Market Systems Assessment Consultant – Mercy Corps

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 the three implementation countries. 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 for each of the target countries
• Conduct a minimum of 5 – 7 Key Informant Interviews (KII) per country, 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 three countries 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 each of the countries 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 work closely with:

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

Payment Terms:

The consultant should submit an invoice(s) at an agreed-upon cadence based on milestones agreed upon during contracting. Mercy Corps will only pay for services provided. Please note: Mercy Corps will deduct the relevant taxes in line with tax laws as applicable).

Qualifications, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Minimum 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

Vendor Information to be submitted.

• Evidence of similar work conducted.
• Concept note of not more than five pages.
• Budget summary of total cost

TECHNICAL AREAS

Relevant Experience: (Score 30 Marks)

• Demonstrated expertise in conducting comprehensive market assessments, particularly in the context of youth livelihood programs.
• Proven track record of successful sector scans, sector assessments, and partner mapping in multiple countries
• Previous experience in identifying and selecting sectors for scaling and expansion.
• Strong research capabilities, including desk research for target countries, qualitative research methodologies, and data analysis.

Strong Organizational capacity and technical know-how: (Score 30 Marks)

• Demonstrated expertise in facilitating co-design sessions with program teams and partner organizations to brainstorm and co-create intervention ideas.
• Skilled in fostering collaborative approaches with diverse stakeholders in the intervention design process.

Innovation and Strong Technical details: (Score 20 Marks)

• Demonstrated innovation and creativity in identifying gaps and opportunities within chosen sectors, proposing practical interventions for sustainable employment opportunities
• Strategic mindset to develop a comprehensive strategy outlining proposed interventions, including a clear implementation roadmap.
• Ability to align interventions with the historical efforts of the program, characteristics of the youth participants, and market environments.

Reasonable Cost of carrying out the stated activities that will reflect ‘value for money’. (Score 30 Marks)

Total score will evaluated out of 100 Marks