PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY: Mercy Corps works almost exclusively in fragile and conflict-affected environments. While we recognize that these are difficult places to operate, we believe that transitional environments – countries affected by civil wars, economic and political crisis, or natural disasters – offer tremendous opportunities for positive change. We currently implement over 30 integrated peacebuilding and economic development programs in some of the world’s toughest places, including Ethiopia, Liberia, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda.
Mercy Corps implements a UKAID-funded integrated peacebuilding and economic development program in the Middle Belt states of Nigeria. This three-year program, which began in December 2012, incorporates strong economic development and natural resource management elements in order to address underlying drivers of conflict and build cooperation between conflicting communities and build links between communities, private sector and governmental processes.culled from www.justjobsng.com
GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY: The Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Advisor will provide leadership, in collaboration with the Program Manager and the Country Director, in all aspects of monitoring, evaluation and information management of the program. The MEL Advisor will contribute to program planning to ensure adherence to Mercy Corps’ standards, including the use of standardized indicators and documentation methodologies. Throughout the life of the program, s/he will be responsible for cross-cutting programmatic information management within the framework of the program, monitoring and evaluation, ensuring that information collected is reflected upon, used for continuous improvement of ongoing programs, and is incorporated into consistently high quality reports. S/he will have responsibility for leading research efforts, networking with research agencies, documenting project impacts, and overseeing field-based M&E staff.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
Technical Leadership
Ensure that monitoring systems meet the requirements of the donor and that performance results can be used for continuous improvement.Adapt existing Mercy Corps monitoring tools, as well as propose new ways of measuring change through the use of both quantitative and qualitative data collection tools, analysis of secondary data, and, where appropriate, remote monitoring techniques.Coordinate internal and external reviews and lead the analysis of findings, with a strong emphasis on learning.As a strategic leader, actively participate in management meetings and country-wide strategy sessions.Strengthen staff capacity in qualitative and quantitative monitoring and evaluation tools through comprehensive staff training and coaching.Take the lead in aligning, collecting and reporting on relevant program indicators to the organizational-wide M&E system, Mission Metrics.
Management of the Program Monitoring, Evaluation and Information System
Ensure that the Integrated Peacebuilding and Economic Development program gathers, maintains and reports upon quality and verifiable data using valid and appropriate qualitative and quantitative tools.Establish and manage a database to track progress towards meeting project goals and objectives.Address shortfalls in monitoring, evaluation and information management that affect program implementation.
Communication
Strengthen linkages with other internal agency resources, including the Learning Management System, Digital Library, the Hub, and Clearspace, to enhance organizational learning.Coordinate with Mercy Corps’ HQ-based Technical Support Unit (TSU) to guide process of ex-ante, ex-post and midterm evaluation, from the design, implementation and documentation phases.Participate in M&E-related working groups and maintain close working relationships with MEL counterparts in other relevant international NGOs, and local NGOs and associations in Nigeria.
Research Coordination
Identify quality research partners and increase their capacity to examine and document issues related to (1) the economic cost of conflict on pastoralist and farmer livelihoods and related markets and (2) the benefits of gazetting and grazing reserves to the quality of life, and livelihoods, of pastoralists.Maintain regular contact with research agencies, oversee partnerships, work to increase their skills and product quality.Liaise with other entities conducting related research to ensure coordination of efforts.
Organizational Learning:As part of Mercy Corps' agency-wide Organizational Learning Initiative, all team members are responsible for spending 5% of their work time in formal and/or non-formal professional learning activities.
