Peacebuilding ang Governance Advisor, WCA

Position Description Department: West and Central Africa Region

Location: Remote; any location of Mercy Corps Africa operations preferably in West and Central Africa

Employee Type: Full-time; Regular

Contract: Fixed-Term, Open

Reporting To: West and Central Africa TRaQ Director

Supervisory Responsibility : None

Budget Management Responsibility : None

Position Summary

Mercy Corps’ operations in West & Central Africa region consist of 9 countries including Benin, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Central African Republic. This is a thriving and growing region with programming that covers all of Mercy Corps’ strategic pillars including food security, economic opportunities, water security, and peace and good governance. Mercy Corps’ programs in West Africa are undergoing both momentous humanitarian crises and significant development challenges that offer the opportunity to empower people to survive through crises, build better lives and transform their communities for good.

Mercy Corps’ Technical Resources and Quality (TRaQ) unit is a key part of the Program Support Department. Regional TRaQ subject-matter experts help set agency strategy and provide consultation – from assessment and design through project implementation and results measurement – to field offices throughout the region. TRaQ team members lead research, foster organizational learning, represent Mercy Corps to external audiences, and develop partnerships. The TRaQ team is also integral to global business development and revenue.

The Peace and Governance Advisor position focuses on providing technical support to Mercy Corps field teams in Peace and Conflict as well as Governance and Partnerships. The support includes program design and development, network and partnership development, representation at key sector forums and events, helping to monitor and improve program quality and relevance, staying current on industry innovation and best practices, writing competitive proposals for submission to donors, delivering training, and disseminating information to internal and external partners.

The advisor will also participate in matrixed teams, share and build the capacity of others, and help integrate their technical areas with others. The advisor position sits within the regional TRaQ team but will work with Global Peace and Conflict and Partnerships and Governance Advisors. The spirit of this position is based on acknowledging the intersection of these teams and will be instrumental in bringing strategic and programmatic guidance to the collaboration efforts between them.

Essential Responsibilities

PROGRAM AND PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT

• Working with the New Initiative team, technically lead select region-wide, multi-country strategic peace and governance proposal opportunities
• Contribute writing and reviewing elements of peace and governance proposals and concept notes for funding from donors including foundations, corporations and US, European, and UN agencies.
• Work with the evidence and learning and the Crisis Analysis teams to gather/analyze data and complete assessments to determine community needs and priorities and Mercy Corps’ competitive advantage for funding in the peace and governance space.
• Work with programs, country/regional teams, in particular the Senior Director: Peace and Governance programs – Africa and technical teams on prepositioning and development of strategies that respond to regional conflict and stability needs.
• Work with other TRaQ members on the design and support of multi-sectoral programs that integrate broader agency goals such as resilience, food security, and youth development, with peace and governance outcomes.
• Keep up to date on relevant regional peace building, stabilization and climate security-related strategies being developed or applied by significant governmental, academic, and non-profit groups. Work with Mercy Corps to determine how the region can best work with and/or influence such materials.
• Cultivate and nurture donor relationships and strategic partnerships that positively impact Mercy Corps’ ability to influence program strategies and proposal design, as well as strategic partnerships that result in stronger and impactful program development efforts.

PROGRAM QUALITY

• Participate as an active, integrated member of the team providing technical support to a portfolio of programs especially those working on Peace and Governance across West and Central Africa.
• Work with program leadership, and the Senior Director: Peace and Governance programs: Africa to help maintain standards of program delivery that apply agency priorities and comply with relevant regulations and requirements.
• Build capacity with Mercy Corps staff and partners to better design and implement peace and governance programs.
• Contribute to programs technical review, leading in identifying program quality needs and share practical recommendations. Support program, country, and/or regional leaders to problem solve.
• Help set strategies and execute plans to address agency-wide program quality needs together with the Regional TRaQ Director.

