Project Management Specialist (Environmental Health Specialist)

GENERAL INFORMATION
1. SOLICITATION NO.: 72036723R10006
2. ISSUANCE DATE: 08/28/2023
3. CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: 09/18/2023 (17:00 Nepal time)
4. POINT OF CONTACT: USAID/Nepal HR office, email at usaidnepalhr@usaid.gov
5. POSITION TITLE: Project Management Specialist (Environmental Health Specialist)
6. NUMBER OF VACANCIES: ONE (1)

7. MARKET VALUE:. Final compensation will be negotiated within the market value for the position equivalent to FSN-11 level in accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan (LCP) of U.S. Embassy-USAID/Nepal. The LCP consists of the local
salary schedule, which includes salary rates, authorized fringe benefits, and other pertinent facets of compensation.

8. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Estimated to start o/a January 1, 2024 through o/a December 31, 2029.(depending on the security clearance process)
Employment under this contract is of a continuing nature. Its duration is expected to be part of a series of sequential contracts; all contract clauses, provisions, and regulatory requirements concerning availability of funds and the specific duration of this contract shall apply.

9. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Kathmandu, Nepal
10. ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: All interesting candidates – Cooperating Country Nationals (CCNs)
AIDAR, Appendix J. 1 (b) Definitions:
(6) “Cooperating country “means the country in which the employing USAID Mission is located.
(7) “Cooperating country national” (“CCN”) means an individual who is a cooperating country citizen or a non-cooperating country citizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the cooperating country.

11. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Facility and computer access.

12. STATEMENT OF DUTIES
The Project Management Specialist (Environmental Health) is a Cooperating Country National (CCN) professional on the Maternal, Newborn, Child Health, and Nutrition (MNCHN) Team in the 25 person Health Office (HO) with a Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) budget of $220 million. The Specialist serves as one of two Mission resident technical leaders and experts for environmental health including: indoor and outdoor air quality; disaster risk reduction; health-related climate change mitigation and adaptation programming; solid and healthcare waste management, and other environmental issues as they arise. S/he also provides expertise and technical leadership for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and water security issues including water governance and equity. S/he interacts with the highest levels of central, provincial, and municipal governments; participates in technical and program planning meetings; attends donor and implementing partner coordination meetings; and participates in program workshops and seminars.

The Specialist will be a key member of the MNCHN Team, providing primary leadership, strategic direction, technical guidance and programmatic support on environmental health to HO and Mission staff, implementing partners and external stakeholders to enrich program planning, design and implementation. S/he will serve as an alternate technical expert and lead on WASH, and water security. S/he will ensure synergistic collaboration with other health activities and between the HO and other technical offices for environmental health, WASH and water security programming. S/he directly engages with and shares Nepal Mission learning with senior Washington technical leadership. The jobholder will serve as an Agreement/Contracting Officer’s Representative (A/COR) and/or alternate for environmental health, WASH, and water security activities and serve as Activity Manager on selected projects as needed. S/he will also serve as a Mission Environment Officer and Climate Integration Expert for the HO for about $10m a year or $50m during the life of the project. The Specialist will be supervised by the MNCHN Team Leader and is required to perform work-related travel.

The Major Duties and Responsibilities include:

A. Technical Leadership & Project Management (50%)

• Serves as Mission technical environmental health expert focused on air quality and climate change, and provides technical guidance to the HO and Mission leadership on WASH and water security activities as needed.
• Supports and contributes to overall Mission CDCS, goals and targets across the development objectives.
• Plans and designs selected environmental health and WASH activities and oversees implementation.
• Stays current with global environmental health, WASH, and water security information, trends and successful strategies.
• Provides technical and programmatic input and participates in planning and execution of the annual portfolio review to USAID/Nepal senior management and the Government of Nepal (GON), and other macro level reviews as required, including but not limited to regional, national and international forums.
• Provides strategic direction and leadership to HO staff and other Mission and Embassy staff on administrative, technical, programmatic and policy issues related to environmental health, WASH, and water security.
• Collaborates in the design, implementation and evaluation of environment health, WASH and water security operational and intervention-linked quantitative and qualitative research.
• Identifies opportunities for integrating “state of the art” environmental health, WASH and water security -related approaches into USAID activities, providing technical assessments and recommending strategies to pilot innovative interventions.
• Provides recommendations for short-term environmental health technical assistance from USAID/Washington and writes the technical scopes of work for consultants.
• Leads coordination between USAID/Nepal offices regarding integrated environmental health, WASH and water security technical areas.
• Serves as A/COR, alternate A/COR and/or Activity Manager.
• Ensures implementing partners (IPs) are in compliance with USAID contractual/agreement requirements, financial, procurement and reporting policies and branding and marking plans.
• Provides mandatory technical and programmatic reviews of work plans and progress reports and serves as a requester in Global Acquisition and Assistance System (GLAAS).
• Oversees IP planning, financial management, accountability, performance, and timely communication for: information and physical security; Global Information Systems; emergency preparedness and response; gender equality; social inclusion and other Agency requirements.
• Ensures that IP performance based management systems are in place to capture results and contributions to overall health, environmental health, WASH and water security targets.
• Ensures that the A/COR project official files are up-to-date, complete, and accurate.
• Conducts field visits to USAID-supported environmental health, WASH and water security activities to meet with IPs and government health officials and, as appropriate, provides technical, programmatic and administrative guidance.
• Works closely with the Financial Management Office to ensure that funds are spent in a timely manner. Reviews financial documents received from partners for payment, and forwards them for further approval.
• Provides inputs in preparing Implementation Letters for the commitment of USAID funds.
• Assists the Controller and Contracts Office in closing out unspent/unliquidated balances, as necessary.
• Oversees and participates in co-creation processes throughout the project lifecycle.
• Contributes to building local partner capacity, meeting localization goals, and collaborating with local partners in environmental health, WASH and water security technical areas.

