Consultant – Social Inclusion and Gender Program Integration Tool Development – Remote

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.

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) are integrated into all programs. Advancing gender equality and social inclusion is critical to all areas of a healthy society, from adapting to climate change to reducing poverty to promoting the health, education, protection and the well-being of all. In 2015, Mercy Corps developed Gender Minimum Standards to improve the quality and impact of our programs by strengthening our ability to integrate gender equality across programming. The standards fill an urgent need within our industry to harmonize approaches to gender integration and to offer practitioners a series of simplified steps that can be applied to programs across diverse geographies and cultural contexts. These minimum standards were incorporated into the Mercy Corps Program Management Policy, which outlines minimum standards for equitable, efficient and effective program management at Mercy Corps at each phase of the Program Lifecycle. With a recent refresh of Mercy Corps Program Management Policy, the aforementioned minimum standards have become Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) standards to ensure that all program participants fully benefit from our programs, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual identity or other potentially marginalizing factors.

The GESI team has developed a number of tools and resources focused on the GESI Minimum Standards and full GESI Programmatic Integration. However, there is a need for 1) an update to these existing tools and 2) development of new tools where gaps are seen along the program lifecycle. Ultimately, these tools will be pulled together by the Mercy Corps team into a comprehensive toolkit that guides team members on how to integrate GESI throughout the lifecycle and adhere to the minimum standards. For reference, the GESI Minimum Standards are ^[1]:

1. Program Identification Phase: Program Identification is based on GESI Analysis
2. Program Design Phase: GESI Analysis must inform the formulation of the program logic and identification of program participant groups and sub-groups
3. Program Planning Phase: Sex and Age Disaggregated Data is collected for relevant indicators

Purpose / Project Description:

The purpose of this consultancy is to update and develop tools that can help team members integrate GESI throughout the Program Lifecycle and support them in adherence to the minimum standards.

Consultant Activities:

1. Revise to 4 Mercy Corps Tools with a focus on integration of Social Inclusion
2. Development of 5 New Tools for GESI Integration
3. Finalize Tools based on feedback from tool testing

Timeframe/Schedule:

• Update Mercy Corps GESI Tools
  • Review and update 4 program tools focused around GESI Analysis with an eye to strengthening social inclusion elements and user accessibility.
• Adapt and/or Develop of 2-4 Tools for GESI Integration (specific tool needs identified by Mercy Corps team)
  • Adapt Tools that are identified as gaps in already completed review of GESI Tools. Specific tool areas of focus include:
  • GESI Analysis Framework Tools
  • GESI Analysis Recommendations Tool
  • Develop new tools that are identified as gaps in already completed review of GESI Tools. Specific tool areas of focus include:
  • GESI Analysis Budgeting
  • GESI Focused Problem Statement and Theory of Change
  • Using Sex and Age Disaggregated Data in Reflection Meetings
  • Using GESI Program Learnings
• Finalize Tools Based on Feedback
  • Work with GESI Program Management Advisor to test new tools with a select group of stakeholders
  • Update tools based on feedback from testing

Consultant Deliverables

• Collection of GESI tools that follow the Program Lifecycle specifically focusing on social inclusion components

The Consultant will report to:

• GESI Program Management Advisor, HQ based

The Consultant will work closely with:

• Senior Director of GESI
• Program Standards Director

Required experience and skills:

• 5-7 years relevant experience in Social Inclusion work and gender
• Master’s degree of education or equivalent
• Demonstrated knowledge of managing programs
• Strong experience leading Gender, Power and Social Inclusion Analyses for INGO’s
• Solid understanding of different Social Inclusion and Gender Tools
• Proven track record leading qualitative research studies on gender and social inclusion related issues
• Demonstrated capacity to lead the collection, analysis, and utilization of information from a broad range of sources.

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 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.

^[1]Program Management at Mercy Corps Policy