Consultant - Resilience Design support to ReDI+ - Remote/Timor Leste

Background:

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.

Since establishing operations in Timor-Leste in 2007, we have earned a reputation for innovative and high quality programming. We promote a community-led, market-based approach to addressing key challenges to improved wellbeing through greater resilience, resolved root causes of poverty, and inclusive economic growth.

Project Description:

Resiliensia Diak plus (Good resilience Plus – ReDi+ Program) is funded by Bureau Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). ReDi+ will provide direct assistance to 8,450 households (48,165 individuals) across nine municipalities in Timor-Leste over the course of 36 months, from 9 May 2022 - 8 May 2025,The overall goal of the Resilensia Di’ak Plus program is for poor and vulnerable rural households in Timor-Leste to become more resilient in the face of recurring natural disasters. This goal aligns with the specific elements of BHA’s mission to alleviate human suffering and reduce the impact of disasters by helping people in need become more self-reliant.

Geographic Area: Timor-Leste (9 municipalities) - Manatuto, Aileu, Manufahi, Liquica, Ermera, Bobonaro, Baucau Lautem and Oecussi.

ReDi+ will engage in the Agriculture sector by promoting increased climate-sensitive agricultural and aquacultural production under the “increase agricultural productivity and aquaculture sub-sector”s. These activities will strengthen and diversify farmers’ existing agricultural livelihoods while aiding vulnerable households to prepare for, mitigate, and adapt to recurring natural disasters in coordination with activities in the DRPP sector. In order to ensure that the program employs the most appropriate agricultural systems and technologies, ReDi+ will apply the Resilience Design in Smallholder Farming Systems (RD) Approach, which follows a design process that is informed and shaped by the unique characteristics, opportunities, and challenges of each farming system.

Over the last few years in collaboration with external consultants, Mercy Corps’ Agriculture Systems Technical Support Unit (TSU) has developed technical content and supported programs to implement the RD Approach. Given the increasing challenges of climate change and the environment and a need to move towards regenerative agricultural practices, the RD approach has become increasingly important and is incorporated into the ReDI+ program. Although the country team has significant experience in climate-resilient agriculture activities, there is a need for specific training and support in the RD Approach, to ensure program quality is maintained across the program. A consultant is required to lead this work with the ReDi+ team in coordination with the Agriculture Systems TSU

Purpose / Project Description:

Contribute to the development of Resilience Design activities in the ReDI+ program including on-the ground learning sites and staff learning.

Consultant Objectives:

Based on existing experience and analysis of implementing RD programs within and outside Mercy Corps, the consultant will provide technical input to the design, implementation and measurement of RD activities in the ReDI+ program. This will include a mentorship program initiated in-country, and continued remotely.

Consultant Activities:

The Consultant will complete the following activities::

• Provide technical support to the Timor Leste ReDI+ program team to enable the team to establish the following:
  • Design preliminary assessment tools for RD approach
  • Detailed implementation plan
  • Learning sites in farmers fields
  • Design of monitoring and evaluation plans and potentially research opportunities
• Implement a 2 week RD training in Timor with program partners
• Initiate a mentorship program to support staff over program implementation
• Contribute to planning calls, on-going program implementation calls and post-learning calls to support the team throughout the program
• A two week support visit mid-way through the activities to support learning, address challenges

Consultant Deliverables:

The Consultant will complete the following deliverables:

1. Technical input to the ReDI+ implementation plan, farmers learning sites, and monitoring plans
2. RD implementation activities checklist for field personnel
3. A 2-week training in-country
4. A 2-week follow up training in-country
5. A remote mentorship program for RD staff
6. A RD training guideline

Timeframe / Schedule (Tentative):

The review is scheduled to take place between October 15  2022 to June 15 2023  for an estimated 43 working days broken down as follows:

1. Preparatory Activities (remote) - Between Oct 15 to Nov 7 2022) - 2 Days
   • Activity Description: i. Guidance to project team for selection of RD Demo site and ii. Pre visit requirement checklist
2. RD Training (in-country) - Nov 16 to Dec 4 - 18 days
   • Activity Description: Overview of the plan + Prep work for the training and travel to designated municipality and Q&A, 2 weeks on site RD Training to ReDi+ team, additional site visits and debrief
3. Develop RD Design Training Package (remote) (Between 1 Dec - 15 Dec 2022) - 4 Days
   • Activity Description: Provide ReDi+ specific RD Design Module and RD implementation checklist
4. Mentorship and Follow Up Support (remote) (Between 1 Jan - 30 Apr 2023) - 5 Days
5. Follow Up Field Visit (in-county) (15 May-27 May 2023) - 14 Days

The Consultant will report to:

Director of Programs

The Consultant will work closely with:

All relevant ReDI+staff, Agriculture Systems TSU, SCALE team

Required Experience & Skills:

• Have minimum 5-10 years of experience of working in resilience Design (RD), agriculture and climate change adaptation and mitigation, including permaculture design, landscape restoration and water management
• Master degree in Agriculture and rural development or other equivalent relevant practical background
• Experience developing climate smart agriculture training guideline, resilience design assessment and monitoring tools
• Strong interpersonal, training facilitation and communication skills
• Willingness to travel to a project location

Interested qualified individual consultants are invited to submit their CVs by Oct 5 2022.

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.