Accountability to Beneficiaries:
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our participants and to international standards guiding international relief and development work while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: MEL Partner Staff
ACCOUNTABILITY:
REPORTS DIRECTLY TO:Program Manager
WORKS DIRECTLY WITH:Mercy Corps, finance, and country representation departments in Abuja. The Program Manager works directly with relevant Mercy Corps headquarters units as necessary, including Mercy Corps’ Conflict Management Group and Economic and Market Development team and various administrative/financial units.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Postgraduate degree in development studies, research methods, statistics, social sciences, measurement and evaluation, project planning and management or other relevant field preferredMinimum 6-8 years of active M&E work experience in development programming required; ideal candidate will have both theoretical and practical background in M&E and skilled in qualitative and quantitative M&E methodologies and techniques.Familiarity and experience with both peacebuilding programming and either economic development or natural resource management programming, preferably in the Middle Belt.Knowledge of major aspects of program development, implementation and documentation and excellent verbal and written communication skills required.Excellent computer skills, including experience with: Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Epi-Info, Epi-Data, SPSS, Access, SQL, and any other statistical packages.Demonstrated understanding of intermediate and advanced statistics and the ability to summarize, generalize, and make predictions from large data sets.Ability to conceptualize, plan and implement program activities creatively, as well as possess the ability to analyze data and utilize lessons learned for the continuous improvement of program implementation and to promote a culture of learning.Fluency in written and verbal English required and Hausa strongly preferred.
SUCCESS FACTORS:
The successful MEL Advisor will have the ability to multi-task, set priorities, and work under tight deadlines within a complex team. S/he will demonstrate strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills and be committed to the values and mission of Mercy Corps. S/he will take initiative and contribute to team efforts, as well as demonstrate an ability to communicate and assume leadership.
LIVING /ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:
This position is based in Abuja with up to 50% travel, primarily to locations within the Middle Belt states of Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, and Benue, where security is at times high-risk.
Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps' policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
How to apply:
All applications should be sent to mercycorpshr@gmail.comwith MONITORING, EVALUATION & LEARNING ADVISOR as the subject of the email, applications without the subject properly addressed will be disqualified. Submission should be on or before 14TH April 2014.
lease email the following with the subject line “Application for Briquette Production Trainer of Trainers Consultant”:
CV/resumeBrief narrative outlining approach and prior relevant experienceBudget in line with deliverable table outlined aboveList of references
Background:
Recurring violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt has consistently undermined the region’s development. Conflict between pastoralists and farmers in the region has increasingly taken on religious overtones as Christian farmers clash with Muslim pastoralists over scarce natural resources. With funding from DFID, Mercy Corps is working to prevent and resolve conflict between pastoralists and farmers in four Middle Belt states, with an emphasis on conflicts that cross religious lines and negatively affect local livelihoods and economic growth. Our program addresses underlying drivers of community conflict by preventing the escalation of ethno-religious violence and creating incentives for government, the private sector and community members to work proactively to promote stability.culled from www.justjobsng.com
The importance of improved sustainability of dispute resolution through economic and natural resource initiatives cannot be over emphasized. Linking economic development to dispute resolution is one of the strongest lessons learned by Mercy Corps through years of implementing peace building programmes. In order to support the sustainability of dispute resolution agreements and prevent the emergence of new conflicts, local leaders with inputs from their community will identify and implement economic and natural resource initiatives that will address the underlying drivers of the disputes and mitigate potential impacts on agreements.
Purpose / Project Description:
Mercy Corps and partners Pastoral Resolve and Education as Vaccine are preparing to undertake capacity building initiatives that focus on making Cooking/Biomass Fuel Briquettes from Agricultural and Domestic Waste. These training programs will bring together members of conflicting groups, primarily from farmer and pastoralist communities throughout the Middle Belt, and will address a substantial economic need—related to natural resource management—experienced by both communities, as determined through Mercy Corps assessments. Mercy Corps seeks an International Consultant with experience in providing trainings in rural communities to implement a training of trainers (TOT) program on the production of cooking fuel briquette from agricultural and other domestic waste. The TOT will be implemented at project sites as per Mercy Corps assessments in the region, potentially in Nasarawa, Plateau, and Benue states. The participants will be selected by Mercy Corps based on thorough consultations with the communities.
These trainings will use applied learning techniques to help build the capacity of the benefiting community members on how to produce fuel briquette from agro waste and other solid waste generated domestically, and will employ an integrated approach to income generation, environmental cleanliness and conservation. The trainings are part of a suite of joint economic activities that will foster economic interdependence and promote increased collaboration related to natural resource management, and so this will serve as the foundation for future economic and resource management programming in target communities. Once community members are trained in briquette production, Mercy Corps and other local organizations will facilitate the development of briquette-making cooperatives and will facilitate market linkages in order to ensure sustainability and market integration.