STRATEGY, LEARNING, AND IMPACT

• Work with program teams to identify learning opportunities, and establish systems for effective evidence and learning that informs Mercy Corps regional Evidence and Learning Agendas
• Work with the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) team and program/country teams to ensure that monitoring and evaluation is practical and reflects best practices.
• Contribute to region-wide initiatives such as the research agenda around Peace and Governance priority topics.
• In collaboration with program leaders and MEL leaders, support assessments; write case studies, learning documents, short articles, and blogs; and develop internal and external dissemination plans for all products.
• Nurture partnerships with universities, research institutions, and other organizations in the West and Central Africa region to produce case studies, assessments, and other learning documentation, as well as enhance program quality.
• Work with the global Peace and Governance TRaQ team, and the Senior Director: Peace and Governance programs: Africa to develop and cultivate a sustainable community of practice to support cross-regional learning and localized peace and governance expertise.

POLICY, ADVOCACY, AND REPRESENTATION

• Represent Mercy Corps at academic events, conferences, media forums, and other events; contribute to thought leadership in area of expertise.
• Identify and nurture strategic partnerships with other organizations and institutions.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of the peace and governance objectives of the West and Central Africa advocacy strategy, working with regional leadership and the Policy and Advocacy team.
• Present concepts and ideas to donors, partners, and peer organizations that influence them to drive innovation and positive change.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

The Advisor will demonstrate experience managing programs, further enhancing their ability to adjust technical theories to meet real world complexities. The Advisor should have the proven ability to influence donors, partners, and peer organizations toward innovative programs and best practices. Through experience managing technical aspects of large or complex proposals, the individual will be able to advise and coach other Mercy Corps staff on how to adjust their methodology. The Advisor must take a lead role in building and maintaining external relationships as well as demonstrating the drive and initiative to contribute to internal team efforts. The Advisor must provide technical support in a way that shares power and values the contributions of those with whom they work. All TRaQ positions require strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills, and a level of emotional intelligence proficiency that quickly builds and maintains productive relationships across teams. Being aware and sensitive to international development issues and diverse cultures is critical.

Required Education and Experience

1. Bachelor’s degree required. M.A, M.S., M.Sc., or equivalent in a field related to peacebuilding, conflict/security studies, good governance, or other relevant technical areas is preferred.
2. 5+ years of experience providing increasingly proficient technical support in the relevant field of expertise that includes:
   1. Preparing writing and analysis on proposal development.
   2. Demonstrating strong theoretical and applied peacebuilding knowledge.
   3. Producing and publishing influential articles and blogs.
   4. Training, coaching, or mentoring people in understanding and applying peacebuilding and governance theories and approaches.
   5. Developing and delivering training curricula.
   6. Using integrated approaches and applying systems thinking.
3. Practical implementation experience, typically over the course of at least 5 years, that includes:
   1. A combination of successful temporary duration assignments (under two weeks), longer-term assignments (two or more weeks), and/or living in a peace & conflict program implementation location for an extended period.
   2. Managing and implementing successful programs on the ground.
   3. Delivering capacity building curriculum or other processes for country program teams.
4. Willingness and ability to travel frequently to Mercy Corps project sites, including traveling to insecure environments, is required.
5. Familiarity with major donors such as USAID, FCDO, the EC and relevant foundations and corporations.
6. Fluency in English is required, and fluency in French is strongly preferred.

Living, Travel & Environmental Conditions

The position may be based in any place in Africa where Mercy Corps is registered to operate in, preferably in the West and Central Africa region. The position requires travel at least 30% of the time to countries where living conditions may be exceptionally rugged or in volatile environments where security protocols will need to be followed. Team members must be ready to deploy on short notice in response to any emergency or crisis. When traveling for work the team member must be able to work in remote settings, as required by the schedule, and in settings with limited infrastructure, food options, and living conditions. Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/short term assignment to a field posting. Staff 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.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

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 is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. By applying for this role an applicant confirms that they have not previously violated an employer’s sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation and abuse, child safeguarding or trafficking policy. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline ([email protected]).

As a safeguarding measure, Mercy Corps screens all potential employees. This is done following the conclusion of recruitment and prior to assuming full employment.

Our screening process is designed to be transparent and completed in partnership with new Team Members. You will have the opportunity to disclose any prior convictions at the

conclusion of the recruitment process before the check is initiated. We ask that you do not disclose any prior convictions in your application materials or during the recruitment process.

All other duties as assigned.