USAID Nepal announces vacancy for Project Management Specialist
Project Management Specialist
GENERAL INFORMATION
1. SOLICITATION NO.: 72036723R10004
2. ISSUANCE DATE: June 30,2023
3. CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: July 21, 2023 (17:00 Nepal time)
4. POINT OF CONTACT: USAID/Nepal HR office, email at [email protected]
5. POSITION TITLE: USAID Project Management Specialist (Environment)
6. NUMBER OF POSITION: One (1)
7. MARKET VALUE: NRs. 2,908,154 to NRs 4,653,050 equivalent annual base salary. Final compensation will be negotiated within the market value for the position equivalent to FSN-10 level in accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan (LCP) of U.S. Embassy-USAID/Nepal. The LCP consists of the local salary schedule, which includes salary rates, authorized fringe benefits, and other pertinent facets of compensation.
8. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Estimated to start o/a November 1, 2023, through o/a October 31, 2028 Employment under this contract is of a continuing nature. Its duration is expected to be part of a series of sequential contracts; all contract clauses, provisions, and regulatory requirements concerning the availability of funds and the specific duration of this contract shall apply.
9. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Kathmandu, Nepal
10. ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: All interesting candidates – Cooperating Country Nationals (CCNs) AIDAR, Appendix J. 1 (b) Definitions:
(6) “Cooperating country “means the country in which the employing USAID Mission is located.
(7) “Cooperating country national” (“CCN”) means an individual who is a cooperating country citizen or a non-cooperating country citizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the cooperating country.
11. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Facility and computer access.
12. STATEMENT OF DUTIES
The Environment Specialist advances USAID/Nepal’s development priorities through the design and management of projects, analyses, and partnerships focused on natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and climate change adaptation. S/he manages direct government-to-government relationships, private sector partnerships, grants, and other awards and relationships that support USAID/Nepal and the Government of Nepal’s shared development objectives. The job holder acts as the Government Agreement Technical Representative (GATR), Agreement Officer’s Representative (AOR), or Contract Officer’s Representative (COR) for environment-focused activities and provides technical analysis and leadership. The Specialist plays an important role in advancing the Mission’s priorities for diversity, equity, and inclusion, both programmatically and within the workplace. S/he reports to the Environment and Energy Team Lead or his/her delegate.
Given the large donor presence in Nepal and multiple government ministries responsible for programming in the natural resource management (NRM) and environment sector, the job holder will take on significant leadership for coordination with the Government of Nepal (GON), other development partners, the private sector, and other relevant actors. S/he will be expected to stay abreast of and coordinate with relevant USG actors in this sector and monitor regional and international developments that affect Nepal.
The Environment Specialist carries out a broad range of tasks which include, but are not limited to planning and implementing consultations and listening sessions with a broad range of stakeholders; authoring activity design and implementation documents; monitoring and evaluating activity implementation, and reporting on activity progress; organizing workshops, seminars, and field trips; analyzing policy issues and providing recommendations to Mission management; preparing policy related documents for USAID and/or the broader U.S. Embassy; and reviewing and negotiating activity budgets and fiscal planning documents.
The job holder must demonstrate knowledge, understanding, and experience advancing principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion through both development programming and in the workplace. The job holder will be expected to effectively apply these priorities within all aspects of their work, including within the Mission, as part of their interactions with external stakeholders, and across relevant USAID programming and partnerships, with the objective of bringing in the various perspectives and voices of populations and communities across Nepal for more inclusive development.
The job holder will liaise with communities and project participants across large areas of Nepal and will frequently interact with GON officials and other stakeholders at the local, provincial, and national levels. Frequent travel will be required.
The Major Duties and Responsibilities include:
a. Program design and management (45%)
The job holder participates in the preparation of studies, concept papers, USAID project design documents, interagency, and bilateral and multilateral agreements related to biodiversity and natural resources management. S/he maintains regular contact with high-level officials from the GON, NGOs, the private sector, and international donor agencies S/he coordinates with senior officials in reviewing and analyzing GON and other donor biodiversity initiatives programs to assure USAID programs align with and support GON priorities, and liaises with all technical offices within the Mission to seize technical synergies and reduce redundancy in the design of programs to ensure sustainable natural resource management and conservation.
