Job Vacancy In Mercy Crops,Job Vacancy For Economic Resilience Advisor, 466 views0 applications

Economic Resilience Advisor

Employment Type: Full-time
Salary Grade: M1
Job Location: Dhangadhi, Nepal
Valid through: March 27, 2022
About Mercy Corps

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 has been operating in Nepal since 2005, implementing programs in food security, agriculture, market development, financial services, girl’s education, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. We take a systems-based approach in our programming, with the aim of improving the lives and potential of vulnerable individuals and communities across Nepal.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps is expected to implement a new phase of Managing Risks through Economic Development (M-RED) program in Indonesia, Timor Leste and Nepal to accelerate the replication and scale of the M-RED disaster-readiness approach through a multi-pronged approach, on or around April 1, 2022. An integrated disaster risk reduction and economic development program will be implemented in eight Local Governments of two districts (Dhangadi and Kanchanpur, with field office in Dhangadi) in the Sudurpaschim Province of Nepal. The new phase built upon successes and lessons of previous MRED phases, other DRR/CCA programs, but with new and heavier emphasis on localization, transformation, nature-based solutions and early actions.

The program focuses on economic incentives through risk-sensitive livelihoods and nexus interventions and building an enabling environment that can sustain the disaster-ready capacities of communities before, during, and after disaster, utilizing market incentives for private investors and supporting local and province government to scale best practice. The program will reinforce new or improved economic opportunities by enabling communities to access markets for inputs and sales of high demand/natural fiber-based commodities. It will strengthen skills and capacity of farmers’ group, disaster management bodies, promote meaningful inclusion of women and marginalized groups in risk sensitive livelihood and DRR planning, and decision making and modify existing cash-based response, and economic recovery to incorporate an early action framework by integrating forecast information into EWS and prepositioning of cash and voucher assistance in preparedness and response mechanisms.

General Position Summary

The Economic Resilience Advisor under the leadership of the M-RED Program Manager will lead design of economic resilience programing that economically incentivizes DRR functions, and its operational implementation along with building synergy with other intervention areas. The Economic Resilience Advisor will provide technical advice and support to partners for the implementation of high quality, impactful economic resilience programming and ensures the quality delivery to meet the program objectives and outcomes.

Key responsibilities of the incumbent include designing economic development and nexus initiatives within M-RED program facilitating market-driven solutions to risk reduction; integrating market-development and financial service approaches into the DRR methods and tools; providing sound technical oversight and mobilization of project resources for the effective and efficient implementation of nexus interventions; capacity building of local partners and private sector actors, strengthening local and provincial stakeholder relations for institutionalization of initiatives; providing technical input to the program’s monitoring and evaluation system and supporting the program manager and other team members in administrative and management activities.

The Economic Resilience Advisor will report to M-RED Program Manager and closely work with the other advisors, coordinators, and senior officers at field office. They will also serve as a coordinating focal point for private sectors development stakeholders. As gender and social inclusion (GESI), safeguarding, governance and environmental compliance are cross-cutting and core components of all MC programs, the Economic Resilience Advisor is required to own these components to ensure sensitivity and integration of these into nexus initiatives and the M-RED program.

Essential Job Responsibilities

PROGRAM DESIGN AND PLANNING

• Lead design of GESI transformative economic resilience strategies and work plan and, ensure that program strategies and implementation follow the resilience principles.
• Set up disaster and climate resilience land, natural fiber and agriculture management plan and model ensuring dual benefit as restoration and economic development
• Facilitate planning and budgeting for nexus interventions and support Program Manager for tracking expenditure
• Prepare Monthly, Quarterly and Annual work plans which adhere to the M-RED objectives and activities.
• Prepare and implement resource collaboration and leveraging plan for economic resilience interventions
• Commission sub-sector analysis and market assessments using MSD framework and tools to appraise new potential sub-sectors, products/enterprises
• Develop targeting strategies and assess the program outreach to ensure that the activities are targeted and benefiting the marginalized and vulnerable groups.
• Support Advocacy, influence, and MEL team to collect and analyze nexus key performance indicators for informed decision-making process and embed resilience measurement into monitoring, evaluation, research and learning framework and tools.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY BUILDING

• Provide guidance and support to implementing partners to design and implement economic development and nexus initiatives
• Develop/adopt and deliver trainings related to Market System Development (MSD), enterprise promotion, BDS services, business plan to the program team, partner’s staff, and stakeholders.
• Coach implementing partner staff to enhance their knowledge, capacity and awareness of risk sensitive livelihoods, nexus interventions, MSD and resilience approach.
• Support partner team in market assessments and research of selected potential commodities to identify leveraging capacities and incentives of market players
• Counseling to concern stakeholders, implementing partners, private sector entrepreneurs in potentiality of different small and micro enterprises
• Coordinate strengthening of market system development for nature-based solutions and nexus interventions together with partners and private sector actors, ensuring creation of an eco-system of support for targeted local enterprises.
• Assist on market linkage and capacity building of market actors and community
• Technical facilitation to establish functional partnership and linkages with appropriate private, public sectors and other appropriate organizations as per the program need and demand
• Participate and support implementing partners to prepare monthly/quarterly plan and to generate quality progress reports and documents capturing project learning’s and good practices.
• Orient and support the implementing partners team to scale and replicate approaches and learning

