Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)

1.    Form SF-171 (Completed and signed)
2.    Complete resume. In order to fully evaluate your offer your resume must include:
a.    Paid a non-paid experience, job title, location(s), dates held (month/year), and hours worked per week for each position. Dates (month/year) and locations for any overseas experience must also be detailed. 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.    Names and contact information (phone and email) of your current and/or previous supervisor(s). 
d.    Education and any other qualifications including job-related training courses, job-related skills, or job-related honors, awards or accomplishments. 
e.    U.S. Citizenship
Note: Resume must contain explicit information to make a valid determination that the candidate meets the experience requirements as stated in this solicitation. This information needs to be clearly identified in the resume. Failure to provide explicit information to determine qualifications for the position will result in loss of full consideration. 
3.    Evaluation Factor document specifically addressing:  Each of the Evaluation Factors shown in the solicitation below. Responses must be limited to 500 words per Evaluation Factor. Any additional words above the limit will neither be read nor scored. 
Note: The Evaluation Factors are worth 70 out of 100 points. Offerors are required to address each of the Evaluation Factors in a separate document describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards they have receive that are relevant to each Factor.  
4.    Professional References:  Three (3) names and contact information (phone and email) of current and/or previous supervisors to serve as professional references.  

Additional documents submitted will not be accepted. Incomplete or late offers will not be considered. Complete applications must be emailed to: 

U.S. Department of State, ATT: INL/SAO/IM PSC Team, [email protected] 

Sincerely,

Jamillah Timmons
Contracting Officer, U.S. Department of State
GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT 
Mission of the U.S. Department of State: The U.S. Department of State is the lead institution for the conduct of American diplomacy and the Secretary of State is the President’s principal foreign policy advisor. The Department of State’s mission is to advance U.S. national security interests, fight terrorism, protect U.S. interests abroad, and implement foreign policy initiatives that build a freer, prosperous, and secure world. 

Mission of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL): The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is part of the Under Secretariat for Arms Control and International Security (T) within the Department of State (DOS). INL’s mission is to minimize the impact of international crime and illegal drugs on the United States and its citizens by providing effective foreign assistance and fostering global cooperation.  

INL’s Office of Africa and the Middle East (AME) develops and manages criminal justice sector reform programs and contributes to policy formation on civilian security issues in both regions. INL administers U.S. government assistance to the Palestinian Authority (PA) in order to provide security, maintain law and order, and combat terrorism and transnational organized crime.  

The purpose of this Personal Services Contract (PSC) is to fill the position of Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) at Embassy Jerusalem. The COR will provide project analysis and oversight of multiple criminal justice and security sector projects in the West Bank and nearby areas and be responsible for all Contracting Officer Representative (COR) functions. Depending on the types of projects being implemented, the COR may also serve as a Grant’s Officer Representative (GOR), and Agreement Officer Representative (AOR) as well. The COR also will oversee and provide monitoring and evaluation, property end use monitoring, and accountability for the oversight of INL-funded equipment, technical assistance, training, and any other assistance. The COR must be able to work rapidly, responding promptly to multiple and evolving priorities in a difficult, complex, and demanding environment. The position requires knowledge and experience with criminal justice sector assistance, contracting and grants, and foreign assistance to enable the incumbent to address deficiencies in contractor performance, adherence to foreign assistance objectives and restrictions, and project management.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Under the direct supervision of the Jerusalem-based INL Director or his/her designee, the COR will perform the following duties:

