Mercy Corps is a global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. We help people survive and get back on their feet when natural disaster strikes, economies collapse, or conflict erupts. Where there are chronic threats to peace and progress, we partner with communities to overcome obstacles, and thrive. We live and work in more than 40 countries facing the world’s toughest challenges. Mercy Corps has been in Nigeria since 2012. We started with a peace-building programme and this has since grown to a multi-sectoral country office with more than 130 staff. With offices in Abuja, Gombe, Maiduguri (Borno), Biu (South Borno), Kano, Lagos, and Jos (Plateau), we serve more than 200,000 people. We operate in 13 states namely: Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, FCT, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Lagos, Nasarawa, Plateau, and Sokoto.
CONSULTANT – CREATING ALTERNATIVES TO EARLY MARRIAGE FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS – CAEMAG
Locations: Southern Borno & Gombe
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Mercy Corps is currently operating an adolescents’ program, investing in the Safety and Integrity of Nigerian Girls (I-SING)1. Funded by the European Union Trust Fund for Africa, I-SING addresses the unique needs of adolescent girls and boys in a humanitarian crisis.
I-SING will target a total of 12,000 adolescent girls and 5,000 adolescent boys through the Safe Space model, in which small groups of girls or boys meet weekly to build friendships and learn life-skills, including topics such as positive attitudes, self-esteem, creativity, consensus building, leadership, decision-making, goal-setting, and how to manage peer pressure. Older adolescents (aged 15 to 19), learn basic financial literacy and how to establish and operate Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs)2. Following their training in financial literacy, the older adolescents will receive livelihood grants to help them establish or improve upon an existing safe income generating activity.
In partnership with the Ford Foundation, Mercy Corps will assist the same older adolescent girls selected to receive a livelihood grant with vocational training, greatly improving their likelihood of success when establishing a safe income-generating activity. Mercy Corps has already established Safe Spaces for adolescent girls in both Borno and Gombe States. The training on financial literacy and VSLAs will start in August/September 2017, making this the ideal time for the partnership with Ford Foundation to commence as well. Although the program will focus primarily on out-of-school girls, Mercy Corps will also assist in-school girls in acquiring vocational training when appropriate and on the condition that it does not affect girls’ ability to continue schooling. For example, receiving training a couple of afternoons a week will not be an issue, but a full-time apprenticeship would disrupt schooling significantly.
This program will be implemented in Biu, Hawul, and Kwaya Kusar Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Borno State and in Yalmatu Deba, Gombe, Biliri, Balanga, and Funakaye LGAs in Gombe State.
In partnership with the Ford Foundation, Mercy Corps will work toward the following goal: Adolescent girls are economically empowered and able to engage in safe livelihoods. The theory of change underlying this program is that providing select adolescent girls with access to vocational training, however informal, will help them alleviate their vulnerabilities to early marriage and unsafe income generation, while improving their personal agency. When girls have the opportunity to earn an income and gain economic status in their family, they reduce the risk of early marriage which is often used as an economic coping strategy. Targeting adolescent girls also has a cascading effect, as, given the opportunity, girls and women reinvest 90% of their income in their families.
By achieving this goal, the program will also:
Reduce the risk of early marriage and pregnancy by providing adolescent girls with the skills needed for safe work.
Improve the status and decision-making power of adolescent girls in their households as they will be recognized as economic actors and contributors to their family’s income.
Enhance livelihoods opportunities for adolescent girls by providing them with skills that allow them to join the workforce.
Mercy Corps will connect adolescent girls (aged 15 to 19) with vocational training in their local communities. All of the adolescent girls will also be taught basic financial literacy, the VSLA methodology, and receive a livelihood grant, allowing them to make the best use of the vocational training they receive.
Mercy Corps will use a phased approach, with activities starting in the three LGAs in Borno State (Biu, Hawul, and Kwaya Kusar) prior to the activities rolling out in the five LGAs in Gombe State (Yalmatu Deba, Gombe, Biliri, Balanga, and Funakaye).
This will complement the implementation of the EU-funded I-SING initiative, as it will allow the program team to iterate the approach and apply lessons-learned from one location to the other. Together with Ford Foundation, Mercy Corps will work in 27 communities and assist up to 2,800 adolescent girls.
Objectives of the Baseline Survey
To conduct market and vocational Skills’ Needs Assessment to Identify and map skilled artisans and trainers in the communities.
To identify safe vocational and livelihood opportunities for adolescent girls acceptable by parents, gatekeepers and in demand by local artisans
Identify the resources and vocational skills considered necessary for adolescent girls to engage safely in a livelihood in their local community.
