Job Description

SCOPE OF WORK

(Recruitment, PSC Duties, and Performance Reviews)

• Minimum Requirements:

At a minimum, the successful candidate’s CV must demonstrate the following: 

• Education/Certification: B.S., B.A. or higher degree
• Years of Experience: A minimum of 5 years of experience required, 5 or more years is desirable, with records in management, audit, compliance, project management or Volunteer management.
• Strong background in data standardization, process facilitation and management (organizational development, tracking tasks and processes and ensuring accurate documentation) 
• Professional oral and written English proficiency required and Krio oral capabilities. 
• Advanced computer proficiency in MS Office: Windows, Excel, Word.
• Experience working with database management software. 
• Demonstrated intercultural competence, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility related skills and experience. 
• Strong written and oral communication skills 
• Detail-oriented and organizational skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated ability to synthetize, interpret, and apply regulations. 
• Versatility: ability to take initiative to resolve problems
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural team.
• Experience effectively coordinating complex processes across multiple business units.
• Experience in planning and delivering training.
• Ability to pass a background check and maintain a security clearance.

• Background

The mission of Peace Corps worldwide is to promote peace and friendship. Peace Corps was invited to Sierra Leone in 1962, since then hundreds of Peace Corps Volunteers have worked in the fields of Education, Health, Agriculture community development etc. The work of Peace Corps Contractor does not limit itself to the role: active support of the Peace Corps mission is paramount to the job because contractors are representatives of Peace Corps in Sierra Leone.

Peace Corps’ mission is to promote Peace and friendship by fulfilling three goals: 

• To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
• To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served. 
• To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

Currently, Peace Corps Sierra Leone staffs about 40 people who support Volunteers operating in the education and health sectors.

• Objective of the Position

The Quality Assurance Specialist (QAS) will champion a culture of quality assurance (QA), continuous quality process improvement, and system simplification at Post. A key goal of quality assurance is to optimize systems and processes and make it easier to accomplish Post priorities while ensuring compliance with Agency policies. To advance the quality assurance agenda, the QAS will take the lead on integrating a QA approach into relevant Post activities, serve as Records Liaison/Records Management point of contact, and train up and support staff in QA related areas. The QAS will play a supportive role in the coordination of site management and site history documentation, ensuring that clear guidance and systems are in place to assist Post staff in adhering to high quality and complete site management planning, execution, and documentation. The QAS will be responsible for the oversight of VIDA (Volunteer Information Database Application) at Post, providing trainings to Post staff on topics including site management and the latest VIDA updates. The QAS will also be responsible for tracking deadlines and the completion status of all mandatory trainings for all Post staff, in addition to directly providing trainings when necessary. Similarly, the QAS will support Post through preparations for Office of Inspector General (OIG) audits and evaluations, along with presenting recurring findings to assist Post in proactively addressing common issues. The QAS will track OIG and Regional Peace Corps Safety and Security Officer (PCSSO) recommendations, and support staff to bring timely closure to any outstanding recommendations. The QAS will be a key resource in providing quality assurance and process simplification input to Post and the Agency

•  Reference Materials 

The Personal Services Contractor (PSC) must frequently refer to the Peace Corps Manual and associated referenced documents (Manual Section 270; Safety and Security Instructions (SSI) 401, 410, 415, 420, and 430; Medical Technical Guidelines (TG) 204, 385, 110) and other guidance published on the Peace Corps Intranet, as well as the Peace Corps/Sierra Leone Staff Handbook, Post Site Management Manual, and the Peace Corps/Sierra Leone Volunteer Service Handbook (VSH) in the course of performing their duties and responsibilities.  The PSC must also refer to US Government-wide and Peace Corps-specific laws, regulations, rules, policies, procedures, and guidance.

• Tasks & Deliverables

Continuous Quality Improvement Process:

Post champion for adopting a quality assurance and compliance culture. 

