11.1 General Statement of Purpose of the Contract

The USAID Cameroon Sr. Project Management Specialist –Peace and Governance (Sr. PMS) is the senior-level specialist on conflict management and mitigation (CMM), countering violent extremism (CVE), and democracy, human rights, and governance (DRG) issues in Cameroon. She/he provides direction, advice, policy guidance and substantive input in the design, implementation, and monitoring of related regional and bi- lateral activities in Cameroon. In this context, the Sr. PMS will provide expert technical oversight and manage a set of specific regional and bilateral activities related to CVE, CMM, and DRG with an average annual value estimated between $5-10 million. The Sr. PMS is integral to bilateral strategic planning for programs, donor coordination, report writing, and management of related bilateral resources. In addition, the Sr. PMS plays a lead role in representing Cameroon on regional CVE, CMM, and DRG issues, including political analysis, donor coordination, and representation. The Sr. PMS will work in close collaboration with the DRG staff, particularly in integrating results and efforts between CVE, CMM, and DRG programming. Finally, the Sr. PMS works closely with the U.S. Embassy in Yaoundé, and will participate in relevant meetings and working groups as required.

11.2 Statement of Duties to be Performance

Project Management and Oversight – 60%

Serves as Agreement Officer’s Representative (AOR) and/or Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for sizeable bilateral and/or regional CVE, CMM, and DRG activities as designated by the Regional Acquisitions and Assistance Office at USAID/West Africa, including those with funding sources from USAID/West Africa. This includes supporting the planning, formation, and administration and management of activities, including providing technical direction and reviewing critical programmatic documents for approval, such as annual work plans, terms of reference, performance reports and evaluation and monitoring reports. The program management responsibilities of the Sr. PMS will reflect the overall priorities of the DRG, CMM, and CVE portfolio in Cameroon, balancing between bilateral and regional programs.

The position also serves as the Cameroon Activity Manager for regional CVE, CMM, and DRG activities implemented in Cameroon, as designated by the Regional Peace and Governance Office (RPGO) in USAID/West Africa, and in consultation with the USAID Cameroon Country Representative. This includes supporting the planning and management of activities, including reviewing critical programmatic documents and providing technical expertise and local contextual knowledge to the AOR/COR.

The Sr. PMS communicates and interacts regularly with implementing partners as both an AOR/COR and Activity Manager, including ensuring that the implementing partners complete technical requirements of their awards in accordance with terms, conditions and specifications of the applicable instruments. This includes conducting site visits and meeting regularly with implementing partners to assess progress of activities, as well as organizing and coordinating consultants and USAID staff field visits. Lastly, s/he will also identify implementation problems, issues and constraints, and recommend remedial actions and other ways to improve performance.

The Sr. PMS coordinates closely with the Program, Acquisition and Assistance, and Finance Offices in USAID/West Africa regarding program management, including for strategic planning and reporting processes, procurement planning, and regular financial and portfolio reviews. The Sr. PMS Initiates and/or coordinates the evaluation of CVE, CMM, and DRG activities during and following project completion, to ascertain project impact and cost-effectiveness, including implications for future programming and financing.

The Sr. PMS prepares CVE, CMM, and DRG activity-related information for reports to meet USAID and broader USG reporting requirements, including when necessary reporting on Operational Plans, Performance Reports, Congressional Budget justifications, Mission Resource Plans, human rights reports, trafficking reports, reports on gender and people with disabilities issues, and other priority issues as requested by the Country Program Officer and the Regional Peace and Governance Office, etc.

Program Coordination and Technical Support (30%)

Provides support to senior-level leadership in coordinating with stakeholders in the CVE, CMM, DRG, and other sub-sectors with the aim of improving collaboration, building synergies, and elevating development results. The success of the Sr. PMS will depend on his/her ability to cultivate and leverage working relationships with senior-level stakeholder representatives. Stakeholders include, but are not limited to, the Government of Cameroon, the U.S. Embassy, USAID implementing partners, the donor community, regional institutions, non-governmental organizations, and local-level activity beneficiaries and partners. The Sr. PMS will be expected to represent USAID on interagency working groups and may be asked to represent USAID and/or the US Government (USG) at regional meetings and conferences and serve as liaison with host country officials, and other institutions. Lastly, the Sr. PMS is responsible for regular coordination and communication with USAID/West Africa on CVE, CMM, and DRG programs.

