Turkey: USPSC Syria Response Information Officer

Position Title: Syria Response Information Officer

Solicitation Number: SOL-OFDA-16-000058

Salary Level: GS-11 Equivalent: $51,811 - $67,354

Issuance Date: August 10, 2016

Closing Date: August 31, 2016

Closing Time: 12:00 P.M. Eastern Time

Dear Prospective Applicants:

The United States Government (USG), represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), is seeking applications from qualified U.S. citizens to provide personal services as a Syria Response Information Officer (IO) under a United States Personal Services Contract (USPSC), as described in the attached solicitation.

Submittals must be in accordance with the attached information at the place and time specified. Applicants interested in applying for this position MUST submit the following materials:

1. Complete resume. In order to fully evaluate your application, your resume must include:

(a) Paid and non-paid experience, job title, location(s), dates held (month/year), and hours worked per week for each position. Any experience that does not include dates (month/year), locations, and hours per week will not be counted towards meeting the solicitation requirements.

(b) Specific duties performed that fully detail the level and complexity of the work.

(c) Names and contact information (phone/email) of your current and/or previous supervisor(s). Current and/or previous supervisors may be contacted for a reference.

(d) Education and any other qualifications including job-related training courses, job-related skills, or job-related honors, awards or accomplishments.

(e) U.S. Citizenship

(f) Optional: Where you heard about this job (FedBizOps, OFDA Jobs, Career Fair, etc.).

Your resume should contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the experience requirements as stated in this solicitation. This information should be clearly identified in your resume. Failure to provide information sufficient to determine your qualifications for the position will result in loss of full consideration.

2. Supplemental document specifically addressing the Quality Ranking Factor (QRF) shown in the solicitation.

3. USPSC Application form AID 302-3. Applicants are required to complete sections A through I. This form must be physically signed. Electronic signatures will not be accepted.

NOTE ABOUT THE DATA UNIVERSAL NUMBERING SYSTEM/SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS

All USPSCs with a place of performance in the United States are required to have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database prior to receiving an offer. You will be disqualified if you either fail to comply with this requirement or if your name appears on the excluded parties list. The selectee will be provided with guidance regarding this registration.

Additional documents submitted will not be accepted. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. OFDA reserves the right to select additional candidates if vacancies become available during future phases of the selection process.

Applicants can expect to receive a confirmation email when application materials have been received. Applicants should retain for their records copies of all enclosures which accompany their applications. Your complete resume must be emailed to:

OFDA Recruitment Team

E-Mail Address: recruiter@ofda.gov

Website: www.OFDAjobs.net

Any questions on this solicitation may be directed to OFDA Recruitment Team via the information provided above.

Sincerely,

Renee Reed

Contracting Officer

BACKGROUND

The Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) is the office within USAID that is responsible for providing emergency non-food humanitarian assistance in response to international crises and disasters. OFDA is part of the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA) and is organized into six divisions.

The Africa (AFD) Response Division and the Asia, Latin America, Europe, and Middle East (ALE) Response Division are responsible for the provision of emergency humanitarian assistance through a grants mechanism to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations including United Nations (UN) agencies, and to other partners to ensure the implementation and delivery of this assistance. These divisions also oversee OFDA’s non-response efforts in disaster risk reduction and resilience. AFD and ALE Response Divisions also coordinate with other organizations for the provision of relief supplies and assistance. They devise, coordinate, and implement program strategies for a variety of natural and complex disaster situations. Both Divisions encompass groups of operations specialists who provide technical expert capability in assessing the quality and strategic function of disaster response and risk reduction activities. The AFD Response Division is divided into two teams: East and Central Africa (ECA), and Southern, West, and North Africa (SWAN). The ALE Response Division is divided into four teams: East Asia and the Pacific (EAP), Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia (EMCA), Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), and South Asia.

