Project/Consultancy Title: Environmental Social Safeguards, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Consultancy (Individual)

Project Location(s): Monrovia, Liberia

Timelines: September 30 – November 29, 2024 (Anticipated level of effort is 30 days)

Submission Deadline: September 20, 2024

Background:

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

Mercy Corps has been partnering with communities in Liberia since 2002, with over 20 years of experience engaging communities themselves and local organizations, including community-based organizations, community-based enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises, and government ministries, among others. In Mercy Corps’ EU-funded Supporting Effective Advocacy in Liberia program, 24 civil society and community-based organizations were engaged to improve their internal control systems and carry out community and nationwide advocacy efforts on a variety of topics, including behavior change.

Mercy Corps continues to position itself as a key and credible partner with many donors, government authorities, and civil society partners, enhancing our ability to empower people to survive through crises, build better lives, and transform their communities for good. Well-versed in global practices and abreast of sector-specific trends, they represent Mercy Corps with donors and other strategic partners and inform and influence both internal approaches and global understanding on how to bring a transformative approach to some of the most intractable humanitarian and development challenges of our time.

Purpose / Project Description:

The Urban Fabric Initiative (UFI) is a 2-year Agence Française de Développement (ADF)-funded pilot project designed to develop/upgrade small-scale public spaces in three communities in Greater Monrovia. The UFI is a key component of the Monrovia Integrated Development Project (MIDP), which offers Mercy Corps a unique opportunity to leverage both global and local expertise in community-based urban development. This initiative aims to facilitate quick wins, ensuring the MIDP gets off to a strong start across the targeted communities of Lakpazee, Woodcamp, and Shoe Factory. The UFI seeks to achieve the overall objective of improved access, utilization, and management of public spaces resilient to the effects of climate change.

Consultant Objectives:

The primary function of the Consultant is to conduct GESI and climate-sensitive participatory assessments in the target communities to understand the needs of the target population prior to co-designing public spaces. Also, the Consultant will develop Environmental and Social Safeguards guidelines using a GESI lens specific to AFD guidance.

Consultant Activities:

Strategy & Planning

• Develop a GESI-integrated environmental and social management plan in accordance with AFD safeguards policies.
• Identify potential environmental and social risks associated with project activities.
• Develop mitigation measures to address identified risks.
• Work with the Team to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and standards, including waste management protocols.
• Integrate/streamline GESI in all analysis, plans, measures, and compliance documents, checklists, and actions.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) to ensure the participation of all relevant stakeholders, especially marginalized groups (women and youth).
• Foster strong relationships with community leaders, local NGOs, and other stakeholders.

Training and Capacity Building

• Conduct environmental and social standards training workshops for project staff, partners, and community members.

Develop capacity-building initiatives to enhance local expertise in ESS practices.

Consultant Deliverables:

The Consultant will:

The Consultant is expected to work with the Team to develop the following specific annexes:

1. Inception Report to conduct ESS for the UFI project (with clear timelines, sequence, and strategies).
2. A full ESS and GESI report covering the three project communities and identified public spaces
3. Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Analysis and develop action plan on its integration.
4. Social Assessment/ Social Development Plan
5. Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual harassment Assessment and Action Plan
6. Labor Management Plan
7. Security Risk Assessment/ Security Management Plan
8. Waste Management Plan
9. Chance Finds Procedures
10. Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention
11. Resettlement Plans
12. Facilitate validation/approval of report by EPA.

The Consultant deliverables are broken down into three milestones below.

Timeframe / Schedule:

The entire consultancy is expected to last for 30 days, starting October 1 – November 29, 2024.

NOTE: Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. Mercy Corps reserves the right to contract as many Consultants as necessary to implement this project or none at all.

The Consultant will report to:

UFI Team Leader

The Consultant will work closely with:

Senior Advisor – Environmental Compliance, Global GESI Team, Global Safeguarding Team, MSD Team Leader, MIDP/MPW ESS Specialist, and UFI Project Assistant.

Required Experience & Skills:

• • Advanced degree in Environmental Science, Social Sciences, Sustainability, or a related field.

• EPA-Liberia Environmental Evaluator License/Certificate required

• Demonstrated knowledge of core environmental and social standards or concepts and their specific application to AFD
• Experience developing AFD and other environmental compliance documentation.
• Experience developing AFD or World Bank environmental mitigation measures and climate response measures, and monitoring indicators.
• Familiarity with AFD’s climate risk management principles and preparation of climate risk management matrices and GESI analysis.
• Minimum 8 years’ experience working on environmental policy and compliance, climate risk management, or similar issues – of which at least 3 years on change management in multicultural contexts and across departments.
• Experience in project or program management and demonstrated ability to oversee multi-stakeholder engagement processes.
• Experience working in international organizations is preferred.

Submission:

All interested individuals should kindly submit the following documents below one Portable Document Format (PDF), with the subject line “Environmental and Social Safeguard, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Consultancy” to lr-tenders@mercycorps.org before 4:30 pm Local time on September 20, 2024

Submission Documents

1. Cover Letter
2. Proposal to conduct Environmental and Social Safeguards, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Study for the Urban Fabric Initiatives.
3. Resume and copies of qualifications
4. EPA Environmental Evaluator License
5. Copy of past GESI, climate-smart, environment, and social safeguard assessment conducted

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.