Solicitations open to: Ukrainian Nationals (Residency/Ukrainian Work Permit)

Solicitation No.: 720-121-24-R-10010

Position Title: Development Outreach and Communications Specialist (Digital Production)

Issuance date: August 09, 2024

Closing date and time: August 23, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. Kyiv Time

Work hours: 40 hours (Full time)

Position Grade: FSN-11

Market Value: Basic Annual Rate (in U.S. Dollars): $43,147 – $56,088 In accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of USAID/Ukraine.

Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.

Place of Performance: Kyiv, Ukraine

Period of Performance: Five-Year Period of Performance with possibility extension

Security Level Required: Facility Access

STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

The Development Outreach and Communications (DOC) Specialist is located in the USAID/Ukraine Program Office (PRO), DOC Unit, Digital Outreach team and reports directly to the Senior DOC Advisor and/or the Program Office Director’s designee.

The primary purpose of this position is to serve as chief advisor to the Mission on raising awareness of USAID activities and goals through digital outreach. The person in this role identifies digital trends and emerging policy-relevant issues and advises Mission leadership on strategies for promoting accurate, balanced outreach on U.S. development activities and foreign policy priorities.

The position is located within the DOC team and reports directly to the Senior Communications Advisor, and indirectly to the Program Office (PRO) Director and the Mission Director. The DOC Specialist engages directly and regularly with the Public Affairs Section (PAS) and other Embassy Kyiv sections and agencies.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Digital Production Specialist is located in the USAID/Ukraine Program Office (PRO), DOC Unit, Communications Team and reports directly to the Senior Communications Advisor and/or the Program Office Director’s designee. The primary purpose of this position is to serve as chief advisor to the Mission on raising awareness of USAID activities and goals through digital engagement.

Content Planning and Development (60%)

• Social Media Oversight: Leads staff in the design, development, production and management of all visual and multimedia content, which includes: video and audio material; storyboards; graphics; artwork; and similar visual and multimedia products. In coordination with DOC, technical office and implementing partner (IP) staff, develops and manages a biweekly social media plan with draft posts and graphics. Leads the design and development of social media campaigns, including campaigns on specific development sectors, short-term campaigns that coincide with international observances, campaigns that support foreign policy objectives, and others. Serves as the Mission’s advisor on impactful social media strategies, campaigns, and posts to help achieve development objectives. Identifies social media opportunities for Mission leadership and other staff. Monitors and alerts mission leadership on important social media trending topics or Mission-related social media posts.
• Strategic Communications: The person in this role counsels the USAID Mission on the selection, targeting, and placement of potential DOC materials in keeping with USAID’s country program strategy. The Specialist takes into account the need to identify and focus on key sectors that have a natural appeal to local interest as well as USG policies; the importance of ensuring that materials used will be non-controversial; and that the material is visually appealing, well-defined, and contains a human interest element. Responsible for putting in place policies and procedures for Mission communications that clarify roles and responsibilities within the Mission and Embassy and with implementing partners, including templates for various communications tools, standards for creating and finalizing DOC materials, and guidelines for planning and managing events. The Mission will rely on the Digital Production Specialist for advice on nuanced communications questions, including platforms and tone.
• Visual Selection: Identifies, selects, designs, and customizes compelling visual and/or multimedia material for inclusion in strategic content packages. Identifies visual and multimedia products (templates, stock images, video clips) for acquisition from USG sources, third parties such as NGOs and GOU partners, and partner institutions, and commercial vendors. Oversees the maintenance of the Mission’s archive of visual and multimedia materials. Ensures uniformity of aesthetics and USAID branding, and that all products comply with Ukrainian laws and USAID regulations.
• COR Duties: The Digital Production Specialist will serve as COR for the Mission’s communications support activity (currently in planning stage) expected to be $200,000 per year over five years, funds permitting. Oversees all aspects of contract execution: providing creative direction and feedback; ensuring contractor adheres to USAID Branding & Marking guidelines; provides quality control, ensuring accountability and timeliness for deliverables.

Graphic Design and Video Production (20%)

• Content Creation: Leads the DOC team’s efforts in graphic design and visual support for outreach and communications materials, including creation of infographics, designing esthetic “looks” of social media campaigns, and formatting key outreach materials. Compiles/edits strategic content packages incorporating policy material and appropriate visual/multimedia elements to support Mission objectives, appeal to priority audience segments, and meet multiple format requirements for dissemination. Defines, designs, and creates original professional graphics, infographics, branding, photos, etc., as well as multimedia material to support Mission public engagement with all audience groups, using tools such as Adobe Premiere, Illustrator, and Photoshop. Drafts questions or scripts for videos or video interviews as needed.
• Video Production: Creates, splices together, and formats simple videos for use on social media. Creates strategic communications tools to communicate USAID/Ukraine’s mission and strategy to Ukrainian, American, and internal U.S. Government audiences. Conducts on-camera interviews with beneficiaries and/or other stakeholders in all sectors USAID is engaged with, on location or in-house, using digital photo/video equipment and current techniques. Responsible for post-production of visual and multimedia content using Adobe Premiere/ AfterEffects (or equivalent tools in Ukraine); creates closed captioned text files as required; tags and archives all visual and multimedia content as required.
• Other Responsibilities: Oversees or assists with recording and editing of podcasts, video, and audio items for upload onto websites or Facebook pages and other media. The incumbent also tracks license and equipment acquisitions to build and sustain Mission digital production capacity, in collaboration with the DOC team.