Consultancy Objectives:
The purpose of these training initiatives is to build the capacity of the community members with the requisite skills to process high quality cooking fuel briquette from agro and other solid waste generated within the environment, fuel briquette with the capacity for higher income generation for the communities and to stimulate economic activities within the participating communities. The training will simultaneously promote economic interdependence between two previously conflicting communities. This project aims to reduce resource competition, increase economic opportunity, and promote cooperation between the pastoralist and the farming communities of the focal states. The participants will be selected by the community leaders of both the pastoralist and the farming communities.
The training program will as well build the capacity of the participants with the requisite modern skills for facilitation to enable them step down trainings to other communities and make them more economically independent and generate additional income that can help to improve livelihoods within the communities.
The consultant will be responsible for training community members, including male and female leaders, youth and non-youth, to train their peers in briquette production. The consultant should have intimate knowledge not only of briquette production, but also of local construction of machinery that produces/presses briquettes.
Consultant Activities:
The Consultant will:
Modify/prepare a curriculum for the TOT, subject to Mercy Corps approval.Finalize training agenda and curricula for training.Prepare for the TOT in consultation with Mercy Corps and partnersConduct TOT with assistance of Mercy Corps and local partners in facilitation and interpretation (Consultant is not expected to know Hausa, though knowledge of Hausa will benefit the application)Consult with local carpenters and supervise the construction of at least one briquette pressTrainees conduct a step down training at the community level with the supervision of the consultantSubmit a brief training report highlighting the major successes and challenges, as well as participant’s comments.Submit video clip of the training and digital photos in an electronic formatThe Consultant may be asked to carry out pre and post survey of the trainings.
The Consultant will report to:
Economic and Market Development Advisor
The Consultant will work closely with:
Program Manager, as well as partner organizations and consultants
Qualifications/Requirements:
At least 3-5 years of experience implementing trainings in rural communitiesAt least 2 years of experience in conducting training of trainer on cooking fuel briquette production using agricultural and other domestic wasteBA or equivalent in economic development, environmental studies, or other relevant degree.Previous international development experience, including waste management, economic development, or climate change projects.English language abilitiesAbility to facilitate effectively with diverse groups of people, including women and youthExcellent interpersonal skillsStrong writing skillsProven track record of implementing TOTs successfully
Preferred:
Masters degree in relevant subjectHausa language abilitiesExperience working or living in Nigeria or other West African countries
Please email the following to mercycorpsng@gmail.com with the subject line “Application for Briquette Production Trainer of Trainers Consultant”:
CV/resumeBrief narrative outlining approach and prior relevant experienceBudget in line with deliverable table outlined aboveList of references
Please email the following with the subject line “Application for Economics of Peace and Conflict Research Senior Consultant”:
CV/resumeBrief narrative outlining approach and prior relevant experienceList of references
Background:
Since the late 1990s, Mercy Corps has managed over 100 peacebuilding projects in over 30 countries and regions, making Mercy Corps a true leader in the field. We currently implement 34 peacebuilding programs in some of the world’s toughest places. In Nigeria, Mercy Corps is currently implementing a program called Conciliation in Nigeria through Community-Based Conflict Management and Cooperative Use of Resources (CONCUR).With UKAID funding, Mercy Corps aims to prevent and resolve conflict between pastoralists and farmers in the four Middle Belt states of Nasarawa, Plateau, Kaduna, and Benue, with an emphasis on conflicts that cross religious lines and negatively impact local livelihoods and economic growth. The program addressed the underlying drivers of community conflict, preventing the escalation of ethno-religious violence and incentivizing government, the private sector, and community members to take proactive measures to promote stability.
Purpose / Project Description:
TheCONCUR project has a total of three outputs. Output 3 is “increased support for long-term policy solutions among local and national leaders through business-led research and advocacy.” The first activity in Output 3 is to conduct three studies exploring the economic costs of pastoralist/farmer conflict. In collaboration with Nigerian business leaders and associations, Mercy Corps will conduct research to better understand the economic impact of pastoralist/farmer conflict on specific markets and to identify opportunities for promoting inclusive economic growth through reduced pastoralist/farmer conflict.
