Project Management Assistant (Laboratory) At US Agency for International Development

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. SOLICITATION NO.: 21-170 **

2. ISSUANCE DATE: November 1, 2021**

3. CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: November 12, 2021 (4:30 PM East Africa Time)

4. POSITION TITLE: Project Management Assistant (Laboratory)**

5. MARKET VALUE: Equivalent to FSN-PSC 9 (Step 1 2,687,399.00 KSH to Step 13 4,568,579.00 KSH per annum)**.** In accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of USAID/Kenya and East Africa. Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.*

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Initial six (6) months probationary period, with an additional six (6) months upon successful completion of probation period. Additional four (4) option years contingent on fully successful or better performance rating, funds availability and the continued need to retain the position.**

7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Nairobi, Kenya; with possible travel as stated in the Statement of Work.**

8. SECURITY CERTIFICATION REQUIRED: Prior to joining USAID, the selected candidate will be required to:**

· Undergo a comprehensive background investigation

· Undergo a health check to obtain medical clearance and;

· Obtain and retain an embassy issued Security Certification.

9. STATEMENT OF DUTIES: (See Below).

10. AREA OF CONSIDERATION: Open to qualified Kenyan Citizens and current employees of the U.S. Government. USAID provides equal opportunity and equitable treatment for employment of all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status or sexual orientation.

11. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The position requirements do not involve rigorous physical demands.

II. BACKGROUND

USAID/Kenya and East Africa (KEA) invests in population and health programs at regional, national, and county levels that aim to improve the survival, well-being, and productivity of the Kenyan and East African population by reducing the burden of major infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, and addressing the main causes of maternal and child illness and deaths. This includes cross-cutting work to strengthen healthcare systems and build capacity, and to support national governments to formulate key policies and guidelines, while assisting sub-national units such as counties to better plan, manage, and finance quality health services to meet local needs. The Health Population and Nutrition (HPN) office is USAID/Kenya and East Africa’s (KEA) largest office, managing a portfolio valued at over $400 million annually. USAID/KEA’s regional program is responsible for providing assistance and technical support to Regional Intergovernmental Organizations (RIGOs) and implements health programs across the East Africa region consistent with its Regional Development Cooperation Strategy (RDCS).

The primary purpose of this position is to: coordinate, manage, and complete a range of project management, monitoring, and evaluation reporting requirements for the assigned Team, including operational plans, annual reports, and other projects as assigned; and, to serve as an activity manager for certain assigned activities within the HPN Office. Each position is generally assigned to cover specific projects/activity management sections; however, incumbents may be assigned to assist with overall project support to the HPN Office, depending on the needs of the Mission. Each PMA operates independently of any other such position in the HPN Office to which they are assigned, although cooperation in specific circumstances may be required, as directed by the Supervisor or Office Director.

The PMA’s primary responsibility is to provide project support and coordination with Project Management Specialists and/or AORs/CORs who manage a project or projects in the HPN Office. This may include assistance with management, implementation, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation, and helping to direct any of the program/project activities within the HPN Office, contributing to the preparation of various reports, including results reporting and data quality assessments (DQAs), coordination of project/program activities including liaising with implementing partners, government and county officials as well as other external stakeholders, preparation of presentations on IPs performance and other topics as needed, conducting pipeline analyses and accruals, and managing close-out actions. The incumbent shall act as the point of contact for the USAID Life Line offices including the Offices of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA), Strategic Planning and Analysis (SPA), Development Outreach and Communications (DOC), and Financial Management (OFM) as well interagency where required. The PMA may be responsible for project management duties depending on the mission’s needs.

The large HPN portfolio requires flexibility in staff time to support teams to meet required goals and unplanned taskers. The incumbent may be called upon to support other teams when staff are away, to participate in joint site visits, or represent the team in meetings, among other tasks. The Project Management Assistant is not a dedicated administrative position. However, the incumbent will during the absence of Administrative Assistants, on occasion and as directed by the Supervisor or Office Director, provide administrative support to the assigned team and HPN Office. The PMAs are critical members of the HPN Office. The Assistant works under the supervision of Laboratory Team Leader.

III. MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

a. Program/Project Management Assistance (50%)

• The principal responsibility of each PMA is to provide support to the administration and oversight of all assigned laboratory activities and projects, to identify problems—and recommend corrective actions—that may be encountered in the implementation.
• PMAs draft and prepare, with guidance from AORs/CORs and Team Leaders, documents related to program planning, implementation and management, including action memoranda/letters, reports, acquisition and assistance requests and pre-obligation documentation, analysis of ongoing/past/planned activities and results, will prepare Fixed Amount Award Implementation Letters, focusing on Program Descriptions and Budgets, Senior Obligation Alignment Reviews (SOARs), action memos and justifications for exceptions to competition, and will contribute to drafting program/project Scopes of Work (SOW), PDDs, etc.
• PMAs participate fully with AOR/COR/AMs in managing and maintaining project records, both electronically and hard-copy, for projects/activities assigned to them or for all projects in their sections following the requirements of the Agency ASIST system.
• PMAs provide administrative input in coordinating aspects of the HPN development portfolio, specifically providing support related to site visits, program monitoring, and implementation, partner communication and coordination, and interfacing with relevant USAID Life-Line offices as well as other USG agencies.
• PMAs provide assistance to the Team Leader and other relevant team members to prepare briefings, presentations, performance narratives, and routine reports, including all section-specific annual/semi-annual operational plans and reporting (OP, PPR, PMI/MOP, COP, MER, POART, ER etc.), prepare the portfolio’s input to Mission Resource Requests, Congressional Budget Justifications, and Congressional Notifications, and other requirements as needed.
• In consultation with the Supervisor and the HPN management team, the incumbent may be selected to serve as an Activity Manager, or alternate, for bilateral implementing mechanisms and field support activities. Activity Manager responsibilities include independent site visits, monitoring and reporting, as well as delegation to clear implementing partner vouchers, accruals and administrative approvals.
• PMAs support AOR/COR/AMs, Deputy Team Leaders, and Team Leaders as they provide technical assistance to regional intergovernmental organizations (RIGOs) through regular evaluation of needs to strengthen HIV/RH/MCH or other relevant activities through activity design, implementation, compliance, management, and evaluation, while promoting critical thinking, innovative approaches, and good practices which lead to sustainable programs and initiatives.

b. Financial/Budget/Procurement Planning and Management (20%)

· PMAs work with the Program Office (PO) and Office of Financial Management (OFM) to ensure effective budget management for his/her areas of responsibility. This includes five year/annual/quarterly budget preparation, coordination, and monitoring, financial planning and reporting, and conducting budget-related aspects of the operational plan. **

· PMAs monitor and manage budgets for contracts, grants and cooperative agreements within the assigned team. PMAs are administratively responsible for financial operations, they perform financial audit responsibilities and have primary responsibility for budget forecasting, budget formulation, analysis and control for an annual budget of approximately $5 – $10 Million.

· PMAs assist Teams to budget program funds to priority areas and interventions, while ensuring they are in line with the overall budgets defined for respective areas. Incumbents will be required to prepare internal budget documentation and estimates to process procurement actions and forecast expenditures.

· The incumbents participate fully with AOR/CORs in maintaining project records and status reports, including quarterly technical and financial reports, develops pipeline analysis, accruals, expenditure projections, and budget tracking tables, preparing and updating project documentation, and tracking contractor/grantee expenditures and budgets. Using the PHOENIX financial tracking system, they perform an in-depth analysis and track unobligated pipelines, and in consultation with the SPA office, assist in the correction of any problems noted.

· PMAs work with PO and OFM staff to prepare budget reprogramming tables, Operational Plan Change Notices and operational plan update (OPU), and pre-obligation documentation, including forward funding analyses, IGCEs, supplemental certifications, etc., to ensure that funds are allocated according to Agency standard requirements.

· PMAs are responsible for procurement requisitions related to their projects/activities. As the Team’s designated GLAAS requester for all procurement actions associated with the Team’s programs, PMA is responsible for preparing requisitions in GLAAS for goods, services, contracts, and agreements, as well as REQs for CCN personnel.

· PMAs prepare and upload financial requisitions into GLAAS and enter data into the Foreign Assistance Coordination and Tracking System (FACTS Info), the Mission-wide Indicator Tracker and other information collection databases utilized per the guidance from U.S. Government Agencies.