• Designs and oversees a yearly compliance calendar for reoccurring tasks and deadlines at Post. 
• Works with office/department heads to identify reoccurring tasks, training, Post policies, or periodic reviews and reports that are mandated by agency policy/procedure and are required to be tracked. Adds key deadlines to the compliance calendar, to assist all departments with compliance. 
• Distributes compliance calendar or task reminders periodically to assist managers and staff in proactively meeting compliance related deadlines.
• Provides status updates to Country Director (CD) and supervisors on completed and outstanding tasks. 
• Integrates a QA approach into relevant Post activities. (e.g., administration of annual performance improvement or compliance tools, such as the Administrative Management Control Survey (AMCS)).
• Reflects on current practices, identifies potential risks and areas for improvement, and works with relevant parties to document and implement. 
• Works with Post leadership and Post Equity Council to identify opportunities for the integration of equity/ICDEIA into core business practices across operational units.   
• Serves as the Records Management POC (Records Liaison) for Post.
• Coordinates distribution, completion, and return of annual File Plan to the Records Management Office.
• Advises Post on records management questions and issues.
• Collaborates with Senior Staff to ensure required documents are appropriately stored at the Post (e.g., MOUs, other agreements etc.), and monitors to ensure expiration timeframes are known and tracked.
• Coordinates with Regional Quality Assurance Experts, PCSSOs, and Regional Security Advisors (RSAs), where applicable.
• Coordinates with Office of the Chief Compliance Officer (OCCO) in informing and adopting compliance best practices.
• Other quality assurance related duties as assigned.

1. Site Management (including Site History Files):

Post champion for adopting a quality assurance approach for site management and promoting compliance with site management documentation.

• Serves as resource and technical expert on site management process and procedures and supports the Director of Programming and Training (DPT) (and other Post staff as applicable) in meeting site management requirements.  
• In collaboration with DPT and other responsible staff, is responsible for training and mentoring staff in adhering to site management requirements.
• Under the DPT’s leadership, helps coordinate Post planning meetings regarding site ID and site visits to ensure all requirements from Site Management Guidance, including key Manual Sections, Safety and Security Instructions (SSIs), and Medical Technical Guidelines (TGs) are accounted for in the planning and implementation stages of site management (e.g.: Manual Section (MS) 270 – Volunteer/Trainee Safety and Security, SSI 401 Site History Files, SSI 410 Housing Standards and Inspection, etc.).

• Monitors compliance with required site management documentation in VIDA; advises staff on status and required actions.
• Supports DPT to ensure Post’s site management manual is aligned with current Regional Site Management Guidance.
• Coordinates with programming staff, Peace Corps Medical Officers (PCMOs), and Safety and Security Manager (SSM) to ensure that site selection materials are fully completed and approved by the relevant parties with any appropriate programming, safety, security, or health related considerations properly documented in VIDA. 
• Conducts ongoing and routine quality checks on site management documentation (e.g., Housing Information, Community Information, Volunteer Request Form, Site Contact Form information) in VIDA to ensure alignment with policy and approval process and site history files.  
• Provides supervisor and Post staff with periodic updates on site management and history file compliance, highlighting missing documents and/or data points for follow-up. 
• Assists with occasional data entry as directed by supervisor to ensure compliance. 

• VIDA Point of Contact (POC):

Responsible for oversight of VIDA at Post, ensuring VIDA is used by all relevant staff throughout the Site Management, Volunteer Management, and Emergency Action Plan (EAP) Event Management processes.

• Serves as the principal Point of Contact for VIDA and liaises with the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO)/HQ VIDA Product Manager for relevant VIDA updates and troubleshooting of the VIDA system at Post. 
• Serves as Post VIDA administrator with special permissions to edit data. 
• In consultation with VIDA Product Manager at OCIO/HQ, trains relevant staff on VIDA capabilities and on-going enhancements. 
• Works with responsible staff to conduct ongoing review of Volunteer and site data within VIDA, ensuring that information is accurate and complete as outlined in agency guidance. The QAS should not be the originator of data. 
• Conducts ongoing and routine quality checks on key Volunteer information (e.g., phone numbers, e-mails, GPS coordinates, site visit information) to ensure alignment with policy.  
• Ensures Post’s naming convention are defined for VIDA, such as site names and site geographic areas, and across all platforms (e.g. SIMS). 
• Works with appropriate staff to ensure there is documentation in VIDA of:  a) adverse safety, security, health, or programmatic concerns for sites that result in Peace Corps not placing a Volunteer, or b) other incidents or events that raise concerns for Volunteer safety and well-being.  
• Works with SSM to ensure that EAP events are properly documented. 

