Consultant - Conduct Market System Assessment at Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps Ltd/Gte 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 collaborate to put bold solutions into action - helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within, now and for the future.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Engagement of a Consultant to Conduct Market System Assessment in Nigeria

Location: Lagos
Employment Type: Full-time

Consultant Objectives

• Mercy Corps seeks a consultant who has a high level of understanding of private sector partnerships and preferably the market systems development approach.
• The consultant will support the senior management of GIRL-H (and, potentially, program staff) in identifying relevant opportunities for partnership with the private sector to improve the employability and entrepreneurship activity of GIRL-H program participants.
• We anticipate that the consultant will draw inspiration from systems thinking and market systems development principles to support the team in identifying high-opportunity sectors, sector gaps and intervention opportunities and in designing high-level interventions to be implemented by the team.
• We anticipate that this exercise will draw from foundational work already done during the first phase of the program. The scope of work below outlines in greater detail, the three distinct levels of input expected from the consultant:

Scope of Work
GIRL-H has been implemented in Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria with participants transitioning and supported on different pathways of growth/success. This was done using a response from Matching Interest to Work (MiW) assessment that was administered to all participants. Now the program is planning for bridge funding which has three main pillars, hence the program plans to engage a consultant to support a market assessment focused on the below:

• Sector Scan and Selection: In this phase, the consultant's objective will identify the sectors most suitable for scaling and expanding livelihood opportunities (both waged employment and entrepreneurship) for GIRL-H participants in Nigeria. In coordination with the Mercy Corps, they will develop a sector selection criterion and facilitate the selection of the highest potential sectors. This assessment should consider the historical efforts of the program, the characteristics of the youth it has engaged, and the market environments in which it operates. The outcome of this exercise will be a shortlist of 2 to 4 sectors with the highest potential for generating employment opportunities for GIRL-H beneficiaries per country.
• Sector Assessments: Following the sector selection, the consultant will conduct a detailed analysis of each chosen sector to identify existing gaps and opportunities within these sectors, examine the factors hindering their optimal performance, and explore the capacities, constraints, and incentives of various market actors with the goal of identifying intervention areas for the program. We anticipate that this exercise will generate clear, practical interventions and approaches for the program aimed at enhancing the sector ecosystem to provide sustainable employment opportunities.
• Partner Mapping: As part of the sector assessments, the consultant will map out key market actors and identify potential partnership opportunities aligned with the proposed sector-specific interventions.

Consultant activities and deliverables in line with the objectives and scope of work above:

• Conduct desk research
• Conduct a minimum of 5 - 7 Key Informant Interviews (KII) , including GIRL-H staff, key partners, private sector stakeholders and other system actors.
• Organize at least two–three Focus Group Sessions (FGD) with GIRL-H participants across the country to capture their needs, aspirations, and insights, amplifying the youth's voices.
• Facilitate co-design session(s) with the GIRL-H team and partner organizations to brainstorm and co-create intervention ideas.
• Present a comprehensive strategy that clearly outlines proposed interventions along with a clear implementation roadmap to guide the team in implementing these interventions.

The Consultant will be responsible for delivering the following:

• A preliminary sector scan analysis (includes a sector selection matrix and a preliminary short list of potential sectors to be agreed upon with the program team
• A 15 - 20-page market assessment report for each country that includes (but is not limited to) sector selection recommendations, proposed intervention design and implementation plan
• A partner map of high potential partners in the country that the program can engage in the delivery of the respective interventions.

Reporting:

• The consultant will work closely with the GIRL-H Program Management Unit and report to the Program Director.

The Consultant will report to:

• Esther Musa, GIRL-H Program Director

The Consultant will work closely with:

• Program performance quality manager, Country program managers, Youth Employment technical support unit team

Qualifications, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Minimum of Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Business Management, Business Administration Innovation, Project Planning and Management, Public Policy and Administration, or any other business-related fields.
• At least 10 years of related professional experience, of which at least three will have been with a private sector entity, public-private sector engagement, or a social enterprise.
• Demonstrated experience with market systems assessments and designing private sector development activities (required)
• 5 years of demonstrable experience in market facilitation, supporting systemic change, and promoting business or market/economic development. At least three years will have been with a private sector organization.
• Demonstrated skills in building partnerships between the private sector and development actors.
• Experience working in at least one of the implementation countries (preferred)
• Fluency in spoken and written English required.

Application Closing Date
3rd December, 2023.