· Incumbent must familiarize him/herself with reporting timelines, specifically for accrual reports and the Mission‘s Operational Plan in order to manage program and financial data efficiently and complete the required tasks in a timely manner.

c. Monitoring and Evaluation (15%)

• PMAs participate in the Activity Management Teams (AMT) for implementing partner performance monitoring, including supporting the Team during field visits and in the development and revision of standard tools for activity monitoring such as the RMNCAH, SIMS and Surge field monitoring tools.
• PMAs provide substantive M&E support such as taking the lead in monitoring compliance with DQA provisions in awards, FP policy and statutory requirements, environmental compliance, financial management, and fraud risk assessment.
• PMAs assist Teams to manage program/activity/project/development objective indicators, including quality control, collection and reporting, tracking and analyzing targets against actual results/performance, drafting performance evaluations, providing input to portfolio reviews, assist in preparing and maintaining Performance Monitoring Plans, and serving as a subject matter expert for the program evaluation processes and developing new M&E approaches.

d. Information management (15%)

· PMAs play a substantive role in monitoring developments in the relevant sector, helping to maintain data in team database systems (i.e. DATIM, GHSurveys). PMAs upload narratives and indicator information into appropriate databases, collect and verify indicator data and information, and provide input into supporting narratives for the preparation of reporting documents for Agency and Presidential initiatives.

· PMAs develop, update, and maintain information on HPN programs including but not limited to HIV, Malaria, FP/RH, MNCH, Nutrition, WASH, and gender-related activities, success stories, fact sheets, activity geographical inventory and coverage, briefers, and website materials for public consumption, using software tools such as Microsoft Office, (Word, Excel, PowerPoint,) and to a limited extent basic GIS software.

· PMAs work with AOR/COR/AMs to collect and update activity, project, and strategic-level data, summarize and synthesize information, and prepare written reports and oral briefings for use by superiors, as appropriate. PMAs generate complete or partial program-related COP, MOP, OP and PPR reports from the Agency’s database for programmatic actions.

IV. POSITION ELEMENTS:

a. Supervision Received: Works collaboratively with assigned AOR/COR/AMs, and under the general supervision of the Laboratory Team Leader. Assignments are made orally and in writing, including a discussion with the Supervisor of any elements of the assignment that are new, or to determine priority. Once the office workflow is established, most assignments will occur in the normal course of the work week, but the incumbent must be aware of situations that must be coordinated with superiors. The AOR/COR/AM, Deputy Team Leader, or Team Leader provides a review of the assignment, the goals and objectives to be achieved, and the results expected. The incumbent must seek advice and assistance as required. Work is reviewed in terms of results achieved.

b. Supervision Exercised: Continuing supervision of other Mission staff is not contemplated.

c. Available Guidelines: Available guidelines include USAID, PEPFAR, and PMI guidance, rules, and requirements; USAID Mission Orders, the Mission CDCS strategy, other USAID strategies, and other relevant reports and documents; the Automated Directives System (ADS); USAID Mandatory and Standard Provisions, the FAR and AIDAR, and other published and unpublished guidelines. Many guidelines are general in nature and not specific to the situation at hand; in situations where considerable interpretation is required, the incumbent will coordinate with appropriate superiors.

d. Exercise of Judgment: Good judgment is required to analyze, interpret, and adapt prior experience to this evolving context, particularly as guidelines are updated and new activities developed. Within a range determined by the incumbent and superiors, the incumbent exercises independent judgment in planning and follow-up of program actions and other assignments. The work involves many different, complex and interrelated processes. The very nature of public health programming requires sensitivity and discretion in developing interventions and working with diverse partner organizations. These positions support the assigned section and the full HPN Team, other relevant USAID and other USG agency staff, and the support staff of partners (MOH, other donors, NGOs, and the private sector). The incumbent will exercise significant judgment in resolving operational problems encountered, as well as in determining the need for consultation with superiors when required.

e. Authority to Make Commitments: The incumbent has limited authority, but within the limits of training and experience-during times of backstopping AOR/COR/AMs – the incumbent exercises the authority given to all USAID activity managers, and may make administrative arrangements consistent with ADS guidance and Mission policy. The incumbent takes action and establishes priorities based on available guidelines and practical judgment, but guidance must be sought when needed. Within the scope of the authority delegated, the incumbent may indicate to counterpart and IP officials that they will make a recommendation to USAID on a specific activity, issue, or problem.

f. Nature, Level, and Purpose of Contacts: The incumbent has a wide range of contacts within the Mission and maintains contact with counterparts and peers in contractor and grantee organizations implementing USAID-funded programs/projects in the sector. Host-government, local, and other contacts vary widely with the type of activity being implemented but are usually at the counterpart level. When traveling with or in lieu of a A/COR/AM, the incumbent has frequent and substantive personal contacts with IPs, local officials, and with the private sector, and may be called upon to explain and defend PEPFAR, PMI, and USAID policies, objectives, and procedures, and upon return to transmit and interpret local official and private sector attitudes and concerns to superiors.

g. Time Expected to Reach Full Performance Level: One year.

V. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

Any application that does not meet the minimum requirements stated below will not be evaluated. Only short listed applicants will be contacted. If you have not been contacted within one month from the closing date of this advertisement, please consider your application unsuccessful.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

a. Education: Completion of secondary schooling, and an additional two years of post-secondary study in Medical Laboratory Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Biochemistry Sciences and/or Clinical Chemistry field is required**.**

b. Prior Work Experience: At least five (5) years of professional-level experience in public health laboratory sciences including medical laboratory, biomedical, biochemistry and/or clinical chemistry sciences. Experience in the analysis and interpretation of complex public health laboratory data, preparation and presentation of findings in reports and/or other presentational forms.

c. Post Entry Training: Familiarization training in USAID-specific procedures, regulations, and methods. Orientation to working from a donor agency perspective will be provided. On-the-job training regarding USAID, PEPFAR, PMI, and other relevant policies, procedures, and regulations, including the Automated Directives Systems (ADS), Mission Orders, and all planning and reporting databases, will be provided. Formal A/COR certification courses (necessary because of the substantive back­stopping role and project management) and other appropriate training will be provided as courses become available, subject to availability of funds.

d. Language Proficiency: Level IV (fluent) English and Kiswahili language proficiency, speaking and writing, is required.

e. Job Knowledge: Thorough knowledge of project management, financial and budget management, business administration, and program/project implementation in the public health laboratory services are required. Excellent knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation techniques and principles is required. Substantive practical knowledge of business correspondence, database management, and budget preparation is required. A very good understanding of the external environment (local/national culture in which the organization operates), and a thorough knowledge of Kenya’s economics, politics, and international relations is required**.** The position requires familiarity with the public health issues related to HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, family planning, maternal and child health, gender-based violence, and women’s empowerment in Kenya. The incumbent must be familiar with USG programs, policies, and regulations. Must possess a good knowledge of USG law relating to development assistance, and knowledge of USAID budgeting practices, programming policies, regulations, procedures, and documentation.

f. Skills and Abilities: Must be able to develop and maintain a wide range of working-level management-level contacts on public health-related topics, in government, non-governmental, and private sector circles. Must be able to work effectively in a team environment and coordinate well with others. Excellent office management skills and experience are required in order to support the assigned section and the overall HPN Team in developing and implementing effective USAID/KEA programs/projects, including financial, budget management, performance monitoring, and administrative skills sufficient to track the performance of IPs and program/project activities. Ability to obtain, analyze, organize, and interpret data and present findings in oral and written form. Ability to prepare complete and accurate reports, and to develop and present ad-hoc briefings. The work requires skills in the following areas: office management, administration and financial tracking, budgeting and planning, strong analytical skills, computer software, including Word, Excel, database programs, and PowerPoint, and the ability to clearly present written and oral information. Exceptional verbal and writing skills, tact, and diplomacy are also required, in order to establish and maintain effective working relationships within USAID, the broader USG, and with the public and private sectors.

VI. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

Applicants must submit a resume/cv which describes how their relevant professional experience and education has prepared them to meet the specific challenges of the duties and responsibilities described above. As part of the interview process, those applicants ranked highest may be required to submit a timed writing sample on a topic provided. The selection committee may conduct reference checks at any time during the selection process.

Applications that do not meet the required minimum qualifications will not be scored.

• Prior work experience (30 points)
• Language (Pass/Fail)
• Job Knowledge (40 points)
• Skills and abilities (30 points)

Total possible points: 100

Candidates meeting the above required qualifications for the position will be evaluated based on information presented in the application and reference checks. References will be asked to assess the applicant’s technical knowledge, work performance, communication skills, and group dynamics, using the above criteria. USAID reserves the right to conduct interviews with the top ranked short-listed applicants. The interview will be one of the determining factors in the final selection.