MSD MEL Consultant

Description

Background:
Mercy Corps has worked across Iraq’s 18 governorates since 2003, implementing relief and development programming, more than a third of which has focused on the specific needs of refugees and displaced persons. Mercy Corps Iraq’s goal is to enhance the resilience of Iraqi communities to address the drivers of conflict, thrive in the face of climate change, and facilitate long-term financial independence. Mercy Corps currently implements programming in economic opportunities, water security and natural resource management, peace and good governance, and food security funded by donors that include AFD, DRL, BHA, BPRM, GIZ and GAC.

Purpose / Project Description:
Mercy Corps Iraq is implementing a market systems development (MSD) agriculture program that aims to improve the resilience capacity of farmer households in Al-Hamdaniya district of Ninewa, and Naiji, Tikrit and Samarra districts of Salah al-Din, by addressing system level constraints in the governance, agriculture, and financial sectors in order to achieve inclusive economic growth for over 10,000 farmer households.

Consultant Objectives:
● Provide technical guidance around setting up an MSD measurement system for PERMA, which includes a process for measuring systems change, and identifying areas for adaptive management within MSD interventions. 
● Support PERMA’s MEL team in developing a data management system that ensures accurate and effective capture of the systems change elements of PERMA programming, in addition to indicator progress and activity monitoring. 
● Review and provide suggestions to strengthen the monitoring approach and tools, systems for reflection, and learning practices for MSD components of PERMA program, in close coordination with program and MEL teams.
● Provide capacity building and mentoring for the MSD-MEL Coordinator to coordinate MSD MEL interventions. 
● Orient and train the PERMA program and MEL staff, on monitoring for MSD.
● Work with the MSD-MEL Coordinator of PERMA program, to ensure the integration of monitoring the MSD component to the overall PERMA MEL and indicator plan.

Consultant Activities:
The Consultant will conduct the following activities:
● Develop a structure to plan, implement and continuously improve MSD interventions, using best practice for MSD programming regionally.
● Develop a monitoring approach, tools, and systems for monitoring, reflection, and learning practices for the systems change component of the PERMA program.
● Develop scope of work for the one consultancy for qualitative research projects (in coordination with MEL Manager, MSD MEL Coordinator, and program team)
● Support the PERMA MEL team to selecting external consultants to conduct qualitative studies, including but not limiting to reviewing consultant proposals, inception reports as well as reports and other deliverables as needed
● Support with recruitment process for additional MSD support staff for the PERMA program.
● Conduct an orientation and training on the MEL MSD to the PERMA program and MEL staff, including consortium partners.
● Coordinate with the MEL Manager responsible for the PERMA program, to ensure the integration of monitoring the MSD component in the overall PERMA monitoring plan.
● Develop donor-facing learning products / success stories highlighting systems change that has taken place as a result of interventions.
● Provide a consultancy report.

Consultant Deliverables:
The Consultant will develop the following deliverables:
● Inception report, following an initial assessment of the PERMA program and key deliverables to date, including a description of systems and tools to be developed.
● Monitoring system and tools, systems for reflection, and learning practices on MSD for PERMA Program developed.
● PERMA program staff oriented and trained on systems and tools for measurement
● Donor-facing learning products / success 
● Ongoing mentorship support to MSD MEL Coordinator 
● Consultancy Report developed and submitted. 

Timeframe / Schedule:
30 working days over six months, June – November 2024

The Consultant will report to:
PERMA Team Leader and/or Regional Market Systems Advisor - Middle East?

The Consultant will work closely with:
Mercy Corps Iraq MEL Manager, PERMA Team Leader, Mercy Corps Iraq DoP, Regional Market Systems Advisor (Middle East)

Required Experience & Skills:
● Relevant advanced degree required. 
● 5-7 years’ professional experience in design and management of monitoring and evaluation systems for complex, multi-sectoral projects.
● Familiarity with the Donor Committee for Enterprise Development (DCED) Standards is essential
● Demonstrated experience monitoring facilitative project interventions using a “Making Markets work for the Poor (M4P)” 
approach and/or a value chain development approach.
● Experience in training, capacity building of partners and team members.
● Experience in impact assessment.
● Experience in providing written analyses of complex market systems, and development of system for knowledge management 
and dissemination.
● Fluency in spoken and written English. Arabic is preferred.

Diversity, Equity & InclusionAchieving 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 OpportunityWe 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 & EthicsMercy 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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