Leadership, Planning, Analysis, and Evaluation (20%)

• Supervision: Supervises two employees, an FSN-10 Social Media Specialist and a Videographer and Graphic Designer (grade TBD). Provides on-the-job training and delegates assignments, with clear roles and responsibilities. Holds staff accountable for quality, performance, and professional behavior. Ensures DOC staff have the necessary training, resources, support, and guidance to productively operate with high morale.
• Landscape Analysis: Researches, tracks, and analyzes digital trends to identify changing audience preferences for content structure and format, including graphic, video, photo, and audio components. Working with the DOC team, tracks audience demographics, interests, and information consumption preferences. Actively plans at least two months in advance to schedule production of multimedia and other digital products required for the editorial calendar of policy priorities, as well as multiple products for the projected slate of Mission programs and activities.
• Content Analysis: In coordination with the Mission’s monitoring and evaluation specialist, plans and implements outreach and communications to raise awareness of USAID and U.S. foreign assistance activities. Performs performance monitoring to the extent it supports the Mission’s learning, communications, and outreach requirements. The mission understands situations change and ad hoc needs will need to be accommodated throughout the year. To the extent possible, indicators should be created, measured, and reported to illustrate the impact of communications and outreach efforts, and applied to subsequent years’ strategic planning.
• Strategic Planning: Develops a social media strategy in line with the Mission’s Country Development and Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) and Mission Communications Strategy that is tailored to specific platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram) to reach various audiences. Develops an annual communications and outreach strategy and implementation plan, with resource demands and activity leads, in-line with LPA’s Mission Communications Plan guidance and the Embassy Public Affairs Sections (PAS).
• Recommendations: Supports the Senior Communications Advisor in coordination and collaboration with E&E Bureau and LPA social media teams to coordinate the Mission’s response to agency social media campaigns and initiatives. Promotes Mission posts, videos, stories, etc. for Agency social media platforms and webpage, meeting all Agency requirements and standards. Keeps up-to-date on information technology and electronic outreach tools and optimizes USAID/Ukraine capabilities and advises Senior DOC of opportunities presented by new digital media and electronic outreach tools. Keeps up-to-date on information technology and electronic outreach tools to optimize USAID/Ukraine capabilities and advises the Senior DOC Specialist of opportunities presented by new digital media, digital production equipment, software, and licenses, and electronic outreach tools.
• Relationships: Develops strong, collaborative working relationships throughout the Mission to expand awareness of the power of visual and multimedia material in creating compelling strategic content to support Mission objectives. Encourages information sharing and creative approaches across the Mission to develop procedures for producing and sharing visual and audio content.

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.

Supervisory Relationship: The Digital Production Specialist is located in the USAID/Ukraine Program Office (PRO), DOC Unit, Communications Team and reports directly to the Senior Communications Advisor and/or the Program Office Director’s designee.

Supervisory Controls: When fully staffed, the Digital Production Specialist leads the communications team and supervises two Foreign Service National (FSN) professionals: FSN-10, Social Media Specialist and grade TBD Videographer and Graphic Designer.

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

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE:

Education: A Minimum of bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, international relations or development, marketing, design, linguistics, or related field is required.

Prior Work Experience: A minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional-level experience in mass communications, public relations, marketing, journalism, linguistics, international relations, or public affairs work is required. At least two years of this experience must have been in government, NGO, journalism, or development-related work, or related fields, for donor agencies, host-government organizations, or private-sector institutions which included communications and outreach strategies to communicate results of program/project/activity design is required.

Language Proficiency: Fluent (Level 4) Ukrainian with excellent written and oral English communication skills (Level 4) are required.

EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS:

The Government may award a contract without discussions with offerors in accordance with FAR 52.215-1. The Contracting Officer 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 Contracting Officer 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 Contracting Officer 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 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.

Selection Process and Basis of Evaluation: Offerors who meet the minimum education and work experience qualification requirements will be further evaluated through review of the offeror’s submitted required documents (see points below) and ranked based on the evaluation and selection factors. A competitive range may be established of the highest-ranked offerors, who may be further evaluated through technical/language tests, interviews, and reference checks to determine the most qualified/highest-ranked offeror. Reference checks may be conducted with individuals not provided by the offeror, and without prior notification to the offeror. Any offeror not receiving satisfactory reference checks will no longer be considered for the position. Negotiations may be conducted with the most qualified/ highest-ranked offeror at the conclusion of evaluations.

