USPSC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Team Lead At US Agency for International Development

SOLICITATION NUMBER: 720BHA21R00089

ISSUANCE DATE: November 4, 2021

CLOSING DATE AND TIME: January 5, 2022, 12:00 P.M. Eastern Time

SUBJECT: Solicitation for U.S. Personal Service Contractor (USPSC)

Dear Prospective Offerors:

The United States Government (USG), represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Humanitarian Business and Management Operations (HBMO), is seeking offers from qualified U.S. citizens to provide personal service as a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Team Lead under a United States Personal Services Contract (USPSC), as described in the solicitation.

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

1. Complete resume. In order to fully evaluate your offer, 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) Education and any other qualifications including job-related training courses, job-related skills, or job-related honors, awards or accomplishments. Failure to identify an academic discipline will result in disqualification.

(d) U.S. Citizenship

(e) Optional: How did you hear about this opportunity? (SAM.gov, BHA Jobs, Career Fair, etc.).

Your resume must contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the experience requirements as stated in this solicitation. This information must 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. USPSC Offeror form AID 309-2. Offerors are required to complete sections A through I. This form must be physically signed. Electronic signatures will not be accepted. AID 309-2 is available at http://www.usaid.gov/forms. **

NOTE REGARDING DATA UNIVERSAL NUMBERING SYSTEM (DUNS) NUMBERS

AND THE SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT

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 award. 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.

NOTE: As of March 28, 2018, all new SAM.gov entity registrations will now require a signed notarized letter identifying the authorized Entity administrator for the entity associated with the DUNS number. Additional information on the format of the notarized letter and where to submit can be found via the below Federal Service Desk link:

https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/answer.do?sysparm_kbid=d2e67885db0d5f00b3257d321f96194b&amp[;sysparm_search=kb0013183](https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/answer.do?sysparm_kbid=d2e67885db0d5f00b3257d321f96194b&amp)

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

HBMO Recruitment Team

E-Mail Address: BHA.HBMORecruitment@usaid.gov

Website: www.BHAjobs.net

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

Sincerely,

Sonja Stroud-Gooden

Contracting Officer

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical

● Review, assess, and recommend revisions of all HR processes and functions to ensure DEI is integrated throughout, including the areas of recruitment, retention, training, performance management, awards, and workforce planning. This includes identifying barriers to DEI and designing solutions to address these systematically when it is within BHA’s control.**

● Proactively engage in the broader Agency and USG efforts to promote DEI, with special emphasis towards influencing outcomes beyond BHA’s direct control. This includes working with the Agency DEI stakeholders to inform and advocate for DEI-related HR system and policy changes, as needed.**

● Develop a DEI HR strategy for BHA intended to increase workforce diversity and foster a more inclusive and equitable work culture through recruitment, retention, and professional development opportunities for under-represented groups.**

● Develop and lead the implementation of a supporting action plan and communications plan.**

● Develop processes and tools to monitor progress against HR DEI goals for effective and measurable implementation of BHA’s HR DEI strategy. This includes developing an HR DEI metrics strategy to transparently measure progress towards HR DEI goals.**

● Ensure BHA’s DEI HR strategy links to and supports the implementation of USAID’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan.**

● Lead implementation of HR DEI initiatives for BHA, working with BHA and HBMO leadership and staff at all levels and across all hiring-mechanisms within the organization by sharing best practices, tools, training, and open dialogues.**

● Support BHA staff to understand and fulfill their responsibilities to adhere to USAID’s policies, laws, and executive orders that prohibit Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and non-EEO infringements as well as the agency’s zero tolerance for sexual misconduct, including harassment, exploitation, and abuse of any kind, including coordination with USAID offices and units regarding these policies.

● Engage with BHA leadership by attending meetings to share information, answer questions, and listen to and engage in office-level HR DEI related challenges or successes.

● Review BHA and USAID’s portfolio of DEI training and identify opportunities for strengthening and/or expanding BHA’s corporate training strategy.

● Lead the design, development, and implementation of BHA-specific formal DEI training and other informal learning opportunities such as seminars and workshops.

● Organize and host external events and programs to raise awareness of BHA’s work among diverse organizations and communities to expand external relationships to and help create a diverse and robust pipeline of future humanitarians.

● Engage with BHA staff and leadership to regularly share updates and information on DEI goals and progress to foster buy-in and help encourage accountability for change across the organization.

● Promote a culture of everyday inclusion throughout the Bureau by helping to develop and mentor change agents to champion DEI initiatives at all levels.

● Coordinates with BHA Front Office DEI champions to support and reinforce a robust BHA DEI strategy, objectives, and intersectionality with HR practices.

● As needed, provide technical expertise to BHA offices and leadership on policies and strategies to embed DEI across BHA’s organizational lines of effort.

● As requested by Office Directors, advise and assist BHA Offices mainstream DEI in BHA’s programming and advocate for DEI to be prioritized among key stakeholders in the global humanitarian system.

Representation and Coordination

● Coordinate within BHA with various DEI stakeholders, including BHA Front Office Executive Champions, BHA Office working groups, and other entities to solicit input, share ideas, and provide status updates regarding the DEI HR line of effort and BHA.

● Coordinate with BHA DEI stakeholders and all staff during the development and implementation of BHA HR DEI deliverables to obtain broad input, engagement, and buy-in.

