Summary
Date Posted: Thursday, October 06, 2022 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
Solicitation for Resident Hire U.S. Personal Services Contractor (U.S. PSC) Development Information Specialist, GS-12
General information
1. Solicitation no.: mission notice 22-164
2. Issuance date: october 05, 2022
3. Closing date and time for receipt of offers: october 31, 2022, (16:30 hours nairobi time)
4. Point of contact: executive office/human resources, patrick bii, hr assistant, email at pbii@usaid.gov
5. Position title: resident hire u.s psc development information specialist, gs-12
6. Market value: $68,299 to $88,792 annually equivalent to gs-12. Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value. As a resident hire position, it does not include offshore benefits such as housing, post differential, relocation benefit and post allowance.
7. Period of performance: two (2) year base period, with three one-year options subject to funding availability and satisfactory performance or better.
8. Place of performance: nairobi, kenya. Overseas u.s pscs may be authorized to telework or remote work only from a location within kenya, in accordance with the mission policy. Telework or remote work from outside kenya may only be authorized in certain situations in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract.
9. Eligible offerors: open to u.s. nationals (u.s citizens and/or u.s resident aliens[1]) residing in kenya. Citizenship, if dual, must be clearly stated. This is a resident-hire position and therefore all offerors must be residing in kenya.
10. Security level required: secret
11. Statement of duties/position description
Background
The USAID Development Information Specialist position is established in the USAID/KEA’s Strategic Planning and Analysis (SPA) also known as the Program Office. SPA is responsible for broad program support, coordination, and project management functions for the combined USAID platform in Nairobi which manages two operating units (OUs)--the bilateral Kenya and the East Africa Regional OUs. SPA provides leadership and serves as principal advisor to the Mission Director on: (a) social, economic, and cross-cutting developmental issues; (b) strategic planning and programming; (c) project and activity development; (d) monitoring and evaluation and learning of the platform’s portfolio; (e) management of current year budget obligation and out-year mission-wide budget planning; and (f) program implementation of activities that fall within the platform’s ongoing Development Objectives under the $2 billion Kenya Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) and $300 million East Africa Regional Cooperation Development Strategy (RDCS). In addition, this office keeps a pulse of major development trends in Kenya and the East Africa region to inform new programming needs.
Introduction
The Development Information Specialist (DIS) will be responsible for strategic communications, knowledge management, writing/editing programmatic and strategic documents, program reporting, and development partner/stakeholder coordination and outreach. The DIS will support SPA, the Mission at large, and the various Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) Governance Structures, in strategic communication and knowledge management. More specifically, the Specialist will be responsible for strategic communications, knowledge management, writing/editing programmatic and strategic documents, program reporting, and development partner/stakeholder coordination and outreach. Additionally, responsibilities of the position is to organize, collect and synthesize narrative and statistical information pertaining to USAID/KEA’s programs from various sources including implementing partners so that the information can be used for management decisions related to budget, strategic planning, program implementation, etc; internal information products such as cables, factsheets, taskers, or other management information tools; or for external communications in collaboration with the USAID/KEA Development Outreach and Communications (DOC) team. The DIS will also work with the USAID/KEA DOC Team, when necessary, in the preparation of internal documents, such as fact sheets, BCLs, communications pieces, and any other strategic communications development.
The DIS will also support SPA in assembling information and/or agendas for Front Office and USAID/KEA senior staff meetings in collaboration with the SPA and Front Office administrative assistants. Staff in USAID/KEA’s Front Office and SPA, as well as Mission Office Directors, regularly participate in several standing internal meetings or meetings with Embassy colleagues. These meetings require the preparation of agenda items and notes well in advance to ensure active and constructive participation from USAID participants. As part of her/his regular responsibilities, the DIS will be responsible for canvassing Mission staff for agenda items and notes and drafting the agendas of the many standing meetings that SPA and the Front Office attends.
Finally, the DIS will support SPA in editing documents as needed. More specifically, when requested, the DIS will ensure that final documents for senior management review are well organized, follow appropriate formats, contain the required information, and are written in clear and easily understood language. The types of documents to be processed range from simple correspondence, speeches, and public outreach materials to complex and lengthy technical documents whose purpose is to document agency processes for management and audit purposes.