The job holder serves as GATR, COR/AOR, or Alternate COR/AOR for government-to-government (G2G) assistance, grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and other awards, and may serve in an activity manager role for centrally funded or bilateral awards. S/he reviews periodic projects and technical reports on relevant issues and ensures effective adaptive management through robust activity monitoring, evaluation, and reporting. S/he is responsible for activity close-out reports when appropriate. S/he participates in negotiations with senior GON officials to resolve implementation and policy constraints. S/he is also responsible for developing and helping procure new agreements, contracts, or other awards, and for developing new relationships and partnerships that advance USAID’s development objectives beyond the confines of specific projects. S/he prepares briefing papers and reports on NRM activities, responds to written queries received by the Mission, and documents lessons learned and best practices for Mission NRM programming.
The job holder will play a leading role in the evaluation of proposals and coordination with implementing partners of centrally-funded projects in Nepal in the areas of biodiversity, climate change, and natural resource management. The job holder will maintain active communication with USAID/Washington and Regional Development Mission for Asia (RDMA) staff and implementers of regionally and centrally-funded programs in Nepal. S/he will undertake joint field activity with multiple relevant technical offices to identify integration opportunities and may provide backstop support to designated technical offices outside of ERO. S/he works closely with the other technical offices’ staff to assist programs to complete climate change vulnerability
analyses in new program designs and plans for climate change mitigation and adaptation in the design of new local awards.
b. Policy and technical analysis (25%)
The job holder will analyze institutional and sectoral policies affecting NRM and environmental conservation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation as they pertain to USAID/Nepal programming. The job holder is responsible for monitoring, reviewing, and analyzing the policy content and implications of GON international commitments, national and local plans, programs and issues, and statements pertaining to NRM and the environment sector. S/he reports on strategies, major occurrences, and evolving issues related to the above. Based on the analysis, s/he makes determinations and recommendations as to the effects of these policies and commitments on related ERO and Mission development programming. The job holder is responsible for staying abreast of the latest news, current events, upcoming events, political changes, and global trends in order to advise the Mission on NRM and environmental issues that may impact existing or future activities or national programs. S/he is expected to engage in appropriate groups, communities of practice, and training to keep abreast of technical and political changes and innovations in the field.
The job holder plays a significant role in ensuring effective coordination and collaboration with other relevant USG agencies and USAID missions and with other development partners. The job holder will be a primary liaison for the Mission with local communities, engaging with populations across the country to gather input, identify innovations and creative ideas, assess the environmental and social impacts of our NRM activities on communities, and incorporate these engagements into our analysis and programming. His/her duties in this regard include maintaining a thorough understanding of national natural resource governance and environmental policies and issues, international climate commitments and best practices, and a familiarization with other donor activities responsible for NRM, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and disaster resilience and risk reduction; establishing close and frequent liaison with a wide range of USG, USAID, GON and donor representatives responsible for NRM and environment activities; representing USAID/Nepal in various local and regional dialogues/consultations; preparing analyses of other donor-funded projects, and making recommendations to improve USAID’s coordination with other donors and development partners.
c. Monitoring, evaluating, and learning (20%)
The job holder is responsible for developing and implementing effective monitoring, evaluating, learning, and reporting systems for the Mission’s environment-focused activities and partnerships. S/he tracks progress against planned activity and programmatic outputs and outcomes by monitoring the performance of all project activities, reviewing project reports and other documentation, planning and organizing project evaluations, and recommending corrective actions as appropriate. S/he undertakes periodic, ideally joint, field trips with other Mission staff and development partners, sufficient to monitor and adjust activities as needed.
d. ERO Portfolio development and management (10%)
The job holder performs tasks as assigned by the Environment and Energy Team Lead, ERO Director, or Mission Management that are related to the development and management of the ERO portfolio and climate change integration Mission-wide. Tasks may include responding to congressional inquiries, supporting VIP visits, responding to Washington policy and operational requests, and carrying out ad-hoc assignments as dictated by unforeseen operational requirements. The job holder may be called to act as Environment and Energy Team Lead in his/her absence.
