Consultant – Mercy Corps Nafoore Program Design Phase Refinement At Mercy Corps

Application Deadline: 30 June 2021.

Background:

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.

Mercy Corps is seeking the support of a consultant to support Mercy Corps and USAID with country-based phase refinement of the anticipated, USAID funded “Nafoore Program” design – in addition to support with stakeholder engagement and help with program-start up. The potential for further collaboration with the selected consultant through implementation will also be explored.

The Goal of the Nafoore program is to “increase resilience capacities of vulnerable Mauritanian Youth to resist radicalization and recruitment by VEOs”.

The program intends to meet its Goal through the achievement of three Objectives;

O1: Increase Income for Vulnerable Youth;

O2: Strengthen Youth Agency in their Lives and Communities;

O3: Expand safe, supportive youth social networks.

To achieve our Objectives, the intended model of implementation is also to facilitate rather than directly implement through the medium of an affiliated network of partner organizations (“*the Nafoore Network*”). The network’s constituent members will be drawn from among organizations (and individuals where relevant) identified by youth as key to helping them achieve Positive Youth Development goals across objectives and related results.

The program will be implemented jointly between Mercy Corps and Counterpart International in partnership with local organizations. The lead-partners will primarily focus on providing technical expertise and capacity building support to network members – enabling them to work, in turn, towards achievement of program results. Our fundamental design approach that crosscuts all objectives is that “youth co-develop and lead solutions for building their assets, agency, contribution and resilience with facilitated, tailored support from program partners”.

Purpose / Project Description:

The primary purpose of this consultancy is to support Mercy Corps and Counterpart International to refine their Nafoore program design – based upon envisaged feedback from USAID. Achievement of this primary purpose will take place through two key deliverables.

Conduct key-stakeholder mapping and engagement to refine Concept Note / Co-Creation phase programmatic assumptions and to determine potential pathways for engagement with envisaged key-partners. Production of a related report is anticipated (Stage 1).
Conduct qualitative data collection in support of program design refinement. This is likely to take the form of additional Key Informant Interviews with YSOs and Youth stakeholders. Production of a related report is anticipated (Stage 2).

A secondary purpose will be to support Mercy Corps with any necessary engagement with the Mauritanian government in support of registration and administrative set-up. This will involve close liaison with and support to Mercy Corps operational team. In addition, we may ask the consultant to participate in design meetings and workshops and provide inputs into and review of components of proposal design and related materials. For this secondary purpose, discrete deliverables and the financial package for completion will be established and negotiated with the selected consultant as and when feedback from USAID on the next design phase is received.

Consultant Activities:

For the stakeholder mapping and engagement, the Consultant will:

Recruit any individuals required to help the consultant with stakeholder engagement (Note: Counterpart International and Mercy Corps may be able to help in this regard).
Draft a stakeholder engagement plan methodology based on initial review of the content of the Concept Note, and liaise with Mercy Corps, Counterpart International, USAID and Eco-Dev counterparts. The plan should outline who the key-stakeholders are envisaged to be per Objective – and differentiate the purpose of envisaged engagement with each one. For those stakeholders envisaged as potential partners (directly or indirectly) a SWOT analysis should be envisaged.
Present the engagement plan for review to Mercy Corps for feedback and incorporate.
Conduct stakeholder engagement and produce a SWOT analysis for each encounter (as relevant). Each stakeholder meeting should also seek to identify additional envisaged key-actors within the relevant potential key-stakeholder network. Subsequent meetings should then be conducted with other identified key-stakeholders as part of a non-exhaustive stakeholder-mapping process.
Conduct data-analysis and begin production of report.
Present report for review and feedback.
Provide second, finalized draft of report.

For the qualitative data-collection component, the steps will be as follows:

Review the RFA anticipated (as of yet not received) from USAID in collaboration with Mercy Corps to identify areas where additional data-collection is required in support of program design and inception phase delivery.
Work with Mercy Corps Program Design Team Leader to elaborate the scope of work for any additional qualitative needs assessment work required.
Develop a costed-budget for delivery of envisaged assessment work.
Oversee delivery of assessment work in collaboration with team recruited for this purpose.
Conduct data analysis
Produce report for first inputs from Mercy Corps
Incorporate inputs and produce second draft for sign-off.

For the design support component, Mercy Corps will invite the consultant to meetings and sessions as needed and to specific inputs as needed. These will be determined in collaboration with Mercy Corps.

Consultant Deliverables:

Under the stakeholder mapping exercise, the consultant will:

Design and conduct a stakeholder engagement and mapping exercise with Mauritanian public, private and third-sector actors considered critical to achievement of Nafoore Objectives.
Produce a stakeholder mapping report based on findings (min 15 pages including methodology).

For the qualitative data collection component, the consultant will:

Support with the design and definition of assessment scope following USAID’s publication of an RFA.
Manage and directly oversee the conduct of the related assessment.
Produce a detailed report with findings (min – 15 pages including methodology).

Timeframe / Schedule:

For all deliverables – Mercy Corps will dedicate the first 3-5 days to ensuring the consultant is up to speed on the content of the Nafoore program proposition and all key-relevant documentation and stakeholders. Beyond this, the consultant will be invited to present their own time-line for achievement of the activity steps outlined below.

Stage 1: Stakeholder Engagement and Mapping:

Draft a stakeholder engagement plan methodology based on initial review of the content of the Concept Note, and liaison with Mercy Corps, Counterpart International, USAID and Eco-Dev counterparts – identifying initial key-stakeholders.
Begin arranging meetings with known key-stakeholders.
Present the engagement plan methodology and initial key-stakeholders for review to Mercy Corps for feedback and incorporate.
Conduct stakeholder engagement and produce a SWOT analysis for each encounter (as relevant). Each stakeholder meeting should also seek to identify additional envisaged key-actors within the relevant potential key-stakeholder network. Subsequent meetings should then be conducted with other identified key-stakeholders as part of a non-exhaustive stakeholder-mapping process.
Conduct data-analysis and begin production of report.
Present report for review and feedback.
Provide second, finalized draft of report.

Stage 2: Qualitative Data Collection to support program design refinement:

Review the RFA anticipated (as of yet not received) from USAID in collaboration with Mercy Corps to identify areas where additional data-collection is required in support of program design and inception phase delivery.
Work with Mercy Corps Program Design Team Leader to elaborate the scope of work for the any additional qualitative needs assessment work required.
Develop a costed-budget for delivery of envisaged assessment work.
Oversee delivery of assessment work in collaboration with team recruited for this purpose.
Conduct data analysis
Produce report for first inputs from Mercy Corps
Incorporate inputs and produce second draft for sign-off.

The Consultant will report to:

Regional Program Development Manager – Africa.

The Consultant will work closely with:

Peace and Conflict Director – Global Technical Support Unit
Deputy Regional Director – Africa.
Regional Operations and Security Manager – West-Africa:

Required Experience & Skills:

5-10 years of experience in relevant technical field
Experience of designing, overseeing and conducting a diverse array of research and data-collection exercises for INGOs and/or UN and/or private sector and/or other multilateral institutions (required).
Strong research background (preferred)
Arabic and/or French language skills (preferred – ideally both).
Experience working in Mauritania (preferred).
Applicable experience in West or North Africa (required).

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our stakeholders and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.