B. Environmental Compliance (30%)

• Ensures mission compliance with relevant USAID environmental policies, procedures and federal regulations, including: 22 CFR 216 by reviewing Initial Environmental Examinations (IEE); Requests for Categorical Exclusions (RCE); Environmental Assessment Scoping Statements (EASS); Environmental Assessments (EA); IEE or EA Amendments; or other documents developed in fulfillment of 22 CFR 216 requirements.
• Advises Development Objective Teams, Activity Managers and A/CORs, and Operating Unit heads on: (1) how best to comply with USAID’s Environmental Procedures over the life of project, including effective monitoring of partner implementation of the environmental mitigation measures required by IEEs and EAs; and (2) how to obtain additional environmental expertise to assist in compliance with USAID’s mandatory environmental procedures.
• Coaches and mentors technical staff as well as U.S. Direct Hire employees and local staff on complex WASH and Environmental Health matters to ensure they are up to date on the Agency’s latest guidelines, policies and business processes.
• Ensures the environmentally sound design and management of mission activities.
• Serves as Mission Co-Environmental Officer and as one of two points of mission contact with the Bureau Environmental Officer and the Regional Environmental Advisor.
• Undertakes desk or field-based environmental compliance monitoring of any project or activity in the Mission portfolio, on request.

C. Representation and Reporting (20%)

• Represents the office on environmental health, WASH and water security matters and engages in technical dialogue on these matters within the USAID/Nepal Mission.
• Represents USAID/Nepal Mission in central, provincial and municipal meetings; multi-sectoral GON technical and program planning meetings; donor and implementing partner coordination meetings; and program workshops and seminars.
• Serves as liaison on technical issues between USAID/Nepal Mission, GON counterparts, other U.S. Government (USG) agencies, and regional and international organizations that are active in the environmental health, WASH, and water security sectors in
  Nepal.
• Participates in regular technical team meetings; HO meetings; environmental health, WASH, water security working group meetings; and other USAID/Nepal routine mission-wide review or reporting meetings.
• Leads or participates in site visit preparation and hosting for high level delegations.
• Drafts, coordinates, and edits technical and scientific reports, briefings, communications materials, and presentations related to environmental health, WASH and water security.
• Assists in preparing HO program and financial management inputs and narratives for mandatory reporting to USAID/Washington, including for the Performance Plan and Report (PPR) and other annual reporting processes.
• Develops a range of media content, in collaboration with the Mission Program Office, to promote USAID visibility, communicate program outcomes and elevate environmental issues within Nepal.
• Supports the development of talking points, briefers, internal documentation and communications, in conjunction with VIP visits and various Embassy events.
• Assists with annual reporting requirements for ensuring full compliance with USAID’s environmental policies and procedures.
• The jobholder is required to perform work-related travel.

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

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

a. Education: Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, public health, or related field is required.

b. Prior Work Experience: A minimum 7 years of progressively responsible/mid-level experience in the field of environmental health, WASH and water security is required. At least three (3) years of this experience must have been in planning, designing, implementing, evaluating and managing projects and programs.

c. Language Proficiency: Level IV (Fluent) reading, speaking, and writing in English and Nepali language is required.

d. Job Knowledge:
The job holder must have a thorough understanding of Nepal’s economic structure, social institutions, health system, and development challenges, opportunities and strategies. The jobholder must have technical expertise in environmental health, WASH and water security. The jobholder must have, or be able to quickly acquire, a good working knowledge of the specific areas of: indoor and outdoor air quality; disaster risk reduction; health related climate change mitigation and adaptation; solid and healthcare waste management; and environmental protection, compliance and mitigation. The jobholder must have the ability to simultaneously plan, oversee implementation of, monitor and evaluate complex environmental health, WASH and water security programs. S/he must be able to analyze data and report on performance trends. The jobholder must be able to quickly learn USAID: planning, programming, monitoring, evaluation and learning policies, practices, and requirements; environmental compliance regulations and procedures; performance management processes; and requirements for reporting on program results. She/he must have the willingness and ability to develop firm grounding in the Agency’s strategic and development priorities and the USAID/Nepal Mission’s strategies, objectives and priorities.