1.    Provide project analysis and oversight of multiple criminal justice and security sector projects for INL’s West Bank program, to include managing acquisition and all COR, Grant’s Officer Representative (GOR), and Agreement Officer Representative AOR) functions, as applicable to the implementation mechanism.  In doing so, provide project management skills to meet U.S. government goals for projects in the areas of law enforcement, corrections, prosecution, organized crime, anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing, and anti-corruption.
2.    Assess implementer capacity and performance and advise INL regarding contractors, grantees, and other implementing partners’ ability to address current and future criminal justice and security sector programming for the INL/West Bank program.  
3.    Liaise with Palestinian officials to develop and adjust projects, including identifying project performance issues, for active or future projects to meet mission objectives.  Ensure effective coordination of INL’s assistance with Palestinian counterparts and, when required, the Government of Israel.
4.    Serve as a liaison between these officials and components of the U.S. Mission, ensuring effective coordination and communication across embassy teams. 
5.    Coordinate with INL/Jerusalem and INL/AME personnel to understand, identify, and develop project goals and requirements to advance new projects and make adjustments to existing ones.  Maintain consistent and collaborative coordination with INL/AME program officers in Washington.
6.    Assess program needs for acquisition support and prepare procurement documents, to include but not limited to statements of work, plans, schedules, independent cost estimates, and requirements for support contracts.  Advise INL on developing clear and accurate contractual requirements.  Identify gaps in program support and recommend solutions.  
7.    Coordinate and support the drafting of annual acquisition reports for INL, such as the End-Use Monitoring Report. Assist with regular reporting to INL/Jerusalem and INL/AME, including quarterly and monthly status updates.
8.    Maintain and establish appropriate internal management control systems, including establishment of Government Technical Monitors (GTM) to assist in project oversight, monitoring, and evaluation. Assist with managing and monitoring the use of all INL-provided commodities, ensuring that INL programs are not subject to waste, fraud, or mismanagement.  
9.    Maintain security awareness and properly handle classified and controlled items and information.  
10.     Review and approve budgets and invoices for validity, monitor fund expenditures, and conduct analyses of spending trends in order to ensure compliance with spending plans and to anticipate potential funding issues.  Secure and recommend approval for deviations from approved budgets, plans, schedules, and statements of work, and document the changes accordingly. Identify areas for program cost savings and make appropriate recommendations.  
11.     Review, evaluate, document, and provide feedback on contractor/implementer performance, including progress reviews, and provide assessments of performance to INL through verbal and written reports.
12.     Develop, implement, and ensure compliance with contract administration/agreement implementation processes, including invoice submission/review, payment authorization, verification of receiving reports, quality assurance/surveillance, deliverables receipt and acceptance, project file, and COR/GOR/AOR document maintenance.
13.     Recommend solutions or corrective action to resolve any problems that interfere with contract/acquisition progress and with the completion of projects according to contract/acquisition requirements.  In those cases where problems cannot be resolved within the incumbent’s scope of authority, makes recommendations to INL management and the contracting/grants/agreements officer on appropriate corrective actions and implements those actions upon approval.
14.     Conduct regular oversight of projects, to include regular calls and site visits to monitor contractor’s/implementer’s work to ensure contract/agreement compliance, which will occur in several locations in the West Bank, Jordan, and potentially other areas in the Middle East region.
15.     Coordinate with INL/Jerusalem and INL/AME program/project officers, GTMs, INL Engineers, and designated contractor/implementer representatives on all technical matters that arise in the administration of the assigned contracts, agreements, and task orders, providing clarifications regarding contract/acquisition technical requirements, including inspection, testing, and acceptance procedures.
16.     Complete Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) for all assigned contracts and task orders following completion of periods of performance.
17.     Remain informed of latest acquisition guidance and regulations, including updates to the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM).
18.     Serve as backup Management Officer, providing direction and guidance to 3-5 local and contracted staff in the absence of the Management Officer as needed and/or directed.
19.     Represent INL in internal and external meetings, ceremonies, and representational events as required.  Articulate and promote U.S. government, U.S. Mission Israel, and INL policies and goals.
20.     When required, perform the role of Duty Officer.
21.     Perform other duties as requested and assigned that are directly related to this     Statement of Work.

TRAINING & DISTANCE LEARNING COURSES
1.    This position requires a minimum of FAC-COR Level II certification. The Federal Acquisition Institute (https://www.fai.gov/certification/fac-cor) provides the required training and experience requirements for obtaining the FAC-COR certification. The PSC must have all the requisite training and experience for obtaining a FAC-COR Level II certification in accordance with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) Requirements of the FAI FAC-COR Certification program prior to coming on board, but will be granted 30 days to take the Department of State specific online or in-person training to receive a DOS FAC-COR Level II Certificate. The PSC must acquire a FAC-COR Level III certification within one year of coming on board.
2.    Obtains required Grants Officer Representative (GOR) Certification within 90 days of arriving at Post. The PSC must have all the requisite experience for obtaining GOR certification but will be granted 90 days to take the Department of State specific online or in-person training to receive a DOS GOR Certificate.
3.    Completes the Introduction to Working in an Embassy (PN113) distance-learning (DL) course through the National Foreign Affairs Training Center (NFATC) within the first six (6) months of arriving at Post.
4.    Completes the mandatory Foreign Affairs Counter-Threat (FACT) Course (CT650) prior to deployment to Post. 
5.    Complete INL Financial Management course (PP421) within first year.  
6.    Complete INL Program, Project Management course (PP420) in first year.  
7.    Complete other training as required by the Department of State to maintain access to services and applications (e.g., Cyber Security course).  
8.    Works with the INL to determine a timeline for completing the INL Staff Orientation and Readiness Training (SOAR).
9.    Consultations with the INL Program Office may be required.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE & TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS
The place of performance for this position is the U.S. Embassy Jerusalem, Israel. Travel to the West Bank on a frequent basis for meetings with contractors and Palestinian staff and travel to Jordan on a regular basis in performance of contract management is required. Regional travel to the Middle East and North Africa may be required.

RELATIONSHIPS
The COR will report to the INL Director or his/her designee in Jerusalem and liaise and coordinate with INL/AME staff in Washington, DC. The COR will provide project oversight and acquisition analysis, as well as work with INL/AME to develop and manage programs and related issues.  The COR will liaise with other agencies/governments active in the security and criminal justice fields, and with host government contacts. The COR will be involved in monitoring INL projects in West Bank and nearby areas, analyzing their effectiveness, adherence to their contract, grant, interagency agreement, or letter of agreement, and suggesting modifications and improvements to the INL Director. The COR will present these approaches to INL/AME for discussion and final approval.

The Contract Administrator shall be the INL Contracting Officer in Washington.  In no instance shall the INL Director or any other individual be authorized to alter or modify the terms and conditions of the contract or waive the Government's requirements, price, delivery, or other terms and conditions. The Contracting Officer must authorize such changes in writing.

The INL Director or his/her designee will provide yearly performance reviews to the INL/SAO/IM Contracting Officer in Washington, D.C. to contribute to the incumbent’s official yearly review.

COR AUTHORITIES & LIMITATIONS
After obtaining the required FAC-COR Certification, the Contracting Officer will designate in writing, the position of COR, to take certain actions under the contract(s) requiring oversight. The designation memorandum will specify the scope and limitations of the authority to be delegated. 

The COR is delegated the authority to act for the Contracting Officer in matters concerning technical clarification, inspection and, after concurrence by the Contracting Officer, acceptance of Contractor performance under the contract, including preparation of receiving reports, and the authorization of progress payments when appropriate.  The COR will coordinate all work with the Contractor and review Contractor's performance at significant stages of its development. The COR will be responsible for:

•    Developing a strong working relationship with the Contracting Officer
•    Promptly notifying the Contracting Officer in writing of any noncompliance or deviation in performance or failure to make progress
•    Maintaining constant cognizance with respect to technical compliance with contract terms on part of the Contractor
•    Knowing and understanding the terms and provisions of the contract
•    Knowing the scope and limitations of the COR position’s authority 
•    Using good judgment, skill and reasonable care in the exercise of the COR position’s authority
•    Protecting privileged and sensitive procurement information
•    If appropriate, periodically visiting the Contractor’s workplace
•    Serving as the property administrator for the contract(s) assigned
•    Establishing and maintaining adequate COR files
•    Preparing performance assessments for input into the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS)

In no instance, however, shall the COR be authorized to alter or modify the specifications or the contract terms and the conditions or waive the government's requirement, price, delivery, or other terms and conditions.  Such changes must be authorized, in writing, to the Contracting Officer.

DELIVERABLES/REPORTS
Deliverables are required under this PSC and shall include; a monthly status report of all contracts or other agreements under the PSC’s responsibility, including evaluation of contractor performance; special reports, as required; and "Completion of assignment report," which shall be a compressive review of the projects in which the contractor was involved.  
Each report shall include a review of performance of and, as necessary, recommendations for the various projects.  The completion of any final reports are due no later than fifteen (15) days prior to the expiration of this contract.  The Personal Service Contractor shall submit two (2) copies of each report as required to the following; 
10.    INL/Jerusalem Director and;
11.    INL/AME Program Officer(s) 

Per FAR Part 4, the above referenced documents shall be incorporated and copies stored in the PSC’s hard file under Section V.; Tab E - Receiving Reports. 

The Contractor shall prepare and submit two copies of each technical report required by the schedule of this contract (e.g., progress reports, final reports, etc.), to the Embassy Jerusalem’s INL Office and to the INL/AME Program Officer(s).  The title page of all reports forwarded pursuant to this paragraph shall include a descriptive title, the author’s name(s), contract number, project number, and title, contractor’s name, name of the State Department project office, and the publication or issuance date of the report.

When preparing reports, the Contractor shall refrain from using elaborate artwork, multicolor printing, and expensive paper/binding, unless it is specifically authorized in the Contract Schedule.  Wherever possible, pages should be printed on both sides using single spaced type.

COMPLEXITY
This position involves planning, organizing and completing financial and organizational analysis of enormous complexity.  Due to the high visibility and political sensitivity of the issues in which INL is involved, there is extreme difficulty in identifying the nature of the issues and planning, organizing and determining the scope and depth of studies/audits to be undertaken.  The PSC is expected to address difficult scenarios by separating the substantive nature of the programs or issues into their components and determining the nature and magnitude of programs or issues, as well as in discerning the intent of the legislation and policy statements and determining how to translate the intent into program actions.

SCOPE & EFFECTIVENESS
The PSC performs broad and extensive assignments related to a complex administrative/financial program spanning the full-range of citizen safety, law enforcement, and criminal justice programs in the West Bank and nearby areas, which is of significant interest to the public and to Congress.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
The period of performance for this contract is twelve (12) months from the date of award with four (4) optional one-year extensions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
1.    U.S. citizenship with the ability to obtain and maintain Department of State Secret level security clearance, medical clearance, and ethics clearance (if applicable). (Security clearance upgrade to TS level may be required.)
2.    A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited institution, and a minimum of five (5) years of professional work experience, of which three (3) years should be directly related to performing functions in program management and/or contractor oversight for INL or similar government-funded programs.
3.    A minimum of a Federal Acquisition Certification - Contracting Officer’s Representative (FAC-COR) Level II Certification, with at least three (3) years of experience in overseeing contracts related to support programs operating in complex environments.
4.    Demonstrated experience in contract execution, including drafting Requests for Information, Requests for Proposals, Independent Government Cost Estimates, and evaluating responses. 
5.    Demonstrated experience working on U.S. Government contracts, including high dollar value training and equipping contracts.
6.    Demonstrated experience in contract management, including the drafting and modification of Statements of Work, contract modifications, verifying expenditures and exercising contract options.
7.    Demonstrated knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. 
8.    Demonstrated experience briefing and engaging with senior government and industry officials.
9.    Demonstrated experience with foreign assistance program management.
10.     Demonstrated experience living and working abroad, including in the Middle East.   

