Market System Development (MSD) Officer

About Mercy Corps

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.
Now, and for the future.

We help people overcome poverty and conflict. Working with communities, we leverage local logic to help people transform their lives. To grow more food, earn higher incomes and ultimately advocate for their needs. We see global challenges as an invitation to pioneer innovative, sustainable solutions. During our 34 years’ history, our work has improved more than 170 million lives in more than 115 countries around the world.

Program / Department Summary

With USAID support, Mercy Corps proposes to activate the RIPA-North Crisis Modifier to implement Crisis Modifier 3 (CM3), an 18-month initiative that will improve water security and livelihood outcomes for more than 14,200 households (85,200 individuals) in Shabelle Zone of Somali Region. Through CM3, RIPA-North will directly contribute to the vision of the government of the Somali Regional State outlined in their Multi-Year Resilience Strategy (MYRS).

General Position Summary

The Market Systems Development (MSD) officer is responsible to facilitate interventions and activities under RiPA-NORTH CM3 objectives that pertains to Intensified and Sustained Pastoral and Agropastoral Production and Marketing Component. She/he will be directly engaged with a wide range of actors and stakeholders including government, private sector actors and program participants with a focus on Livestock/crops production and marketing.  He/she will be a key member of Market Systems Development unit.  

The Market Systems Development (MSD) Officer is responsible to provided technical support for the Livestock/Crop production and marketing components of RIPA-CM3 in Shabelle Zone Somali region. He/she will be a key member of Market Systems Development unit.  The MSD Team uses a market-systems, community-led approach to stimulate economic growth to create wealth and jobs for the poorest while maximizing investment from the private and public sectors. The MSD Team is comprised of technical expertise in the areas of production, marketing, employment, input/output markets, post-harvest technologies and financial services. The main sectors include livestock, crop/fodder, livestock products, energy, financial services, enterprises development and related sectors.

Essential Job functions

• Provided technical facilitation support in the area of responsibilities for MSD activities to ensure the planned activists are implemented timely and with required deliverable quality.
• Facilitate and coordinates markets systems assessment, organizing validation workshops and stakeholder platforms/events in in collaboration with MSD specialists and Coordinators across the cluster.
• Facilitate capacity building efforts for market actors (i.e. private, public) on the MSD approaches, identification of the market system opportunities/constraints through conducting continues system analysis, develop approaches/modalities to support the establishment and/or expansion of the high potential small and medium scale private business enterprises in markets areas focused on last mile service delivery, access to livestock/agricultural inputs, support the delivery of market based animal health inputs, feed/fodder, agricultural inputs through market actors to targeted communities, facilities stimulating destocking and other related under RiPA component areas;
• Facilities the development of short-term strategies and its implementation linkages creation between market actors (i.e., training providers, technology providers, inputs suppliers, producers, traders, processors, cooperatives and other related) to improve outreaches in the target community;
• Engage in regular field visits to assess the activities implementation progress, give technical advises/mentor, and provide feedback(s) for further improvement.
• Closely work with supervisor and M&E team during the development of monitoring tools/measuring indicators, milestones development, and monitoring/ reporting of output and outcome in his/her area assigned.
• Ensures the program properly captures, documented and updated relevant information in Intensified and Sustained Pastoral and Agro-Pastoral Production and Marketing of RiPA;
• In collaboration with cluster MSD team, work to build and maintain close relationships with key government partners and local implementers.
• Represent Mercy Corps professionally in cluster areas as to bring credit and to maintain its humanitarian and development mission.
• Compile and submit regular updates.
• Other duties as assigned.

 Strategy & Vision

• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
• Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to countrywide strategy development.

 Program Management

• Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan.
• Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria.
• Develop partners’ MoUs and contracts & oversee a training program for program partners.
• Develop program implementation strategies, including partnership frameworks, beneficiary targeting and distribution process as well as WASH, psychosocial and capacity building of partners.
• Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate.
• Ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts.
• Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
• Fulfill Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide.
• Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and beneficiary accountability standards.
• Finance & Compliance Management
• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency programming.
• Draft and/or review scope of work to hire and manage any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy and contract budget. Influence & Representation

SECURITY

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

 GEDSI (GENDER, EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION)

• Understand and aware GDI related priorities of the country office and contribute for the realization of priorities (continually work to understand and be aware of the gender diversity and inclusion priorities of the country office and contribute in the execution)
• Promote gender equal and inclusive workplace culture in a day-to-day interaction with a team member, partners and program participants.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

ACCOUNTABILITY TO BENEFICIARIES

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects; and
• 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.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to theInteragency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

Knowledge and Experience

• Minimum of bachelor’s degree in the areas: Animal/plant science, Economics, Agricultural Economics, Rural Development, Agribusiness, Marketing and other related subjects.
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in private sector and/or NGOs working focused on MSD (facilitation and providing technical supports), agribusiness and/or financial services.
• Good understanding on the Markets4Poor approach and Markets development facilitation including coaching, relationship building, communicating, entrepreneurialism/business understanding and innovating.
• Experiences in supporting privet sector lead business enterprises in pastoral/ agro-pastoral settings, providing business development supports, industries (public and private), institutions and stakeholders.
• Knowledge of participatory analyses, action and results processing.
• Experience/exposures to the location/region he/she applied for.
• Knowledge of Sphere standards and other training in humanitarian response preferred.
• Knowing the local language of position applied is required (e.g., Applicant interested to works in Somali region should know Somali language)

Reports Directly to:  Market Systems Development Specialist

Works Directly with: water security manager, Component Leads, MSD Advisors, respective field office MSD specialties and Administration/operations team.

Success Factors

• Fluent in English and local language for the location applied: Somali (capable in all require basic skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing);
• Business minded, entrepreneurial, curious, great problem solving skills, unafraid to ask questions, and results motivated;
• Excellent communication, presentation, facilitation and networking skills with a wide range of actors across geographical areas;
• Computer literate especially in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)