Supervisory Relationships/ Supervisory Controls
The job holder carries out his/her assignments under the direct guidance of the Environment and Energy Team Lead or his/her delegate. The job holder is expected to demonstrate initiative and independence to carry out major assignments. S/he provides oversight of the work of project contractors and grantees. The job holder may provide oversight to other employees, consultants,
and/or interns. S/he may also provide direct oversight as Acting Environment and Energy Team Lead in the absence of the Team Leader.
13. PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.
II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION
a. Education: The minimum education required is a Bachelor’s degree in a field such as environmental science, natural resource management, or development studies.
b. Prior Work Experience: A minimum of five (5) years of professional, field-based work experience with demonstrable experience applying theoretical learning and study to actual, hands-on practice related to biodiversity conservation, climate change, or natural resource management in public, NGO, or private institutions is required.
c. Language Proficiency: Professional proficiency in written and spoken English and Nepali (Level IV) is required.
d. Job Knowledge: Knowledge of Nepal’s environment sector, and climate change commitments and institutions at the national and sub-national level is required. This includes the understanding of relevant GON policies and institutions and associated environmental and social issues related to climate change adaptation and natural resource management and conservation.
Knowledge of the environmental regulatory roles and responsibilities of central, provincial, and municipal governments under Nepal’s Federal constitution is essential. Familiarity with regional and international best practices and commitments for biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation, and natural resource management is preferred. Demonstrated understanding of the principles of diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility (DEIA) is required as a capacity to apply DEIA principles to their work.
e. Skills and Abilities: The job holder should have strong analytical, presentational, facilitation, and public speaking skills and an ability to develop and maintain collegial working relationships at many levels; communicate clearly, effectively, and persuasively at all levels within USAID, the U.S. Mission, and the Nepal government institutions, and maintain activity level contacts within the region. The job holder must demonstrate management abilities to plan, organize and implement a multifaceted workload. Intermediate level computer skills are needed. The job holder must demonstrate knowledge, abilities, personal characteristics, interpersonal intelligence, and technical expertise to create and adapt to change; envision situations from multiple perspectives and think critically about the best approach to problems. S/he must also have the ability to travel to remote locations across the country.
Foreign Service National Security Certification and medical clearance: The ability to obtain the required foreign national security certification and medical clearances for the position is considered a minimum qualification. See section V below.
III. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS
The Government may award a contract without discussions with offerors in accordance with FAR 52.215-1. The CO reserves the right at any point in the evaluation process to establish a competitive range of offerors with whom negotiations will be conducted pursuant to FAR 15.306(c). In accordance with FAR 52.215-1, if the CO determines that the number of offers that would otherwise be in the competitive range exceeds the number at which an efficient competition can be conducted, the CO may limit the number of offerors in the competitive range to the greatest number that will permit an efficient competition among the most highly rated offers. The FAR provisions referenced above are available at https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far.
The technical evaluation committee (TEC) may conduct reference checks, including references from individuals who have not been specifically identified by the offeror and may do so before or after a candidate is interviewed.
Following the application package initial screening by the USAID/Nepal HR Unit, the offerors meeting the minimum qualifications (see section 13 above) will be evaluated by the TEC and may be invited to participate further, including a language proficiency examination, writing test, and an in-person interview. Any offeror not receiving satisfactory reference checks will no longer be considered for the position.
Candidates will be evaluated and ranked based on the following selection criteria to a maximum score of 100 points:
1) Work Experience/ 20 points:
- The extent of their demonstrated experience managing projects and programs with explicit environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, natural resource management, and climate change adaptation and/or mitigation objectives;
- The complexity of their past or current job roles and the history of progressively increasing levels of responsibility;
- The level of experience in policy analysis for decision-makers.
2) Knowledge / 40 points:
- Knowledge of the threats to Nepal’s natural environment and biodiversity
- Understanding the impacts of climate change on Nepal’s economy, society, and natural environment, and the contribution of Nepal’s economy to global greenhouse gas emissions.
- the level of knowledge of relevant GON policies and institutions, and their effectiveness in addressing environmental and social issues related to climate change adaptation and natural resource management and conservation.