Consultant Objectives:
The senior consultant on this project will lead the planning, research, and implementation stages of this economic study on the costs of conflict and benefits of peace. The senior consultant will form the methodology of the project and direct the initial stages of field research. The period of this consultancy is ten (10) days, five (5) in Abuja, Nigeria and five (5) working remotely.
Consultant Activities:
The Consultant will:
Fly to Abuja, Nigeria to lead research design from the Mercy Corps Nigeria headquartersLead the construction of research design, methodology and work planWork remotely to complete research design, methodology and work plan after returning from Nigeria
The Consultant will report to:
Program Manager for the CONCUR program.
The Consultant will work closely with:
The senior consultant will also be working closely with the Conflict Management and Market Development Fellow for CONCUR, the Economic and Market Development Advisor for CONCUR, and a junior consultant hired specifically for this project.
Please email the following to mercycorpsng@gmail.com with the subject line “Application for Economics of Peace and Conflict Research Senior Consultant”:
CV/resumeBrief narrative outlining approach and prior relevant experienceList of references
Background:
Over recent years in West Africa the combination of severe drought, ongoing conflict and underlying structural issues, including gender imbalances and tumultuous democratic transitions, have placed tens of millions of individuals at risk of ‘catastrophic’ food and livelihood insecurity. The convergence of severe natural, economic and security-related shocks has cultivated a complex crisis significantly impeding livelihood security of the most vulnerable poorest populations throughout the region.
Since 2012, Mercy Corps has been working with communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt states to create lasting and positive change, focusing on the underlying drivers of conflict and opportunities for young women. Mercy Corps proposes to conduct a vulnerability and capacity assessment (VCA) in three states in Northern Nigeria to better understand the drivers and levers for positive change amidst the sea of ongoing challenges.
Purpose / Project Description:
Vulnerability and capacity assessments provide a methodology to answer the four key questions to resilience - Resilience to what? Resilience for whom? Resilience for what? Resilience through what? The VCA will help to identify weaknesses in key socio-ecological systems and potential future hazards that may exacerbate such weaknesses; and therefore helping to create a baseline from which changes in resilience can be measured.
Rather than viewing a VCA as a single assessment, Mercy Corps sees VCAs as a well-coordinated series of assessments. These may use established tools or be designed for a specific purpose. Used together they help to develop an understanding of the complex systems communities operate within.
Mercy Corps has developed a vulnerability assessment methodology that aims to understand vulnerability across scales. As such, information will be collected and analysed at the community, regional, and national level. Data driven, top-down, assessments will be complimented by qualitative, bottom-up information collected from communities and stakeholders from across the region.
Consultant Objectives:
By conducting a vulnerability and capacity assessment of Northern Nigeria, the consultant will support Mercy Corps to meet the following objectives:
Inform the development of a broad strategy to reduce chronic poverty for Northern Nigeria.Influence the funding strategies of Northern Nigeria for DFID and other major donors.Identify potential partners and better understand their capacities.Identify drivers of vulnerability to continue to monitor after the initial assessment is complete based on indicators designed in collaboration with DFID.Build the capacity of the DFID country team to facilitate additional vulnerability assessment processes.Contribute to the ongoing efforts of the Mercy Corps’ Resilience Initiative by helping to further understand how VCAs can contribute to resilience-building programmes.
Mercy Corps seeks to understand the following research questions through the VCA in Northern Nigeria:
Identifying who, where & how large the most vulnerable & marginalised communities are, what are the key identifiable characteristics (e.g. ethnicity, economic activities, access to land & inputs, access to government services, etc.)Which shocks and stresses most affect the most marginalized groups? How do frequency and/or severity of shocks affect these groups? Are there different coping mechanisms at different levels of social structure (e.g. household, community, state)?What coping mechanisms (both positive and negative) are the most marginalized groups relying on? Are these strategies getting more or less available/successful over time?What is stopping people from investing in high-risk, high-return opportunities that generate growth? What are the opportunities related to adopting low external input strategies?What is the effect of patronage on the social system?
