Consultant - Review of Market-based Seed Sector Interventions - Remote

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.

ISSD Africa is an international community of practice guiding seed sector innovation and development by addressing Africa’s complex seed systems challenges, with the aim of enhancing access to quality seeds of farmer-preferred varieties. The four-year ISSD Africa project funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) seeks to address key seed sector challenges through four action research topics. Mercy Corps leads two important research Action Learning Projects (ALPs) on the ISSD grant, Humanitarian and seed security response in fragile and conflict-affected states (ALP2) and Seed business development in fragile contexts (ALP3). Mercy Corps and SeedSystem co-lead ALP2 and Mercy Corps and IFDC co-lead ALP3, in collaboration with various stakeholders. This program is managed through Mercy Corps’ Food Security Technical Resources & Quality (TRaQ) unit. This consultancy will further Mercy Corps’ work under ALP3.

The PRO-WASH and SCALE Award is a four-year (2023-2027) USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA)-funded activity which aims to strengthen the design, implementation, and overall effectiveness of food and nutrition security activities in emergency, early recovery, risk reduction, and resilience settings. Mercy Corps leads the agriculture, market systems, natural resource management and livelihoods components of the program, in collaboration with colleagues at Save the Children. Seed system interventions are a core element of many USAID/BHA-funded programs, throughout its emergency and early recovery, risk reduction, and resilience (ER4) programming; the learning gathered through ISSD Africa is thus of great interest to the BHA implementer community. 

Purpose / Project Description:

Market-based approaches to seed security have grown in recent years among humanitarian practitioners because of their potential to inject significant funds into local economies in times of stress, and their ability to support multiple sources of planting material over the longer term - supporting both conventional and more sustainable production systems. However, there is still limited uptake and usage of these approaches by humanitarians, especially in fragile contexts. As result, many humanitarian interventions achieve short term positive effects but lack the elements necessary to foster longer-term market engagement and strengthening.

Under ALP3, Mercy Corps and partners aim to more fully understand what market-based approaches are effective in fragile contexts and how the humanitarian, development and private sector community can collectively adopt good market-based practices for building seed sector performance and resilience in fragile contexts in both the short and longer-term. 

Consultant Objectives: 

The objective of this consultancy is to gather, document and share current best practice and examples of market-based seed sector interventions in fragile contexts, including those that build resilience of seed sectors to shocks and stresses. This work will contribute to answering a key question: What market-based interventions are most effective in building seed sector performance and resilience in fragile contexts?

Sub questions which will be addressed in this review include:

• What market-based seed sector interventions have been successful in contributing to seed security in fragile contexts? What are the long-term impacts/potential impacts of market-based seed interventions on the local seed system and agricultural production as a whole, when compared with more direct seed system interventions?
• What role do different actors play in the success or failure of market-based seed interventions? How can aspects of these roles be more complementary?
• What barriers do humanitarian and development actors face in supporting market-based seed sector interventions in fragile contexts?
• What specific conflict factors need to be considered by HDP actors when facilitating market- based seed sector interventions in fragile contexts, and what are the promising ways these factors can be addressed?
• What promising market-based approaches can potentially increase the resilience of seed sectors in fragile contexts? Analysis may include features linked to responses as well as those which enable better preparedness.

Consultant Activities:

The Consultant will:

1. Conduct a desk review of market-based seed sector interventions and guidance relevant to humanitarian and development activities in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCS): (est. 8 days)
   • Draft workplan for carrying out this work (tasks, timelines, intermediate and final outputs)
   • Draft methodology for the literature review, including defining search terms to use; types of guidance and interventions to include; sources of evidence; and databases consult.
   • Confirm and finalize plan with Mercy Corps and ISSD.
   • Carry out literature review.
2. Facilitate online discussion(s) with stakeholders from seed, market and conflict sectors (est. 3 days)  
   • Develop list of stakeholders and consultation plan, with Mercy Corps and ISSD input. 
   • Develop interview questions and related materials, such as facilitator guide, slide deck, etc.
   • Carry out consultations (via KIIs and/or small group discussions).
3. Develop learning document(s) (est. 6 days)
   • Draft broad outline of report. Gather and incorporate feedback from Mercy Corps and ISSD. 
   • Write first draft of the report, incorporating findings from literature review and consultations. Report should include identification of gaps in tools and guidance for implementing market-based seed sector interventions in FCS.
   • Liaise with Mercy Corps to identify report reviewers and gather feedback. Incorporate feedback, share with reviewers for 2^nd round comments and finalize report. 
   • Liaise with Mercy Corps and communications team on final formatting and design of report. 
4. Disseminate learning document (est. 2 days)
   • Develop dissemination plan, including initial websites/newsletters where document should be posted (with assistance from MC communications); stakeholders who should be informed; events and other fora relevant for sharing document
   • Develop slide deck presentation with speaker notes/script to share key findings of the review with external audience. 
   • Represent ALP3 in select fora
5. Misc participation in PRO-WASH & SCALE and ISSD ALP3 activities, as requested and agreed upon (est. 1 day)
   • Attendance at online ISSD and PRO-WASH & SCALE partner meetings/gatherings online
   • Inputs to presentations, briefs, etc., for public presentation 
   • Other activities to be identified and agreed to by consultant and Mercy Corps

Consultant Deliverables:

• Draft and final workplan and methodology for desk review
• Folder with resources collected 
• Stakeholder list with contact information
• Interview guides, presentation materials and notes from consultations
• Draft and final report outline
• Draft reports (at least two rounds of feedback) and final report 
• Dissemination plan, including list of websites, stakeholders, events and other fora for awareness raising
• Slide deck presentation with speaker notes

Timeframe / Schedule: 

Total anticipated LOE: 20 days from October 2024 – December 2024

The Consultant will report to: 

Technical Director, PRO-WASH & SCALE and ISSD Africa

The Consultant will work closely with:

Snr Director Food Security, TRaQ; PWS team members including Global Market Systems Advisor and Senior Advisor - Climate Resilient Agriculture/NRM, ISSD Africa consortium lead and members, other Mercy Corps staff including Snr Director Peace and Governance, Director Market Systems

Required Experience & Skills:

• Experience in seed systems development and market systems development/market-based programming, spanning both emergency and development programs (7+ years)
• Strong research background, with proven experience conducting desk reviews and consultations, synthesizing evidence and analyzing data, and producing reports (preferably including for iNGOs)
• Awareness of key research, tools and guidance related to seed systems and MSD/MBP
• Well networked with donors, implementers and research institutions and other stakeholders engaged in seed systems development.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English (French a plus)
• Experience working with ISSD Africa a plus
• Demonstrated organizational skills, time management and attention to detail; ability to work independently and with team members to meet deadlines and adhere to high-quality standards

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, 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.