1. Tracking Mandatory Staff Trainings 

• Tracks status of all mandatory staff training in collaboration with Senior Leadership.
• Provides periodic updates to supervisors on staff compliance with mandatory training. 
• Coordinate with administrative staff to ensure that all staff (inc. part time, short term, and intermittent) are appropriately enrolled in mandatory training (e.g., staff are entered into a personnel tracking system).  
• When staff are unable to complete on-line training, ensure that staff complete and appropriately record (e.g., in Learning Space) off-line training; may also facilitate off-line training sessions for staff.

• OIG/PCSSO Recommendation Support and Follow-Up

• Tracks Office of Inspector General (OIG) and Regional Peace Corps Safety and Security Officer (PCSSO) recommendations for Post, along with other formal recommendations from other offices if appropriate.
• Provides periodic (monthly/quarterly) reports to CD, SSM, and other relevant Post staff on status of open recommendations. 
• Supports Post leadership, as appropriate, to track work on addressing open OIG/PCSSO recommendations. Coordinates with other parties outside of Post as necessary, under direction of CD.
• Assists Post with organizing, collecting, and submitting documentation to support closure of OIG/PCSSO recommendations, as appropriate.
• Coordinates with Region, and as appropriate Office of Safety and Security (OSS) and OCCO, to discuss challenges related to addressing OIG/PCSSO recommendations, and to share best practices. 
• Periodically presents OIG recurring recommendations to Post staff. 
• Facilitates process improvement solutions to proactively address recurring recommendations, as appropriate. 
• Supports Post preparations for OIG evaluations and audits.
• Supports Post during OIG visits, as appropriate.  

• Supports and Verifies Safety and Security Policy Implementation:

Provides administrative support and verification that adequate systems are functioning to support V/T safety and security in accordance with MS 270. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Supports Safety and Security Manager in establishing and monitoring post’s system to collect information for the Volunteer Information Database (VIDA), updates the information as needed and controls for accuracy.
• Collaborates with programming staff to develop and monitor a system for site history data.
• Participates in the annual completion of the Administrative Management Control Survey (AMCS) and shares results with PCSSO.
• Collaborates with programming staff to develop site selection criteria, protocols, and a system to ensure that all Volunteer sites have been properly evaluated and documented.
• Ensures that a system is in place to monitor Volunteer/Trainee (V/T) whereabouts.
• Ensures that an emergency communication system is in place that allows V/Ts and staff to communicate in a timely and effective manner in cases of emergency.
• In cooperation with other Safety and Security Manager and other staff, regularly updates and monitors safety and security data in VIDA (i.e., emergency contact information, Emergency Action Plan (EAP) events, etc.)
• In collaboration with the SSM, ensure critical PCSSO and/or RSO recommendations are adequately addressed within the timeframe/deadlines outlined.
• Ensures security clearances for permanent and temporary PSCs are maintained and uploaded.

• Additional Responsibilities:

• Understands and complies with Peace Corps safety and security policies and procedures. 
• Understands and complies with Peace Corps code of ethics, privacy, and confidentiality policies. 
• Files all documents produced by the position in accordance with the Peace Corps Records Management policies. 
• To the extent Contractor is allowed to operate a US government owned, leased, or rented vehicle (GOV) to perform their job duties, the Contractor must always operate that vehicle safely and only operate it for official business purposes as defined in 31 USC 1334. Contractors are encouraged to refrain from texting or from engaging in any behavior that distracts attention from driving safely at any time. Except in an emergency, Contractor shall not text message (i) when driving a GOV; (ii) when driving a privately-owned vehicle (POV) while on official government business; or (iii) while using electronic equipment supplied by the government while driving any vehicle (even during off-duty hours). 
• Performs other assignments or duties as assigned. 

