Reference No.: AID-15-29
Position/Salary Range: (Re-advertisement) CARPE Development Program Specialist; FSN-10
Additional benefits include allowances for Housing, Transportation,
Meals, Family, and Miscellaneous; 13th and 14th month bonuses;
annual and sick leave and medical coverage
Open To: All DRC citizens
Location: USAID/Democratic Republic of Congo
Kinshasa, DRC
Opening: December 14, 2015
Closing: January 5, 2016
Work Hours: Full-Time; 40 hours/week
USAID/Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), an equal opportunity employer, seeks applicants for the above position.
Completion of a Bachelor’s Degree or the local equivalent and fluency in English and French (Level IV) both in oral and written communication, are requirements for this position.
Basic Function of Position:
The USAID Development Program Specialist (CARPE) is assigned to the USAID Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE), a regional program based in USAID/Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The CARPE program is designed to address biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, and wildlife trafficking in the Congo Basin. The CARPE program is based on the USAID Central Africa Regional Development Cooperation Strategy (RDCS) approved in June 2012. The CARPE 5-year program portfolio is estimated at US$80M.
CARPE’s objectives are to reduce forest degradation and conserve biodiversity in the Central African countries, working through implementing partners (IPs), including NGOs, national governments, inter-governmental regional organizations, and other donors. Currently, the CARPE program is being implemented in three Central African countries, working under bilateral and/or regional arrangements. In 2014, the CARPE portfolio consisted of approximately fifteen IPs. The large number of CARPE IPs and donors adds to the complexity of program management, coordination, and reporting responsibilities.
The Specialist is responsible for the full range of program management functions, including managing the CARPE’s monitoring, evaluation, and reporting system, including conducting frequent site visits; implementing CARPE’s communication strategy; and supporting CARPE management and technical staff.
The Specialist works under the overall supervision of the CARPE Office Director or his/her designee. The Specialist closely liaises with the USAID/DRC Executive and Program Offices, the Office of the Mission Director, and the Embassy JAO Administrative staff. The Specialist keeps regular and frequent contact with the wide range of IPs and collaborating donors. The Specialist must have a thorough understanding of program management functions, and possess well-developed organizational and interpersonal skills, be able to make independent decisions, and to direct actions, inquiries, and information requests to appropriate CARPE staff, while working with minimum supervision.
Major Duties and Responsibilities:
The USAID Development Program Specialist (CARPE) provides program planning, policy, implementation documentation, and meets reporting requirements, requiring knowledge and understanding of USAID and USG guidance and directives, development principles and approaches, principles of acquisition and assistance, regional development priorities and requirements, as well as timely decision making, judgment in planning and carrying out tasks, and strong interpersonal, organizational, and teamwork skills.
Program Planning and Reporting – 55%
The Specialist:
Supports management of the CARPE Performance Management Plan, including; updating the data base and posting, sorting technical reports, Annual and Semi-Annual Reports, tracking annual Means of Verification documentation, and the Access data base of all CARPE activities for all eight target countries.
Responds to information requests and tasks regarding CARPE programs from within and outside the Agency.
Sorts reports for posting according to separate CARPE Implementing Mechanisms; and the Annual Means of Verification “MOVs” in the CARPE web-based Information Management Tools.
Assist AORs to review MOV files for all CARPE implementing mechanisms.
Assists in drafting CARPE contributions to USAID internal and external reports. Including the Annual Program Performance Report, Congressional Budget Justification, the Operational Plan, the Performance Plan Review, and other inputs to Agency documents as requested.
Serves as Activity Manager and/or COR/AOR or Alternate COR/AOR for designated CARPE Activities, Grants, and Contracts, and as a GLAAS requester.
Provides advice to CARPE Program Managers on reporting issues.
Conducts field compliance monitoring visits as directed.
Program Communication, Outreach and Performance Tracking – 30%
The Specialist:
Manages and maintains accurate reports and planning documents for OU management decisions.
Assists in the preparation of obligation documents and procurement plans for the CARPE Program.
Develops Best Practice reports, Success Stories, and keeps all CARPE communications materials up-to-date and relevant.
Assists in the preparation of Acquisition and Assistance Requests and other support documentation for the management and administration of procurements.
Assists the CARPE AORs in short-term and long-term program planning and reporting.
c. Performs other duties as assigned or required (15%).
Education: Completion of a Bachelor’s Degree, or the local equivalent, is required. An advanced Degree in one of the above fields is desirable.
