Consultant (Dialogue Facilitation Training) at Mercy Corps

Background

• Mercy Corps has been present in Nigeria since 2012, focusing its interventions on humanitarian assistance, economic development, and conflict mitigation. With the ongoing insurgency in Northeast Nigeria causing the displacement of millions of individuals, Mercy Corps started its humanitarian response in 2014 to address the rising humanitarian needs.
• As the crisis has persisted, Mercy Corps' strategy has also expanded to address the root causes of the conflict and seek to build the long term resilience of communities with integrated programs focusing on governance, the recovery of markets and livelihoods, social cohesion and social protection, youth empowerment, and local conflict management.

Project Description

• The Northeast Conflict Management and Stabilization (NE-CMS) program is funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) with the aim of reducing violence and insecurity in Borno State.
• The program is an expansion from a pilot phase starting in August 2016, and is currently being implemented by a consortium of international and national partners, with Mercy Corps as the lead. The program operates across 20 communities in 5 LGAs and will run until July 2021.

The NE-CMS program envisions the following results:

• Citizens more civically engaged, and civilian government and security forces are more transparent and inclusive in addressing community needs around service delivery and protection.
• Communities and citizen security forces have improved capacities to protect civilians in conflict.
• Communities demonstrate improved trust and social cohesion within and between actors at the local level.
• Local decision-making spaces and peacebuilding processes are equitable and inclusive of marginalized social groups, especially youth and women.

In November 2019 through December 2020, Mercy Corps through a consultant and local implementing partners facilitated a dialogue refresher trainings for all members of local Conflict Management Committees (CMCs) and Good Governance Committees (GGCs) on topics including:

• Understanding conflict, its dynamics, spillovers effects, causes and escalation;
• Constructive communication, empathy and collaboration;
• Engaging in dialogue for relationship building and understanding; and
• Utilizing approaches for dialogue facilitation. Since then, local partners have mentored CMCs and GGCs to apply their analytical, communication, and facilitation skills to conduct monthly local dialogue forums on conflict issues particular to their communities, and quarterly dialogue forums with local government officials on participatory governance, respectively. Mercy Corps and local partners also recently supported the establishment of Youth Support Networks (YSNs) and Women's Councils (WCs) aimed at creating a platform for marginalized youth and women to air their grievances and needs and to develop skills and confidence to serve as active members of their communities.

Objectives

• In support of Outcomes 1, 3 & 4, the Consultant/s will conduct a series of refresher trainings on dialogue facilitation skills for local partners, CMC, GGC, YSNs & WCs members in Maiduguri and deep field locations if necessary (MMC, Jere, Damboa, Dikwa,Gwoza & Pulka) aimed at promoting cross-learning and building the capacity of the committees to participate in and facilitate dialogue forums that can create an inclusive space for mutual understanding, trust building and social cohesion.

Consultant/s Activities:
The Consultant/s will:

• Review pre-training needs assessments to synthesize capacity gaps among existing and new CMC, GGC, YSNТs & WC members.
• Develop/refine training materials, including the facilitation guide and other materials and resources related to content and exercises in close collaboration with Program Manager.
• Facilitate six (6) three-day dialogue facilitation trainings for local partners, CMC, GGC, YSNТs and WC members across the five LGAs.
• Facilitate a three-day refresher Training-of-Trainers for local partners.
• Write a final training report on key outcomes.

The Consultant will report to:

• Program Manager, NE-CMS

The Consultant will work closely with:

• Program Manager, Deputy Program Manager & Senior Conflict Management and Reconciliation Officer,