Consultant – Refine & Implement Framing and Sensemaking Consultancy for Graduating to Sustainable Agriculture, Income, Nutrition, and Food Security

Description

About Mercy Corps 

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. Mercy Corps partners to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future. 

Mercy Corps has been operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since August 2007, with a staff of around 400 people working in Eastern DRC, with the overall country goal being to support vulnerable communities through crises while fostering programs that build resilience and promote long-term change. Mercy Corps’ national office is in Goma, with sub-field offices in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri. Mercy Corps DRC’s key programming areas include a combination of longer-term development and immediate humanitarian response programs to 1) Improve water service delivery and ensure equitable access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene services, in urban and rural areas; 2) Improve food security and nutrition; 3) Promote diversified livelihoods, economic recovery and development; 4) Support peacebuilding and local governance. Mercy Corps DRC’s humanitarian programs aim specifically to assist populations affected by the conflict and crisis in Eastern Congo.

Background

In September of 2023, Mercy Corps signed an agreement with the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA-USAID) to implement the Graduating to sustainable Agriculture, Income, Nutrition, and food Security (GAINS) Program. GAINS is a five-year, USD 105.7 million Resilient Food Security Activity (RFSA) to sustainably improve Food, Nutrition, and Economic Security (FNES) in Kasai through two Purposes and five Sub-Purposes.

• Purpose 1: Strengthened Livelihoods and Increased Incomes

SP1.1: Improved usage of credit and capital

SP1.2: Increased profitable, diverse enterprises and IGAs

SP1.3: Increased sustainable agricultural production

• Purpose 2: Improved utilization of quality food among vulnerable people

SP2.1: Improved maternal, infant, and young child nutrition behaviors (MIYCN)

SP2.2: Improved WASH behaviors

The GAINS theory of change emphasizes pathways for building resilience, including increasing access and use of resilience capacities to address climate and conflict shocks and stresses for improved food, nutrition and economic security.

The Mercy Corps-led GAINS consortium includes four international (World Vision, AVSI, and IITA/CIP) and five local (Action Paysanne, APC, Inter-Actions, SDC, SANRU) organizations. The design of GAINS is guided by four foundational principles: locally-led and people-centered, sensitivity to power and conflict dynamics, and landscape vision for climate adaptation at scale. GAINS will be implemented through a multi-sectoral, climate and conflict sensitive and gender transformative approach to support food, nutrition and economic security. Specific attention will be paid to resilience, social inclusion and power dynamics considerations across the program’s various sectors of intervention.

Objectives of the Consultancy

GAINS is conducting six formative research studies as part of the Refine & Implement (R&I) period during the first 12 months of the program. These studies are exploring the complexity around market, labor, and seeds systems, GYSI, nutrition and WASH behaviors and how they are impacted by climate and conflict shocks and stresses in the Kasai. See below for a list of the formative research studies that are being conducted.

• GYSI Analysis (formal study)
• Behavior Barrier Analysis & Sanitation Marketing Options (combined assessment based on a roadmap)
• Youth-led Systems Labor Market Assessment (formal study)
• Seeds Security System Assessment (formal study)
• Systems Network and Stakeholder Assessment
• CATALYSE – community mobilization and consultations

GAINS would like to use a common framework to analyze the findings from these studies (i.e., joint analysis framework) and apply the analysis to refine its existing Theory of Change, interventions, strategies and approaches. To do this, GAINS is seeking to recruit a consultant to design a joint analysis framework and methodology and apply it to the formative research studies with the GAINS team to recommend adaptations to the GAINS Theory of Change and design. 

Specific Objectives and Deliverables of the Consultancy:

Activity 1: Develop a Draft Joint Analytical Framework

• Task 1.1: Read and understand the GAINS program and ToC
• Task 1.2: Review different resilience analysis frameworks provided by Mercy Corps and any other secondary data/resources that will provide a theoretical basis for developing the joint analysis framework.
• Task 1.3: Become familiar with the R&I studies and assessments’ findings first by reviewing tools used, reading through the results/findings, and connecting with study leads to dig deeper into them; this may include asking for additional analysis to be conducted on the data, or reviewing data collection outputs directly.
• Task 1.4: Develop approach for analyzing formative research study findings based on review of resilience analysis frameworks and keeping the GAINS ToC in mind—perhaps through the identification of ToC themes through coding of findings, and/or the development of a framework matrix–-and present to the Mercy Corps team.

Activity 2: Analyze Findings using the Draft Joint Analysis Framework

• Task 2.1: Analyze formative research findings based on joint analysis framework
• Task 2.2: Adjust the joint analysis framework as necessary and in consultation with the Mercy Corps team
• Task 2.3: Present preliminary analysis to Mercy Corps team for feedback

Activity 3: Conduct Sensemaking Workshop to Bolster Analysis

• Task 3.1: Review any notes from any sensemaking exercises already conducted for any of the formative studies
• Task 3.2: Develop facilitation materials for Sensemaking Workshop in collaboration with Mercy Corps team
• Task 3.3: Facilitate Sensemaking Workshop and document any key insights that will affect the interpretation of the analysis, including recommendations for changes to the program’s ToC, interventions, approaches, activities, etc.