- Familiarity with environmental protection regulatory roles and responsibilities of central, provincial, and municipal governments under Nepal’s Federal constitution knowledge of the international best practices and the Government of Nepal’s commitments to biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation, and mitigation.
- Understanding the principles of diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility (DEIA) and a capacity to apply DEIA principles to their work is required.
3) Skills and Abilities / 40 points:
- Ability to assess problems and demonstrated through clearly articulated synthesis
- Project management skills, including financial management, administrative, and monitoring skills used to track the performance of assigned activities
- Effective and persuasive written and verbal presentation, facilitation, and public speaking skills to a variety of potential audiences
- Ability to develop and maintain collegial working relationships at many levels of the U.S. Government, the Government of Nepal, Civil Society actors, and private sector representatives.
- ability to plan, organize and implement a multifaceted workload.
- Knowledge, abilities, personal characteristics, interpersonal intelligence, and technical expertise to create and adapt to change; envision situations from multiple perspectives and think critically about the best approach to problems. S/he must also have the ability to travel to remote locations across the country.
TOTAL: 100 points
Reference check (Pass/Fail)
Negotiations will be conducted with the most qualified/ highest-ranked offeror at the conclusion of evaluations.
IV. SUBMITTING AN OFFER
a. Eligible Offerors are required to complete and submit a resume and application form DS-174.
The DS-174 application form in English is available at the following link:
https://eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds174.PDF
b. Additionally, offerors must provide a cover page of approximately 500-750 words (1 page), expressing how the offeror’s qualifications meet the evaluation and selection factors (per section III above).
Offerors who do not submit any of the required documents (resume, DS-174, and a cover page) as mentioned above will not be considered further.
c. Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified in section I, item 3, and submitted to the Point of Contact in section I, item 4: [email protected]
d. Offeror submissions must clearly reference the Solicitation number and interested specific technical area on all offeror-submitted documents.
V. LIST OF REQUIRED FORMS PRIOR TO AWARD
e. Once the Contracting Officer (CO) informs the successful offeror about being selected for a contract award, the CO will provide the successful offeror instructions about how to complete and submit the forms required to obtain medical and security
clearances.
f. Ensuring Adequate COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors – Please be advised that, upon award, the contractor will be required to follow the Mission policies and/or directives from the U.S. Department of State regarding COVID-19 requirements.
VI. BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES
As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances:
g. BENEFITS:
- Health Insurance Coverage for the selected candidate and immediate family members
- Variable Contribution Fund (18.33% of the annual base salary)
- Annual Bonus payment (1/12 of annual base salary)
h. ALLOWANCES:
– Miscellaneous allowance NRs. 68,000 annually
VII. TAXES
Local Employed Staff are responsible for paying local income taxes.
VIII. USAID REGULATIONS, POLICIES, AND CONTRACT CLAUSES PERTAINING TO PSCs
USAID regulations and policies governing CCNPSC and TCNPSC awards are available at these sources:
i. USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR), Appendix J, “Direct USAID Contracts With a Cooperating Country National and with a Third Country National for Personal Services Abroad,” including contract clause “General Provisions,” available at
https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf
j. Contract Cover Page form AID 309-1 available at https://www.usaid.gov/forms. Pricing by line item is to be determined upon contract award as described below:
LINE ITEMS
k. Acquisition & Assistance Policy Directives/Contract Information Bulletins (AAPDs/CIBs) for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals available at http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs
– AAPD 21-04 Revision 3 – Executive Order 14042 on ensuring adequate COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Federal Awards – June 6, 2022
AAPD No. 21-04, ATTACHMENT 4 – Letter for contracts with performance requiring physical access to USAID domestic facilities.
