Realizing Locally Led Commitments – Consultancy At Mercy Corps

Project/Consultancy Title: Project Location(s):

Realizing Locally Led Commitments – Consultancy Abuja, Nigeria

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 believes that those impacted by the world’s most complex challenges are best placed to determine their solutions, and that those solutions are fundamentally stronger and more sustainable as a result. We recognize that program partners and participants are agents of change and should drive the decisions that matter most in their lives. Dedication to these beliefs are captured through our Locally Led Commitment, one of the key components of our 10-year strategy, Pathway to Possibility. This commitment aims to help us shift power and decision-making to the communities where we work and enables us to establish and nurture more trust-based, equitable and accountable partnerships with local actors.

Project Description

Mercy Corps Nigeria (MCN) is seeking to recruit a consultant to support in the realization of our Locally Led Commitment. The consultant will focus on internal and external learning, systems review and best approaches to better support the development and sustainability of equitable partnerships.

Consultancy Objectives

1. To conduct a partnership mapping exercise and develop an engagement strategy to highlight opportunities to raise our visibility and influence through initial outreach and stakeholder engagement efforts.

Consultancy Activities

• Conduct external partnership mapping in MCN strategic geographies and sectors, with a specific focus on local and national NGOs, across the humanitarian, development and peacebuilding nexus.
• Outreach to key strategic partners to ensure lessons documented and recommendations can be taken forward.
• Develop an engagement strategy, including a clear operationalization plan, and disseminate through a workshop targeting those key strategic partners, for input and feedback, as well as through an internal Lunch and Learn session with MCN team members.
• Provide recommendations on what defines ‘Partners of Choice’ and how MCN can become one.

Consultancy Deliverables

• A comprehensive work plan outlining activities, timelines, and methodologies.
• A comprehensive and user-friendly partnership mapping tool completed with key information on local and national organizations and disaggregated by sector and geography.
• As engagement strategy, inclusive of an operationalization plan, with recommendations for partnership growth in specific geographies and sectors.
• A dissemination workshop targeting strategic partners identified, and a virtual session with MCN colleagues.
• A comprehensive presentation to the senior management team.

Qualifications and Experience

The ideal consultant will possess the following qualifications/experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of demonstrated experience working with non-government organizations on projects related to localization and equitable partnerships.
• Demonstrated expertise in research, partnership development, organizational assessments and capacity development.
• A strong understanding of the principles and practices of localization, including experience working with local organizations in Nigeria.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and experience facilitating workshops and meetings.

Timeframe

The consultancy is expected to take place for a maximum of 45 days between February and April 2025:

Reporting

The consultant will report to the Partnerships and New Initiatives Manager at MCN.

Contractual Agreement

The selected consultant will be engaged through a Service Agreement, as per MCN processes.

Proposal Submission

Proposals should include the following:

• Outline the proposed approach and methodology for achieving the select Objective(s).
• A detailed work plan with timelines and activities for the Objective(s).
• Financial proposal
• CV(s) of Key Team Members.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should submit the required Proposal documents to ng-quotations@mercycorps.org no later than 20^th January 2025 8:am WAT using the job title as the subject of the mail.