Activity 4: Draft a Full Report and Brief to Document and Communicate the Implications of the Findings from the Formative Research Studies on the GAINS program design

• Task 4.1: Prepare a draft of a full report (15 pages max) that includes a background, methodology, analysis of findings and programmatic recommendations, and that documents the suggested changes to the ToC and other major changes from the original design, which emerged from the analysis and sense-making workshop.
• Task 4.2: Incorporate feedback from Mercy Corps team and finalize full report
• Task 4.3: Develop a report brief (5 pages max) or a slidedeck that features summarized / high-level findings (format to be defined)
• Task 4.4: Incorporate feedback from Mercy Corps team and finalize report brief

Timeframe / Schedule

The proposed activities and schedule for the consultancy are summarized in the table below. The number of days required for each activity is a best-guess estimate based on past consulting experience. The consultant will charge Mercy Corps for the days used, not the estimated level of effort. Should the work require more time than the estimate, the consultant will agree on priorities and confirm changes to the consultancy workplan in writing before exceeding the agreed-upon estimate. The anticipated completion dates are based on a consultancy agreement starting on June 15, 2024 and ending on September 30, 2024. The total estimated LOE is 30 days.

Table 1 – Consultancy Activities, Schedule and Estimated Level of Effort 

Activity 

LOE

Activity 1: Develop a Draft Joint Analytical Framework 

In total

6 days

Task 1.1: Read and understand the GAINS program and ToC

1 day

Task 1.2: Review different resilience analysis frameworks provided by Mercy Corps and any other secondary data/resources that will provide a theoretical basis for developing the joint analysis framework. 

1 days

Task 1.3: Become familiar with the R&I studies and assessments’ findings. 

2 days

Task 1.4: Develop approach for analyzing formative research study findings and present to the Mercy Corps team.

2 days

Activity 2: Analyze Findings using the Draft Joint Analysis Framework 

In total

4.5 days

Task 2.1: Analyze formative research findings based on joint analysis framework 

3.5 days

Task 2.2: Adjust the joint analysis framework as necessary and in consultation with the Mercy Corps team 

.5 day

Task 2.3: Present preliminary analysis to Mercy Corps team for feedback 

.5 day

Activity 3: Conduct Sensemaking Workshop to Bolster Analysis

In total

10 days

Task 3.1: Review any notes from any sensemaking exercises already conducted for any of the formative studies 

1 day

Task 3.2: Develop facilitation materials for Sensemaking Workshop in collaboration with Mercy Corps team

2 days

Task 3.3: Facilitate Sensemaking Workshop and document any key insights that will affect the interpretation of the analysis, including recommendations for changes to the program’s ToC, interventions, approaches, activities, etc. 

3 days

Travel days to/from Tshikapa

4 days

Activity 4: Draft a Full Report and Brief to Document and Communicate the Implications of the Findings from the Formative Research Studies on the GAINS program design

In total

8.5 days

Task 4.1: Prepare a draft of a full report (15 pages max).

5 days

Task 4.2: Incorporate feedback from Mercy Corps team and finalize full report

1.5 days

Task 4.3: Develop a report brief (5 pages max) or a slidedeck that features summarized / high-level findings (format to be defined)

1 day

Task 4.4: Incorporate feedback from Mercy Corps team and finalize report brief

1 day

Administrative Tasks (calls, work planning, etc.)

1 day

Mercy Corps Responsibilities

Mercy Corps will provide the Consultant with the necessary support to undertake and implement the assignment and execute the objective of this SoW. Such responsibilities include:

• Provide relevant documents and technical support to the Consultant.
• Orient the consultant on any relevant program and institutional information.
• Support the desk review process with the consultant by providing documents (if necessary) and feedback.
• Provide backstopping service in study design, data analysis, and report finalization process.
• Monitor regularly, provide feedback, and ensure the effectiveness of the study.
• Disburse payment as per the agreed schedule in the Consulting Contract.
• Provide details on the primary audience for the report brief and will advise on how to tailor the report for the audience.

Skills and Knowledge Requirements

• Have a minimum of five to seven years of experience in program’s assessments & research design and implementation.
• Master degree or equivalent required in Development Studies, Sociology, Agriculture or a related field.
• Specific experience and expertise in data analysis and recommendations for program interventions; ideally within a USAID/BHA-funded Resilient Food Security Activity (RFSA).
• Extensive research skills and capacity-sharing experience.
• Experience in participatory approaches and in processing and analyzing qualitative data.
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively under tight deadlines.
• Knowledge of resilience approaches is preferred.
• Fluent in spoken and written English and French.
• Qualitative analytical skills and knowledge of qualitative analysis software such as MAXQDA or NViVo.

The consultant will report to:

The consultant will report to the Senior Learning Advisor.

The Consultant will work closely with:

The Chief of Party and Deputy Chief of Party, and other members of the GAINS Program Management team, including the Sr Global Resilience Advisor, GAINS GYSI Lead, Purpose 1 and Purpose 2, and M&E Lead, and other relevant staff across the consortium.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for this opportunity, the consultant should provide the following documents:

• CV
• A cover letter describing their relevant experience, and a proposed daily rate.
• 1-2 short writing samples.

Diversity, Equity and 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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