Description

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.

The Program Performance & Quality (PaQ) team helps every Mercy Corps program set and maintain a gold standard for performance and impact. Our mission is to ensure all Mercy Corps country programs are using data-driven evidence to demonstrate results toward solving complex global programs. Since 2018, the PaQ team has overseen a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research Master Service Agreement (MER-MSA) with 34 participating firms across 3 service ‘lots.’ The MER-MSA is publicized to Mercy Corps field offices as a means to more quickly and easily procure services from qualified firms for key monitoring & research needs, including program evaluations, cost-benefit studies, impact evaluations, and more. With the expiration of the MER-MSA in 2023, the PaQ Team is currently tendering for a MER Prequalified Pool of Vendors (MER-PQP), which will include many of the same services currently offered under the MER-MSA but will function differently from the MER-MSA, namely that the process will now be managed by field teams rather than the HQ PaQ team. The MER-PQP will include the following service categories: 1) Value for Money, Costing, & Cost-Benefit / Effectiveness Studies 2) Impact Evaluations 3) Program Evaluations, Mid-term Evaluations, and Baseline / Endline Studies and 4) Formative Studies (including but not limited to Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Assessments, Political Economy Analyses, and Market System Assessments).

Purpose / Project Description:

The MER-PQP is currently in the process of being tendered, with firm applications due in early to mid-November. The consultant will oversee the scoring of all firm submissions, adapt the draft scoring template as needed, train and guide the MER-PQP working group (also referred to as the scoring committee) on the scoring process, and serving as a voting member as needed. Once all firm submissions have been scored by the selection committee and the pool of prequalified vendors is confirmed (including necessary Due Diligence steps), the consultant will develop and/or revise existing guidance and resource documents to instruct both Mercy Corps country teams and participating vendors on the use and standard operating procedures of the MER-PQP. Guidance materials and tools may include but are not limited to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), firm summaries / selection tool, Scope of Work templates, service category descriptions, budget & timeline guidance, Firm Proposal templates, and Contract templates. Finally, the consultant will coordinate with the PaQ administrative assistant and the MER-PQP working group to launch the MER-PQP, developing communications and conducting trainings and/or capacity-building sessions for both Mercy Corps teams and participating vendors as needed.

Consultant Objectives:

• Ensure the scoring process for firm submissions is logical, effective, efficient, and in-line with Mercy Corps procurement standards
• Ensure the finalized pool of vendors is compliant with Mercy Corps Procurement Policies & meets its stated purpose
• Ensure the successful rollout of the MER-PQP within Mercy Corps, helping to guide field teams and participating firms on use of / standard operating procedures for the pool

Consultant Activities:

The Consultant will:

• Finalize the scoring template & train the review committee on the scoring process
• Oversee the scoring of all firm submissions & serve as a voting member as needed
• Support due diligence processes & finalize the pool of vendors
• Develop guidance materials & tools for Mercy Corps field offices & participating vendors
• Draft communications & conduct capacity-building sessions / trainings with MC teams & firms to support the launch of the MER-PQP

Consultant Deliverables:

• Finalized Scoring Template / Instructions
• Training for Review Committee
• Completed scoring templates & relevant documentation for all firm submissions
• Finalized list of prequalified MER vendors
• MER-PQP Guidance Materials, Templates, & Tools (including but not limited to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), firm summaries / selection tool, Scope of Work templates / examples, service category descriptions, budget & timeline guidance, Firm Proposal templates, and Contract templates)
• Trainings for / Onboarding of Prequalified Firms
• Webinars / Info Sessions for Mercy Corps teams
• Launch communications (email(s), Hub Article, Workplace posts, etc.)

Timeframe / Schedule:

All times below are estimates and are subject to change.

• Finalize Scoring Template & Conduct Trainings for Review Committee (October – November 2023)
• Review & Scoring of Firm Submissions (November – December 2023)
• Finalized pool of prequalified vendors (December 2023)
• Develop of Guidance Documents & Tools (December 2023 – January 2024)
• Trainings / Info Sessions for Prequalified Firms & Mercy Corps Teams (January – February 2024)
• Launch of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research Prequalified Pool (February 2024)

The Consultant will report to:

Vice President, Program Performance and Quality

The Consultant will work closely with:

• MER-PQP Working Group
• HQ Global Procurement & Logistics Team
• Administrative Assistant, PaQ

Required Experience & Skills:

• 5-10 years of experience in relevant technical field
• BA/BS degree and 4+ years of relevant experience (in Monitoring and Evaluation, International Development, or Procurement and Logistics)
• Experience designing, tendering, and implementing Prequalification Systems or Master Service Agreements
• Experience with procurement policies and complex procurement systems preferred.
• Experience with Ariba procurement platform preferred.
• Experience working with multiple stakeholders and managing multiple workstreams.
• Experience in project management.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills:
• Fluency in English required.
• Able to communicate clearly using a variety of approaches.
• Able to articulate ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Able to relate to people with different backgrounds from around the world.
• Able to work remotely and attend meetings on EST time.

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.