ISSUANCE DATE: June 23, 2000
CLOSING DATE: July 14, 2000 (extended from orginal closing date of July 07)

1. SOLICITATION NUMBER: M/OP-00-1321
2. ISSUANCE DATE: June 23, 2000
3. CLOSING DATE/TIME SPECIFIED FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS: July 14, 2000
4. POSITION TITLE: Conflict Analyst
5. MARKET VALUE: $60,890 - $79,155 (GS-13 equivalent) per yea
6. INITIAL PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Approx. July 15, 2000 to July 14, 2002
7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Washington, DC
8. JOB DESCRIPTION (TO INCLUDE EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED FOR POSITION):

Background

The U.S. Agency for International Development has been grappling with the question of conflict as it relates to its development, transition, and humanitarian assistance programs. To that end, USAID has established a core working group on conflict and begun to engage the regional bureaus, the Bureau for Humanitarian Response, and the Global Bureau in the efforts to examine strategically, and implement programmatically, a more effective and streamlined approach to conflict. The Bureau for Africa has decided that crisis countries and countries in transition will be the major focus of attention. This focus necessitates greater cooperation and information exchange on the (1) transition from relief to development, and (2) mitigating the negative social effects of conflict. To foster more effective dialogue, OTI will detail to the Africa Bureau the PSC candidate to work on conflict issues with Africa Bureau's Office of Sustainable Development (SD).

Organizational Setting

The Office of Sustainable Development (SD) is responsible for providing intellectual leadership on African development issues through analysis, program design and technical assistance. The areas include economics, productive sector development, information technology, social sciences, democracy/governance, natural resources management and environment, agriculture, population, AIDS, health, education, and crisis mitigation and recovery. The office leads the bureau's strategic thinking in its key technical areas, and provides technical expertise to the bureau's sub-regional offices and bilateral/regional field missions. SD also provides the intellectual leadership within the bureau for analysis and impact evaluations that measure progress toward achieving USAID goals and objectives.

Objective

The purpose of this position is to acquire the expertise and services of a development practitioner or international affairs professional to work in the area of conflict for the Bureau for Africa.

Scope of Work

The candidate will participate in strategic design and program analysis on the Africa Bureau's conflict team. The candidate will focus his/her work on analytical thinking and programmatic analysis of conflict in Africa.

1. Monitoring
   • Monitor countries in sub-Saharan Africa for their potential for armed conflict. Geographical focus will be in a specified Africa sub-region, e.g. East Africa, West Africa, or southern Africa. This analysis will look at intra-state conflict, inter-state conflict, and sub regional conflict. The monitoring would assist in informing medium (1 to 3 year) and long term (3 to 10 year) development assistance programming, i.e. in the areas of economic growth, agriculture, education, democracy/governance, population/health/nutrition, HIV/AIDS, and the environment.
2. Database Development
   • Develop an interactive, internal website database that identifies short, medium, and long term conflict triggers for use by USAID bilateral and regional missions in their strategic planning and conflict vulnerability analyses
   • Develop and continually update an internal and external website database of key US, international, and African NGOs working in conflict issues (e.g. World Bank, CIDA, SIDA, EC, etc) the activities, funding amounts, and the specific contact information of the person/team
3. Analysis
   • Identify ways of improving the transition from humanitarian to development assistance. S/he will specify ways to assess shorter-term assistance requirements stemming from complex emergencies and transitions. S/he will coordinate with AFR/SD to ensure that crisis and transition issues are incorporated into the Bureau's long term planning and programs.
   • Research and analyze how various factors and assistance approaches may (1) increase the probability for conflict, (2) decrease the probability of conflict, and (3) should the conflict actually occur, mitigate the negative social impact of conflict.
4. Synthesis
   • Review the conflict assessment literature to develop a conflict vulnerability assessment tool for use by USAID bilateral and regional missions.
   • Review and synthesize lessons identified to date in USAID and other donor experiences in linking relief to development. This synthesis will be created with an eye to improving Africa Bureau's policies, strategies, and programs.
   • Assist in the compilation of materials for field missions to use in the conflict vulnerability analysis in their strategic planning process and project cycle
5. Communication, information exchange, and assistance
   • Coordinate with Africa Bureau and USAID's conflicts teams and share information, seek counsel, and develop working teams as appropriate. This coordination will assist in developing analytical tools and frameworks for USAID bilateral/regional missions in the field.
   • Participate in maintaining factual and chronological accuracy of USAID's website on conflict, Conflict Web, at http://www.info.usaid.gov/regions/afr/conflictweb
   • Support field activities as required
   • Review daily cable traffic, news, and highlight important information for the creation of conflict databases
   • Attend team, office and other meetings as assigned; when necessary prepare summaries of these meetings
   • Maintain standardized office files for activities that are assigned as principle responsibilities
6. Perform other duties and responsibilities, as assigned, included, but not limited to:
   • Developing and executing official documents, memoranda, cables, briefing materials for external meetings with donors and other high level events, and information requests

