Position Title: Operational Planner (Multiple Positions)
Solicitation Number: SOL-OFDA-16-000066
Salary Level: GS-13 Equivalent: $92,145- $119,794
Issuance Date: August 5, 2016
Closing Date: August 26, 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 Operational Planner 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. 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.).
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 Factors (QRFs) 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 and the supplemental document addressing the QRFs 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
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
● Serve as a subject matter expert within OPS on strategic, tactical, and operational planning to support the development and maintenance of OFDA’s humanitarian and disaster planning process;
● Serve as coordinator and/or facilitator for OPS activities related to deliberate and/or crisis action planning;
● Assist OPS with contingency planning efforts, both for specific, anticipated disasters/crises, as well as OPS planning for the effective management of budget and resources, to best enable appropriate and efficient disaster-relief operations;
● Perform and/or coordinate data collection and management and incorporate accurate and relevant data into OFDA planning;
● Identify and incorporate geographic data into plans and other documents; oversee risk assessment modeling and analysis with hazard data;
● Provide technical advice, training, and guidance to OPS staff in developing specific disaster response plans and enabling a culture of planning within the Division;
● Support the Ops Liaison group in coordinating with the other OFDA divisions and with interagency partners on specific crisis response and contingency plans to identify tasks, roles and responsibilities, and interdependencies;
● Make recommendations on planning-related training for OPS staff;
● Track best practices in planning efforts of humanitarian organizations to include OFDA, NGO partners, interagency partners, and host nations;
● Develop and maintain a structured monitoring and evaluation program to track plan accomplishments, update plans, and ultimately improve operational effectiveness;
● Maintain situational awareness of broader mitigation and disaster response planning efforts and operational issues across the USG via engagement with Embassies and interagency partners;
● Assist OPS in defining disaster response planning, which will include guidelines for determining OFDA participation in interagency operations and exercises;
● Provide reports, debriefs and evaluations to Team Leaders and other OPS staff on all preparedness and disaster planning, exercises, and deployments;
● Assist in determining whether OPS participation in partner planning activities is necessary and useful;
● Assist in recommending short- and long-range planning goals for OPS;
● Serve as an OPS representative in interagency planning exercises with subsequent reporting to OFDA divisions on activities, lessons learned, best practices and future activities as a result of OFDA participation;
● Serve as an Ops representative in interagency conferences in the context of priorities set forth by the Ops Division Chief, such as, participate in After Action Reviews (AARs) and humanitarian exercises;
● Provide critical monitoring and operational planning expertise surrounding incipient disasters, disaster response, and early recovery as requested by regional teams;
● Advise OFDA’s senior leaders and staff on OPS planning issues;
● Assist in providing classified USG information support to OPS and to selected DARTs and RMTs on an as-needed basis;
● Sign-up for and serve as needed on Washington-based RMTs, which provide services and support to DARTs deployed in response to disasters;
● Serve as the OFDA after-hours duty officer on a rotational basis, for approximately one week every six months;
● As needed, serve on DARTs which may require immediate (within 24 hours) deployment overseas for an extended period of time; and
● The USPSC is responsible for planning and carrying out assignments. The USPSC is responsible for planning approach or methodology to be used in carrying out assignments.
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, disaster/emergency management, planning, or a related field) plus seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience working in operational planning, emergency relief, disaster management, humanitarian assistance, emergency relief program operations, crisis management, planning or other relevant work experience. Two (2) years of this experience must be domestic or overseas field experience.
OR
Master’s degree with significant study in or pertinent to the specialized field (including, but not limited to, international relations, disaster/emergency management, planning, or a related field), and five (5) years of progressively responsible experience working in operational planning, emergency relief, disaster management, humanitarian assistance, emergency relief program operations, crisis management, planning or other relevant work experience. Two (2) years of this experience must be domestic or overseas field 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 Factors (QRFs) 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.
QUALITY RANKING FACTORS (QRFs)
(Used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified applicants in comparison to other applicants. The factors are listed in priority order from highest to least.)
QRF #1 Demonstrated ability to conduct deliberate, contingency and operational, or crisis action planning for operations, contingencies, projects, or missions. In particular, knowledge of operations, methodologies, systems, and structures of U.S. Government agencies involved with disaster response planning, such as U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Department of Defense (DOD), or Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
QRF #2 Demonstrated experience working with multiple stakeholders to elicit their cooperation when developing an operational or strategic plan, including technical experts, decision makers, and senior leaders. Experience integrating the actions of a variety of specialized support functions in order to develop a comprehensive operational or strategic plan.
QRF #3 Demonstrated experience in the development, monitoring, and maintenance of planning documents and action plans, including monitoring targets and making changes when needed. To include experience in the development and implementation of planning tools and resources for humanitarian or disaster relief operations.
QRF #4 Demonstrated experience providing technical advice, training, and guidance to staff developing specific disaster response plans. In particular, instructing staff on planning standards and guidelines, and briefing senior management or external stakeholders on operational planning efforts and implementation.
QRF #5 Demonstrated ability to write clearly and prepare in-depth reports which may include the application of a variety of analytical techniques.
BASIS OF RATING: Applicants who meet the Education/Experience requirements and Selection Factors will be further evaluated based on scoring of the QRF responses. Those applicants determined to be competitively ranked may also be evaluated on interview performance and satisfactory professional reference checks.
Applicants are required to address each of the QRFs in a separate document describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, and/or education 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. Failure to address the selection factors and/or Quality Ranking Factors may result in not receiving credit for all pertinent experience, education, and/or training.
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.
The Applicant Rating System is as Follows:
QRFs have been assigned the following points:
QRF #1 – 15 points
QRF #2 – 10 points
QRF #3 – 10 points
QRF #4 – 10 points
QRF #5 – 5 points
Interview Performance – 30 points
Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks – 20 points
Total Possible Points: 100
EmoticonEmoticon