The Operations (OPS) Division develops and manages operations for OFDA’s disaster responses by readying people and systems; projecting U.S. Government (USG) humanitarian capacity quickly into the field; and delivering material and technical assistance. The OPS Division maintains readiness to respond to emergencies through several mechanisms, including managing Urban Search and Rescue Teams, coordinating, staffing, training, and equipping Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DARTs), and Washington-based Response Management Teams (RMTs), and stockpiling emergency relief commodities in key locations around the globe to ensure OFDA’s capacity to execute and coordinate USG humanitarian assistance and response to natural disasters and complex emergencies. The OPS Division provides technical guidance and expertise in Disaster Logistics, Urban Search and Rescue, Operations Center management, activation/readiness, Civil-Military Liaison, and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive Consequence Management. It also provides overseas support to OFDA offices and personnel and to other sectors necessary to ensure OFDA’s capacity to execute and coordinate USG humanitarian assistance and response to natural disasters and complex emergencies. The OPS Division is divided into four teams: the Disaster Assistance Support Program (DASP), Military Liaison Team (MLT), Operations Support Team (OST), and Overseas Administration Team (OAT).

The Program Support (PS) Division provides operational management support, including general administration, budget and financial services, procurement planning, information technology, human resources management including staff care, and contract and grant administration support to OFDA. The PS Division supports OFDA's mandate by providing innovative solutions in the areas of Information Technology, staffing, funds control, budgeting, human resource management, and procurement to facilitate timely disaster responses. The PS Division is divided into four teams: the Award Change Control Group (ACCG), Human Resources Management Team (HRM), Budget, Finance, and Information Technology (BFIT) Team, and the Acquisition and Management (ACQ) Team.

The Preparation, Strategic Planning, and Mitigation (PSPM) Division is responsible for the technical oversight of all OFDA response and mitigation programs, as well as preparation for response, mitigation, and disaster risk reduction activities. The PSPM Division houses technical experts in all sectors potentially affected by disasters, and leads the Agency in developing and promoting best practices for programming in these specific sectors. In addition, PSPM will be the focal point for technological innovations for humanitarian assistance in areas such as monitoring and evaluation, assessment, and information management. The PSPM Division is divided into four teams: Cross-Cutting Sectors Team, Natural Hazards Team, Health Team, and Livelihoods Team.

The Humanitarian Policy and Global Engagement (HPGE) Division assists the DCHA front office, the OFDA Director and OFDA Deputy Director with tracking trends and policy developments in the humanitarian assistance field. It engages in policy dialogue with other parts of USAID, the USG interagency, other donors, multilateral agencies, and NGO partners; recommends strategies for action to DCHA; initiates development of policy and internal guidance for OFDA; maintains global relationships with implementing partners, other donors, and the broader humanitarian architecture; and engages with the UN to advance USG humanitarian policy objectives and promote humanitarian principles within the USG and internationally. The HPGE Division leads OFDA's communications and social media outreach to effectively communicate OFDA’s story to a variety of strategic audiences. It serves as the office’s primary interlocutor on strategic issues with other federal partners to provide guidance to OFDA on policy issues pertaining to the interagency, and to improve USG humanitarian coordination and response during large-scale crises. The HPGE Division staff manages global programs, policy and outreach, strategic communications, and interagency training and engagement. HPGE is divided into seven teams: Policy Team, Global Programs Team, Strategic Interagency Team, Strategic Communications Team, Interagency Training Team, Public-Private Engagement Team, and the United States Mission to the UN (USUN).

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

This position requires an individual who is able to reside in Adana, Turkey, with travel to other locations as determined in consultation with the Embassy and the Mission and subject to security and programmatic considerations. The selectee must be prepared to function effectively in a challenging and restrictive work environment and be willing to strictly adhere to U.S. Embassy security guidelines.

The Syria Response IO for Turkey compiles and disseminates information about humanitarian conditions and USG humanitarian response activities to internal USG audiences and external partners. Qualified candidates should possess excellent writing, editing, and verbal communications skills and have exceptional attention to detail. Candidates must be flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances and have the ability to work under tight deadlines in an extremely fast-paced and collaborative environment.