40 points – Knowledge:

Organization: The Digital Production Specialist must have knowledge of USAID branding and marking guidelines as well as an ability to navigate USAID bureaucracy both in the Mission and USAID/Washington. The person in this role must stay up to date on changing regulations about promotional materials and usage of appropriate terminology related to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Operational Environment: Must be able to obtain, organize and analyze data for outreach uses; prepare digital communications materials of high quality; coordinate well with staff of USAID, PD in organizing schedules and site visits to interview beneficiaries and stakeholders. Excellent interpersonal and management skills are essential for this position to develop and maintain working level contacts with the government, the private sector, the Ukrainian and U.S. media, and the various packages. Must be comfortable working independently, managing several activities at once and working under pressure to meet very short deadlines. Must have management ability to plan and execute digital media campaigns and programs.

Specialist: The Digital Production Specialist must have expert knowledge of the principles, methods, practices, and techniques of communication, and skill in applying such knowledge to develop information materials for dissemination. Detailed knowledge of Ukrainian political, economic, social, and cultural policies and trends is required. An expert understanding of Ukrainian press and media institutions and professional journalism standards and practices, as well as trends in audience preferences for information consumption (print, TV, radio, online), is required. Must have a detailed understanding of communication trends in the region and internationally as they affect the Ukrainian information landscape and must be familiar with influence patterns in information flow.

60 points – Skills and Abilities: Due to the size and activity level of the Mission, the incumbent will be acquiring, filtering, synthesizing, and transmitting information about specialized U.S. programs (e.g. direct budget support, humanitarian and development assistance, energy and critical infrastructure issues). In order to advance coherently all of the Mission’s goals and objectives, the incumbent must understand how each office and program fits into larger Agency / Administration objectives, and determine how and when to deploy this knowledge to be an effective leader of digital information programs.

The Digital Production Specialist must be able to produce high-quality digital communications products that translate complex messages and technical information into understandable, meaningful messages that resonate with a variety of audiences, both within the host-country and in America. In order to do this, the Digital Production Specialist must develop an understanding of all USAID/Ukraine programming and sectors and an extensive list of digital media contacts.

TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 100 points

HOW TO APPLY:

Eligible Offerors are requested to submit a complete application package which must include all the required documents in English electronically to [email protected] with Subject line: Development Outreach and Communications Specialist (Digital Production) (720-121-24-R-10010).

ANY/ALL application submissions received after the closing date will not be considered.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

1. Cover Letter: A memo or email that outlines how your qualifications and experience meet the selection criteria.
2. Application for Employment (DS-174): The form can be downloaded from this link https://eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds174.pdf.

Offerors must thoroughly complete the DS-174 form in English and are advised to include all of their current and previous work experience related to this position. Offerors may use continuation pages to further explain their relevant work experience, if needed. AND;

3. Current Resume/Curriculum Vitae (CV): The CV/resume must contain sufficient relevant information to evaluate the applications in accordance with the stated technical evaluation criteria, listed above.

IMPORTANT:

IN ORDER TO HAVE YOUR APPLICATION CONSIDERED, YOU MUST SUBMIT ALL THREE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS. IF YOU OMIT ANY OF THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS, COVER PAGE, CV or DS-174 FORM, YOUR APPLICATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

Note:

• This vacancy is open to Ukrainian Nationals (Residency/Ukrainian Work Permit Required).
• Applications with insufficient, incomplete and inconsistent information to make a determination will not be considered.
• No in-person appointments or telephone calls will be entertained.
• Offerers who are applying for this position must fully meet the education requirement (graduated and degree and/or diploma already received) as specified. At the time of applications, candidates must also meet in full the experience requirement.
• Short-listed candidates will be requested to provide educational documents such as degrees, diplomas, certificates and other pertinent documents (passport, proof of residency or work permit) as needed. Failure to provide the required documentation will result in the rejection of their application from further consideration.
• The Agency retains the full right to cancel or amend the solicitation and associated actions at any time.

BENEFITS/ALLOWANCES:

As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a CCN PSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances in accordance to the Mission Policy:

BENEFITS

• Health and Life Insurance coverage: Provided under the Compensation Plan.
• Defined Contribution Plan: Upon separation, a lump sum benefit equal to 12% of the basic salary earned for the duration worked under the appointment.

ALLOWANCES (as applicable)

• Meal Allowances: The annual amount is $853 for employees working on a full-time basis.
• Family Allowances: The mission provides a child allowance. Grants amounts are subject to change as determined by the Ukrainian State Budget Law.
• Unique Conditions of Work Allowances/ Benefits: 10% of Basic Rate Additional information may be provided to the selected offeror at the time of the salary offer.

TAXES:

Taxes apply and are deductible as per the Ukrainian government regulations.

USAID REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND CONTRACT CLAUSES PERTAINING TO PSCs:

USAID regulations and policies governing CCN and TCN PSC awards are available at these sources:

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/ads/policy/300/aidar

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

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

USAID Acquisition and Assistance Policy Directives (AAPD-20-08): Leave and Holidays for CCNs and TCNs, available at