Surge Analysis Consultant (National)

Background:

Crisis Analysis supports MC programs throughout the region in four key areas: programs, strategy, advocacy, and security. Crisis Analysis Analytical unit monitors social media, communicates with partners, validates data through primary sources, and interfaces with relevant international organizations in order to gather and collate relevant conflict, access, and stakeholder information. Crisis Analysis focuses on humanitarian and security strategic analysis, both individual incidents and trends, present and forecasted, and then links this with its respective impact on the local population. Crisis Analysistherefore looks at social, political, economic, and security issues, including underlying factors that trigger conflict and displacement such as governance and service provision, war economy dynamics, past displacement patterns, local, regional, and international politics, social identity and inter-communal relationships, and Syrian modern history. Crisis Analysis also serves as a real-time information hub; vets potential partners; assesses programmatic, partner, and operational risk; identifies and maps stakeholders; and maintains a mapped database displaying program locations, the locations of commodities and their values, and disaggregates this data by donor and risk threshold.

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.

Purpose / Project Description:

Regional protracted crises continue to be multi-dimensional, highly localized, and significantly complex, the need for geographic-specific primary data is a necessity. Humanitarian needs continue to be acute throughout the country, due to its sheer size and complex interconnected systems. The cumulative impact of weakened or broken-down systems has direct and indirect consequences. Building on experience, Mercy Corps, thus, aims to further contribute to better information and analysis of these geographies throughout the country for evidence-based planning, targeting and monitoring of humanitarian and recovery interventions.

Surge Analysis (National) will be a member of Mercy Corp’s Crisis Analysis, which has global recognition as a leading analysis unit of regional crisis and response. The Surge Analysis Consultant (national) will be a skilled all-source analyst supporting the timely delivery of a number of research products identified by the Crisis Analysis team.   

Consultant Objectives:

• Support on the timely composition of ten analytical products over a span of five months, focused themes and topics related to the long-term impact of the February 2023 earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
• Support on developing terms of reference (eg., research and analysis plans) for upcoming deliverables.
• In coordination with the Surge Analyst Consultant (international) and other Crisis Analysis staff, conduct desk reviews and collection of relevant secondary data.
• In tandem with the Surge Analyst Consultant (international) and other Crisis Analysis staff, create and develop relevant data collection tools specific to discrete deliverables.
• Coordinate with the Surge Analyst Consultant (international) to ensure the dissemination of research tools, data processing, and, when necessary, translate raw data from Arabic to English.
• Under the supervision of the Surge Analyst Consultant (international), draft narrative sections of reports and support the Surge Analyst Consultant (international) in data visualization, finalization, and dissemination of products.

Consultant Activities:

The Consultant will:

• Liaise directly with Mercy Corps field coordinator to coordinate their day-to-day data collection and triangulation to ensure validity, reliability, and accuracy.
• Support the Surge Analyst Consultant (international) in coordinating with Lead Analyst to align team effort with project plans, program objectives, and strategic goals, and ensure project progress and implementation is punctual and accurate.
• Support on data analysis and report production in coordination with Lead Analyst, field coordinator/deputy field coordinator, and another research consultant (s).
• Develop data collection plans with the field coordinator and deputy field coordinator for specific projects.

Consultant Deliverables:

The Consultant will:

• 10 thematic briefs centered around the medium-term impact of the February 2023 earthquake on northwest Syria, including implications for response actors. Topics to be selected on a rolling basis, based on context developments/shifts, relevance for response actors, and gaps in analytical products by other organizations. Thematic briefs are intended to be deep yet narrow investigations on specific topics and dynamics, no more than 5-7 pages (depending on inclusion of visualization) utilizing primary and secondary data sources, both qualitative and quantitative.

Timeframe / Schedule: Five months (April – August 2023)

• The Consultant will report to:

Surge Analyst Consultant (international),Crisis Analysis Lead Analyst or Crisis Analysis Director

The Consultant will work closely with:

Research Consultant, Crisis Analysis Analysts

Required Experience & Skills:

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience in Political Science, International Relations, Economics, or a related field. A Masters Degree is an asset.
• 2-5 years experience of working on in the Middle East region within a research and analysis capacity for a think tank/research organization, UN agency, or NGO.
• Demonstrated experience in managing research processes including open-source desk research, creating data collection tools, data processing skills, analyzing mixed-methods data, and report production.
• Demonstrated experience producing deliverables related to humanitarian, security, governance, essential services, and livelihoods contexts in Syria.
• Experience in managing researchers and coordinating with other teams.
• Fluency, both written and verbal, in Arabic and English (both necessary).
• Ability to work and interact with a diverse staff from different ethnicities and backgrounds.
• Ability to conduct oneself with sensitivity and respect toward others.

Materials required to apply:

• C.V. and cover letter
• One written sample aligned with the activities of this scope of work
• Proposed monthly consultant fees
• Three professional references

Evaluation Criteria

●Contextually relevant experience (20%)

●Experience conducting fast-paced written research and analysis (20%)

●High-quality written analytical work sample (20%)

●Experience with an NGO, UN Agency, or think tank (20%)

●Estimated cost for deliverables outlined above (20%)

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

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

Interested applicants who meet the required qualifications and experience are invited to submit the Materials required electronically to: [email protected] with the subject line indicating " Surge Analysis Consultant 110826"

Deadline for receiving applications: 25th of April 2023

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