Prior Work Experience:
At least 5 years of progressively responsible professional experience in international development
communications and outreach, with the government of DRC or elsewhere in the public or private sector is required. Experience should include the design and development of and experience in the management of programs in developing country environments, experience in program implementation, outreach, and communication documentation, acquisition and assistance documentation, and reporting systems. Professional writing experience is desired.
Experience in working in a team environment and in a multi-ethnic and English-language workplace is desired.
Language Proficiency:
Level IV (fluent) English and French language proficiency, in speaking and in writing, is required. This position will have a strong component for original writing and the Specialist must be able to prepare complex communication materials documenting program activities and/or individual and/or team conceptualization processes, and other correspondence and communications materials in English. The Specialist must be able to fully participate in meetings and discussions conducted in English, and must be able to defend USAID, the CARPE program, and other UGS programs and recommendations in English.
Knowledge:
The Specialist must have a well-developed professional-level knowledge of development principles, concepts, and practices, especially as they relate to the programming and management of broad biodiversity, environment, and climate change activities in the DRC and the region, and the problems, policies, and constraints in the DRC and the region from the business, political, civil society, and social perspectives. The Specialist must have knowledge and understanding of the economic, political, social, and cultural characteristics of the DRC and the region; development problems in biodiversity, environmental, and climate change and other sectors in the DRC and the region; an understanding of the resources, resource constraints, and overall development prospects and priorities of the DRC and the region; and, knowledge of, or the potential to quickly acquire knowledge of, USG legislation, policy, and practice relating to biodiversity, environment, and climate changes, of USAID programming policies, regulations, procedures, and documentation, and of the objectives, methodology, and status of assigned activities. The Specialist must have knowledge and understanding of the organization and respective roles of the different levels of the government of DRC and other governments in the region, in order to enhance effective communication, and to develop consensus on program/project/activity strategy and implementation.
Evaluation Criteria and Weights:
Education/Weighted 20% based on initial application review;
English Language Skills/Weighted 15% based on application review, written assessment and interview;
Prior Work Experience/Weighted 25% based on application review and interview;
Knowledge/Weighted 20% based on written assessment and interview; and
Skills and Abilities/Weighted 20% based on written assessment and interview.
How the selection will be made:
The successful candidate will be selected based upon
A preliminary review of the applicant's submitted package to establish that minimum educational and English writing fluency requirements are met.
Tests to include an English writing skills test, a Microsoft Office proficiency test that might include any of the following: Word, Excel, PowerPoint; and any technical skill test that might be deemed appropriate.
A personal or telephone interview.
Reference checks.
USAID/DRC’s Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) and 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.
The TEC will review each of the applications which meet the minimum qualifications 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 interviews. Based on the results of the tests, however, an applicant otherwise identified for interview could 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. HR will conduct and document the reference checks (Step 4) prior to advising the TEC 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 which candidates to rank order, prepare a Selection Memo for review and approval by the Contracting Officer, after which an offer of employment will be made to the successful candidate, and 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/DRC.
USAID/DRC reserves the right to hire an applicant who does not meet the required experience level at a trainee level. However, an applicant who does not meet the minimum educational requirements cannot be hired at either a trainee or full performance level.
Compensation:
The position will be compensated in accordance with the U.S. Embassy’s Local Compensation Plan (LCP). The successful candidate’s salary level will be based on prior job-related experience and salary history.
To Apply:
ONLY applicants who meet the minimum educational and fluency in French and English requirements as stated in the solicitation document will be considered. Interested applicants who do not meet these requirements are encouraged NOT to apply since these applications will not be considered.
A complete application package consists of the following:
Application for U.S. Federal Employment, DS-174 - Job Application Form. The form can be found in the US embassy website (http://kinshasa.usembassy.gov/opportunities/jobs.html)
A cover letter demonstrating how prior experience and/or training address the minimum qualifications and selection criteria,
A current resume or curriculum vitae (CV), and
Names and contact numbers of three professional references.
Ensure that all communications (including your Cover Letter) include the Announcement Reference Number (AID-15-29) and the Title of the Position(s) for which you are applying (CARPE Development Program Specialist).
Submit the complete application package via email, to [email protected]
Failure to comply with these instructions may result in your application being considered “non responsive” and eliminated from further consideration.
Point of Contact:
Sandra Kiyanga: [email protected]
Only short-listed candidates will be acknowledged.
DEFINITION:
Foreign Service National (FSN): A host country national employed at a U.S. Mission abroad, who is not a U.S. citizen, nor a family member of a direct-hire Foreign, Civil, or uniformed service member under Chief of Mission authority.
Closing date for this position: January 5, 2016
The U.S. Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 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. Women and members of minority groups are encouraged to apply.
