Intervention Assistant at Mercy Corps

Program / Department Summary

• In 2019, Mercy Corps was awarded a five-year, $30 million USAID-funded Feed the Future Nigeria Rural Resilience Activity to facilitate economic recovery and growth in vulnerable, conflict-affected areas by promoting systemic change in market systems. The Rural Resilience Activity will enable individuals and communities to engage in strong and sustainable market systems rather than continuing to rely on humanitarian assistance and faltering with each new shock.
• The Activity is part of the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative aimed at giving families and communities in some of the world’s poorest countries the freedom and opportunity to lift themselves out of food insecurity and malnutrition. The Activity also empowers vulnerable households, communities and systems to cope with current shocks and stresses and to be prepared to withstand future ones. The Activity is implemented by Mercy Corps, with support from the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) and Save the Children (SCI), primarily in the Northeast states of Adamawa, Borno, Gombe, and Yobe.

To achieve this purpose, the Activity implements interventions around the five components below:

• Component 1: Provide up-to-date evidence for the selection of market systems, livelihoods and employment opportunities that contribute to inclusive and resilient growth and improved nutrition.
• Component 2: Stimulate market systems growth and diverse economic opportunities (Pull activities).
• Component 3: Build capacity to take advantage of market systems opportunities (Push activities).
• Component 4: Sequencing, layering, integrating (SLI), and collaborative learning to improve activity effectiveness, sustainability, and scale.
• Component 5: Supporting Market Resilience to COVID-19 Shocks.

General Position Summary

• The Intervention assistant will be responsible for the technical support in the implementation of livestock aimed at ensuring interventions results in the desired Activity targets.
• The Intervention assistant will be responsible for providing support for all activities related to livelihoods and market systems development under the Rural Resilience activity.
• S/he will support in implementation strategies and coordination with the Intervention leads and the leadership of RRA activities in Gombe State.
• The position will provide support to all RRA staff, providing them with technical assistance where necessary; and ensuring that common strategies and approaches are applied consistently in all communities. S/he will coordinate closely with the Monitoring and Results Measurement team to ensure that systems are in place to track, analyze and report results.
• The selected candidate will keep abreast of the latest research and evolutions in the field of market/value chain development and integrate new ideas and approaches as appropriate, seeking additional technical assistance as needed and ensuring effective working relationships with collaborating agencies.

Essential Job Responsibilities

• The Interventions Assistant will support the work of the Senior Intervention Officers who identify and manage agribusiness, association and government partners.
• Support the development of partnerships with market actors, including but not limited to processors, traders, financial services, and business development services (BDS) providers, associations, and government institutions by supporting the competition, selection and negotiation processes.
• Assist the Senior Intervention Officers with the development of scopes of work, budget analysis, reviewing backup documentation and administrative tasks.
• Coordinate across teams to develop monitoring and evaluation targets and submit reports on a weekly basis.
• Support the management of strong relationships under ongoing partnership by coordinating communications, participating in field visits, supporting the procurement of goods and services needed by RRA partners, and coordinating events.
• Monitor the implementation and execution of technical assistance and grants provided by RRA, and work with the Senior Intervention Officers and MRM to collect, review and analyze data.
• Contribute to regular reporting on activities. Perform any other duties assigned by the Senior Intervention Officers.

Intervention Management:

• Ensure the appropriate communication of clear intervention guidelines, expected outcomes, timeframe and workplan to all relevant parties.
• Assist the Compliance and Sub Award and EIF managers in the development of relevant grant agreements, MoUs, ToRs and any other administrative requirement for the youth economic empowerment and conflict mitigation interventions.
• Conduct regular field visits to ensure proper implementation of activities.
• Remain well aware of developments in the relevant sectors/markets/commodity chains
• Work with the monitoring and results measurement team to design appropriate tools for monitoring the progress of interventions within the various market sectors. Also liaise with the monitoring and results measurement team on the conduct of impact assessments for ongoing interventions
• Identify priority areas for interventions that will change as opportunities pass or are realized and new ones emerge.

Stakeholder Management:

• Represent the RRA in selected fora, markets, displaying courtesy, tact, consideration and discretion in all interactions with partners, other members of the Activity, and with public.
• Understand how the political economy impacts rural markets, and how changes in the functioning of markets may impact the political economy.
• Maintain contacts with key stakeholders to increase synergies.
• Assist in establishing contacts with national and regional institutions, stakeholders and participants that would contribute to the successful implementation of market activities.
• Coordinate activities with consortium partners, sub-grantees, private sector partners, local government and other implementers, as well as with other Mercy Corps programs.
• Represent Mercy Corps externally at relevant conferences, workshops and other convenings.

Security:

• Work closely with the country team’s security focal point to develop and maintain systems that promote the safety and security of all team members.
• Ensure that programs are designed and implemented with a clear analysis and understanding of security.

Organizational Learning

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability To Beneficiaries

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

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• None

Accountability:

• Reports Directly To: Senior Intervention Officer
• Works Directly With:Intervention team, Program MEL Manager, MRM Officers, and Country MEL Manager

Knowledge and Experience

• BA/BSc required in a related field.
• 2+ years working in designing and delivering development works, agribusiness and enterprise development.
• Ability to foster commitment and build capacity among project teams and partners around gender and youth development.
• Excellent organizational, written, and verbal communication skills
• Experience working in consortium multiple organizational partnerships
• Experience with Monitoring and Evaluation systems and research
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Spoken and written proficiency in English.
• Ability to facilitate meetings, effective presenter, and open collaborator.

Success Factors

• The ideal candidate will be results orientated, self-motivated and have demonstrated analytical skills. The ideal candidate will be familiar with market-based agricultural programs targeting youth, and will demonstrate cultural knowledge and sensitivity, while also demonstrating skills and ability to provide incentives and capacities for market actors working with youth and offer technical assistance on youth engagement across project partners. 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.

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 a 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, colour, 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 the 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. 
• 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 adhere to the 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.