Consultant – Technology for Development 5 Year Strategy Refresh – Remote

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.

The Technology for Development (T4D) team is housed within the Program Department’s Technical Support Unit (TSU). It collaborates with Mercy Corps’ global teams and external partners to unlock new possibilities that increase program quality, impact, and innovation, helping improve more lives through the power of technology. Our mission and purpose are to drive sustainable and scalable program impact through responsible application of existing and emerging digital technologies.

Purpose / Project Description:

The Technology for Development (T4D) team is concluding a 5-year funding partnership which provided considerable support for agency activities like deepening data science capacity, rolling out a unified MEL tech suite, connectivity for programmatic and operational efficiencies for country offices, and digitizing program approaches to peacebuilding, governance, and cash and voucher assistance. In response to the conclusion of this 5 year funding cycle, the launch of the new Mercy Corps ten year global strategy as well as the Technical Support Unit’s vision for technical leadership at Mercy Corps, T4D is now looking to review and align its mission, vision and team strategy to these new realities. We want to determine where to further invest in terms of human resources, programmatic support and research, where to develop new digital initiatives, and where to sunset existing initiatives.

To this end, the T4D team is seeking a consultant/consultancy to assist our team in guiding the creation of refreshed vision, mission and team strategy. The strategy refresh should ensure T4D is not only aligned with the agency-wide strategic priorities but also the evolving landscape of technology for development. It must also be centered on amplifying and deepening programmatic efficiencies and impact.

Consultant Objectives:

The objective of the consultancy is to articulate how T4D’s vision, mission and strategic approach should evolve over the next 3-5 years to advance Mercy Corps’ new global strategy. The T4D strategy refresh should address recommendations for digital technology approaches, building off of other existing strategy exercises. The refresh will articulate T4D’s remit and value add as well as opportunities for future investment.

Consultant Activities:

The Consultant will be responsible for:

• Process management and meeting facilitation

1. 1. Delivery of a clear, easily operationalized, workplan to effectively deliver on this scope of work
   2. Facilitate meetings and other engagements using user-centered, iterative and appreciative approaches to deliver on this scope of work
   3. Engage with stakeholders from a vision sprint conducted in Jan 2021 as well as wider stakeholders from agency strategy process to inform the deliverables

• Organizational and landscape scan

1. 1. Review the 2030 Global Strategy of Mercy Corps (including outcome themes, chapeau, commitments and operational initiatives), TSU Vision 3.0 documentation, T4D existing strategy documents (Program Tech Vision Sprint and CEO Deep Dive deck), and other relevant documents
   2. Conduct stakeholder mapping and analysis, including
      1. Engage with internal T4D, Corporate and Foundations Resource Development, IT, MEL and Programs Standards Teams in PaQ, HLR, Ventures, and TSU, and select country and regional teams to refine strategy
      2. Review the enabling environment considerations for achieving T4D mandate and provide recommendations on strategy refresh operationalization.
      3. Strategic gaps and needs of the organization related to T4D (re: human and financial resources, strategic linkages)
      4. Country/Regional strategy alignment and integration
      5. Review existing grants (namely Cisco and AWS funds) and lessons learned (what do stakeholder think about the success/challenges of the two grants)

• Drafting and iteration of Strategic Plan

1. 1. 1. Based on a consultative, iterative process and application of this analysis, identify key focus areas and strategic objectives for T4D
      2. Develop a T4D strategic framework refresh with key objectives and results
      3. Facilitate stakeholder meetings/workshops to validate the draft strategic framework (at least 2 workshops and 30-40 individual interviews)

• Finalize Strategic Plan document
• Overall project management

1. 1. Regular meetings and status reports to keep project on schedule
   2. Planning, coordinating and documenting all meetings, including stakeholder consultations sessions and workshops. Documentation saved in identified shared repository
   3. Jointly identifying tools for gathering input (re: surveys, etc.)

Consultant Deliverables:

The consultant will deliver:

1. Initial strategic planning roadmap/workplan
2. Organizational and landscape assessment, including peer organizations and private funder areas of focus (5-10 pages)
3. Draft strategic plan
4. Final strategic plan, including a visual and narrative documentation of a 3 to 5-year strategy plan including a results and resources framework with indicative indicators. The plan will articulate how it builds on existing initiatives and learnings, Pathway to Possibility agency strategy, the wider landscape of peer organizations and funding bodies, and country strategy alignment. Within that plan, discuss priority activities based on funding availability and relevance to existing institutional and country/regional capacities. (includes 15-25 page document with accompanying powerpoint presentation with speaker notes)
5. 7-10 page report on the process, including stakeholder consultations and workshop notes

Timeframe / Schedule:

• August: Assessment
• September: Review against organizational strategy
• October: Conclude recommendations

The Consultant will report to:

Senior Director, Technology for Development

The Consultant will work closely with:

T4D, TSU teams, agency strategy stakeholders, country teams.

Required Experience & Skills:

• 5-10 years of experience in relevant technical field (T4D, humanitarian and development)
• Experience leading strategic review process and implementing on strategy revisions
• High level written and oral communication skills in English
• Demonstrated experience working with diverse, remote teams
• Preferred experience working with development and humanitarian organizations, specifically country and regional teams and programs

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.