Major Roles and Responsibilities
Development Information Management: 65%
• Responsible for design and implementation of the SPA’s communications protocols, highlighting and putting into practice good processes across the office. S/he is expected to take initiative in formulating clear and concise messaging on USAID/KEA’s accomplishments which support the Mission’s Development Objectives, across different offices. The incumbent will provide professional expertise in the preparation and management of SPA’s executive correspondence and presentation materials intended for internal and external audiences.
• Produce various documents as needed--including periodic reports, briefing checklists (BCLs), spreadsheets, fact sheets, etc.--for Mission-wide use including for the Front Office, SPA, Office Directors, the Mission Leadership Council, County Liaison Teams, and other users.
• Support the coordination of document production within SPA teams in response to information requests from different audiences in the Mission.
• Support the development of trend analyses, budget analyses, and other analysis of program information and advises on emerging patterns or trends. Design appropriate templates to publish this information on a weekly, monthly, quarterly or annual basis as required.
• Provide information that will contribute to the work of the USAID/KEA DOC Team in their preparation of fact sheets, BCLs, communications pieces, and any other strategic communications development.
• Support SPA Team Leads and CORs/AORs in creating briefing materials from their mechanisms by reviewing and providing summary reports and presentations for SPA leadership from weekly IP bullets, monthly, quarterly or annual reports.
• Collaborate with the Analytics and Geographic Information System team, Budget team, Project Design and Performance teams on the use of the various data management tools for generating reports.
Staff Writer/Editor 25%
• Support SPA in editing documents as needed. Ensure that final documents for senior management review are well organized, follow appropriate formats, contain the required information, and are written in clear and easily understood language. The types of documents to be edited range from simple correspondence, speeches, and public outreach materials to complex and lengthy technical documents whose purpose is to document agency processes for management and audit purposes.
• Support the SPA as required in routine administrative tasks such as: executive correspondence drafting and processing, planning and taking part in site visits and outreach events and participating in selection committees.
Meeting Agenda and Notes Management: 10%
• Support SPA and the Front Office in assembling information and/or agendas for USAID/KEA senior staff meetings.
• Canvas senior Mission staff for information that will be used to produce agendas, agenda items, notes, or information to report for internal senior staff or interagency meetings such as the Office Director meetings or the Mission Director’s weekly meeting with the Front Office.
• Collaborate with SPA and Front Office administrative staff to produce agendas for the several standing internal meetings or meetings with Embassy colleagues.

Skills and qualifications
The incumbent must meet the following requirements in education and professional experience:
Education: A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant professional discipline such as international relations, international development, project management, research, statistics, social sciences, data analysis, journalism or related study is required.
Professional Experience: A minimum of five years of progressively responsible, job-related, professional-level experience in development information communication, organizational or action learning, and knowledge management.
Language: Fluent English (reading, writing, and speaking) at the full professional level. Candidate must have the ability to present analysis and recommendations in clear written and oral format. The incumbent must have superior writing skills and be able to prepare clear, substantive reports and briefing papers in English, in a timely manner.

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. FAR provisions of this solicitation are available at https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far.
Applicants who clearly meet the skills and qualifications requirements will be further evaluated based on scoring of Evaluation Factor responses submitted with the applicant’s application. Applicants are required to address each of the following Evaluation Factors in a separate document describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards they have received that are relevant to each factor. The evaluation factors will be used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified applicants in comparison to other applicants. Be sure to include your name and the announcement number at the top of each additional page. Failure to specifically address the Evaluation Factors may result in your not receiving credit for all your pertinent experience, education, training and/or awards.
Applicants should cite specific, illustrative examples for each Evaluation Factor. Responses must be limited to 1,000 words per factor. Any words above the limit will neither be read nor scored.
Factor #1: Demonstrated experience developing and managing strategic written communication related to strategic guidance and development programs in Kenya and East Africa.
Factor #2: Demonstrated experience preparing materials for a wide range of outlets and audiences for both internal and external consumption.
Factor #3: Demonstrated experience coordinating with U.S. Government agencies, international organizations, national or local governments, and/or other high-profile entities as well as mission offices and leadership.
The most qualified candidates may be interviewed, required to provide a writing sample, and demonstrate an ability to operate commonly used office applications. USAID will not pay for any expenses associated with the interviews. In addition, applications (written materials and interviews) will be evaluated based on content as well as on the applicant’s writing, presentation, and communication skills. If a candidate has fully demonstrated his/her qualifications and there are no other competitive applicants, USAID reserves the right to forego the interview process. Professional references and academic credentials will be evaluated for applicants being considered for selection.
Evaluation Scoring:
Factor #1 – 25 points
Factor #2 – 25 points
Factor #3 – 10 points
Interview Performance – 30 points
Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks – Pass/Fail (no points assigned)
Total Possible Points: 100
[1] U.S. resident alien means a non-U.S. citizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States.

Education Requirement: No Requirements

Job Experience: No Requirements

Work Hours: 8

Job application procedure
Interested applicants are required to submit the following:
1. Offerform AID 309-2, “Offeror Information for Personal Services Contracts with individuals,” available at https://www.usaid.gov/forms/aid-309-2
2. An up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) or resume (no more than five pages), cover letter explaining your qualifications for the position, responses to evaluation factors above, copies of all relevant certificates and include three (3) referees, who are not family members or relatives, with working telephone and e-mail contacts.
Applications must be submitted electronically via email to nairobipscjobs@usaid.gov by the closing date and time indicated above.
To ensure consideration of offers for the intended position, Offerors must prominently reference the Solicitation number in the offer submission/cover letter.

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