Serves as an expert on CVE, CMM, and DRG programs, providing technical counsel and guidance to USG colleagues and partners, including the integration of CVE, CMM, and DRG principles into development work in other sectors such as resilience, education, or health. Specifically, s/he will provide expert advice to the USAID/Cameroon Country Representative and the RPGO Director at USAID/West Africa on policy and program activity design and implementation. Consequently, the Sr. PMS must have an increasing knowledge of CVE, CMM, and DRG literature and programming approaches in general, and increasing knowledge of how those approaches have, or can be, applied in Cameroon. They will coordinate closely with the RPGO Collaboration, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) Advisor based in Accra to engage in CLA activities.

Provides valuable Cameroon-specific context on key political, cultural, or social issues affecting efforts to counter violent extremism. Advises on political matters regarding the Cameroonian administration and senior leadership and recommends approaches for engaging with Cameroon government officials and counterparts.

Assists in coordinating the efforts of CVE, CMM, and/or DRG technical specialists in conducting sector analyses of concepts and systems, and investigations of highly unstructured and interconnected problems involving controversial and complex political and social issues. Knowledge acquisition facilitated by the Sr. PMS will serve as the basis for substantive changes in the organization and administration of CVE, CMM, and/or DRG programs. The Sr. PMS organizes and leads site visits to assess the situation and monitor project activities in various regions of the country as relevant to the USAID CVE, CMM, and DRG portfolio.

Program Design (10%)

Researches potential new areas of program intervention and drafts concept papers, activity designs and related technical, policy, procurement, gender, and budgetary analyses required to implement agreed upon approaches to meet CVE, CMM, and DRG challenges.

Undertakes key design tasks, including leading assessments and evaluation teams to capture lessons learned, assessing both gaps and opportunities at the intervention level, identifying various organizations that could serve as change-agents, at the local, national, and regional level, ensuring appropriate program/project design processes are followed, and finally evaluating project proposals for award.

Supervision Received

The Sr. PMS will be based in Yaoundé, Cameroon and work under the supervision of the USAID/Cameroon Country Representative. The incumbent will receive annual performance evaluations written by the USAID Cameroon Country Representative or their designee. The Sr. PMS is expected to exercise considerable independent judgment and initiative. Such initiative is critical to the success of the assignment and includes maintaining professional relationships with high-level government dignitaries. Overall management of the office takes place in a collaborative team environment, with the Sr. PMS participating fully with the team. Specific work plans and anticipated results are developed in consultation with the USAID/Cameroon Country Representative. The Sr. PMS performs assignments independently, providing advice to others involved in the management of CVE, CMM, and DRG activities in Cameroon, and in the development, design, and drafting of the acquisition and assistance instruments related to these types of activities for USAID/Cameroon and USAID/West Africa. The work is reviewed in terms of achievement of established milestones, and the appropriateness of program/project activity focus.

Supervision Exercised: None

12. PHYSICAL DEMANDS:    The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

In order to be considered for the position, a candidate must meet the Minimum Qualifications. Applications will be pre-screened and only those that meet the Minimum Qualifications will be considered. These are the minimum qualifications necessary to be considered for the position:

1. Education: A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in law, political science, international relations, public administration/public policy, political economy, international development, international relations, or other related social science field is required. Additional coursework, including post-graduate studies in similar fields is required.

2. Prior Work Experience: A minimum of five years of professional work experience is required, including a minimum of 5 years of experience working in the democracy, rights and governance or related field, such as conflict prevention, countering violent extremism, civil society development and others. Demonstrated work experience in providing analysis and advice on complex programming issues, managing project activities for international organizations, using complex information technology systems to monitor and evaluate projects and results, and tracking budget execution and documentation is required. The candidate with a steady progression over time of increasing responsibilities in related work is required.

3. Language Proficiency: Fluency and proficiency in French and English for both oral and written communication is required. Candidates may be tested to establish the level of proficiency.

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 F AR 15.306(c). In accordance with F AR 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.

The evaluation and selection criteria of the selected candidate will be based on a review of his/her qualifications, work experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, and level of language required. The applicants who obtain the highest score based on the criteria defined will be interviewed and may also be required to pass a written test (depending on the TEC Chairperson’s decision). The security clearance and medical clearance is required for the top-ranking candidate, after conducting and receiving the positive reference checks.

The following factors will be the basis for the evaluation of applications meeting the required minimum qualifications. All applications will be evaluated based on the documentation submitted with the application. USAID reserves the right to contact your previous employers for relevant information concerning your performance and may consider such information in its evaluation. The highest ranking applicants may be selected for a written text and/or interview as part of the selection process.

