The U.S. Agency for International Development/Regional Development Mission Asia (USAID/RDMA) has announced intentions to modify a contract to extend a critical position overseeing USAID’s portfolio of work supporting the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) addressing critical infectious disease threats.
The request was prepared by the Office of Public Health (OPH), USAID/RDMA, in support of the U.S. Personal Services Contract (USPSC) extension for the continuing services of Dr. Daniel Schar in as Senior Regional Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) Advisor, Office of Public Health (OPH), USAID/RDMA.
The contract extension is for two years on a full term basis from January 30, 2019 through January 29, 2021, and the estimated cost of the extension is $350,298, bringing the total estimated cost of the contract from $492,974 to $843,272.
As a core member of OPH, the Senior Regional EID Advisor will provide USAID/RDMA with senior technical leadership, strategic visioning and program management on avian and pandemic influenza and emerging infectious disease activities in Asia to ensure the successful implementation of the U.S. Government’s programs.
The incumbent will assist RDMA with developing and assessing technical and strategic program approaches for preventing, detecting, and containing outbreaks of emerging infectious disease with a particular focus on zoonoses and the human/animal health interface. He will be required to be proactive in keeping abreast of evolving guidelines and policies which affect overall EID and animal health activities within the region.
In addition, the incumbent will play a leadership role in coordinating and collaborating with other USG agencies in the region in program planning, management and implementation and will lead regional efforts to secure commitments and promote overarching objectives of the Global Health Security Agenda.
The major role of the Senior Regional EID Advisor is to ensure the successful implementation of the Avian Pandemic Influenza (API) and Emerging Pandemic Threats (EPT) activities under RDMA in the region (specifically Burma, China, Laos, Thailand, and Regional). To this end, the incumbent will play an important role in the following areas: program design, management and implementation; strategic information; Embassy and host country relations, networking and liaising with partners, donors, multilateral institutions, Ministries of Health, Agriculture, and Environment / Natural Resources, academia, foundations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and community leaders.
The Senior Regional EID Advisor will possess high level in-depth knowledge of infectious diseases, including API and emerging zoonoses; be an innovative self-starter with technical, management and administrative skills; be decisive, original, creative, imaginative and an effective communicator to efficiently solve and handle complex and controversial problems or matters which have little or no precedent, and usually require immediate attention. Extending the current USPSC contract for a two-year period will help meet critical Agency goals and objectives.
Source: USAID, FedBizOps
