Job Description

Description

Project Title: MENAE Regional MSD & Economic Opportunities Consultant Roster

Consultancy Title: MSD & Economic Opportunities Consultant

Location: Remote (ideally within similar time zones of MENA/Europe region)

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. Now, and for the future. Mercy Corps implements a variety of programming throughout the Middle East and Europe in response to the diverse humanitarian and long-term development needs of the region. Mercy Corps has ongoing programs in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Ukraine, and Georgia. Mercy Corps is committed to delivering high quality, high impact programming that reaches communities or individuals in need, wherever they are.

Purpose / Project Description:

Mercy Corps has a growing portfolio of Market Systems, Private Sector Engagement and Economic Opportunities programs in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. As such, we are seeking to develop a pool of technical experts in this area with strong contextual knowledge and expertise in the region to support specifically our Business Development work and Technical Program Quality Support. The Economic Opportunities and Market System Consultants will support country teams in the region to grow their capacity to design and deliver high quality and impactful economic recovery and market systems development (MSD) programs. Their support includes program design and development, share best practices and innovation within the industry, write competitive proposals for submission to donors and conduct specific assessments and analysis. Applicants will join our Regional Economic Opportunities and MSD consultants' rosters and broadly, consultant activities will be determined based on the needs of each assignment. However, scopes of work could take the form of literature review, analyses, inputs into strategic documents, and providing technical leadership and capacity building to country offices.

Technical Coverage: This consultancy includes experts in the following Sub-sector areas:

Market System Development – across sectors (Water Security, Food Security, Economic Opportunities, Energy etc..)

Markets in Crisis

Market System for Employment (MSD4E)

Jobtech

Green Jobs

Youth Employment

Private Sector Engagement

Financial Inclusion (Digital)/Access to Finance

Blended Finance

Social Impact Financing

Climate Finance

Consultant Objectives:

Engage donors and support business development for economic recovery and market systems development projects in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe including writing competitive proposals for submission to donors

Contribute to program quality through delivering training to country teams, project participants, or implementing partners on subjects pertaining to Economic Opportunities and MSD including: Financial Inclusion, Youth Employment and Agriculture

Lead/support in grant implementation by assisting program teams in developing relevant SOPs and program guidelines, leading on relevant project activities

Contribute to Mercy Corps’ Evidence and Learning agenda through the development and execution of research and learning pieces around peacebuilding and good governance sub-sectors, as well as to agency-wide opportunities to advance thought leadership.

Consultant Activities:

As mentioned above, consultant activities will be determined based on the needs of each assignment. Specific examples of assignments will include one or more of the following activities:

Proposal Development and Design:

Support strategy development work at country level, in collaboration with the Institutional Donors Engagement (IDE) Team, Technical Resources and Quality Unit (TRaQ), regional and country focal points

Support country team with engagement to donors to increase awareness and interest in MSD & Economic Opportunities

Provide technical advice on concept notes, proposals, donor presentations, strategy documents and research

Guide the development of assessments and prepositioning documents, ensuring they align with strategic objectives

Provide guidance or training to country teams on MSD approaches and principles in support of prepositioning with strategic donors

Analysis and Assessments:

Contributing toward learning documents and evaluations for external audiences, including donors and other MSD practitioners

Conduct secondary data collection and prepare literature review pieces.

Develop data collection tools, train enumerators and conduct analysis using Mercy Corps and donors guidelines.

Prepare conflict analysis or context assessment reports.

Lead workshops with country teams to understand findings and provide tailored recommendations for the programs.

Review work plans and project logframes.

Program Quality & Capacity Building

Provide technical support to ensure programs meet high-quality standards

Lead the maintenance, technical orientation, rollout, socialization, and sustainability planning for newly established technical working groups.

Lead/support grant implementation by assisting program teams in developing relevant SOPs and program guidelines, leading on relevant project activities

Design training material tailored to Mercy Corps programs needs.

Deliver training at country and regional level.

Prepare reports on the training conducted.

Develop standalone country and/or program level gender strategies/action plans

Lead participatory strategy/ action plan workshops on a program/country or regional level.

Consultant Deliverables:

Specific deliverables and timeline will be determined based on the needs of each assignment.

These will be discussed and agreed between the consultant, the program and the regional team at the start of the assignment.

Deliverables could include at least one or more of the following:

Country-level strategy documents that reflect the MSD approach

Tailored communication materials that highlight the MSD approach in alignment with priority donors

Documented discussions and action items as a result of progressing new business opportunities

Development of concept notes, proposals, and/or prepositioning materials

Assessment reports, research or learning pieces.

Timeframe / Schedule:

Consultancy timeframe / schedule will be determined based on the needs of each assignment. These will be discussed and agreed between the consultant, the program and the regional team at the start of the assignment.

The Consultant will report to:

Deputy Regional Director- Programs, Middle East, North Africa and Europe and closely work with Mercy Corps Economic Opportunities Team.

The Consultant will work closely with: Regional Technical team, Regional Evidence and Learning team, Country Directors, Directors of Programs, Program Managers, Regional and Global Business Development teams.

Required Experience & Skills:

Bachelor’s degree required. Formal training in Market Systems Development or M4P preferred.

5-7 years of experience in international development work, with a minimum of three years in a program management or technical advisor role, including proposal design.

Minimum of 5 years of experience in Market Systems Development and other key Economic Opportunities technical areas -including experience with program design, partnership building, technical advising, and/or learning and research.