Work Experience (35 POINTS)

To qualify for the position, candidates must meet the following work experience criteria:

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• A minimum of five years of professional work experience is required, including a minimum of 5 years of experience working in the democracy, rights and governance or related field, such as conflict prevention, countering violent extremism, civil society development and others.

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• Demonstrated work experience in providing analysis and advice on complex programming issues, managing project activities for international organizations, using complex information technology systems to monitor and evaluate projects and results, and tracking budget execution and documentation is required.

• The candidate with a steady progression over time of increasing responsibilities in related work is required.

Technical Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (30 POINTS)

To qualify for the position, candidates must meet the following technical knowledge, skills, and abilities criteria:

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• A strong degree of understanding of program principles, concepts, practices, methods, and techniques of development assistance in general and preventing/countering violent extremism (P/CVE), conflict prevention and response, and/or democracy, human rights, and governance (DRG) in particular, is required.

• Demonstrated understanding of procedures, regulations, and policies typical to a large international organization or government agency such as USAID is required, as is a detailed and broad knowledge of development and political issues in Cameroon.

• Familiarity with P/CVE, conflict prevention and response, and/or DRG stakeholders in Cameroon including, but not limited to international and local NGOs, international donors, and the Government of Cameroon.

• Demonstrate experience in applying new solutions to problems not susceptible to treatment by accepted methods, and to design, administer, and/or conduct comprehensive activities, the boundaries of which are extremely broad within the P/CVE, conflict prevention and response, and/or DRG sectors, but difficult to determine in advance, and to identify and propose solutions to problems which are characterized by their breadth and complexity. The Sr. PMS must be able to work in a highly demanding environment and be capable of handling tasks with varying deadlines; must have good teamwork skills and strong interpersonal skills; must be able to communicate complex and difficult policy and programmatic issues in a manner that is clear to knowledgeable laypersons without oversimplifying; and, must be able to maintain and adhere to high standards of professional conduct.

• Demonstrate the ability to manage and coordinate activities to achieve an operational unit’s objectives through demonstrated work experience.

• Demonstrate ability to do basic financial analysis and budgeting is also required.

• Versatility in the use of computer software, especially Microsoft Word and Excel, is required.

Communication/Language Proficiency Skills (20 Points)

To qualify for the position, candidates must meet the following communication/language proficiency criteria:

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• Fluency in French and English or both oral and written communication is required. Candidates will be tested to establish the level of proficiency.

Education (15 POINTS)

To qualify for the position, candidates must meet the following education criteria:

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• A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in law, political science, international relations, public administration/public policy, political economy, international development, international relations, or other related social science field is required.

• Additional coursework, including post-graduate studies in similar fields is required.

Total Possible Points: 100 points

After the closing date for receipt of applications, all applications will initially be screened for conformity with minimum requirements and a shortlist of applicants developed. Applications from candidates which do not meet the required selection criteria will not be scored.

A committee will be convened to review the shortlisted applications and evaluate them in accordance with the evaluation criteria. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. No response will be sent to unsuccessful applicants.

USAID reserves the right to interview only the highest ranked applicants in person or by phone OR not to interview any candidate.

The Agency retains the right to cancel or amend the solicitation and associated actions at any stage of the recruitment process.

Reference checks will be conducted by Human Resources only for the successful candidate. If a candidate does not wish USAID to contact a current employer for a reference check, this should be stated in the application Letter.

SUBMITTING AN OFFER

1. Eligible Offerors are required to complete and submit the offer from AID 309-2 (OFFEROR INFORMATION FOR PERSONAL SERVICES CONTRACTS WITH INDIVIDUALS) which is available at the following link: https://www.usaid.gov/forms/aid-309-2.
2. Offeror must also submit a signed cover letter and a resume.
3. Minimum of three (3) and a maximum of five (5) professional references with telephone and e-mail contacts, who are not family members or relatives. The applicant's references must be able to provide substantive information about his/her past performance and abilities. At least one reference provided should be a current or former supervisor.
4. A supplemental document with written responses to the Evaluation Factors listed under Section III.
5. Relevant educational certificate (s) and work permit or residency permit.
6. Offers must be received by the closing date and time of October 12, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. Accra Time and submitted via email to acpersonnel@usaid.gov
7. Offeror submissions must clearly reference the Solicitation number on all offeror submitted documents.