• COVID-19 and Other Flexibilities: 

• If there is a time at post, due to the COVID-19 pandemic or for any other reason, when there are limited or no Peace Corps Trainees and/or Volunteers (jointly referred to as “Volunteers”) at Peace Corps/Sierra Leone, the PSC may be temporarily assigned during that period, as determined by the Peace Corps Country Director, to carry out additional duties and responsibilities in furtherance of the goals of the Peace Corps in order to enhance the ability of Peace Corps Volunteers to perform functions under the Peace Corps Act, including facilitating a safe environment in order for the successful return or increase of Volunteers.

• This temporary assignment may require the PSC to provide services and/or support beyond what is listed in their current Statement of Work (SOW).  The services and/or support may take many forms, examples of which may include but are not limited to, training, providing administrative, technical, medical, and/or operational assistance, building on host country programs, etc.  This temporary assignment also may require the PSC to provide these services and/or support to individuals/organizations other than those listed in their current SOW such as host country government, partner organization(s), community member(s), staff, and/or contractors.

Work Requirements and Guidelines 

• Interact effectively and appropriately with cultural differences and similarities by demonstrating cultural humility and self-awareness of one’s own cultural programming, effectively navigating intercultural situations, practicing perspective taking by seeking to understand the values, beliefs, attitudes, and worldviews of others.
• Engage with differences and similarities in a way that effectively and appropriately contributes to a culture of access and belonging by demonstrating awareness of systemic inequities and one’s own social identities and perspectives, seeking to understand others’ and one’s own experiences with dominant and marginalized identities, building relationships with a range of people from a variety of dominant and marginalized identities and navigating opportunities to foster equity and inclusion using a culturally effective and appropriate approach.  

Other Duties 

• Other duties as assigned
• Standard Roles and Responsibilities

• OMH: 

• Occasional Money Handler may be requested to courier cash and /or purchase orders to various vendors who furnish supplies and/or services to PST/IST training site, or other locations as directed by the Contracting Officer. The PSC may also be requested to courier cash to PC trainees or volunteers. The PSC will not be functioning as a procurement or disbursing official but will only be acting as an intermediary between the Contracting or Disbursing Officer and the recipient. In the case of dealing with vendors, the PSC will not exercise any procurement discretion concerning the supplies or services to be purchased or the cost limits of these purchases; these will be determined by the Contracting Officer. 

•  S&S: 

• Other Programming Staff – Addresses Volunteer safety and security by adhering to Peace Corps site development policies and procedures. Identifies and immediately communicates Volunteer safety and security concerns and issues to the Safety and Security Manager (SSM) and the Country Director (CD). Assists Program Managers to ensure that prospective sites meet established programmatic and safety/security criteria (e.g., safe housing, a clearly defined assignment with an organization that shows real interest in working with a Volunteer, etc.). Reviews and references site history files when evaluating potential sites and incorporates appropriate safety and security-related information into site history files. Monitors Volunteer compliance with Peace Corps policies, especially related to safety and security. Participates in the design and implementation of the Emergency Action Plan (EAP). Acts as duty officer, as needed. Knowledgeable and supportive of Peace Corps safety and security policies and procedures, including the timely reporting of suspicious incidents, persons, or articles.
• When serving as Back-Up SSM, completes duties outlined in Safety and Security Instruction 111 (per Safety and Security Instruction 110).

