Consultant – Mapping of European Contract Donors

Background:

Mercy Corps is a leading global organisation 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.

While the majority of Mercy Corps Europe’s income is received through grants from institutional donors, we have grown the proportion of our income received from commercial contracts over the past five years from 0% to approximately 10%. To date, this has been through a focus on UK Government contracts. To support a growth agenda, to spread risk and to align with our newly launched 10-year strategy, we are now looking to diversify our base of contract donors through an expansion beyond UK Government and into other European institutional donors.

Purpose / Project Description:

The purpose of this consultancy is to carry out a donor mapping exercise, focusing on eight European institutional donors (named below) to understand their approach to contracts, so we can make informed decisions about how, when, and where to focus our diversification efforts.

Application deadline: Monday 29th May, 2023. Please apply early – applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

Consultant Objectives:

The consultant will produce a clear report – the “Mercy Corps European Contract Donor Mapping Report” – which will present in detail the various approaches that the eight selected institutional donors take to contracting, along with recommendations about where the greatest opportunities for expansion are specific to Mercy Corps.

The eight European institutional donors we will focus on are:

1. Swiss Government
2. European Commission
3. Dutch Government
4. German Government
5. French Government
6. Swedish Government
7. Norwegian Government
8. Danish Government

The consultant will present each donor’s approach to contract spending, making it clear what the funding streams are, and for which Mercy Corps is eligible.

Mercy Corps will provide a detailed Annex (Annex A) associated with this Scope of Work during the recruitment and interview process which highlights the (draft) key questions we need this consultancy to answer.

Consultant Activities:

The Consultant will:

• Attend a kick-off meeting with key Mercy Corps stakeholders to more fully understand the consultancy, and key background information (e.g. Mercy Corps’ strategy and geographic/thematic priorities, existing approach to contracts etc);
• Review Annex A (the questions to be answered) and suggest any additional questions to be included;
• Carry out the desk-based research to gather the relevant information;
• Where possible and beneficial, engage directly with each of the eight institutional donors to gather further information;
• Capture all information in a clear report (including detailed data, research and sources, as well as relevant documentation, links, guidance for each donor, all presented in Annexes to the report), and present this report to relevant stakeholders in Mercy Corps. Key deliverables and interim stages associated with the development of the report will be as follows:
  • Produce a report template prior to the report being drafted;
  • Submit an early-stage draft version of the report for review and comment to ensure report content is in line with SoW (for example, when full information about two of the eight donors has been gathered, to serve as an example of what the finished product will be like, so any adjustments can be discussed);
  • Submit the final report and information gathered for review, comment and approval, ensuring this SoW has been met in its entirety. At this stage, there may be final comments which will need addressing before the consultancy is considered complete.
  • Submit an interim invoice for any costs incurred up to and including 30th June 2023. A final invoice can be submitted on completion of the consultancy, if that happens after this date.

Consultant Deliverables:

The Consultant will:

• Propose a finalised set of questions (based on Annex A), for review and approval to proceed
• Propose a template for the report, for review and approval to proceed
• Present an early-stage draft version of the report (with data completed for two donors), for review and approval to proceed
• Present the final report – the “Mercy Corps European Contract Donor Mapping Report” (with detailed data, research and sources captured in Annexes). We expect the report to include:
  • Executive Summary (approx. 2 pages)
  • Introduction – overview of contract donor landscape in Europe (approx. 2 pages)
  • One chapter on each of the eight donors (approx. 2-4 pages each). See Annex A for full detail – but the report must highlight both the contract opportunities each donor presents, as well as the risks of engaging with each of them, such as eligibility, compliance or financial risks;
  • Recommendations of the most promising expansion opportunities (taking into account any significant pre-conditions which would need to be in place to start taking contracts from specific donors);
• Prepare an accompanying presentation which highlights the key findings and recommendations.

Note that the deliverables produced in the course of this consultancy will remain the property of Mercy Corps and should not be shared with individuals or organisations outwith Mercy Corps.

Timeframe / Schedule:

It is anticipated that this consultancy should take approximately 25-30 full days, spread over two months (about 3 days a week, ideally throughout May and June 2023).

Suggested timeline as follows (subject to change following consultation and agreement with selected consultant):

Activity

Week

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Kick-Off Meeting between consultant & Mercy Corps (to set scene and inform the consultant)

x

Consultant to propose finalised set of questions (Annex A), and present report template to key stakeholders for review & comment

x

Carry out desk-based research on each institutional donor, including any direct engagement as necessary

x

x

x

x

x

Present draft version of report with research and data on two donors completed for review and comment

x

Present final report to key stakeholders, considering previous feedback, for review and final sign-off. Any final comments and feedback to be incorporated into report prior to consultancy concluding

x

The Consultant will report to:

• Sandy Biggar, Senior Contracts Manager

The Consultant will work closely with:

• Sandy Biggar, Senior Contracts Manager
• Karyn McShane, Senior Contracts Finance Manager
• Lauren Macleod, Compliance Advisor

Required Experience & Skills:

• 5-10 years of experience in relevant technical field (required);
• Clear understanding of global development funding, Official Development Assistance (ODA) and European Institutional Donors;
• Demonstrated previous experience in donor mapping exercises;
• Clear experience of the contract funding modality (in addition to the grant funding modality);
• Ability to gather and understand complex information, and quickly distinguish between what is relevant and important, and what is not;
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to write clearly, succinctly, and present complex information, in both writing and presentation skills ;
• Demonstrates professional competence and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines, achieving results and meeting deliverables to the standard agreed;
• Good research and analytical skills, including data gathering and analysing information using both qualitative and quantitative methods;
• Strong organisational skills.

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.

Application deadline: Monday 29 May, 2023. Please apply early – applications will be considered on a rolling basis.