AAPD No. 21-04, ATTACHMENT 5 – Letter to Individuals with Personal Services Contracts
AAPD No. 21-04, ATTACHMENT 6: Overview of Applicability of FAR 52.223-99
– AAPD 21-01 – Applicability of FAR 4.21 to USAID personal services contracts with individuals under the AIDAR Appendices D and J- March 26, 2021
– AAPD 20-08 – Leave and Holidays for CCNPSCs and TCNPSCs, including country leave for qualifying posts for eligible TCNPSCs- December 22, 2020
– AAPD 06-08 AIDAR, Appendices D AND J: using the optional schedule to incrementally fund
contracts-June 23, 2006
– AAPD 03-11 Revision of Contracts/Contract Procedures for Personal Services Contracts with
Foreign Service Nationals (FSNs) to Work in Iraq and Afghanistan – 12/02/03
l. Ethical Conduct. By acceptance of a USAID personal services contract as an individual, the contractor will be acknowledging receipt of the “Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch,” available from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, in accordance with General Provisions 2 and 5 CFR 2635.
See https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/OGE%20Regulations
m. PSC Ombudsman
The PSC Ombudsman serves as a resource for any Personal Services Contractor who has entered into a contract with the United States Agency for International Development and is available to provide clarity on their specific contract with the agency. Please visit our page for additional information: https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/personal-service-contracts-ombudsman.
The PSC Ombudsman may be contacted via: [email protected].
USAID/Nepal is an equal opportunity employer committed to a staff composition that reflects the social and ethnic diversity of Nepali society. We believe that social inclusion and diversity contribute to excellence. USAID/Nepal makes hiring decisions without regard for gender, gender identity, caste, race, ethnicity, disability, marital status, age (if over 40), or sexual orientation. Applicants from ALL backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Position Description
USAID Project Management Specialist (Environment) -FSNPSC-10
USAID/Nepal Environment and Resilience Office (ERO)
BASIC FUNCTION OF THE POSITION:
The Environment Specialist advances USAID/Nepal’s development priorities through the design and management of projects, analyses, and partnerships focused on natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and climate change adaptation. S/he manages direct government-to-government relationships, private sector partnerships, grants, and other awards and relationships that support USAID/Nepal and the Government of Nepal’s shared development objectives. The job holder acts as the Government Agreement Technical Representative (GATR), Agreement Officer’s Representative (AOR), or Contract Officer’s Representative (COR) for environment-focused activities and provides technical analysis and leadership. The Specialist plays an important role in advancing the Mission’s priorities for diversity, equity, and inclusion, both programmatically and within the workplace. S/he reports to the Environment and Energy Team Lead or his/her delegate.
Given the large donor presence in Nepal and multiple government ministries responsible for programming in the natural resource management (NRM) and environment sector, the job holder will take on significant leadership for coordination with the Government of Nepal (GON), other development partners, the private sector, and other relevant actors. S/he will be expected to stay abreast of and coordinate with relevant USG actors in this sector and monitor regional and international developments that affect Nepal.
The Environment Specialist carries out a broad range of tasks which include, but are not limited to planning and implementing consultations and listening sessions with a broad range of stakeholders; authoring activity design and implementation documents; monitoring and evaluating activity implementation, and reporting on activity progress; organizing workshops, seminars, and field trips; analyzing policy issues and providing recommendations to Mission management; preparing policy related documents for USAID and/or the broader U.S. Embassy; and reviewing and negotiating activity budgets and fiscal planning documents.
The job holder must demonstrate knowledge, understanding, and experience advancing principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion through both development programming and in the workplace. The job holder will be expected to effectively apply these priorities within all aspects of their work, including within the Mission, as part of their interactions with external stakeholders, and across relevant USAID programming and partnerships, with the objective of bringing in the various perspectives and voices of populations and communities across Nepal for more inclusive development.
The job holder will liaise with communities and project participants across large areas of Nepal, and will frequently interact with GON officials and other stakeholders at the local, provincial, and national levels. Frequent travel will be required.
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES % OF TIME
a. Program design and management (45%)
The job holder participates in the preparation of studies, concept papers, USAID project design documents, interagency, and bilateral and multilateral agreements related to biodiversity and natural resources management. S/he maintains regular contact with high-level officials from the GON, NGOs, the private sector, and international donor agencies S/he coordinates with senior officials in reviewing and analyzing GON and other donor biodiversity initiatives programs to assure USAID programs align with and support GON priorities, and liaises with all technical offices within the Mission to seize technical synergies and reduce redundancy in the design of programs to ensure sustainable natural resource management and conservation.
