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.
Mercy Corps and its consortium partners are implementing a five-year USAID/Food for Peace funded program entitled Nawiri in Turkana and Samburu Counties of Kenya focused on nutrition resilience. The program aims to sustainably reduce persistent acute malnutrition in the two counties using a multi-sectoral program approach that integrates resilient livelihoods, access to improved water, health, and sanitation services, and strengthening enabling systems for nutrition from household to national level. Nawiri has dedicated the first two years (Phase 1) to implementing an action research agenda to inform the program design to achieve the program’s goal in the remaining three years (Phase 2).
The program is currently embarking on an ambitious implementation plan to layer and integrate a series of interventions that address both immediate and systemic drivers of acute malnutrition, while addressing the effects of extreme drought and the global food crisis in implementation areas. Throughout all stages, the program is working closely with government, community, and private sector partners.
After the submission of its Year 5 PREP and three-year cost extension, the Nawiri program is working to scale implementation to 35 wards based on newly refined technical models in the form of intervention standard operating procedures (SOPs), and the team is looking for support in the following areas:
Guidance for and framing of technical brief, success story, and learning product creation, including: Liaising with technical leads to unpack key technical approaches and existing data to understand gaps in Nawiri’s technical story Synthesizing additional qualitative data collection to fill these gaps through both technical and narrative storytelling Supporting the documentation, prioritization, framing, and production of learning products Mentorship around Nawiri resilience story identification, collection, and productionThe Consultant will:
Provide technical backstopping around drought response technical brief (Jun): Led by CLA, contribute to and participate in key informant interviews with technical teams to support the framing of Nawiri’s approach and lessons-learned from the drought response, including outline, lessons-learned, and key messages Support the team in assessing what data is required to build a powerful narrative to integrate within the technical brief and what gaps in resilience stories remain Provide feedback/comments on technical learning briefs outlines and drafts Directly support team production of the poverty graduation technical brief (Jun-Jul): Review reports, SOPs, and existing success stories to understand Nawiri’s current framing of poverty graduation and related integrated approaches Conduct key informant interviews with technical teams to support the framing of Nawiri’s technical approach to the drought response, including key messages and lessons learned Support the team in assessing what data is available to integrate within the technical brief and what gaps in the story remain Begin developing qualitative data tools to fill data gaps Develop 3 externally facing products for use in August learning event (Jul-Aug): Collaborate with team to prioritize 2 high-level learning products for creation that may be used in August learning event Provide support for team to develop 2 learning products with input from technical leads Solicit and incorporate feedback in refined draft Collaborate with graphic designer to outline and execute any design elements (e.g., figures, diagrams) and finalize the overall design Finalize and submit designed drafts - at least 1 product will be the same as those identified in the processes above Input into August review and reflection meeting processes, including themes and structure, based on review Provide ongoing mentorship regarding story/learning identification, collection, and documentation (Jun-Oct): Engage with Communications Lead during technical visits (i.e., activity #1) to support deeper program learning around technical approaches and reflect on implications for storytelling systems Discuss feedback (i.e., provided through activity #1) on team’s existing stories, further unpacking technical approaches and potential pending questions Strengthen Nawiri processes, systems, and capacity for technical learning and story production (Sep-Oct): Synthesize approach to technical learning and story identification, including guidance and templates Facilitate feedback session on technical learning and storytelling process Partner with Communications Lead to refine approaches around story/learning visit preparation, documentation, and story writing Serve as sounding board for Communications Lead in developing a strategic communications process and guidanceThrough Aug 15 (remote):
Provide technical backstopping around one and lead another technical brief Develop 3 externally facing products (inclusive of technical learning brief above) for use in August learning eventSep 1-Oct 31 (remote, in country):
Strengthen Nawiri processes, systems, and capacity for technical learning and story production, including synthesizing approaches to technical learning and story identification, including guidance and templatesOngoing (remote, in country):
Provide on-going mentorship support in story/learning identification, collection, and documentationMaximum number of remote days: 25
Maximum number of in country days including travel days: 9 days
Total: 34
Chief of Party
Experience and Qualifications:
5-10 years of experience in a technically relevant fieldStrong understanding of resilience and its technical application in a program context Extensive experience with capturing program outcome stories from a resilience perspective Knowledge of and experience in Northern Kenya Knowledge of and extensive understanding of USAID BHA programs, and multi-sectoral approach to resilience-building Strong capacity-strengthening and facilitation experience Ability to work in diverse culturesDiversity, 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.
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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.