Consultant – Protection Review and Approach Development – Remote

Background:

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps’ Technical Support Unit (TSU) is a key part of the Program Department. TSU subject-matter experts help set agency technical approaches and provide consultation – from assessment and design through project implementation and results measurement – to field offices worldwide, in some of the world’s toughest places. TSU team members lead research, foster organizational learning, represent Mercy Corps to external audiences, and develop partnerships. The TSU is also integral to global business development and revenue. The Young People and Protection (YPP) department under the TSU provides technical guidance to country teams implementing adolescent and youth and focused programming as part of its Future Proof Framework, a multi-sector approach that places safety and well-being at its foundation and layers on support for knowledge and skills development, meaningful participation, and economic opportunities. In addition, other TSU departments and HQ departments coordinate with the YPP team to align Protection programming with agency policies and practices on Safeguarding and CARM.

Purpose / Project Description:

Mercy Corps is seeking a consultant to conduct an agency-wide review of its current approach to Protection in programming in both humanitarian and development settings to inform the development of a new approach for Protection in Programming. Included in this new approach will be recommendations for investing resources (financial or human) for the successful launch and sustained implementation of the approach.

The purpose of this consultancy is to:

1. Conduct a thorough review of how protection is represented in our humanitarian and development programming portfolios – including protection mainstreaming, where multi-sector programs advance protection outcomes, and stand-alone protection programming – to document current strengths and weaknesses/areas to strengthen.
2. Assess the landscape of peer agencies to conduct a competitive analysis that details where there are opportunities for Mercy Corps to strengthen and expand Protection programming.
3. Engage with cross-agency teams working on relevant overlapping initiatives such as Safeguarding and CARM to determine opportunities and strategies for deeper coordination at the HQ-level and integration into operations and programming at the country/program-level.
4. Review Mercy Corps agency strategy, Pathways to Possibility (P2P), and identify opportunities for Protection Programming to strengthen outcomes and support agency efforts to ensure Mercy Corps’ work is safe, inclusive and diverse.

Consultant Activities:

The Consultant will:

• Conduct a review of current programming detailing strengths and weaknesses/areas for improvement and write up findings in a report.
• Interview and survey agency leadership and country-level staff to better assess their understanding of protection in programming.
• Conduct a peer agency landscape review of similar organizations (not protection specialized) to determine opportunities for strengthening and expanding Mercy Corps Protection programming and write up findings in a report.
• Develop an Approach for Protection in Programming detailing recommended future direction and financial and human resource investments needed to launch and sustain implementation of the approach.

Consultant Deliverables:

The Consultant will:

• State of Protection Programming at Mercy Corps report – 5 pages
• Peer Agency Landscape Review report – 5 pages
• Approach document on Protection in Programming – 10 pages

Timeframe / Schedule:

• April 3, 2023 – Consultant start
• April 17, 2023 – State of Protection Programming draft report submitted
• April 21, 2023 – Peer Agency Landscape Report submitted
• April 28, 2023 – Approach document on Protection in Programming submitted
• May 19, 2023 – final deliverables submitted

Number of days

• 25 days

The Consultant will report to:

Director Young People and Protection

The Consultant will work closely with:

• Director Young People & Protection
• Senior Protection Advisor
• Advisor Adolescent Girls and Youth Programs
• Senior Advisor Youth Development
• Senior Director Social Inclusion
• Interview members of additional technical teams, leadership, HQ departments, and program and country teams

Competencies

• Demonstrated ability to write in a clear and concise manner.
• Demonstrated ability to organize and structure information.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Protection programming approaches in humanitarian and development contexts
• Demonstrated knowledge of operationalizing protection mainstreaming and the integration of protection outcomes in other sector programming
• Technical knowledge of GBV, Child Protection, Disability Inclusion, MHPSS and youth interventions
• Demonstrated accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to be flexible and respond to changes as part of the review and feedback process.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and work under changing circumstances.

Required skills and experience

• Masters degree or equivalent in either mental health studies, psychology, social sciences, public health, gender, protection, or international development required.
• 5-7 years of country based NGO experience in at least one field of Protection Programming (Protection, GBV, Disability Inclusion or Child Protection) and experience in MHPSS for adolescents and young people is required.
• Experience in technical approach development of protection programming for agencies working in conflict or crisis-affected settings is required.
• Previous experience developing technical approaches at organizational level
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in designing and conducting research and analysis is required.
• Experience in drafting reports and knowledge products in a related field is required.
• Excellent analytical and writing skills demonstrating fluency in English language.
• French is highly advantageous and will be an asset.
• Attention to detail

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.