Some responsibility will be assigned only after the contractor has demonstrated competency in basic USAID and OTI procedures, policies and practices. These more advanced duties pertain to external coordination, technical proficiency, and field deployment

Deliverables

The candidate shall develop:

1. Conflict Monitoring Database
   • Develop and create a conflict monitoring database of potential conflicts in the Africa region, by sub-region and timeframe, for use by USAID headquarters, BHR planning, USAID bilateral and regional missions
   • Develop an interactive, internal website database that identifies short, medium, and long term conflict triggers for use by USAID bilateral and regional missions in their strategic planning and conflict vulnerability analyses
2. Conflict Contact Database
   • Create a database of key US, international, and African NGOs working in conflict issues (e.g. World Bank, CIDA, SIDA, EC, etc) the activities, funding amounts, and the specific contact information of the person/team
3. Analysis
   • Participate in the finalizing of a review of early warning literature review, glossary of key conflict terms and concepts, and early warning and response matrix tool for missions
   • Prepare a paper on the lessons learned in linking humanitarian and development assistance
   • Develop a conflict vulnerability assessment tool for use by missions after reviewing the assessment literature
4. Synthesis
   • Participate in the completion a comprehensive bibliography of conflict assessment/vulnerability/early warning materials
   • Participate in the creation of a conflict vulnerability analysis tool for use by USAID headquarters, bilateral and regional missions
   • Participate in the creation of a practical guide for use by the Africa Bureau, OTI and field missions in responding to future African crises by examining "best practices" from USAID, donor, and international NGO experiences in the transition from relief to development and mitigating the effects of conflict through development assistance
5. Communication
   • Participate in the collection of information for the annual African Conflict Resolution Act (ACRA) report and drafting of the report
   • Ensure that tools, frameworks, and reports are available on USAID's Conflict Web
   • Participate in updating a briefing book, electronically and in hardcopy of conflict issues
   • Disseminate materials from conferences and meetings to key conflict people in USAID offices and bilateral/regional missions

Guidance and Oversight

AFR/SD's strategic objective team leader on crisis (SO 10) or his/her designee will provide management and technical oversight for the deliverables and work performance of the individual.

Qualifications

The following are required (Selective Factors):

• At least three years of relevant work experience with the U.S. Government, an international organization or a non-governmental organization, preferably within the field of disaster management, humanitarian assistance, development, conflict, human rights, gender, or a related field
  
• At least one year of relevant work experience and a Masters degree in international relations, political science, conflict prevention, mitigation analysis and assessment, disaster management, humanitarian assistance, human rights, gender, or a related field
• Demonstrated ability to work with the diverse array of individuals and organizations involved in disaster response/preparedness/mitigation and humanitarian assistance, including U.S. Government agencies (e.g., USAID, State, U.S. Department of Defense, CDC, NOAA, USGS), international organizations, non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, bilateral donor organizations, multilateral donor organizations, indigenous organizations, and host governments;
• Academic and/or field experience on conflict in Africa
• Effective on the job skills, including but not limited to willingness to take initiative, creative thinking out of the box, willingness to take on last minute tasks, ability to multi task, strong prioritization skills and attention to deadlines, and demonstrated verbal and written communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills, team building and playing skills for working in a diverse environment

