CALL FOR CVs: Consultant – Global Governance and Partnership – Remote with possible travel

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.

Purpose:

Peace and Governance is one of the four key outcomes of Mercy Corps work in its new global strategy, the Pathway to Possibility. Mercy Corps Technical Services Unit (TSU) provides technical support to program teams globally on program implementation and design, as well as to capture evidence about what’s working, and translate lessons and best practice into knowledge products and a more capable and effective global team of governance professionals.

To help the Governance and Partnerships TSU Unit deliver on these support needs, we are seeking experienced professionals to support multiple potential assignments, with expertise in any of the following areas: community mobilization or engagement, civic engagement, institutional strengthening, inclusion and democratic governance, or behavioral or normative approaches to good governance.

We are also looking for consultants to support cross-sectoral learning and tool development processes on multi-sectoral questions, such as integrated approaches in peace and governance, or the intersections of climate change and peace, governance, and climate security, or governance and food security. Potential activities and projects will respond to the needs of both the humanitarian and development programs in Mercy Corps countries of operation.

This posting is not a current work opportunity. The purpose of this posting is for the GAP team to assemble a short list of consultants whose experience match one or more of the following Consultant Activities. Responding to this post does not guarantee an opportunity immediately. If your experience is a good fit for any of the above categories, please follow the application instructions at the bottom of this Scope of Work, and include information about your preferred areas of work and technical interests. If you are shortlisted and opportunities arise in the near future, we will contact you to respond to the specific Scope of Work for the given assignment.

Consultants should be available to work remotely and collaboratively with the Mercy Corps teams on the ground, and flexible to travel if required.

Consultant Activities:

Broadly, consultant activities will take the form of assessments and analyses or research, tool or guidance development, proposal design or writing, or conducting training or workshops. Specific examples of assignments include one or more (but not necessarily all) of the following areas of work:

• Conducting political economy analysis, systems analysis, and developing recommendations for applying them into program strategies;
• Approach, tool or guidance development for program implementers or partner organizations;
• Supporting teams to develop and apply strategies for equitable partnerships and to apply principles of localization;
• Research and analysis on governance questions, with data collection and quantitative or qualitative analysis skills;
• Design materials and lead workshops or trainings with country teams to build technical skills and understanding or foster collective planning and/or program strategy development;
• Lead behavioral design or human-centered design workshops or processes for proposal or program strategy development; or
• Technical proposal design, development, and writing for democracy and governance, community led development, or civil society strengthening;

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 TSU team at the start of the assignment.

Timeframe / Schedule:

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:

The consultant will likely report to a project manager or team lead, and will be expected to collaborate with the GAP TSU for technical backstop.

The Consultant will work closely with:

TSU GAP Director and Senior Advisors; other TSU members, Country and Regional Teams involved in the requested task as needed.

Required Experience & Skills:

• Master’s degree in international development, democracy and governance, political science or a related field preferred.
• 5+ years’ experience working in programs that have a focus on democracy and governance, or civil society strengthening.
• Proven track record in successfully conducting analyses/assessments for various donor funded programs in various sectors.
• Demonstrated experience in capacity strengthening for teams to ensure a strong understanding of governance principles and approaches within the program cycle.
• Exceptional written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated strong understanding of one or more regional contexts where Mercy Corps operates, including Africa, Middle East, Asia and the Americas.
• Demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following program areas: humanitarian response, peace and good governance, environment and climate change, food security and nutrition.
• Demonstrated familiarity with democracy and governance guidelines and practices from a variety of donors (including, but not limited to, USAID, FCDO and Global Affairs Canada).
• Ability to work effectively under tight deadlines and to travel (if required) on short notice.
• Fluent spoken and written English, working proficiency of French, Russian or Spanish is preferred.

To Apply

As described in the Purpose section above, to potentially receive invitations to apply for future consultant opportunities, please submit your CV and a brief Cover Letter that describes how your experience match one or more of the above described Consultant Activities.

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.