ThaiNGO

Please follow the check lists and submission guidelines, posted on the official website: https://th.usembassy.gov/

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. SOLICITATION NO.: 72048624R10002

2. ISSUANCE DATE: November 14, 2023

3. CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: December 13, 2023/11:59PM Bangkok, Thailand local time

4. POINT OF CONTACT: Duanghatai Sirinuntasakul/ Human Resources Assistant

5. POSITION TITLE: OPH Development Assistance Specialist (Regional HIV Sustainable Financing Specialist), FSN-11

6. MARKET VALUE: THB 1,340,075 – 2,345,127 per annum equivalent to FSN-11 in accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of USAID/RDMA. Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.

7. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Five (5) years initial contract. The services provided under this contract are expected to be of a continuing nature that will be executed by USAID through a series of sequential contracts, subject to continued need of the position and availability of funds.

8. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: The United States Agency for International Development/Regional Development Mission for Asia (USAID/RDMA), Bangkok, Thailand with possible travel as stated in the Statement of Duties.

9. ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: This position is opened to Cooperating Country National (CCN). Thai citizen or other country citizen lawfully admitted for permanent Thai residence is eligible to apply. Please note that USAID is not able to sponsor offerors for a Thai residency permit.

10. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: The successful candidate shall be required to obtain a Security Certification for Employment from Regional Security Office.

11. STATEMENT OF DUTIES 

11.1. General Statement of Purpose of the Contract

The USAID Development Assistance Specialist (Regional HIV Sustainable Financing Specialist) is located in the Office of Public Health (OPH), U.S. Agency for International Development/Regional Development Mission for Asia (USAID/RDMA). The job holder is responsible for overseeing and advising client missions including Thailand on regional opportunities, approaches, and proven strategies to advance sustainable financing of HIV and related public health programs. The job holder provides senior advisory assistance on approaches that advance enhanced domestic financing for HIV programs by the public and private sectors such as enhanced advocacy with ministries of finance to increase funding allocations. These approaches include expanded coverage by health insurance plans of comprehensive HIV services and greater intentional enrollment of people living or affected by HIV (PLHIV) in health insurance plans. The job holder leads regional efforts to leverage trilateral funding opportunities among countries in the United States (US) President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Asia Region and the United States Government (USG). The job holder is a leader in promoting regional cooperation and sharing health financing success stories across sub-regions. One of the primary goals is to increase social contracting by non-government organizations (NGOs) and community service organizations (CSOs) and strengthen key populations (KP) CSO sustainability on comprehensive HIV services for the most underserved populations in the region (people who inject drugs, men who have sex with men (MSM), sex workers, transgender people, prisoners, and migrant workers).

The job holder is the region’s recognized technical expert on health insurance, social contracting and advising host countries on domestic financing and resource mobilization approaches. The Regional HIV Sustainable Financing Specialist will participate in the review and design of multi-lateral and foundation proposals with the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, the Asian Development Bank, and other stakeholders to ensure that progress is made toward host country sustainability objectives. The job holder represents USAID at regional meetings convened by host countries, PEPFAR, other donors or United States Government Agencies such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on local partner engagement.

11.2. Statement of Duties to be Performed
There are 12 countries in the PEPFAR Regional Operational Plan (ROP) covered by RDMA technical assistance and each country has a different mix of domestic funding available for HIV services and resource constraints.

A. REGIONAL COUNTRY-SPECIFIC SUSTAINABLE DOMESTIC FINANCING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: (50%)

• Serves as the regional expert on CSO sustainability planning supporting CSO diversification of funding sources and market-based approaches as the region’s leading health financing specialist.
• Provides advisory services to client missions on domestic financing and diversification of financing.
• Provides in-country and virtual technical assistance for operating units during new program designs and country planning with health financing components.
• Serves as a resource to PEPFAR country teams including designing tools and programs to support partner transition plans.
• Supports host country governments (ministries of health, finance, budget, and planning, as relevant) and regional institutions to increase their financial contributions and articulate future funding needs and timelines.
• Carries out routine sustainability monitoring for host countries both virtually and in-country towards achieving key PEPFAR sustainability milestones.
• Provides continuous technical assistance to advance increased domestic resource mobilization for relevant countries.
• Participates in annual regional operational plan development (ROP) and quarterly program performance reviews (POART) to document progress towards meeting regional local partner engagement and financial sustainability targets.
• Provides advisory services to Asia missions on country ownership and diversification of financing including the inclusion of comprehensive HIV services into universal health insurance plans.
• Supports and engages in analysis on country ability to provide funding to CSOs through social contracting.
• Provides advice and direct virtual and in-country technical assistance for enhanced government-led social contracting for CSOs, particularly Key Population (KP) CSOs that offer comprehensive HIV services for the most underserved populations in the region (people who inject drugs, men who have sex with men (MSM), sex workers, transgender people, prisoners, and migrant workers).
• Supports and advocates for transparency and accountability in the contract selection process by governments for social services.
• Advances advocacy for annual predictable financing to be included as a budget line item for CSOs.
• Supports host country governments (ministries of health, finance, budget, and planning, as relevant) and regional institutions to increase their financial contributions and articulate future funding needs and timelines.
• Identifies opportunities for USAID to structure country and regional private sector partnerships that engage and diversify new financing for HIV/AIDS programs including trilateral funding opportunities between the USG and the Thai Government with other countries in the Asia Region that are grappling with extreme resource constraints along with the Global Health Bureau’s Office of HIV and AIDS (GH/OHA) Private Sector Specialists.
• Serves as an Activity Manager for regional technical assistance (TA) activities, as required.
• Collaborates with the Office of HIV/AIDS on the dissemination and use of PEPFAR in-service training modules and tools to assist operating units (OUs) in assessing and tracking progress towards greater host country self-reliance.
• Provides formal and on the job training for Health teams across the region on various health financing and sustainability planning topics including social contracting, universal health insurance coverage for HIV services and advocacy for transparent government led outsourcing to HIV CSOs and CSO networks.

B.  SUSTAINABLE FINANCING SUPPORT TO LOCAL INDIGENOUS ORGANIZATIONS: (40%)

• Supports PEPFAR Asia Country Mission teams on a periodic basis to conduct landscaping and capacity assessments of local organizations, including identifying systems and/or policy barriers in place that might support or hinder thriving local organizations.
• Serves as an integral member of the USAID/RDMA Health’s technical assistance team and carries out in-country TDY assignments to client missions.
• Carries out routine sustainability monitoring for local partners and host countries both virtually and in-country towards achieving key sustainability milestones.
• Strengthens the capacity of CSOs for management, reporting and technical monitoring required for public financing and advises CSO networks on introducing or scaling up systems to fund and monitors contract work.
• Supports assessments of CSO capacity and the enabling environment including policy and regulatory environment in which CSOs operate that support or inhibit financial sustainability. CSOs are expected to diversify revenue sources through market-based approaches, social contracting, and linkages with social health insurance.
• Supports CSO advocacy for the government to provide transparent guidance on proposal content for procurement of services.
• Advises client missions and HIV NGO service providers on successful approaches for CSOs to attain accreditation by host country health insurance plans.
• Provides technical assistance and training to Missions and local organizations in organizational development, financial management, and board governance to meet USAID requirements for USAID direct financing.
• Reviews host country universal health insurance plans and advises USAID health teams on optimal plans that include coverage for PLHIV for the full package of HIV services.
• Advises USAID missions on viable approaches in the Asia context to strengthen host government outsourcing of HIV services to CSOs.

C.  REPRESENTATION AND COORDINATION: (10%)

• Works closely with senior and mid-level host government staff, implementing partners and interagency colleagues across the 12 countries on HIV financing and sustainability plans.
• Participates in the S/GAC-led regional coordination meetings.
• Prepares briefings for congressional and executive level delegations, and other high-level visitors on matters within his/her technical expertise structuring these visits and serving as a spokesperson on the HIV response along with host country experts as required.
• Represents USAID/RDMA at technical, policy and strategic planning meetings including meetings with external partners and the leading HIV donors including the Global Fund, UNAIDS, UNDP and UNICEF.
• Serves as the chief liaison with the Office of HIV/AIDS (OHA)/AOR for central mechanisms on local partner engagement, health financing, and health policy/governance.

The contractor is eligible for temporary duty (TDY) travel to the U.S., or to other Missions abroad, to participate in the "Foreign Service National" Fellowship Program, in accordance with USAID policy.
 

11.3. Supervisory Relationship
This position reports to the RDMA Senior Regional HIV Advisor (HIV Team Leader) or his/her designee.

11.4. Supervisory Controls
Full supervision of other USAID staff is not contemplated.

12. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: 
The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

 

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

1. Education: A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in public administration, macroeconomics, public health management or a related field is required.

2. Experience: A minimum of five (5) years of demonstrated development experience in the global health sector with a particular focus on financing of regional health systems that includes HIV services and partners is required. Experience conducting organizational sustainability planning for a private organization or health sector business is also required. Previous experience working in the Asia region including experience specifically in Thailand and other Asia countries is also required.

3. Language: Level IV – Fluent in Thai and English with a valid TOEIC score of 855 is required.
 

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

Application Rating System
The application rating system factors are used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified offerors in comparison to other offerors. offerors must demonstrate the rating factors outlined below within their application and/or resume, as they are evaluated strictly by the information provided. The rating factors are as follows:

1. Education & Experience (25 points): 

Additional points will be given for relevant education and experience above the minimum requirement which may include.
   1. A master’s or other advanced degree in public health, health economics or a related field.
  2. Experience working with NGOs and governments in Asia on development of sustainability plans.
  3. Experience in finance, health economics, or public finance management, with a focus on healthcare or HIV-related projects in a government agency, development agency, and/or international organization.

2. Knowledge (25 points):

• Demonstrates in-depth knowledge of leading donor overarching development objectives for the region and HIV/AIDS measures, PEPFAR epidemic control strategic priorities, policies, plans, and approaches related to Global Health and disease prevention.
• Demonstrates a knowledge of universal health care insurance plans in Asia.
• Demonstrates a state-of-the-art knowledge on proven regional market-based approaches that successful HIV CSOs have followed.
• Demonstrates a knowledge and experience working with multilateral lending agencies or the private sector, government, and community-based civil society organizations.

3. Skills and Abilities (50 points):

• Demonstrates a resourcefulness, responsibility, and capacity for effective coordination.
• Demonstrates an ability to critically analyze and make recommendations on approaches to scale-up effective health financing strategies across the region.
• Demonstrates an ability to understand incentive structures in the health marketplace and engage and persuade senior-level executives and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrates an ability to make sound judgements and possess strong analytical and conceptual skills to identify wide-ranging program issues and establish and evaluate relevant data from complex programs independently, for conclusion or decision making processes.
• Demonstrates an ability to provide highly advanced technical advice on program development and implementation with implementing partners in multiple client field missions.
• Demonstrates an excellent communication skill (both verbal and written), strong presentation and skills, the ability to interpret and synthesize complex and technical reports including financial, regulatory, clinical, demographic, marketing and scientific information and the ability to explain complex regulations and laws to senior management, IPs, public groups and/or host country senior government officials, particularly non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrates an ability to cultivate relationships and work collegially and collaboratively in team settings towards a goal, including coordinating with counterparts of diverse backgrounds, experience, expertise, disciplines, or interests.
• Demonstrates a strong negotiation skill to facilitate productive, professional relationships and communicate clearly with high-level senior officials when providing technical advice, negotiating agreements, and explaining complex regulations and laws.
• Demonstrates an ability to work effectively as a team member in an established culturally diverse Mission Team environment.
• Demonstrates a leadership skills and ability to work under pressure, produce results quickly, and ability to predict issues of concerns and recommend remedial measures.
• Demonstrates an ability to motivate a self-starter while balancing multiple priorities to complete assignments in a timely manner.
• Demonstrates an ability to adapt to fast-paced work environments, including rearranging priorities, taking the initiative to volunteer for necessary tasks, and/or supporting others.
• Demonstrates an ability to receive feedback and to adapt job performance.
• Demonstrates an ability to use computer and office software such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, e-mail, and Google applications.
• Demonstrates an ability to learn and apply USAID and USG legislation, programming policies, project design methodology, procedures, and documentation related to international environmental programs and activities.

Total Application Rating: 100
Recruitment Test: 100
Interview Performance: 100
Total Possible Points: 300
 

SELECTION PROCESS: 

To be considered for candidacy, offerors must address each criterion in their application as to how they meet the minimum qualifications required for the position mentioned in Section II, Item 1-2. If the application submitted fails to demonstrate eligibility, the application will be marked unqualified. It is the responsibility of the offeror to provide all pertinent information.

Applications will be initially screened and scored in accordance with evaluation factors and points mentioned in Section III, item 1-3. Offerors in a competitive range will be given a recruitment test. Offerors with passing marks from the recruitment test and a valid TOEIC score mentioned in Section II, item 3, will be invited for an interview. The recruitment test and the interview will be structured around the evaluation factors mentioned above. The successful offeror will be selected based on a review of his/her qualifications, work experience, knowledge, skills and abilities; a written test; an interview; and the results of reference checks. References may be obtained independently from other sources in addition to the ones provided by an offeror.

Only offerors within a competitive range will be contacted. No response will be sent to unsuccessful offerors.
 

IV. TO APPLY
Please follow the check lists and submission guidelines, posted on the official website: carefully and submit complete application package before the deadline.

  Failure to follow the instructions will invalidate your application.