The following are desirable (Evaluative Factors):

• Demonstrated past experience in developing analytically predictive models useful for both the expert and lay person through use of information technology
• Knowledge of conflict assessment and conflict indicators in the field of humanitarian assistance, development, human rights, or gender with a PVO, think tank, or donor
• Knowledge of USAID performance monitoring and results indictor frameworks
• Working knowledge of French, Portuguese, and/or indigenous African languages
• Experience living/working in sub-Saharan Africa
• Strong network of contacts of Africanists working on conflict issues

Candidates with work and educational experience in assigned region of responsibility will receive preference during the review process.
Applications from women, people of color, and other disadvantaged groups encouraged.

For more information or to send application materials please see the contact information below:

AS A MATTER OF POLICY, AND AS APPROPRIATE, A PSC IS NORMALLY AUTHORIZED THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS:

1. BENEFITS
Employee's FICA Contribution
Contribution toward Health & Life Insurance
Pay Comparability Adjustment
Annual Increase
Eligibility for Worker's Compensation
Annual & Sick Leave

2. ALLOWANCES (if Applicable).
* (A) Temporary Lodging Allowance (Section 120).
(B) Living Quarters Allowance (Section 130).
(C) Post Allowance (Section 220).
(D) Supplemental Post Allowance (Section 230).
(E) Separate Maintenance Allowance (Section 260).
(F) Education Allowance (Section 270).
(G) Education Travel (Section 280).
(H) Post Differential (Chapter 500).
(I) Payments during Evacuation/Authorized Departure (Section 600), and
(J) Danger Pay (Section 650).

3. CONTRACT INFORMATION BULLETINS (CIBs) PERTAINING TO PSCs _
98-25 Defense Base Act (DBA) Coverage and DBA Waiver List _
98-24 Use of Compensatory (Comp) Time by PSCs _
98-23 Guidance Regarding Classified Contract Security and Contractor Personnel Security Requirements _
98-16 Annual Salary Increase for USPSCs _
98-14 Change in Required Application Form for USPSCs _
98-10 Personal Services Contracts (PSCs) Annual Health Insurance Costs
98-5 CONTRACTUAL COVERAGE FOR MEDICAL EVACUATION (MEDEVAC) SERVICES _
98-3 Class Deviation to 31.205-6(g)(3), Foreign National Severance Pay Under Professional Services Contracts _
97-16 Class Justification for Use of Other Than Full & Open Competition for Personal Services Contracts with U.S. Citizens Contracted with Locally with CCNs and TCNs Subject to the Local Compensation Plan, and for Overseas Contracts of $250,000 or Less _
97-11 (Corrected) 1997 FICA & Medicate Tax Rates for Personal Services Contracts _
97-6 Contractual Coverage for Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) Services _
97-3 New USAID Contractor Employee Physical Examination _
96-23 Unauthorized Provision in Personal Services Contract _
96-19 U. S. Personal Services Contract (USPSC) - Leave _
96-11 PSC's Annual Health Insurance Costs _
96-8 Determining a Market Value for PSCs Hired Under Appendix D, Handbook 14 _
94-9 Sunday Pay for U.S. Personal Services Contractors (PSCs) _
93-17 Financial Disclosure Requirements Under a Personal Services Contractor (PSC)

LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS FOR PSCs
**1. Standard Form 171 or Optional Form 612.
**2. Contractor Physical Examination (AID Form 1420-62).
**3. Questionnaire for Sensitive Positions (for National Security) (SF-86),or
**4. Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions (SF-85).
**5. Finger Print Card (FD-258).

NOTE: Form 5 is available from the requirements office.

* Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians Foreign Areas).
** The forms listed 2 through 5 shall only be completed upon the advice of the Contracting Officer that an applicant is the successful candidate for the job

THE ABOVE IS A POSTING FOR A PAST POSITION AND IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY