Welcome to Universal Strategy Group Inc (USGI)! USGI is a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business. USGI was founded in 2007 with the single focus of preserving and promoting American security. Our mission is to provide the best-in-class personnel who provide tailored analytical, operational, and technical solutions to our Nation's most complex national security challenges while exceeding customer expectations. USGI is committed to recruiting, nurturing, and retaining top talent that set us apart from our competition. USGI is an experienced, team-oriented, dynamic, and expanding company that values exceptional performance! USGI understands that well-cared for and motivated personnel are the key to the successful accomplishment of any mission, and toward that end, USGI takes exceptional care of our team. USGI is seeking a Design, Monitoring, and Evaluation (DME) Advisor (hereinafter “the Advisor”) who will sit on INL/EA Cross-Cutting Team and support the INL/EA program officers and embassy staff to design foreign assistance projects and programs and develop, track, and report data to describe the impact of INL programming in Europe and Asia. The Advisor will provide services to INL/EA that cover all aspects of program design, monitoring, and evaluations at the direction of INL/EA. The Advisor will seek to enable INL leadership to leverage performance data to make data driven decisions. The Advisor will provide dedicated support for EA programs to ensure compliance with DME requirements and best practices and will assist program officers in implementing INL’s program design standards and monitoring guidance. The dedicated support to INL/EA will help to ensure foreign assistance aligns with relevant strategic goals and objectives and that project documents are clearly written and measurable, with outcome and output indicators. The Advisor will help to establish processes to better collect data for EA projects and programs, which will increase the amount of useful and easily accessible programmatic performance data available to program officers and leadership. The Advisor will provide technical assistance to program officers and implementers on issues of DME implementation and policy. BACKGROUND 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. The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) keeps Americans safe at home by countering international crime, illegal drugs, and instability abroad. INL helps countries deliver justice and fairness by strengthening their police, courts, and corrections systems. These efforts reduce the amount of crime and illegal drugs reaching U.S. shores. INL’s Office of Europe and Asia (INL/EA) develops, manages, and oversees United States Government (USG) foreign assistance programs to support comprehensive criminal justice sector capacity development in countries throughout Europe and Asia. The office comprises a Europe Division with three program teams, an Asia Division with three program teams, and a Cross-Cutting Team (CCT). Staff members include Foreign Service Officers, Civil Service Officers, Personal Services Contractors, and Third-Party Contractors. Broadly speaking, in Europe, programs augment our partners’ capacity in the justice and law enforcement sectors to combat transnational organized crime, reduce corruption, and counter malign Russian influence. Bilateral and regional Central Asia programs target counternarcotics, strengthen border security, and deepen judicial reform. In East and South Asia, programs focus on maritime, rule of law, law enforcement, transnational crime, and counternarcotics. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES * Support program reviews, in coordination with the relevant Program Officer and team leader, to ensure that stated goals and objectives connect to identified problems or needs of the host nation and the INL Functional Bureau Strategy (FBS). * Advise Program Officers, Post-based staff, and implementers on designing programs and projects in line with best practices and the INL Design Standards. Provide in-depth feedback and technical assistance on draft program and project documents. * Assist Program Officers in developing indicators that measure results and can be compared to established performance targets, including but not limited to interagency agreements, letters of agreement, grants, and contracts. * Work with the Program Officer, Post-based staff, and where appropriate, implementers to develop change maps, monitoring plans, and associated documents, in line with INL’s bureau-wide monitoring guidance. * Coordinate with INL’s Office of Knowledge Management (KM) Division of Design and Learning (DDL) on development and implementation of DME-related processes and standards. * Where available, use project and program data to perform trends analysis and reports, as requested by INL/EA leadership and program teams. * As appropriate, assist program teams to collate information and indicators to respond to broader reporting, including but not limited to the transnational organized crime (TOC) and Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) reports. * Work with Program Officers to design program evaluations, in line with the Bureau’s evaluation guidance. * Coordinate and deliver training and technical assistance to domestic and overseas INL staff and as appropriate, implementers on proper program and project design, monitoring, evaluation, and risk management practices. * Interact positively and work cooperatively with team members and points of contact to accomplish assigned work in a timely and efficient manner. * Take proactive measures to improve the working environment and cultivate teamwork. * Comply with all internal controls and procedures to protect organizational integrity and prevent unauthorized use or misappropriation of all classified and sensitive but unclassified material and equipment in assigned areas and report security violations/problems to the appropriate authority. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS * U.S. Citizenship
* A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
* Six to ten years’ experience in relevant field
* Demonstrated knowledge of Federal regulations in regard to area of specific need
* Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
* Demonstrated experience facilitating organizational change
* Demonstrated experience working on project and/or program design, monitoring, and/or evaluation
* Secret security clearance is required for this position; however, may begin work with an interim Secret security clearance
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS * Master’s degree from an accredited institution in the area of social science, program development, monitoring, and evaluation; or a bachelor’s degree and three additional years of specialized experience. * Combined five (05) years of experience between working on foreign assistance programs and projects, and working on program design, monitoring, and evaluation. * Demonstrated ability to understand complex business processes to support new initiatives within the existing culture of an organization. * Demonstrated skills in design, monitoring, and evaluation; providing comprehensive and routine reports for various audiences related to Key Performance Indicators, organizational assessments, data utilization, and risk assessments. * Demonstrated ability to clearly and consistently; organize, manage, and present complex information. * Demonstrated ability to manage competing tasks and operate in a fast-paced environment. POSITION HOURS / LOCATION: Hours for the position will be the core hours of the Department of State: Monday through Friday, 40 hours per week, 8 hours a day. The physical work location is INL/EA office at State Annex 1 (SA-01), Columbia Plaza, 2401 E St. NW, Washington, DC 20520. TELEWORK This is a hybrid position that allows for a combination of in-office presence and regular telework. Position’s maximum telework is 40% which would require reporting to the work location six (06) times per pay period. The incumbent’s actual in-office and telework schedule will be determined by the COR and CO, based on INL policy of the total numbers per pay period/week, and is subject to change. USGI offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits including health, dental and vision benefits, life insurance, AD&D, short and long-term disability insurance, 401(k) plan with company match, plus generous PTO offerings to include vacation/sick days, bereavement leave, and 11 paid Federal holidays. USGI is an equal opportunity employer, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.