Project Management Specialist- Community Service Delivery
Listing reference: usaid_000101
Listing status: Under Review
Apply by: 6 October 2023
Position summary
Industry: Medical, Health & Social Care
Job category: Government and NGO
Location: Swaziland
Contract: Permanent
Remuneration: SZL 796,963 – SZL 1,195,482
EE position: No
Introduction
USAID Project Management Specialist (Community Service Delivery) fulfills a key role in ensuring the expansion and sustenance of client-centered Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) services in supported health facilities and communities in Eswatini. The position reports to the Service Delivery Team Lead, who is also the USAID Eswatini Deputy Country Director.
USAID/Eswatini implements a comprehensive President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) portfolio. USAID’s programs support the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini (GKoE) and health stakeholders in their response to the HIV epidemic to scale up strategic testing and case identification, linkage to treatment, adherence, retention in care, and preventing new HIV infections. As one of the first countries in the world to approach or surpass the UNAIDS ‘95-95-95’ HIV treatment goals across most demographics, Eswatini is entering a new phase of its HIV response. The country will need to make strategic pivots to sustain programmatic gains while ensuring equitable access to essential HIV prevention, treatment, and related public health services. USAID supports public health facilities with technical assistance and mentoring for care and treatment and bio-medical prevention, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and voluntary male circumcision (VMMC). USAID provides comprehensive clinical and prevention services at community level across the country, including leading the PEPFAR and Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe (DREAMS) prevention program for adolescent girls and young women and leading the program for mitigating the impact of HIV on Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC). USAID strengthens government systems for commodity management and supply chain, developing electronic medical record systems, and advancing allocative efficiencies in the health sector through supporting health care financing. USAID complements the USAID/PEPFAR portfolio in Eswatini by leveraging private sector partnerships and support from other U.S. government initiatives such as Power Africa and Prosper Africa, to improve health and development outcomes in Eswatini. USAID partners with traditional and community leaders to anchor community ownership of the HIV response.
The Project Management Specialist (Community Service Delivery) will serve as a key technical expert in strengthening two-way or bi-directional referral systems between public health facilities and community-based services to ensure that HIV clients are kept in the continuum of care and are retained on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). The incumbent will conduct assessments of existing referral systems from community to health facilities and vice versa and strengthen them to allow for improved and seamless interface between community services and health facilities. Where the referral systems do not exist, s/he will recommend their establishment and collaborate with the Eswatini government and relevant partners to bring them to fruition. S/he will support the mapping of facility-community referral pathways to provide visibility to the networks and interfaces between facilities, communities, and other support services to enhance the referral systems and ensure that the referral systems are linked to client services. S/he will collaborate in the design and implementation of community-based interventions e.g., treatment adherence support, HIV prevention, and OVC/DREAMS activities that seek to expand the reach and effectiveness of activities that serve hard to reach populations in peri-urban and rural areas.
Job description
Basic Function of Position:
The Project Management Specialist (Community Service Delivery) will serve as the Agreement Officer’s Representative (AOR) for community-based and community-facility implementing partners and will ensure continuity of community health service delivery and HIV prevention programs focusing on adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), OVC, key populations (KPs), men and pregnant and breastfeeding women. The Specialist will provide technical support and leadership to USAID grantees and contractors and to the Eswatini government.
The Project Management Specialist (Community Service Delivery) will also lead capacity building efforts targeted to local partners receiving direct USAID awards and explore additional strategic opportunities to further engage with international and emerging local partners that play a key role in reaching the most vulnerable populations in hard-to-reach areas in Eswatini.
The Project Management Specialist (Community Service Delivery) will take the lead in USAID’s new Accelerating Primary Health Care Collaborative and related initiatives as a means of integrating HIV and related health services to meet the needs of an aging PLHIV population. This includes supporting the management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension, diabetes, and other chronic diseases of public health concern. The Specialist will support the government's efforts in establishing and strengthening a robust primary health care workforce to accelerate achievements towards primary health care goals, and to foster resilience to future health threats. In addition, s/he will strengthen the interface between health facilities and communities and serve as the point-of-contact with USAID implementing partners and other development partners.
Major Duties and Responsibilities:
Technical and Strategic Leadership (40%)
● Provides technical direction on the integration of comprehensive HIV services within the conventional and non-conventional service delivery platforms using the primary health care (PHC) approach.
● Supports the government in scaling up the integration of NCD services into HIV care, including meeting the health needs of an aging PLHIV population.
● Leads efforts to support the delivery of comprehensive HIV services (and related public health services) through the adoption of innovative models and approaches with the goal of reaching priority populations such as Children Living with HIV (CLHIV), Men, Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women (PBFW), and AGYW.
● Strengthens the facility-community referral pathways while providing visibility to the referral networks and interfaces between facilities and communities.
● Supports the government to coordinate implementing partners and other development partners providing clinical HIV services in communities.
