Consultancy – Climate and Water Research Lead

Description

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. 

Over the past eight years, Mercy Corps has established a reputation for quality and timely data and analysis through its network of Crisis Analysis teams. Through Crisis Analysis, the agency has carved out a niche among information providers in the humanitarian and development space, owing to the granularity, reactivity and holistic approach of our products, which focus on some of the most hard-to-reach, data-poor and complex contexts requiring assistance. This is underpinned by Mercy Corps’ status as an operational INGO, which ensures that analysis products are practicable and relevant for humanitarian actors. 

Background: 

Crisis Analysis supports Mercy Corps programs throughout the region in four key areas: programs, strategy, advocacy, and security. Since 2015, Crisis Analysis – Syria (CA–SYR) has been supporting Mercy Corps Syria, the broader response, and international donors by analyzing tightly woven aspects that are crucial to understanding Syria’s conflict legacy, current status quo, and future trajectory to paint a detailed picture of the reality of Syrian communities. CA–SYR focuses on humanitarian and security strategic analysis, both individual incidents and trends, present and forecasted, and then links this with its respective impact on the local population. CA–SYR therefore monitors social media, communicates with partners, validates data through primary sources, and interfaces with relevant international organizations to gather and collate relevant conflict, access, and stakeholder information. CA–SYR also serves as a real-time information hub; vets potential partners; assesses programmatic, partner, and operational risk; identifies and maps stakeholders; and maintains a mapped database displaying program locations, the locations of commodities and their values, and disaggregates this data by donor and risk threshold. 

Purpose / Project Description: 

As Syria’s protracted crisis continues to be multi-dimensional, highly localized, and significantly complex, the need for geographic-specific primary data is a necessity. Humanitarian and early recovery needs continue to be acute throughout the country, due to their sheer size and complex interconnected systems. Building on experience, Mercy Corps, thus, aims to further contribute to better information and analysis of these geographies throughout the country for evidence-based planning, targeting and monitoring of humanitarian and early recovery interventions. CA–SYR contributes to this goal by covering six main themes. These themes include geopolitics, political economics of survival, post-conflict challenges to governance and stability, social identity and ideology, proliferation, the impacts of negative coping mechanisms, and lastly, climate, crisis, and local adaptation.

CA–SYR has been awarded funding to deliver water-related quantitative and qualitative analysis deliverables. The Climate and Water Research Consultant will be a member of CA–SYR who will be responsible for the production of a variety of bespoke, context-driven qualitative analytical reports that are relevant to water scarcity, management, and conservation in Syria – particularly as related to contextual factors (socio-economic, conflict, governance, etc) that impact natural resource management. These reports cover a wide variety of topics, ranging from the geopolitics of water, to the consequences of drought and pollution. In addition to representing CA–SYR in the presentation of the findings of these reports to external stakeholders, the Consultant will be responsible for managing a team that includes a national research consultant and a number of field staff to assure the design and delivery of this project. In general, the Consultant will be a proficient all-source analyst and manager with a wealth of experience and knowledge regarding Syria’s climate and water-related issues. 

Consultant Objectives: 

• Lead on the timely composition of three analytical products over a span of six months, focused on water-related topics in northeast Syria.
• Lead on developing terms of reference (eg., research and analysis plans) for upcoming deliverables.
• In tandem with additional consultants and other CA–SYR staff, create and develop relevant data collection tools specific to discrete deliverables.
• Coordinate with the Field Coordinator and Deputy Field Coordinator to ensure the dissemination of research tools and data processing.
• Draft and finalize deliverables, including written narrative and data visualization; coordinate with CA–SYR’s Lead Analyst, Data & GIS Specialist, Managing Editor, and CA-SYR Director for finalization and dissemination of products.

Consultant Activities: 

The Consultant will: 

• Oversee the production of three thematic reports, in coordination and collaboration with existing CA-SYR resources, additional consultants, and external stakeholders.
• Coordinate with Lead Analyst and research consultant(s) to align team effort with project plans, program objectives and strategic goals, and ensure project progress and implementation is punctual and accurate.
• Develop data collection plans with the field coordinator and deputy field coordinator for specific projects.
• Liaise directly with Mercy Corps field coordinator to coordinate their day-to-day data collection and triangulation to ensure validity, reliability, and accuracy.
• Lead on data analysis and report production in coordination with Lead Analyst, field coordinator/deputy field coordinator and other research consultant(s).
• Effectively manage additional research consultant(s).

Consultant Deliverables: 

The Consultant will: 

• Lead the development of three thematic reports centered around water scarcity, water pollution, water governance and the geopolitics of water in northeast Syria. Topics may be presented by CA–SYR to the donor, and finalized pending their approval. Thematic briefs are intended to be deep yet narrow investigations on specific topics and dynamics, approximately 15-20 pages total(depending on inclusion of visualization) utilizing primary and secondary data sources, both qualitative and quantitative.

Timeframe / Schedule: 

This consultancy is part-time (30 days, subject to change). Overall deliverables should be finalized within six months on a rolling basis and as completed. 

The Consultant will report to: 

Lead Analyst, or CA–SYR Director 

The Consultant will work closely with: 

Research Consultant, CA–SYR Field Coordinator, CA–SYR Deputy Field Coordinator, CA–SYR Data & GiS Specialist, CA–SYR Analysts 

Required Experience & Skills: 

• 5-10 years experience of working on climate and water related issues in conflict affected areas for a think tank/research organization, UN agency, or NGO is required. Syria-relevant experience is preferred.
• Masters Degree or equivalent experience in Climate, Water, Conflict, Political Science, International Relations, Economics, or a related field is required.
• Demonstrated experience in managing research processes including: open-source desk research, creating data collection tools, data processing skills, analyzing mixed-methods data, and report production.
• Demonstrated experience in contextual research with strong focus on climate-oriented topics, ideally focused on Syria and/or the surrounding region.
• Demonstrated experience producing high-quality, evidence-based written deliverables related to humanitarian, security, governance, essential services and livelihoods contexts in Syria is an asset.
• Experience in managing researchers and coordinating with other teams.
• Fluency, both written and verbal, in English is necessary. Written and verbal command of Arabic is preferred.
• Ability to work and interact with a diverse staff from different ethnicities and backgrounds.
• Ability to conduct oneself with sensitivity and respect toward others.

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. 

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