The job holder serves as GATR, COR/AOR, or Alternate COR/AOR for government-to-government (G2G) assistance, grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and other awards, and may serve in an activity manager role for centrally funded or bilateral awards. S/he reviews periodic projects and technical reports on relevant issues and ensures effective adaptive management through robust activity monitoring, evaluation, and reporting. S/he is responsible for activity close-out reports when appropriate. S/he participates in negotiations with senior GON officials to resolve implementation and policy constraints. S/he is also responsible for developing and helping procure new agreements, contracts, or other awards, and for developing new relationships and partnerships that advance USAID’s development objectives beyond the confines of specific projects. S/he prepares briefing papers and reports on NRM activities, responds to written queries received by the Mission, and documents lessons learned and best practices for Mission NRM programming.
The job holder will play a leading role in the evaluation of proposals and coordination with implementing partners of centrally-funded projects in Nepal in the areas of biodiversity, climate change, and natural resource management. The job holder will maintain active communication with USAID/Washington and Regional Development Mission for Asia (RDMA) staff and implementers of regionally and centrally-funded programs in Nepal. S/he will undertake joint field activity with multiple relevant technical offices to identify integration opportunities and may provide backstop support to designated technical offices outside of ERO. S/he works closely with the other technical offices’ staff to assist programs to complete climate change vulnerability analyses in new program designs and plan for climate change mitigation and adaptation in the design of new local awards.
b. Policy and technical analysis (25%)
The job holder will analyze institutional and sectoral policies affecting NRM and environmental conservation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation as they pertain to USAID/Nepal programming. The job holder is responsible for monitoring, reviewing, and analyzing the policy content and implications of GON international commitments, national and local plans, programs and issues, and statements pertaining to NRM and the environment sector. S/he reports on strategies, major occurrences, and evolving issues related to the above. Based on the analysis, s/he makes determinations and recommendations as to the effects of these policies and commitments on related ERO and Mission development programming. The job holder is responsible for staying abreast of the latest news, current events, upcoming events, political changes, and global trends in order to advise the Mission on NRM and environmental issues that may impact existing or future activities or national programs. S/he is expected to engage in appropriate groups,
communities of practice, and training to keep abreast of technical and political changes and innovations in the field.
The job holder plays a significant role in ensuring effective coordination and collaboration with other relevant USG agencies and USAID missions and with other development partners. The job holder will be a primary liaison for the Mission with local communities, engaging with populations across the country to gather input, identify innovations and creative ideas, assess the environmental and social impacts of our NRM activities on communities, and incorporate these engagements into our analysis and programming. His/her duties in this regard include maintaining a thorough understanding of national natural resource governance and environmental policies and issues, international climate commitments and best practices, and a familiarization with other donor activities responsible for NRM, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and disaster resilience and risk reduction; establishing close and frequent liaison with a wide range of USG, USAID, GON and donor representatives responsible for NRM and environment activities; representing USAID/Nepal in various local and regional dialogues/consultations; preparing analyses of other donor-funded projects, and making recommendations to improve USAID’s coordination with other donors and development partners.
c. Monitoring, evaluating, and learning (20%)
The job holder is responsible for developing and implementing effective monitoring, evaluating, learning, and reporting systems for the Mission’s environment-focused activities and partnerships. S/he tracks progress against planned activity and programmatic outputs and outcomes by monitoring the performance of all project activities, reviewing project reports and other documentation, planning and organizing project evaluations, and recommending corrective actions as appropriate. S/he undertakes periodic, ideally joint, field trips with other Mission staff and development partners, sufficient to monitor and adjust activities as needed.
d. ERO portfolio development and management (10%)
The job holder performs tasks as assigned by the Environment and Energy Team Lead, ERO Director or Mission Management that are related to the development and management of the ERO portfolio and climate change integration Mission-wide. Tasks may include responding to congressional inquiries, supporting VIP visits, responding to Washington policy and operational requests, and carrying out ad-hoc assignments as dictated by unforeseen operational requirements. The job holder may be called to act as Environment and Energy Team Lead in his/her absence.