● Represent BHA’s HR DEI program to BHA senior leadership and to relevant groups across USAID, including drafting of memos, presentations, written policies, and advocacy documents.

● Engage with the Agency via participation in DEI groups across USAID, to integrate the Agency’s guidance and efforts back within BHA’s DEI work.

● Advance, share, and recommend best practices from the Agency’s DEI programs and policies to BHA, or vice versa, when and how appropriate.

● Serve as a BHA liaison and representative with relevant USAID groups, including relevant Employee Resource Groups, USAID’s Office of Civil Rights and Diversity, Executive Diversity Council, Staff Care, Employee and Labor Relations and Action Alliance for Preventing Sexual Misconduct.

● Engage with the DEI community, policy groups, and other external experts on diversity, equity, and inclusion to remain at the technical forefront and to continually identify, evolve and institutionalize learning and best practices. Work with these entities to identify opportunities for BHA leadership to engage on these topics.

Management

● Ensure the DEI Team is fulfilling the team’s mandate to develop and implement a continuous diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy in line with and in support of USAID’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, ultimately leading to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace.

● Manage the activities of the DEI Team and provide training, guidance, and support to team members as needed.

● Conduct quality assurance on work products, ensuring that written communications and presentations are clear, concise, accurate, inclusive, and error-free.

● Proactively resolve and mitigate risks before they arise.

● Create and maintain a collaborative and effective team environment while setting the tone and example for open communication and regular coordination, a work environment conducive to mutual respect, clear expectations for performance, and clear delegations of roles, responsibilities, and authority.

● Ensure the DEI Team management and supervision structure is in place. Ensure that the DEI Team is appropriately staffed at all times; propose recruitments to fill impending or existing vacancies; or request activation of surge personnel when necessary.

● Develop appropriate recruitment documents such as hiring authorization memos and statements of work as required.

● Supervise a team of DEI Specialists; set workload and direct assignments for DEI staff, ensure required performance evaluations of team members are completed and that performance issues of staff are promptly addressed as necessary; develop and prepare individual development and training plans for team members staff as required.

● Develop, cultivate and foster a culture of civility and respect in the workplace where staff are respectful and considerate in their interactions with one another, as well as with their colleagues, customers/clients and the public BHA serves.

● Sign up for and serve as needed on Washington-based Response Management Teams (RMTs), which provide services and support to Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DARTs) deployed in response to disasters. The duties on RMTs will vary.

● Serve as the BHA 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.

● As needed, may serve on temporary detail within the Bureau to meet operational needs during staff shortages. Duties performed while on detail will be aligned with the Team’s existing duties and responsibilities and will be directly related to the scope of work provided.

Become certified and serve as an Agreement Officer’s Representative/Contracting Officer’s Representative (AOR/COR), as assigned. The AOR/COR provides financial and programmatic oversight of all aspects of managing the agreement or contract; this includes but is not limited to reviewing invoices, request for approvals, program/project deliverables (i.e. work plans, annual reports, monthly status reports), travel requests, key personnel requests, and financial/budget reports. They are responsible for drafting and submitting the annual contractor performance evaluation in Contract/Assistance modifications documentation and assisting the Contracting/Agreement Officer to ensure performance is compliant with the terms and conditions of the contract/agreement, the FAR, and USAID policy. AOR/CORs are responsible for all related requirements in the COR designation letter and the AOR designation letter.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

(Determines basic eligibility for the position. Offerors 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, human resources, diversity programs, organizational studies, business administration, communications, social work, public policy, or a related field. Plus a minimum of nine (9) years of progressively responsible experience working in human resources, diversity programming, organizational change, or business administration, including experience in organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Prior experience managing staff or leading teams required.

SELECTION FACTORS

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

● Offeror 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 Offeror form AID 309-2. Offerors are required to complete sections A through I. This form must be physically signed. Electronic signatures will not be accepted.

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

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

● Satisfactory verification of academic credentials.**

OFFEROR RATING SYSTEM

The offeror rating system factors are used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified offerors in comparison to other offerors. Offerors must demonstrate the rating factors outlined below within their resume, as they are evaluated strictly by the information provided. The rating factors are as follows:

Professional Experience (40 points)

● Demonstrated experience developing and leading diversity, equity, and/or inclusion initiatives at an organizational level.

● Demonstrated experience leading efforts on HR-related DEI solutions.

● Demonstrated experience in successfully networking across diverse organizations.

● Demonstrated experience in representation at the executive level.

● Demonstrated experience leading teams and/or managing staff.

● Demonstrated experience planning and hosting events.

Interview Performance (50 points)

Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks (10 points)

Total Possible Points: 100

BASIS OF RATING: Offerors who meet the Education/Experience requirements and Selection Factors will be further evaluated in accordance with the Offeror Rating System. Those offerors determined to be competitively ranked may also be evaluated on interview performance and satisfactory professional reference checks.

Offerors are required to address each factor of the Offeror 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. Failure to address the selection factors and/or Offeror Rating System factors may result in not receiving credit for all pertinent experience, education, training and/or awards.

The most qualified offerors may be interviewed and required to provide a writing sample. BHA will not pay for any expenses associated with the interviews. Professional references and academic credentials will be evaluated for offerors 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 offeror. BHA reserves the right to select additional offerors if vacancies become available during the future phase of the selection process.