• IGF:

May be designated as a receiving officer if assigned by the Country Director and with the approval of the Regional Director. Responsibilities as a receiving officer include accurate review of goods or services, their accompanying invoices, and the purchase order/contract to ensure that the specifications, quality, amounts, price, timeliness, etc. of the goods are consistent with the terms and conditions of the contract/purchase order after successful completion of the requisite training to perform receiving duties. (See MS 511, the Personal Property Management Handbook and OFMH 19)  

• May be designated limited supervisory responsibilities if assigned by the Country Director and with the approval of the Regional Director. 
  • Offering regular feedback: Holds private annual and mid-year meetings with unit heads and report findings.
  • Scheduling regular 1×1 meetings: Invites direct reports to regular (weekly, monthly etc.) private 1×1 meetings wherein you offer both constructive and positive feedback.
  • Assisting in resolving issues: Uses tools (e.g. coaching, open door, modeling) to promote direct report success
  • Providing reports and activity updates to your supervisor: Shares timely updates with your supervisor about projects, personnel, issues etc.
  • Working with other supervisors to resolve conflicts between departments: Meets with other supervisors to solve problems together as needed.

• Temporary Assignments:

• Given that as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic there will be a lengthy period where there are likely to be limited or no Peace Corps Trainees and/or Volunteers (jointly referred to as “Volunteers”) at Peace Corps/[Country], the PSC may be temporarily assigned during the COVID-19 pandemic, as determined by the Peace Corps Director, to carry out additional duties and responsibilities in furtherance of the goals of the Peace Corps in order to enhance the ability of Peace Corps Volunteers to perform functions under the Peace Corps Act, including facilitating a safe environment in order for the successful return of Volunteers.  

This temporary assignment may require the PSC to provide services and/or support beyond what is listed in their current Statement of Work (SOW).  The services and/or support may take many forms, examples of which may include but are not limited to, training, providing administrative, technical, medical, and/or operational assistance, building on host country programs, etc.  This temporary assignment also may require the PSC to provide these services and/or support to individuals/organizations other than those listed in their current SOW such as host country government, partner organization(s), community member(s), staff, and/or contractors.”

• Logistics & Level of Effort & Duty Station

Duty station is the office in Freetown. May be required to work in another town during training (typically taking place over 11 weeks in the summer, subject to revisions as needed). May also be required to travel up country as needed, including on short notice.  Performs duties during a 40 hour work week. Events may require occasional work in the evenings and on weekends and holidays. May carry a duty phone.

• Application Requirements

In order to be selected for this position, the applicant must be a Sierra Leone Citizen with residency, and must not have been employed in intelligence-related activities.

All applications must be submitted before the date and time documented below and must include the following supporting documentation: 

• Typed letter of interest
• CV that clearly documents how you meet each of the above required qualifications
• At least three traceable professional references and contact information
• Copies of all certificates related to the qualifications needed for this position  
• A legalized photocopy of the ID card and proof of legal residence
• The subject line of the typed letter of interest must indicate the PSC Position Title of the job you are applying to be considered for review.

Submit your application by email to: SL-PCJobs@peacecorps.gov or by hand to: HR Specialist, Peace Corps/Sierra Leone, 34 Old Railway Line, Signal Hill, Freetown, Sierra Leone on or before 5:00PM January 19th, 2024.

All experience, skills and qualifications will be verified. Applicants with high potential will be scheduled for an interview at the Peace Corps office in Freetown.  Employment is contingent on a favorable security background and medical check.  

Please include “Ref: Quality Assurance Specialist” on the envelope submission and or in the subject line for on-line application

ATTACHMENT

All applicants wishing to apply for any Peace Corps job are required to provide the following information below and submit with your application package.

Name of Applicant: ___________________________________________________________

Position you are applying for: ______________________________________________________

        Details                                                                 YES        NO     

1. Have you ever served in the Peace Corps as a Trainee or Volunteer (Including Response or Virtual)? ☐           ☐

If so, please specify______________________________________________________

1. Have you ever been employed as a Peace Corps staff member (US Direct Hire (USDH), ☐            ☐            

Personal Service Contractor (PSC), Foreign Service National (FSN)?                                                                                                                                     

If so, please specify______________________________________________________

1. If your answer to any of the questions above is yes, please provide the following information below.

• Position location: ________________________________________________________

• Position type: ___________________________________________________________

• Title: __________________________________________________________________

• Start date: ______________________________________________________________

• End date: ______________________________________________________________

___________________________________                                                 __________________

1. Signature of Applicant