EVALUATION FACTORS
(Used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified offerors in comparison to other offerors.) Offerors should cite specific, illustrative examples for each factor. Responses must be limited to 500 words per factor. Any additional words above the limit will neither be read nor scored.

Factor 1:    Work Experience                             (25 Points)
 Demonstrated experience overseeing high-value contracts in complex overseas environments, ensuring fulfillment of requirements and deliverables, and evaluating contractor performance. Proven ability to manage complex projects, including defining requirements, tracking progress, and reporting on contractor or grantee performance.

Factor 2:    Acquisition Experience                         (25 points)
Demonstrated comprehensive understanding of contract administration principles, policies, regulations and procedures, including U.S. Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). Demonstrated experience in preparing budgets, advance acquisition plans, Statements of Work, notice of funding opportunities (NOFOs), procurement orders, invoice review, purchase requests, end-use-monitoring, sole-source justification waiver requests.

Factor 3:    Management & Communication Experience        (20 points) 
 Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and promptly, both orally and in writing; work effectively with all levels to explain and justify decisions and requirements; and advise program officials on compliance with laws and policies.

BASIS OF RATING: Offerors who clearly meet the Education/Experience Requirements will be further evaluated based on scoring of the Evaluation Factor responses. Offerors are required to address each of the Evaluation Factors in a separate document describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards they have received that are relevant to each factor. Failure to specifically address the Evaluation Factors may result in your not receiving credit for all of your pertinent experience, education, training and/or awards.

The Offeror Rating System is as Follows: 

Evaluation Factors have been assigned the following points: 
Factor #1 – 25
Factor #2 – 25
Factor #3 – 20 
Total Possible – 70 Points 

Interview Performance – 30 points 

Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks – Pass/Fail (no points assigned)
Past performance evaluation of applicant’s ability to perform under the contract.  In conducting the evaluation, the U.S. government reserves the right to utilize all evaluation information available at the time of evaluation, whether provided by the applicant or obtained from other sources. 

Total Possible Points: 100

The most qualified candidates may be interviewed, required to provide a writing sample, and demonstrate an ability to operate commonly used office applications. INL will not pay for any expenses associated with the interviews. In addition, applications (written materials and interviews) will be evaluated based on content as well as on the applicant's writing, presentation, and communication skills. In the event that an applicant has fully demonstrated his/her qualifications and there are no other competitive applicants, INL reserves the right to forego the interview process. Professional references will be evaluated for applicants being considered for selection.

COMPENSATION (BASE PAY)
This position has been designated at the FS-02 equivalent level ($102,409 - $150,391 per annum). Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value based upon qualifications, previous relevant experience and work history, salary and educational background. Salaries, including any recruitment supplemental pay that exceeds the listed pay range, will not be entertained or negotiated.

For award, INL will negotiate for this contract based on the market value as outlined above and overall experience relevant to the solicitation requirements.  

BENEFITS & ALLOWANCES
AS A MATTER OF POLICY, INL NORMALLY AUTHORIZES THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES 

BENEFITS - IF APPLICABLE
•    Employee's FICA/Medicare Contribution
•    Contribution toward Health and Life Insurance 
•    Pay Comparability Adjustment 
•    Annual Increase 
•    Eligibility for Worker's Compensation 
•    Annual, Sick and Home Leave 
•    401K Plan 
•    MEDVAC (provided by DOS Med)

ALLOWANCES IN ACCORDANCE WITH DEPARTMENT OF STATE STANDARDIZED REGULATIONS (DSSR) - IF APPLICABLE 
•    Temporary Quarters Subsistence Allowance (TQSA) or Per Diem upon arrival at Post
•    Housing Allowance
•    Post Allowance
•    Supplemental Post Allowance 
•    Maintenance Allowance (SMA)
•    Education Allowance
•    Educational Travel (full-time United States based secondary) 
•    Post Hardship Differential
•    Danger Pay
•    Shipment of HHE, UAB, POV and Consumables