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.

In 2022, Mercy Corps completed its new 2030 Global Strategy. The new strategy elevates Water Security to one of four key outcome areas for the agency, along with Food Security, Economic Opportunity, and Peace and Governance. This new focus combines Mercy Corps’ historical strengths in emergency WASH programming, with a desire to further build upon our impact in water resource management, productive water, and market-based water supply and sanitation service provision as part of the agency wide mission to build resilient and inclusive communities.

Purpose / Project Description
Mercy Corps is looking to partner with a Consultant whose expertise will bolster its understanding of how best to leverage its organizational background in international development and humanitarian aid to contribute to improving water security outcomes in Central Asia. The Consultant is expected to have technical expertise in water security programming and research, a strong understanding of the Central Asia context, experience working on transboundary water resource management issues, and an appreciation for the complex relationship between natural resource management and related development outcomes.

Through writing and delivering a structured report and related internal-facing presentation, the Consultant will support Mercy Corps’ regional Asia team in developing, articulating, and contextualizing its regional water security strategy in Central Asia. The consultant will draw upon their technical expertise of climate and water security and their geographic specialization in Central Asia to help inform Mercy Corps’ strategic understanding of how the organization can leverage its expertise towards supporting national and regional stakeholders to achieve water security through programmatic interventions. Any suggested programmatic intervention and approach should be aimed towards supporting national government strategies and existing donor approaches to meet the needs of people within ecological limits.

The Consultant will work closely with the Climate and Water Security Technical Resource and Quality (TRaQ) Unit, the Asia Regional Program Team, and the leaders and staff of Mercy Corps country teams in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Afghanistan.

Consultant Objectives

• Investigate, interpret, consolidate, and translate a wide range of technical research on the enabling conditions of water security outcomes in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Afghanistan within the greater regional (Central Asia) context
• Support Mercy Corps in developing, articulating, and contextualizing its regional water security strategy in Central Asia that is based on robust research practices

Consultant Activities
The primary deliverables of this consultancy are to produce:

• A register of projects and initiatives implemented between 2014-now aimed towards improving water security in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, including:
• The geographic details and a mapping of where those projects have taken place within each country (with relevant legends)
• Details of who these initiatives have been implemented by, how they have been funded, and consolidating/linking to the relevant public reports on these initiatives, summarizing the outcomes and lessons communicated by organizations within these reports
• A 25-30-page report describing:
• The complex challenges within Central Asia (and the larger region, including Afghanistan) in managing freshwater resources and outlining the progress made to-date in reforming freshwater management practices in the region, especially those related to: information and data sharing around water resource availability and use; maintenance of existing infrastructure systems for freshwater resources; the establishment of coordination forums and platforms for water resource management; educational and training opportunities; virtual water and trade-related water risks
• Relevant policy and operating environment changes (including legal frameworks) that have informed said progress, including around: agricultural and electricity subsidies and pricing of water; the status of the market for water efficiency technologies for both buyers, sellers, and relevant supply chain actors; the available multilateral, bilateral, and domestic financial systems and architecture aimed towards water resource management; the subsequent operational challenges and opportunities faced by organizations due to these policy and operating environment changes.
• The specific technical implementation needs within Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Afghanistan that Mercy Corps could contribute to in order to address freshwater resource management challenges within each context.
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• A slide deck presentation– to be presented internally to Mercy Corps stakeholders– and any relevant additional summary materials describing the report contents
• A series of recommendations, based upon the diverse technical expertise and programming precedent embedded within Mercy Corps, on how Mercy Corps water security programming in Central Asia can address the interconnected nature of water security and: food security; peace and good governance; economic opportunity; clean energy; climate security

To deliver on the above, the Consultant will:

• Work collaboratively with relevant Mercy Corps staff to identify and address where possible relevant knowledge gaps within the organization
• Build upon the existing literature and information that describe the unique challenges and opportunities for cooperative transboundary water resource management in Central Asia
• Succinctly and effectively consolidate information and research into digestible insights and recommendations
• Focus their time and efforts on understanding the specific domestic challenges within each country among the regional context

Please submit a brief concept note, estimated timeline, and proposed budget for achieving the above within the timeframe parameter below.

Timeframe / Schedule: May-30 June 2024 [total estimated 40 billable days]

The Consultant will report to: Senior Water Security Advisor

Consultant will work closely with: the Global Senior Water Security Advisor, Asia Regional New Initiatives Specialist, Climate and Water Security Technical Resource and Quality (TRaQ) Unit, the Asia Regional Program Team, and the leaders and staff of Mercy Corps country teams in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Afghanistan.

Required Experience & Skills:

• 5+ years of experience in relevant roles including humanitarian analysis, development implementation, consulting, research projects, think tanks, academia, etc.
• Strong technical knowledge and experience in integrated water resources management.
• Deep knowledge and understanding of the role of the water, energy, and food (WEF) nexus
• Experience applying water security research in the context of economic outcomes, such as trade-related risks, job and skills training, labor markets, etc.
• Demonstrated understanding of the role of water security in achieving climate security outcomes
• Strong knowledge of water security, WASH and humanitarian-development coherence.
• Excellent writing, research, and presentation skills
• In-depth understanding of global water security challenges and relevant frameworks, policies, and guidelines related to water security, such as the SDGs, the Paris Agreement, the principles of Integrated Water Resources Management, and Interstate Water resources conservation and sharing agreements in Central Asia .
• Demonstrated experience working in and deep knowledge of the Central Asia regional context
• Experience conducting high-quality research in collaboration with humanitarian and development actors
• Strong verbal and written communication skills;
• MA/S or equivalent in international development, environmental management, climate science, or other relevant fields
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of local languages (Russian, Kyrgyz, and/or Uzbek) would be advantageous but is not required.

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.