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE:
a. Education: The minimum education required is a Bachelor’s degree in a field such as environmental science, natural resource management, or development studies.
b. Prior Work Experience: A minimum of five (5) years of professional, field-based work experience with demonstrable experience applying theoretical learning and study to actual, hands-on practice related to biodiversity conservation, climate change, or natural resource management in public, NGO, or private institutions is required.
c. Post-Entry Training: Familiarization training in USAID-specific procedures, regulations, and methods is required and will be provided. Orientation to working from a donor-Agency perspective, etc., will be provided. Successful completion of formal COR/AOR certification courses is required and will be provided. Other training to maintain professional capability in the field, and other courses offered for professional USAID staff, as appropriate; and, courses, seminars, conferences, and other activities in fields related to the function and needed to maintain and update professional qualifications may be provided as needed and as they become available, subject to availability of funds.”
CCN PSCs may participate in temporary duty (TDY) travel to USAID/Washington and other Missions in order to participate in the Foreign Service National Fellowship Program described in ADS 495maa.
d. Language Proficiency: Professional proficiency in written and spoken English and Nepali (Level IV) is required.
e. Job Knowledge: Knowledge of Nepal’s environment sector, and climate change commitments and institutions at the national and sub-national level is required. This includes the understanding of relevant GON policies and institutions and associated environmental and social issues related to climate change adaptation and natural resource management and conservation. Knowledge of the environmental regulatory roles and responsibilities of central, provincial, and municipal governments under Nepal’s Federal constitution is essential. Familiarity with regional and international best practices and commitments for biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation, and natural resource management is preferred. Demonstrated understanding of the principles of diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility (DEIA) is required and a capacity to apply DEIA principles to their work.
f. Skills and Abilities: The job holder should have strong analytical, presentational, facilitation, and public speaking skills and an ability to develop and maintain collegial working relationships at many levels; communicate clearly, effectively, and persuasively at all levels within USAID, the U.S. Mission, and the Nepal government institutions, and maintain activity level contacts within the region. The job holder must demonstrate management abilities to plan, organize and implement a multifaceted workload. Intermediate level computer skills are needed. The job holder must demonstrate knowledge, abilities, personal characteristics, interpersonal intelligence, and technical expertise to create and adapt to change; envision situations from multiple perspectives and think critically about the best approach to problems. S/he must also have the ability to travel to remote locations across the country.
POSITION ELEMENTS:
a. Supervision Received: The job holder carries out his/her assignments under the direct guidance of the Environment and Energy Team Lead or his/her delegate. The job holder is expected to demonstrate initiative and independence to carry out major assignments.
b. Supervision Exercised: S/he provides oversight to the work of project contractors and grantees. The job holder may provide oversight to other employees, consultants, and/or interns. S/he may also provide direct oversight as Acting Environment and Energy Team Lead in the absence of the Team Leader.
c. Available Guidelines: The job holder will use the Automated Directives System, AID handbooks, project documents, USAID Mission Orders, and other internal USAID guidelines and policy documents to inform and carry out work responsibilities. Prior knowledge of USAID systems and policies is not required to apply for or to be hired for this position.
d. Exercise of Judgment: The job holder conducts his/her duties and responsibilities with integrity and in an ethical way, demonstrating principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion in their decision-making. S/he must demonstrate capacities for independent judgment and analysis to advise senior mission management and USAID project officers.
e. Authority to Make Commitments: The appropriate clearances must be obtained before USAID resources can be committed. However, the job holder is expected to formulate options and recommend commitments and will advise his/her supervisor and Mission management on major decisions and commitments as required.
f. Nature, Level, and Purpose of Contacts: Once onboarded, it is expected the job holder establish and maintain appropriate levels of contacts with implementation counterparts and institutions for the purpose of determining their needs and priorities, developing USAID programs and activities, articulating USAID policies and priorities, explaining goals and results of USAID programs and resolving issues. S/he is also required to maintain high-level professional relationships with other public and private sector organizations and research institutions in the U.S., Nepal, and the region. S/he also maintains contacts with important USG, GON, donor, and local institutions working in the NRM and environment sectors.
g. Time Expected to Reach Full Performance Level: 12 months.