To identify viable and profitable livelihood options adolescents girls can be linked to
To collect data relating to the indicators in the project log frame, that will be used to monitor the project
Program Outcome Indicators
The project aims at achieving the following three outcomes:
OC1: % of Adolescent girls (15-19) that report meaningful participation in decision making at Household level
OC2: % of adolescent girls (15-19) who report control over their cash earning
Specific Tasks to be done by the Consultant
The baseline survey will include undertaking the following key tasks:
Develop appropriate survey instruments that include questionnaires, FGD checklists, In-depth Interview questionnaires etc. Prior to survey implementation, Mercy Corps will review tools and methodologies and approve their use. These tools will be field-tested and inputs of the pre-test will be incorporated.
Train, supervise and manage data collectors.
Organize and implement the survey.
Compile and collate the data collected, both qualitative and quantitative.
Analyze the data and make a comparative analysis of the findings (status of relevant indicators)
Develop a draft survey report and submit to Mercy Corps for feedback.
Produce a final report, incorporating feedbacks from Mercy Corps.
Deliverables:
Survey instruments
Final Survey Report.
Timing:
The survey is planned to take place in January 2017. The preparation, fieldwork and report writing will take a maximum of not more than 25 days.
Enumerator for Endline Survey
PROJECT SUMMARY/BACKGROUND
Mercy Corps’ through funding from the US Government (USAID) is implementing ECPN (Engaging Communities for Peace in Nigeria) program. ECPN aims to reduce violence in North Central Nigeria through strengthen the capacity of farmer and Pastoralist to resolve disputes in an inclusive and sustainable manner; leverage social and economic opportunities to build trust across lines of division; and foster engagement among farmer-pastoralist communities, local authorities and neighboring communities to prevent conflict. Mercy Corps will use two unique approaches in three target states.
Over two year Mercy Corps has worked in Nasarrawa and Benue states, using a two pronged approach, mitigation and prevention of conflict, by multiple activities which build on each other to achieve the aforementioned goals. Mercy corps conducted baseline study in 15 sites, randomly selected 10 communities as treatment sites, commenced implementation of program activities in January 2016 and has ever since been systemically carrying out peace building activities. The program conducted analysis of the conflicts and actors; trained local leaders to negotiate and mediate conflict situations to prevent escalations and reach all-inclusive, satisfactory, and sustainable agreements; facilitated joint community-led conflict prevention forums where farmer and pastoralist address root causes of conflicts by drawing up plans and executing such plans; and creating links with government, neighboring communities, and security agencies to create systems that will promptly pick up early warning signs and respond to such signs to prevent escalation.
Also leveraging on social and economic opportunities that existed but were weakened after incidents of conflict, Mercy Corps through quick impact and natural resource initiative projects focused on building trust across lines of division.
POSITION OBJECTIVE/PURPOSE
The purpose of the data collection is to provide data set for quantitative evaluation of impact levels against baseline. Baseline was collected in 15 sites in 2015. Endline data would be collected in these sites once more. And this would be used for impact evaluation purposes or as assessment of success of the program as regard achieving its objective and contributing to the broad goal. Data collection will begin in the second (2nd) week of January 2017 and last for three weeks.
SCOPE OF WORK /RESPONSIBILITIES
The field enumerators will:
Get familiar with data collection tools and study protocol
Attend study orientation and data collection training
Orient and guide the Mercy Corps project team on likely sensitivities that could affect the usage of the survey tools within the target communities
Conduct Key informant interviews (KII) with selected stakeholders in the selected communities
Work collaboratively with ECPN project and MC M&E team to ensure successful implementation of the baseline study
Review filled data collection tools to ensure completion and quality of data
Provide guidance and clarifications at data analysis stage regarding collected data as needed
Play a key role in the mobilization of community respondents for the survey.
The duration of this assignment is 16days
QUALIFICATIONS AND PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
Qualifications in the fields of the Social Sciences, Economics, Development Studies or Statistics.
A sound track record in developing and conducting research
Proven skills in the use of mobile device for data collection
Experience in conducting quantitative and qualitative research in Northern part of Nigeria
Experience working in the selected communities and a good understanding of the local dialects is preferred.
Experience in data collection and analysis using participatory methodology.
Possess a degree of flexibility to work and availability to respond to comments and questions in a timely and appropriate manner.
Strong command of English and Hausa or Tiv or Fulbe (Fulani). Do not apply if you do not have command of any of the additional language sets.
TO APPLY
Applicants should send their Curriculum Vitae and Cover Letter in one document, along with other relevant supporting documentations to: ng-submissions@mercycorps.org
Note
Submissions after the deadline will not be taken into consideration.
All applications must include the position title in the subject line
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
We are an equal opportunity organization and we strongly encourage women to apply for this position.
DUE DATE: 5 January, 2018
Job Vacancies at Mercy Corps Nigeria, Wednesday 20, December 2017
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