Consultant Activities:
Phase I: Expert & Key Informant Interviews
Conduct literature review to collect and analyse relevant data and information from the established body of studies regarding the target communities, and more general literature about the Northern Nigeria region (engaging bilaterally graduate programs at Ado Bayero University, University of Maiduguri and the Federal University of Agriculture in Makurdi).Conduct expert interviews to validate, prioritize, and further enrich information gathered through the desk review. Individuals interviewed will be experts on food security, agriculture, land tenure, governance, climate, water, and conservation issues in Northern Nigeria.Conduct key informant interviews with ministry officials in each state with the purpose of identifying district level data on the shocks and stresses facing communities.
Phase 2: Community Data Collection
Liase with partner organizations to conduct twelve (12) community assessments on livelihood assets and coping strategies of community members and the type of impacts they are experiencing as a result of shocks and stresses. Target communities will be selected to provide a sample across the 3 target state districts.Assessments will make use of focus group discussions, livelihood and asset mapping, and hazard and impact ranking to provide additional information at the local scale and “ground truth” broad landscape scale data collected during the expert interviews and desk research.
Phase 3: Workshops and Strategy Design
An analysis workshop with district government officials, technical experts, and partner organizations will be organized to synthesize and analyse information from the previous steps, as well as contribute to initial strategy development.Mercy Corps will convene a strategy design session with a more focused group of its implementing partners to build upon the analysis workshop and develop an action plan to apply VCA findings to future food security and conflict resolution program design.
Consultant Deliverables:
The Consultant will:
Refine a methodology for the overall VCA. Select, produce and contextualize data collection tools.Oversee data collection process and data cleaning.Analyse data in an ongoing and iterative manner, sharing results as they are analysed and re-forming data collection as the process evolves.Document a case study on the process of developing the VCA methodology that highlights lessons learned - developed for an international audience.Develop a case study on the methodology’s application and projected potential impact on program design - developed for international audiences.
How to apply:
APPLY HERE
Background:
Since the late 1990s, Mercy Corps has managed over 100 peacebuilding projects in over 30 countries and regions, making Mercy Corps a true leader in the field. We currently implement 34 peacebuilding programs in some of the world’s toughest places. In Nigeria, Mercy Corps is currently implementing a program called Conciliation in Nigeria through Community-Based Conflict Management and Cooperative Use of Resources (CONCUR).With UKAID funding, Mercy Corps aims to prevent and resolve conflict between pastoralists and farmers in the four Middle Belt states of Nasarawa, Plateau, Kaduna, and Benue, with an emphasis on conflicts that cross religious lines and negatively impact local livelihoods and economic growth. The program addressed the underlying drivers of community conflict, preventing the escalation of ethno-religious violence and incentivizing government, the private sector, and community members to take proactive measures to promote stability.
Purpose / Project Description:
TheCONCUR project has a total of three outputs. Output 3 is “increased support for long-term policy solutions among local and national leaders through business-led research and advocacy.” The first activity in Output 3 is to conduct three studies exploring the economic costs of pastoralist/farmer conflict. In collaboration with Nigerian business leaders and associations, Mercy Corps will conduct research to better understand the economic impact of pastoralist/farmer conflict on specific markets and to identify opportunities for promoting inclusive economic growth through reduced pastoralist/farmer conflict.
Consultant Objectives:
The junior consultant on this project will assist the senior consultant with the planning, research, and implementation stages of this economic study on the costs of conflict. The junior consultant will help form the methodology of the project and direct the initial stages of field research. The period of this consultancy is ten (10) days, five (5) in Abuja, Nigeria and five (5) working remotely.
Consultant Activities:
The Consultant will:
Fly to Abuja, Nigeria to assist in research design from the Mercy Corps Nigeria headquartersAssist in the construction of research methodology and research designWork remotely to complete research design, methodology and work plan after returning from Nigeria
The Consultant will report to:
Program Manager for the CONCUR program
The Consultant will work closely with:
The junior consultant will also be working closely with the Conflict Management and Market Development Fellow for CONCUR, the Economic and Market Development Advisor for CONCUR, and a senior consultant hired specifically for this project.
How to apply:
Please email the following to mercycorpsng@gmail.com with the subject line “Application for Economics of Peace and Conflict Research Junior Consultant”:
CV/resumeBrief narrative outlining approach and prior relevant experienceList of references
