peace Act, Food for Peace Strategy, Global Food Security Strategy, International Emergency Food Assistance Annual Program Statements, USAID Regulations, Food for Peace program monitoring guidelines.
Exercise of Judgment: The incumbent shall exercise discretion and independent judgment in managing the portfolio. S/he must be able to work independently in an efficient and timely manner, including preparation of reports, identifying issues and suggesting areas of improvement in various aspects of food assistance program implementation and management, and collaborating with USAID colleagues, and other humanitarian donors and partners.
Authority to Make Commitments: The incumbent is expected to take initiative and act independently with little direction, but will have no authority to make financial commitments on behalf of the USG unless such authority is specifically delegated.
Nature, Level, and Purpose of Contacts: The incumbent maintains high-level contacts and conducts technical discussions with heads of UN agencies, NGO partners, donors, government officials, and other stakeholders.
Supervision Exercised: The incumbent may supervise one or more Foreign Service National (FSN) staff.
Time Required to Perform Full Range of Duties After Entry Into Position: It is expected that the incumbent will have the ability to immediately perform the full range of duties as listed above. This will require specific experience in food assistance programming and USAID regulations.
Security Clearance Requirement: Secret
Travel Requirement: None
Support Items: The incumbent will be provided with the support services, equipment, and supplies necessary to perform the work e.g. desktop computer, shared office equipment (such as printer, scanner and shredder), office supplies and support services.
Sunday Pay: Is not authorized.**
AREA OF CONSIDERATION:
U.S. Citizens currently residing in Kenya[1]. Citizenship, if dual, must be clearly stated.
Submit a complete application as outlined in the solicitation section titled APPLYING;
Be able to obtain a USAID/W issued clearance level at the Secret Level;
Be able to obtain a medical clearance;
Employment is subject to funds availability and all the required approvals obtained.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The primary location of work will be on the U.S. Embassy/USAID compound in Nairobi, Kenya. No special demands are required to perform the work.
POINT OF CONTACT: Executive Office/Human Resources, Patrick Bii, HR Assistant, email at pbii@usaid.gov
SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS
Education:
Bachelor’s degree plus at least eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian assistance (two years of which must be related to food assistance);
OR
Master’s degree with significant study in a pertinent field (including, but not limited to international relations, agriculture, economics, public health,) plus at least six (6) years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian assistance (two years of which must be related to food assistance);
Prior Work Experience:
The candidate must have at least eight or six years of relevant professional experience (as described above). Relevant experience is defined as some combination of experience in developing, managing, assessing, evaluating and reporting on humanitarian assistance programs, strategic planning, and project design.
EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS
Applicants shall be rated as per three (3) significant evaluation factors – Professional Experience, Program Management and Interpersonal and Communication Skills. Professional Experience represents half of the overall weight of the evaluation and is the single most important factor. The first two sub factors thereunder are of relative equal weight to each other. The significant factors Program Management and Interpersonal and Communication Skills, when combined, are of equal weight to Professional Experience.The sub factors are of relative equal weight to each other under each significant factor.
Professional Experience (50%)
Demonstrated knowledge and experience with USG food assistance programs,
Demonstrated technical expertise in a food assistance related field, such as nutrition, agriculture, economics, public health, or other related fields.
Program Management (25%)
Ability to manage programs, to include programmatic and financial issues,
Ability to monitor and evaluate programs, to include programmatic and financial issues,
Ability to review, evaluate and apply complex policies and regulations.
Interpersonal and Communication Skills (25%)
Ability to provide rapid, concise, accurate reporting, both verbally and in writing,
Ability to work effectively as a team member and with staff from diverse cultures.
[1] Resident hire means a U.S. citizen who, at the time of hire as a PSC, resides in the cooperating country as a spouse or dependent of a U.S. citizen employed by a U.S. government agency or under any U.S. government-financed contract or agreement, or for reasons other than for employment with a U.S. government agency or under any U.S. government-financed contract or agreement. A U.S. citizen for purposes of this definition also includes persons who at the time of contracting are lawfully admitted permanent residents of the United States.
