Background:
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. Now, and for the future.
Mercy Corps began working in Kenya in 2008 and has to date built a robust and diverse portfolio of programs aimed at sustainably improving the lives and livelihoods of Kenyans affected by poverty, resource scarcity and conflict. To do this, we deliver integrated programming to strengthen resilience, market and governance systems, address the root causes of conflict, and equip vulnerable populations- in particular youth, women, adolescents and marginalized social groups- with the skills, opportunities and resources they need to be healthy, productive, and drive the development of their communities. Mercy Corps Kenya also collaborates with Mercy Corps teams and partners in neighboring countries to implement a number of multi-country and cross-border programs.
Purpose / Project Description:
Mercy Corps and its consortium partners are implementing a five-year USAID/Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA)-funded program entitled USAID 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 over a five-year period 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. USAID Nawiri 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.
USAID Nawiri's implementation started in the midst of one of the most severe drought crises in 40 years, causing catastrophic humanitarian needs in the Horn of Africa. The program is implementing an emergency response (Drought Emergency Response - DER) that includes cash transfers to ultra-poor households in Turkana and Samburu Counties. At the same time, the program is launching activities designed to support and strengthen resilient livelihood systems and sustainable livelihood pathways. A resilient livelihood draft strategy was designed based on research and analysis including Household Economic analysis (HEA), Cost Of Diet (COD) Study and other food and labor markets studies. These highlighted how livelihood strategies not only need to be specifically tailored to livelihood zones and contexts but need to be intentional about how they contribute to nutrition outcomes beyond increased income, production and general market systems strengthening. They need to consider social behavioral change strategies that increase willingness and ability to pay for nutritious diets and associated nutrition services (water/health/education/natural resources), and ensure production, income strengthening, livelihood diversification and market connections. Resilient Livelihoods interventions must then support households to maintain a sufficient level of cash flow achieved with the cash transfers in this emergency phase that stimulates demand for nutritious food items and associated commodities, and that the market continues to be able to respond with sufficient supply.
The program is recruiting a consultant for 3 months, with possible extension if needed, to work with the Resilient Livelihoods teams to assess and refine a coherent strategy for supporting and strengthening resilient livelihood systems and sustainable livelihoods pathways that contribute to sustainable reductions in persistent acute malnutrition and broader goals of nutrition security. This strategy must be informed by evidence and learning, tailored to context, and translated into a detailed implementation plan, inclusive of results chains, population segmentation and detailed targeting plan. It should also inform a learning agenda to frame and focus adaptive learning. This person will ensure that the strategy and resulting plan are grounded in principles and practices of poverty economics (including graduation) and market systems development that address the economic feasibility, value for money, and sustainability of different livelihood approaches to shocks and stresses. S/he should have excellent knowledge of macro and micro-economics, market systems applied to agriculture and food and how to strengthen them in arid land contexts.
In close collaboration with the Chief of Party (CoP), the Technical Director, the Strategic Learning Lead, the Nutrition Resilience Advisor, the DER Coordinator, the Climate Smart Agriculture Advisor and the Alternative Livelihoods & Market Advisor, and in communication with the Monitoring & Evaluation Lead, the Poverty Economics & Market System Senior Specialist will facilitate the review and ground testing of a robust Resilient Livelihoods for Nutrition Security strategy. A key focus of the role will be to support the project’s team members in understanding, applying, and assessing market-based approaches that are sustainable, build livelihoods and directly contribute to nutrition security. S/he will guide, and mentor program leads and staff to strategize and apply poverty economics and systems thinking to diagnose challenges and opportunities for supporting and strengthening livelihood systems to deliver sustainable results for nutrition security at scale.
Consultant Activities:
The SCC Senior Resilience Curriculum Consultant will:
PROGRAM APPROACH DESIGN AND STRATEGY (75% of consultancy efforts)
MENTORSHIP AND CAPACITY STRENGTHENING (25% of consultancy efforts)
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND LEARNING (5% of consultancy efforts)
Consultant Deliverables:
Timeframe / Schedule:
This consultancy is for 40 days from October 1st, 2022 through January 15th, 2023.
The Consultant will report to:
The Consultant will work closely with:
Required Experience & Skills:
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
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Safeguarding & Ethics
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