● Supports government to leverage USG and non-USG resources to improve maternal and child health services (e.g., immunization, integrated management of childhood illnesses, enhanced rural health motivator programming, integrated community case management)
● Leads capacity building efforts targeted at local partners receiving direct USAID awards and explores additional strategic opportunities to further engage with emerging local partners.
Program/Project Activity Management and Monitoring (40%)
● Serves as Contracting Officer’s Representative/Agreement Officer’s Representative (COR/AOR) for contracts, agreements, and/or grants in the USAID/Eswatini health portfolio, managing and providing administrative, financial, and technical oversight of activities as designated by the contract or agreement officer (CO/AO).
● Serves as Activity Manager (AM) for designated activities and advising on other program activities to ensure their successful implementation.
Community and Stakeholder Engagement (20%)
● Represents USAID and PEPFAR to senior and technical level government counterparts, and to community leaders.
● Supports the inclusion of client inputs during the design, monitoring, evaluation and improvement of HIV and public health services.
● Cultivates and supports strategic partnerships with private sector, international and local stakeholders, development agencies, and implementing partners to strengthen services available at public health clinics and in community settings.
CCN PSCs may participate in temporary duty (TDY) travel to USAID/Washington and other Missions in order to participate in the Foreign Service National Fellowship Program described in ADS 495maa.
POSITION ELEMENTS
a. Supervision Received: This position will report to the USAID Deputy Director or her designee.
b. Supervision Exercised: Continuing supervision of other staff is not contemplated.
c. Available Guidelines: Available guidelines include USG program/project/activity guidance, rules, and requirements; USAID Mission Orders, Mission strategy, and other relevant reports; the Automated Directives System (ADS); USAID Mandatory and Standard Provisions, and the FAR and AIDAR; and, Emergency Plan guidelines, Country Operational Plans (COPs), the Mission and Host Government Five-Year Strategic Plans, and other published and unpublished guidelines. Guidelines are often general in nature and not specific to the situation at hand, requiring considerable interpretation.
d. Exercise of Judgment: The job holder will exercise a high degree of independent judgment and initiative to plan, prioritize and conduct the activities entailed in fulfilling major duties and responsibilities. The job holder will be expected to analyze and address problems by applying relevant guidance (for management/administrative issues) and evidence-based strategies (for technical issues) to advance the USAID/Eswatini’s objectives. If no formal guidance exists, the job holder will use her/his own personal, well-informed judgment, making independent decisions that can be defended as necessary and seeking input when appropriate.
e. Authority to Make Commitments: None. This position holds no authority to make financial commitments. When fully designated as COR/AOR s/he will have full authority and responsibility as delegated by ADS, other Mission, and USAID guidelines. The job holder acts and establishes priorities based on available guidelines and professional judgment. Due to the job holder’s expertise and professional standing in his/her field, substantial weight will be given to his/her recommendations while commitments are made by those with the authority to do so. The job holder may negotiate a referendum for the immediate supervisor.
f. Nature, Level, and Purpose of Contacts: The job holder occupies a high profile and important position at USAID/Eswatini and in the Eswatini US government PEPFAR team. S/he represents USAID in engagements with high levels of a variety of host government officials at national and sub-national levels, donors, private and non-governmental organizations. S/he provides policy recommendations as well as strategic and programmatic advice to senior USAID and USG officials, other donors, and implementing partners. S/he must also have an extensive range of contacts with the HIV/AIDS, health and social development sectors including senior government technical and managerial staff, including Ministerial, Permanent Secretary, etc., Heads of Agencies, development partners, senior officials from the civil society and the private sector. The purpose of the contacts is related to project implementation and to obtain and interpret information relevant to program activities, to develop and/or clarify strategy or activity designs and to identify problems requiring resolution among USAID, technical assistance and training providers, counterparts, and other donors.
g. Time Expected to Reach Full Performance Level: One year.
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 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. The highest-ranking applicants may be selected for an interview, but an interview is not always guaranteed. USAID may conduct reference checks, including references from individuals who have not been specifically identified by the offeror.
FACTOR #1 - Relevant Work Experience 30 points:
▪ Demonstrated experience in supporting public health programs in Eswatini.
▪ Experience in leading HIV/AIDS programming within government structures, international multilateral organizations such UN organizations, WHO, UNAIDS, international donor organizations and the Global Fund.
FACTOR #2 – Job Knowledge - 70 points:
▪ Expert clinical knowledge of techniques and approaches to prevent new HIV infections and increased access to quality care services for people living with HIV (PLHIV).
▪ Comprehensive knowledge of equity gaps in HIV/AIDS prevention, continuum of care management, behavior change communication, and community outreach activities.
▪ Extensive experience in promoting client-centered HIV services for increased retention of HIV clients in the HIV continuum of care.