e. Skills and Abilities:
The job holder must have:

Relationships and Communications: The ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with technical level representatives from the GON at the federal, provincial and local levels; other USG agencies; implementing partners; and other donors is required. The ability to communicate complex, specialist knowledge to other experts and lay persons, both orally and in writing. Exceptional speaking, presentation, and communication skills. Good interpersonal skills and excellent ability to work both independently and in a team environment. Tact and diplomacy in interacting with internal and external audiences. The ability to make logical and persuasive arguments to senior officials in a multicultural context, work under pressure, and be able to resolve problems as they emerge and/or know when to defer to leadership to mitigate sensitive situations. Demonstrated skills of collaboration and inclusive decision making in a diverse work environment, bringing together diverse perspectives into a shared opinion. High emotional intelligence with experience practicing appreciative listening and empathic communication.

Project Management: Good project management skills, including financial and administrative management, monitoring to track performance of assigned activities, and the ability to recommend solutions to resolve matters impacting program implementation.

Training and Mentorship: The ability to independently mentor technical professionals and plan and execute training on the latest Agency guidance on environmental health, WASH and water security and environmental compliance. The ability to influence and guide technical staff and IPs to ensure compliance with Agency environment regulations. The ability to synthesize complex program data and Agency policies to translate them into simple, succinct information which can be used to track performance, make decisions, execute environmental health, WASH and water security programs and ensure compliance to USAID performance reporting requirements.

Adaptability: The ability to plan and execute unanticipated events or site visits by Embassy management or VIPs, and be adaptable and ready to respond quickly, as requested.

Diversity and Multicultural Environments: Knowledge of, and experience with, Nepal’s context and policies related to diverse and marginalized populations and a willingness and ability to learn USAID’s policies, priorities and approaches to DEIA and to apply them to development programming and the work environment.

Information Technology: Advanced information technology abilities and the ability to use virtual applications and platforms for processing and analyzing data and reporting on program performance (or the ability and willingness to acquire these skills).

The job holder is expected to effectively apply principles of equity, diversity and inclusion within all aspects of their work, including within the Mission, as part of their interactions with external stakeholders, and across relevant USAID programming and partnerships, with the objective of bringing in the various perspectives and voices of populations and communities across Nepal for a more inclusive distribution of the responsibilities and benefits of development.

III. 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.

The technical evaluation committee (TEC) may conduct reference checks, including references from individuals who have not been specifically identified by the offeror, and may do so before or after a candidate is interviewed.

Following the application packages initial screening by the USAID/Caucasus HR Unit, the offerors meeting the minimum qualifications (see section II above) will be evaluated by the TEC and may be invited to participate further, including a language examination, writing
test, and potentially interview. Any offeror not receiving satisfactory reference checks will no longer be considered for the position.

Candidates will be evaluated and ranked based on the following selection criteria to a maximum score of 100 points:

1) Work Experience/30 points:

• The extent of their demonstrated experience designing and managing projects and programs with explicit environmental health, climate change, behavior change, water and sanitation service delivery, and/or water resource management objectives
• The complexity of past or current job roles with technical and managerial responsibility, tight deadlines and multiple priorities
• The level of experience in policy analysis of environmental health issues, particularly for water and air.

2) Knowledge/30 points:

• Understanding of the principles of diversity, inclusion, equity and accessibility (DEIA)
• Knowledge of the threats to Nepal’s environmental resources, particularly water and air
• Understanding impacts of environmental health issues, including climate change, on Nepal’s economy, society and natural environment, and the competing demands in managing environmental resources, particularly water and air
• Understanding of systems approaches applied to addressing complex environmental health issues.
• The level of knowledge of relevant GON policies and institutions, and their effectiveness in addressing environmental and social issues related to sustainable water and sanitation service delivery and improved air quality.

3) Skills and Ability/40 points:

• Ability to plan, organize and implement a multi-faceted and multi-sectoral workload.
• Demonstrated ability to assess problems, clearly articulate a synthesis of the issues, and propose multiple alternative solutions to a range of stakeholders including, colleagues, management and Government counterparts (at local and federal levels)
• Demonstrated capacity and willingness to apply DEIA principles to their work.
• Project management skills, including financial management, administrative, and monitoring skills used to track performance of assigned activities.
• Effective and persuasive written and verbal presentation, facilitation, and public speaking skills to a variety of potential audiences
• Ability to develop and maintain collegial working relationships at many levels of U.S. Government, Government of Nepal, Civil Society actors, and private sector representatives.
• Ability to travel to remote locations across the country for up to 10 days at a time.