Working directly under the guidance and supervision of the Team Leader, the IO shall:

• Engage in substantial coordination with the RMT and other DART staff; and under the guidance of the DART Team Leader, coordinate with other OFDA units as required, the US Embassy, other USG agencies, other donor governments, the UN, Private Voluntary Organizations, NGOs, and IOs to develop inclusive US humanitarian reporting. This position requires a highly collaborative work style.
• Attend humanitarian coordination and other meetings and collaborate closely with information counterparts from humanitarian organizations, including UN agencies and NGOs, to ensure that all relevant humanitarian information is obtained and incorporated into OFDA field products and is provided to Washington, D.C.- based IO in a timely manner.
• Produce minutes, trip reports, meeting notes, updates, reporting cables, public reports, and other information products as needed.
• Work with USG colleagues in Turkey by contributing to field-produced information products, data-collection sites, and press materials related to Syria.
• Participate in humanitarian assessments (when possible), meetings with OFDA partners, and site visits in order to obtain information that will be included in field reports.
• Capture information shared during meetings, assessments, and conference calls to help facilitate and record team communication.
• Manage data and produce a wide range of public and internal information products such as maps, photos, tables, charts, images, and other visual aids created by the team and shared by partners.
• Maintain regular contact with the humanitarian community and represent OFDA on humanitarian reporting issues, as directed by the Team Leader. This will include but is not limited to UN agencies, IOs, NGOs, USG personnel, donors, other government authorities.
• Assist in the preparation of agendas and briefings for official USG visitors.
• Obtain appropriate clearances for all information products produced.
• Work closely with the Jordan-based IO on joint field products.
• Travel in and outside of Turkey on short notice for possibly extended periods of time.
• Travel to Washington, D.C., as needed, for training or consultations with/rotations in OFDA’s Information Support Unit (ISU) or RMT.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

(Determines basic eligibility for the position. Applicants who do not meet all of the education and experience factors are considered NOT qualified for the position.)

Bachelor’s degree with significant study in or pertinent to the specialized field (including but not limited to international relations, economics, public health, disaster management or a related field). Working knowledge of and interest in humanitarian issues. Three (3) years of demonstrated experience producing written products under tight deadlines in a challenging, fast-paced environment. Demonstrated familiarity with the USG and overseas experience.

OR

Master’s degree with significant study in or pertinent to the specialized field (including but not limited to international relations, economics, public health, disaster management or a related field). Working knowledge of and interest in humanitarian issues. Two (2) years of demonstrated experience producing written products under tight deadlines in a challenging, fast-paced environment. Demonstrated familiarity with the USG and overseas experience.

SELECTION FACTORS

(Determines basic eligibility for the position. Applicants who do not meet all of the selection factors are considered NOT qualified for the position.)

● Applicant is a U.S. Citizen.

● Complete resume submitted. See cover page for resume requirements. Experience that cannot be quantified will not be counted towards meeting the solicitation requirements.

● USPSC Application form AID 302-3. Applicants are required to complete sections A through I. This form must be physically signed. Electronic signatures will not be accepted.

● Supplemental document specifically addressing the Quality Ranking Factor (QRF) submitted.

● Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret up to Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information level clearance as provided by USAID.

● Ability to obtain a Department of State medical clearance.

● Must not appear as an excluded party in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov).

● Satisfactory verification of academic credentials.

APPLICANT RATING SYSTEM

The applicant rating system factors are used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified applicants in comparison to other applicants. Applicants must demonstrate the rating factors outlined below within their resume. The rating factors are as follows:

Professional Experience (10 points):

· Experience drafting, editing, and disseminating a wide range of information products, including memos, meeting notes, talking points, and other correspondence.

· International and/or USG work experience.

· Working knowledge of humanitarian issues.

· Middle East experience.

