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 35 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action โ helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Evidence consistently shows that prioritizing prevention, adaptation, and resilience in fragile and conflict-affected contexts can reduce humanitarian needs and promote long-term stability. Yet these lessons risk being sidelined as bilateral aid budgets tighten and donors focus on immediate life-saving relief. There is expectation that development finance institutions may be able to fill this gap โ providing prevention, recovery, and resilience in fragile places not yet in crisis. However, challenges to operating in these settings โ access, security, perceived risk, poorly functioning government institutions, and internal bureaucracy โ and the particular challenges of loans/return seeking investment โ means that this work currently makes up a small portion of DFIโs funding. Yet given rising needs and the extraordinary pressure of global ODA, there is an increasingly urgent need for DFIs, including MDBs, to increase investments in resilience in the most fragile contexts. Mercy Corps is currently implementing a project to produce key learning and recommendations around how to build resilience in fragile places, grounded in practical insights based on our experience programming in such places. While the learning and guidance will be designed to inform FCDO and their implementing partners, we are looking for ways to ensure that this learning can inform DFI/MDB action in such places. In preparation for this we are looking to deepen our understanding of how key development finance actors are, or could be, supporting effective resilience programming in fragile settings.
Purpose/Project Description: The consultancy aims to strengthen Mercy Corpsโ understanding of the existing role and potential of key development actors, primarily the World Bank, African Development Bank, IFAD, and the Green Climate Fund to support resilience programming in fragile and conflict-affected settings. We are looking for a consultant with strong expertise in this area, who can draw on previous experience and contacts from one or several of these institutions. The consultancy will be in partnership with the Policy and Advocacy team, working with colleagues to complete the below objectives.
Key objectives include: 1. Understand how key development actors are currently, or could be, supporting resilience in these contexts; (including in what ways they are able to directly or indirectly provide grant-based/highly concessional or blended support to local level projects in fragile settings). 2. Ensure key recommendations from RAFLF products are relevant and usable for these actors; 3. Product dissemination and engagement with key actors to build support for increasing the quantity and quality of adaptation and resilience-building investments in fragile and conflict-affected settings. The Consultant will support: Task 1: Target analysis report Produce a concise target analysis setting out key institutionsโ role in resilience programming, mechanisms, and modalities of implementation and key activities in six countries.