TOTAL: 100 points
Reference check (Pass/Fail)
Negotiations will be conducted with the most qualified/ highest-ranked offeror at the conclusion of evaluations.

IV. SUBMITTING AN OFFER

• Eligible Offerors are required to complete and submit a resume and application form DS-174.
  DS-174 application form in English is available on the following link:
  https://eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds174.PDF
• Additionally, offerors must provide a cover-page of approximately 500-750 words (1 page), expressing how the offeror’s qualifications meet the evaluation and selection factors (per section III above). Offerors who do not submit any of the required documents (resume, DS- 174 and a cover-page) as mentioned above will not be considered further.
• Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified in section I, item 3, and submitted to the Point of Contact in section I, item 4: usaidnepalhr@usaid.gov
• Offeror submissions must clearly reference the Solicitation number and interested specific technical area on all offeror submitted documents.

V. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS PRIOR TO AWARD

• Once the Contracting Officer (CO) informs the successful offeror about being selected for a contract award, the CO will provide the successful offeror instructions about how to complete and submit the forms required to obtain medical and security clearances
• Ensuring Adequate COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors – Please be advised that, upon award, the contractor will be required to follow the Mission policies and/or directives from the U.S. Department of State regarding COVID-19 requirements.

VI. BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES
As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances:

g. BENEFITS:

• Health Insurance Coverage for the selected candidate and immediate family members
• Variable Contribution Fund (18.33% of the annual base salary)- Employee and Employer
• Annual Bonus payment (1/12 of annual base salary)

h. ALLOWANCES:

• Miscellaneous allowance NRs. 68,000 annually

VII. TAXES
Local Employed Staff are responsible for paying local income taxes.

VIII.USAID REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND CONTRACT CLAUSES PERTAINING TO PSCs
USAID regulations and policies governing CCNPSC and TCNPSC awards are available at these sources:

i. USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR), Appendix J, “Direct USAID Contracts With a Cooperating Country National and with a Third Country National for Personal Services Abroad,” including contract clause “General Provisions,” available at
https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf

j. Contract Cover Page form AID 309-1 available at https://www.usaid.gov/forms. Pricing by line item is to be determined upon contract award as described below:

LINE ITEMS

k. Acquisition & Assistance Policy Directives/Contract Information Bulletins (AAPDs/CIBs) for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals available at
http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs

– AAPD 21-04 Revision 3 – Executive Order 14042 on ensuring adequate COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Federal Awards – June 6, 2022
AAPD No. 21-04, ATTACHMENT 4 – Letter for contracts with performance requiring physical access to USAID domestic facilities.
AAPD No. 21-04, ATTACHMENT 5 – Letter to Individuals with Personal Services Contracts
AAPD No. 21-04, ATTACHMENT 6: Overview of Applicability of FAR 52.223-99

– AAPD 21-01 – Applicability of FAR 4.21 to USAID personal services contracts with individuals under the AIDAR Appendices D and J- March 26, 2021
– AAPD 20-08 – Leave and Holidays for CCNPSCs and TCNPSCs, including country leave for qualifying posts for eligible TCNPSCs-December 22, 2020
– AAPD 06-08 AIDAR, Appendices D AND J: using the optional schedule to incrementally fund contracts-June 23, 2006
– AAPD 03-11 Revision of Contracts/Contract Procedures for Personal Services Contracts with Foreign Service Nationals (FSNs) to Work in Iraq and Afghanistan – 12/02/03

l. Ethical Conduct. By the acceptance of a USAID personal services contract as an individual, the contractor will be acknowledging receipt of the “Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch,” available from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, in accordance with General Provision 2 and 5 CFR 2635.
See https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/OGE%20Regulations

m. PSC Ombudsman
The PSC Ombudsman serves as a resource for any Personal Services Contractor who has entered into a contract with the United States Agency for International Development and is available to provide clarity on their specific contract with the agency. Please visit our page for additional information: https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/personal-service-contracts-ombudsman.

The PSC Ombudsman may be contacted via: PSCOmbudsman@usaid.gov.

USAID/Nepal is an equal opportunity employer committed to a staff composition that reflects the social and ethnic diversity of Nepali society. We believe that social inclusion and diversity contribute to excellence. USAID/Nepal makes hiring decisions without regard for gender, gender identity, caste, race, ethnicity, disability, marital status, age (if over 40), or sexual orientation. Applicants from ALL backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

How to apply: Please submit a cover letter, resume and a completed form DS 174 to USAIDNepalhr@usaid.gov.

Source: Kantipur Dainik, 28 August 2023

Tagged as: Kathmandu, NGO INGO, Project Management Specialist, Project Specialist, USAID