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION

• Support adaptive management and review meetings with program teams and partners
• Manage partnership, oversee program set-up plans and assist/advice for organization development needs.
• Receive and review the Monthly and Quarterly reports received from the partner and provide feedback/ suggestions in conjunction with other program team members.
• Organize critical review and reflection meeting periodically to share plan, progress, issues and way forward
• Assist Program Manager in the review of implementation/program proposals for soundness of approach, particularly around economic development within a resilience framework.
• Engage closely with M&E systems to ensure effective and useful gathering of monitoring information, and engage closely with the program’s collaboration, learning and adapting processes to practice quality adaptive management of the program
• Organize regular field visit to ensure implementation of program activities more with desired quality and within stipulated time and resources.
• Participate and contribute to joint initiatives, training activities and media events organized collectively by the M-RED implementing partners, as required
• Coordinate and support team to ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners, and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan.
• Assist team to fulfill Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards- based on the organization-wide guide.
• Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Code of Conduct; Gender, Diversity and Inclusion guiding documents; Core Humanitarian Principles and Do No Harm.

FINANCE AND COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT

• Support to create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
• Support Program Manager to ensure compliance with MACP and Mercy Corps regulations.
• Support to build and/or maintain operational systems that ensure proper administrative support for programs.

INFLUENCE AND REPRESENTATION

• Coordinate and collaborate with the MCN projects, government departments and offices in Local Government, district and province to achieve the overall goal of community resilience through coordinated planning of resources and leveraging
• Represent Mercy Corps- both the MRED program and country program, to local, district, provincial platforms for economic resilience
• Establish good coordination with government, private sectors, and non-government stakeholders to prevent duplication of actions and ensure the synergy and collaborative efforts.

SECURITY

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership, especially related to staff and partners’ security during emergency distributions, as well as digital information security related to digital emergency transactions.
• Contribute to creating a secure environment for team members.

ACCOUNTABILITY TO PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging participating 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.

OTHERS

• Mercy Corps as a humanitarian agency is expected to respond as and when crisis and humanitarian situation engulfs. As an MC employee all staff are expected to be part of humanitarian and emergency response in addition to their regular roles and responsibilities.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Conduct themselves both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and not to jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
• Other duties as assigned by their supervisor and or Country Director.

Supervisory Responsibility
N/A

Accountability

Reports Directly to: Program Manager -M-RED

Works Directly with: DRR Resilience Advisor, Advocacy and Influencing Coordinator, Sr. GESI Officer, Sr. MEL officer, operations, HR, Finance, Resilience MERL Advisor and other program teams and the Implementing Partners.

Knowledge and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Agriculture, Forestry, Natural Resource Management, Economics, Economic Development
• 5 years of work experience with at least 3 years of relevant, professional experience in progressively responsible positions for markets-based or value chain development program in Nepal with a strong understanding of resilience approaches.
• Demonstrated experience in Market System Development approaches, tools, and process.
• Proven experience in designing and setting up disaster and climate resilience land and agriculture management plan and models
• Sound understanding of business and management, market analysis, nexus interventions, role of private sectors and linkages of economic incentives in DRR functions
• Experience of partnership development, nurturing and management and alliance building and maintenance across actors and sectors
• Familiar with government policies around private sector development, cooperative development, local employment generation and socio-economic context in the country.
• Strong training development and facilitation skills
• Experience of working with the implementing partners and staff.
• Ability to work independently and show initiative. Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to meet deadlines and work cooperatively with team members.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; ability to develop good relationships with a wide range of actors required.
• Effective writing and organizational skills for report development, complete analyses and make presentations.
• Strong computer skills in MS Office programs.
• Sound judgment skill within agreed processes using a good understanding of the operating environment, project team and partners
• Negotiation, networking, coordination and representation skills with key local actors

Success Factors

The successful economic resilience advisor will combine exceptional collaborative and technical skills with a focus on market system approach and tools specifically experienced on integrated models of disaster risk reduction and market system development what is called nexus approach. They will be capable of multi-tasking, taking initiative, drive and energy, as well as high emotional intelligence, constructive mentoring skills and proven experience with capacity building. They will also need to have a positive ‘can do attitude’ and work under pressure. They will have an ability to think creatively about improving the quality and impact of programs. Prioritizing, problem solving and the capacity to balance attention to detail and maintaining strategic vision are essential. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

Ongoing Learning In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

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 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. 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 eLearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.