The United States Agency for International Development/Southern Africa (USAID/SA) is a premier mission implementing and piloting innovative agency initiatives, such as USAID Forward and Local Systems. Local Systems utilizes collaborative space to increase partnership with private and voluntary organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other local organizations to promote local solutions to local capacity challenges. Such collaboration better utilizes USAID funding, increasing local ownership and the likelihood of sustained success. This initiative requires creative thinkers, risk takers, and motivated staff. USAID/Southern Africa is looking to hire a highly energetic, motivated, critical, and creative thinker to help implement one of USAID/Southern Africa’s flagship programs focused on local systems - Local Works Power to the People.

 

The Community Development Specialist position is in USAID/Southern Africa’s Regional Environment, Education, and Democracy (REED) Office, which is responsible for technical leadership and program design and implementation across several technical sectors and across the Southern Africa region. The REED Office administers a diverse portfolio of both South Africa bilateral and Southern Africa regional projects valued at $25-30 million annually. The REED portfolio advances USG foreign policy interests in Southern Africa and is subject to intense executive branch and congressional scrutiny. REED also provides technical support, coordination, and project management functions for six countries in the region: Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa. The portfolio is managed by 19 staff members and includes projects in energy, environment, democracy, human rights, and governance, basic and higher education, and numerous special initiatives.

 

Local Works is a USAID-funded initiative aimed at supporting locally led development and enhancing USAID's ability to empower local actors to take the lead in solving their own development challenges. USAID anticipates awarding several new contracts, cooperative agreements, and/or grants under the Local Works - Power to the People program in the next year, and USAID requires additional assistance to manage this growing portfolio. The primary duties of the Community Development Specialist are to build and lead the Power to the People program, which is designed to partner closely with South Africa’s Independent Power Producers Office (IPPO) to support community engagement, local ownership, and trauma-informed approaches to deepen and sustain the impact of renewable energy companies’ investment in local communities. The program is a key component of implementing USAID’s Climate Strategy and supporting South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Partnership, one of the top priorities of the U.S. Government in South Africa.

 

The Specialist will provide leadership and oversight to the entire Local Works Power to the People program. S/he will serve as Contracting/Agreement Officer Representative (COR/AOR) (USAID terminology for project manager) for at least four Local Works support mechanisms. S/he provides advice to Mission staff and management, USAID implementing partners, Government of South Africa, private sector partners, other donors, NGOs, and local communities and stakeholders. The Specialist’s work includes a variety of external outreach and collaboration, project management, monitoring, research, reporting, and analytical duties. This position will provide leadership on inclusive development, community engagement, local ownership, and trauma-informed approaches, and the analysis and measurement of programmatic and policy impacts of the Local Works Power to the People program. The Specialist represents USAID to officials of development partners and other bodies on policy and coordination issues and serves as the main point of contact between USAID and major stakeholders in South Africa.

 

Supervision Received: Under general supervision of the Environment & Energy Team Leader or his/her designee. The Specialist is expected to regularly operate independently with minimal guidance.  S/he will provide technical advice and assistance to USAID staff and serve as group leader for specific tasks. S/he must be able to function with minimal supervision and be capable of taking initiative as needed with all responsibilities under his/her management.

 

Supervision Exercised: The direct supervision of the other staff is not contemplated.

 

Available Guidelines: Agency specific instructions and guidelines, including Policy and Procedures directives; Staff Notices, AID Handbooks, ADSs, FAM, FAR, and other management directives.

 

Exercise of Judgment: With guidance from the Environment & Energy Team Leader and senior members of the team, s/he will be required to solve technical and programmatic problems with discretion. While negotiating with partners and government officials he/she must be able to act with good judgment and relational skills to facilitate good relationships and delivery of results on challenging technical programs. Specialist is expected to use common sense and ensure prudent use of U.S. Government funds while ensuring the necessary services are performed.

Authority to Make Commitments: The Specialist exercises the authority given to all FSN/CCN Advisors, AORs/CORs, and Activity Managers, and may make administrative arrangements consistent with ADS guidance and Mission and Office policy. The Specialist takes action and establishes priorities based on available guidelines and professional judgment. Guidance is sought when needed, and superiors informed of activity status. Within the scope of the authority delegated, the Specialist may indicate to ranking counterpart and IP officials that they will make a recommendation to USAID on a specific activity, issue, or problem. The Specialist has no independent authority to commit the USG to the expenditure of funds, but may negotiate ad referendum for the supervisor.