Skills and Abilities (10 points):

· Demonstrated ability to communicate complex issues to a range of audiences through written products, accounting for political sensitivities.

· Demonstrated experience compiling large quantities of information—including triangulating disparate information—from multiple sources into key points.

· Demonstrated experience producing high-quality written products under short deadlines with multiple competing priorities.

· Demonstrated ability to remain flexible in a fluid work environment with changing priorities.

· Demonstrated ability to work well with others in a multi-cultural environment.

Information Coordination and Management (5 points):

• Demonstrated experience working with a range of stakeholders—including the USG, UN, and NGOs—in multi-cultural environments to gather information.
• Demonstrated experience establishing and maintaining information tracking and filing procedures.

Quality Ranking Factor (5 points):

In 350 words or less, compose an original briefing memo describing humanitarian conditions and response activities in Syria for a senior USG official traveling to the region. (Please include a word count at the end of the memo.)

Interview Performance (30 points)

Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks (20 points)

Timed Writing Test (20 points)

Total Possible Points: 100

BASIS OF RATING: Applicants who meet the Education/Experience requirements and Selection Factors will be further evaluated in accordance with the Applicant Rating System and QRF.

Applicants are required to address each factor of the Applicant Rating System in their resume, describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards they have received as it pertains to each factor. Be sure to include your name and the announcement number at the top of each additional page.

Applicants are required to address the QRF in a separate document describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, and/or education they have received as it pertains the factor. Be sure to include your name and the announcement number at the top of each additional page.

Failure to address the selection factors and/or QRF may result in not receiving credit for all pertinent experience, education, and/or training. Those applicants determined to be competitively ranked may also be evaluated on interview performance and satisfactory professional reference checks.

A competitive range will be established based on the combined Applicant Rating System and QRF response. The most qualified candidates may be interviewed and required to provide a writing sample. OFDA will not pay for any expenses associated with the interviews. Professional references and academic credentials will be evaluated for applicants being considered for selection. Note: Please be advised that references may be obtained independently from other sources in addition to the ones provided by an applicant. OFDA reserves the right to select additional candidates if vacancies become available during future phase of the selection process.

APPLYING:

Applications must be received by the closing date and time at the address specified in the cover letter.

Qualified individuals are required to submit:

1. Complete resume. In order to fully evaluate your application, your resume must include:

(a) Paid and non-paid experience, job title, location(s), dates held (month/year), and hours worked per week for each position. Dates (month/year) and locations for all field experience must also be detailed. Any experience that does not include dates (month/year), locations, and hours per week will not be counted towards meeting the solicitation requirements.

(b) Specific duties performed that fully detail the level and complexity of the work.

(c) Names and contact information (phone/email) of your current and/or previous supervisor(s). Current and/or previous supervisors may be contacted for a reference.

(d) Education and any other qualifications including job-related training courses, job-related skills, or job-related honors, awards or accomplishments.

(e) U.S. Citizenship.

(f) Optional: Where you heard about this job (FedBizOps, OFDA Jobs, Career Fair, etc.).

1. Your resume should contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the experience requirements as stated in this solicitation. This information should be clearly identified in your resume. Failure to provide information sufficient to determine your qualifications for the position will result in loss of full consideration.

2. Supplemental document specifically addressing the QRF shown in the solicitation.

1. USPSC Application form AID 302-3. Applicants are required to complete sections A through I. This form must be physically signed. Electronic signatures will not be accepted.

Additional documents submitted will not be accepted.

By submitting your application materials, you certify that all of the information on and attached to the application is true, correct, complete, and made in good faith. You agree to allow all information on and attached to the application to be investigated. False or fraudulent information on or attached to your application may result in you being eliminated from consideration for this position, or being terminated after award, and may be punishable by fine or imprisonment.

To ensure consideration of applications for the intended position, please reference the solicitation number on your application, and as the subject line in any email.

DOCUMENT SUBMITTALS

Via email: recruiter@ofda.gov