▪ Thorough knowledge of the latest HIV science and/or research to promote integrated facility-community approaches, treatment continuity and viral load suppression interventions and strategies.
▪ Broader understanding of public health systems for effective country response to public health threats.
▪ Knowledge of having designed programs that serve hard-to-reach populations in peri-urban and rural areas.
Total possible Factor points: 100
INTERVIEW PERFORMANCE – 100 points
Selection Process:
● After the closing date for receipt of applications, applications will be reviewed for submission requirements and the established minimum requirements for the position. Applications that meet the minimum requirements will be forwarded to a Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC).
● 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.
● Shortlisted applicants may be further evaluated. Assessments to include English writing, computer and other technical skills may be administered to determine competitively ranked applicants for possible interviews. Competitively ranked applicants will be interviewed. Reference checks will be made only for the interviewed applicants.
● Following the interview, during which the applicant will be evaluated against the established criteria, the TEC will make a preliminary determination of applicants to be considered for employment and conduct and document reference checks. Please note that references may be solicited from current as well as former supervisors in addition to the references you provided in application packages. References will only be solicited for those interviewed applicants who are being considered for ranking. The applicant’s references must be able to provide substantive information about their past performance and abilities. If an applicant does not wish USAID to contact a current employer for a reference check, this should be stated in the applicant’s cover letter; USAID will delay such reference checks pending the applicant’s concurrence.
● Based on this final input, the TEC will make its final decision on applicant ranking and submit a selection memo to the Contracting Officer (CO) for final determination on whether an offer of employment will be made. Unsuccessful applicants who were interviewed will be contacted and advised of their non-selection. As a positive medical clearance and security certification are a condition of employment, the selected candidate will undergo a stringent investigation prior to employment with USAID/SA.
Submitting an Offer:
● All interested and eligible candidates should visit http://usaid.ci.hr to apply. Applicants with PNet accounts can log-in from the above website to apply and first-time users will be required to register on the site before they can apply.
● Offeror submissions must clearly reference the Solicitation number on all offeror submitted documents.
● Kindly note that when you apply via cellphone you are not able to complete the required questionnaire. And if you do not complete the required questionnaire for the position, you will automatically be eliminated from further review.
● For an application to be considered complete, please include a high-quality cover letter (optional), explaining why you are qualified for the position and a CV of no more than 4 pages. Failure to comply with these instructions may result in your application being considered “non-responsive” and eliminated from further consideration.
● Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I.
● The U.S. Mission in Eswatini provides opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status or sexual orientation. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) also strives to ensure equal employment opportunity in all personnel operations.
● Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Applicants who do not follow the application instructions may be dropped from further consideration.
Points of Contact:
· Heather Franklin, Telephone: (012) 452-2028
· Lavinia Denation, Telephone: (012) 452-2054
· Thabang Mothupi, Telephone: (012) 452-2198
· Engeline Sebego, Telephone: (012) 452-2188
· Odessa Sifora, Telephone: (012) 452-2112
· Carol Masemola, Telephone: (012) 452-2058
Applicability:
This position is open to Eswatini citizens and Eswatini 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.
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 the applicant’s past performance and abilities. USAID reserves the right to contact an applicant’s previous employers for relevant information concerning applicant’s performance and may consider such information in its evaluation of the application.
VI. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS PRIOR TO AWARD
1. The CO will provide instructions about how to complete and submit the following forms after an offeror is selected for the contract award:
a. Conditional Selection Letter.
b. Security Eligibility Requirements.
c. Medical Clearances or Statements.
VII. BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES
As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances: basic salary, miscellaneous allowance, pension fund and medical aid subsidy in accordance with the Local Compensation Plan.
VIII. 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 Eswatini Government.
IX. USAID REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND CONTRACT CLAUSES PERTAINING TO CCNPSCs
USAID regulations and policies governing CCNPSC awards are available at these sources:
1. 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/ads/policy/300/aidar
2. Contract Cover Page form AID 309-1 available at https://www.usaid.gov/forms will be used for this contract.
LINE ITEMS
3. Acquisition and Assistance Policy Directives/Contract Information Bulletins (AAPDs/CIBs) for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals available at http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs .
4. 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 Regulations
5. 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.
6. FAR Provisions Incorporated by Reference
52.204-27 PROHIBITION ON A BYTEDANCE COVERED APPLICATION JUN 2023
Minimum requirements
a. Education: Medical Degree (MD, MBChB, MBBS) is required.
b. Prior Work Experience: Minimum of eight years of work experience in HIV/AIDS care and treatment; demonstrated experience in supporting public health programs in Eswatini; progressive leadership in HIV programming; experience working with the Ministry of Health and working with international agencies such as Global Fund, World Bank, UN organizations, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNAIDS, and WHO.
Language Proficiency: English language fluency (Level IV English), in oral, reading, and written communications is a requirement for this position.