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 Program Performance and Quality (PaQ) unit supports
program implementation effectiveness, ensuring our global portfolio of programs meet the aspirations for which they were designed. PaQ enables the delivery of high-quality programs by establishing and maintaining standards, championing an evidence-based practice to improve program performance, and supporting strategic program
change management. The PaQ team oversees several business processes including monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL);
program management standards; program
data management; community accountability reporting mechanisms, infrastructure
quality assurance;
field operations support; strategic change management; and facilitating the complex program process.
This year, the PaQ team, and more specifically the Strategic Leadership Team (SLT), has been tasked with leading the new Compass Objective 10 that focuses on reduced access environment and
remote management programming.
Purpose / Project Description:
With the onset of COVID19 pandemic, the challenge of reduced access has increased significantly, elevating the need to adapt our ways of working to ensure teams could continue to deliver quality programming, in safe and effective partnership with communities. Throughout 2020, Mercy Corps’ teams globally have worked tirelessly to develop new guidelines, tip-sheets, country-level SOPs and other ad hoc policies and guidance documents to support field offices to adapt and continue implementation. This metric aims to further these efforts to support quality-driven reduced access implementation for teams today and in the future.
The Mercy Corps Executive Team has therefore agreed on the necessity, and opportunity, to revive the important work that has already been done over the years on reduced access, and drive real ownership and progress in a concrete and actionable manner. The results will support teams to systemically support vulnerable communities all around the world, even when operating with reduced access and remotely. This is the reason why the Compass Objective 10 was integrated into the Compass this year, which is being led by the SLT, within the PaQ team more largely.
Consultant Objectives:
The role of the Consultant will be to support the workings of the Reduced Access Working Group (RAWG), as part of the Compass Objective 10, in order to support the Strategic Leadership Team to achieve on the Compass Objective 10’s key deliverables and outputs. They will specifically support the RAWG and its leads in review and adaptations of existing tools and guidances, kicking-off Reduced Access Programming Community of Practice and work on capturing lessons learned and case studies.
Consultant Activities and Deliverables:
The Consultant will:
1) Toolkit review, framing and adaptations; take the lead on:
- developing workplan for toolkit adaptation
- collect and consolidate of the RAWG feedback, develop adaptations plan, including proposed toolkit format and its scope
- adaptation of the toolkit v.1.0 according to the RAWG feedback
- consultations with RAWG members and external stakeholders to the RAWG to ensure comprehensive inputs are received from all departments/stakeholders
- start adapting the Remote Programming toolkit (version 2.0) and map out what may be missing
- adapt, as needed, the Reduced Access Framework to ensure consistency with Remote Programming Toolkit
- finalization of the toolkit adaptation, inclusive all feedback and comments
- advising RAWG Leads on the toolkit 2.0
- draft roll-out plan
2) Community of Practice
- finalize ToR, collect feedback from the RAWG and other stakeholders, as required
- draft the plan for promoting/socialising the Reduced Access Programming toolkit and its concept
- kick-off CoP platforms, using various Mercy Corps internal channels
3) Lessons learned and case studies: take the lead on:
- identification of case studies
- reviewing/gathering post-action reviews or final evaluations from the programs implemented in reduced access environment and/or programs that went through the adaptation process (from direct implementation to remote)
- developing the format for capturing/presenting case studies, so to support/inform the Remote Programming Models and tools
- conducting review/consultation process with the RAWG members, if required
- draft case studies, using agreed template/format
4) Other
- liaise with various teams, as need
- closely coordinate with RAWG leads
- provide inputs
Anticipated deliverables:
- Toolkit 1.0 detailed adaptation plan
- Adapted toolkit 1.0 to version 2.0
- Draft toolkit roll-out plan
- Case-studies format/structure
- Library of the related documents: post action reviews, final evaluation, etc.
- 2-3 case studies identified
- Community of Practice ToR endorsed and CoP launched
NB: This consultancy will be co-led with ideally two consultants through the month of June. Based on the availability of candidates, the workload, activities and expected deliverables will be shared among the two consultants.
Timeframe / Schedule:
The Reduced Access Working Group Advisory Consultant will be providing support throughout the consultancy period, with the following anticipated timelines for deliverables: June 1st till June 31st, 2021.
The Consultant will report to:
The Strategic Leadership Team, namely the Strategic Response Manager
The Consultant will work closely with:
Al WG members, PaQ Global and Field teams, Strategic Leadership Team, Global Field Programming, TSU, and other technical and cross operational teams.
Required Experience & Skills:
- 5-10 years of experience in a relevant technical field
- Excellent program management skills, and technically sound with setting up processes and systems against procedures, standards and policies
- Excellent understanding of Mercy Corps procedural systems in most departments (PM@MC, Finance, Compliance, Operations, HR, security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">Security etc…)
- Excellent English verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to present information logically and concisely
- Experience in Reduced Access Contexts, either directly or indirectly, including managing teams and programs remotely
- Excellent understanding and practical application of adaptive management
- Ability to work as part of diverse teams and support planning processes
- Strong organizational and presentation skills, attention to detail, and proficiency in Microsoft Office and other appropriate software
- Experience of working in international development and/or the humanitarian sector with a focus on volatile environment
Application Process and Requirements
Qualified and interested parties are asked to submit the following:
- Resume
- Cover letter, which states a daily or monthly fee rate quoted in USD
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.