 

Nature, Level, and Purpose of Contacts: The Specialist works daily with mid-level USAID officials in carrying out project management duties. S/he provides advice and recommendations to inform USG technical strategies and allocation of significant resources in the energy sectors. S/he will regular interact with high-level USAID and Embassy leadership, in addition to external government and private sector officials in addition to other partners with the potential to influence partner decision-making and allocation of resources. S/he will conduct complex technical analysis from published and unpublished literature, expert opinion etc. to develop specific recommendations and courses of action.

 

Time Expected to Reach Full Performance Level: One year.

 

 

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 following factors, and points for each, 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.

1.      Work Experience (30 points)

2.      Abilities and Skills (30 points)

3.      Job knowledge (30 points)

4.      Education (10 points)

The successful candidate will be selected based upon the following:

 

USAID/SA’s Human Resources Section will perform the preliminary review (Step 1 above) to eliminate those applications that do not meet the minimum educational and written English language requirements before forwarding the rest to the Technical Office or Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) for further review and assessment.

 

The TEC will review each of the forwarded applications against the established evaluation criteria to develop a shortlist of applicants to be tested and possibly interviewed. Applicants will be contacted for testing (Step 2) and/or possibly interviews. Based on the results of the tests an applicant may be dropped from the interview list.

 

Following the interview (Step 3), during which the applicant will be evaluated against the established criteria, the TEC will make a preliminary determination of candidates to be considered for employment and forward that list to HR. The TEC Chairperson will conduct and document reference checks (Step 4) and advise the TEC members of the results of these checks. Please note that references may be solicited from current as well as former supervisors in addition to the references you provide in your application package. References will only be solicited for those interviewed applicants who are being considered for ranking.  

 

Based on this final input, the TEC will make its final decision on candidate ranking, prepare a selection memo for the review and approval of the Contracting Officer, after which an offer of employment will be made to the successful candidate. Unsuccessful candidates who were interviewed will be contacted and advised of their non-selection. As positive medical and security clearances are a condition of employment, the selected candidate will undergo stringent investigation prior to employment with USAID/SA.

 

 

This position is open to South African citizens and South African permanent resident permit holders. USAID Southern Africa management will consider nepotism/conflict of interest, budget, need for continuity, and residency status in determining successful applications. Current USG employees on probationary status (i.e., within their first year of employment) are not eligible to apply.

 

The EEO complaint procedure is not available to individuals who believe they have been denied equal opportunity based upon marital status or political affiliation. Individuals with such complaints should avail themselves of the appropriate grievance procedures, remedies

for prohibited personnel practices, and/or courts for relief.

References:

 

Three (3) references, who are not family members or relatives, with working telephone and e-mail contacts. The references must be able to provide substantive information about your past performance and abilities. USAID reserves the right to contact your previous employers for relevant information concerning your performance and may consider such information in its evaluation of the application.

 

This position will be compensated in accordance with the U.S. Mission for South Africa’s Local Compensation Plan (LCP). The successful candidate’s salary level will be based on prior job-related experience and salary history.

 

Once the Contracting Officer 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.

 

The plan includes basic salary, miscellaneous allowance, pension fund and medical aid subsidy.

 

TAXES

Every CCNPSC staff member in the Mission regardless of agency affiliation is required as a condition of employment, to pay their taxes to the South African Government.

 

USAID regulations and policies governing CCNPSC awards are available at these sources:

 

Education: A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in community development, organizational development, political and/or social science, economics, education, management, or related field is required.

 

Prior Work Experience: A minimum of seven (7) years of professional experience in a field related to community and/or organizational development, non-profit management, community partnership building, and/or community socioeconomic and enterprise development is required.

Post Entry Training: On-the-job training will be provided and COR/AOR training will be provided.

Language Proficiency: Level IV (fluent) English is required, both in written and oral. Must be able to obtain, analyze, and evaluate complex data and to prepare precise and accurate reports to various audiences. Must be able to produce publishable quality written documentation with minimal editing required. Must be able to develop and make oral presentations before government officials and technical experts.

 Job Knowledge: A thorough understanding of the technical and administrative elements of the program design, implementation, and monitoring processes is required. Broad knowledge of computer applications. Broad knowledge of financial management and internal control processes is desirable. Knowledge or experience in community engagement and development is required.  Some familiarity with the socioeconomic and enterprise development mandate of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Program as well as detailed professional knowledge of community and youth development strategic approaches is desired.