Consultant – Violence Prevention & Citizen Security – El Salvador

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.

The Community Strengthening Project (CSP), also known as CONVIVIMOS, was a five-year (2015-2020) violence prevention program in Guatemala. Over the five years, Mercy Corps, in conjunction with its consortium partners IEPADES, Fe y Alegría, FUNDAESPRO, El Refugio de la Niñez, and FLASCO, supported 115 communities, many with high homicide rates, with a total of 213 crime and violence prevention projects. A total of 46,384 persons were directly assisted, of which 66% were women.

While there are commonalities in the Northern Triangle (NT) with regards to violence prevention, Mercy Corps is building up its portfolio in Guatemala and using that evidence to position itself in Honduras and El Savlador. To this end, and contingent upon an expected response from USAID/APS – Corus, Mercy Corps seeks to collect information and conduct an assessment on the current challenges and opportunities, as well as potential partners in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras on citizen security and violence prevention. The goal of this USAID/APS program opportunity is to reduce the drivers of irregular migration by fostering a more self-reliant region: secure, prosperous and well-governed.

Purpose / Project Description:

The project serves three purposes:

• Collect, analyze and synthesize information with regards to the current challenges and opportunities in violence prevention and citizen security in the region, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations at high risk of violence (e.g. women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, indigenous, etc.).
• Develop and map out local approaches that can increase citizen security, contribute to violence prevention/reduction for communities at different stages of violence (primary, secondary and tertiary), as well as private sector and local partners and to collaborate in each country.
• Provide project recommendations and a technical framework to violence prevention and citizen security

** Contingent upon an expected response from USAID/APS – Corus, the Consultant’s SOW may shift to supporting the citizen security and violence prevention component of a full application.
*Consultant Activities:

The consultant will:

• Serve as the focal point for citizen security and violence prevention in the country
• Work together with the citizen security and violence prevention regional team lead
• Co-design and co-develop the data collection methodology and tools for the in-field focus groups and interviews.
• Conduct meetings and interviews with local partners, affected communities and other stakeholders in El Salvador.
• Co-design, conduct and synthesize 2 half-day focus group discussions and 6 key informant interviews
• Assess and present the collected quantitative and qualitative information from the focus groups and interviews with the different stakeholders in El Salvador.
• Present and knowledge-share the collected and analyzed information from El Salvador with the regional Focal Point for Violence Prevention.
• Develop a document with potential engagement/pre-positioning opportunities in the country together with potential private and public (local and/or international) partners.
• Map other organization’s existing strategies and program activities, as well as their theories of change
• Conduct regular meetings with the Guatemala Country Representative to discuss preliminary findings.
• Address all Mercy Corps comments and feedback.

Consultant Deliverables:

The consultant will be responsible for the following deliverables:

• Co-design, conduct and systematize 2 focus group discussions of 1/2 day each
• Conduct, analyze and synthesize 6 interviews with a diverse set of violence prevention stakeholders
• Develop a final report with the findings, recommendations and a technical framework around violence prevention and citizen security
• Develop a final mapping of pre-positioning opportunities and local and international partners in El Salvador.
• Service Completion Report.

Timeframe / Schedule:

The total LoE for the Consultant is estimated at 35 workdays. The preliminary schedule for the consultancy is as follows:

• 04/18 – Start Date
• 04/21- Workplan
• 04/27 – co-design of data collection methodology and tools
• 05/02 – 05/13 – Focus Group discussion and KIIs
• 05/20 – Final mapping of pre-positioning opportunities and local and international partners in El Salvador
• 05/30- Final report with the findings, recommendations and next steps in El Salvador.
• 06/03 – End date

The Consultant will report to:

Guatemala Country Representative

The Consultant will work closely with:

• Mercy Corps Guatemala Program Staff
• The Americas Desk at Headquarters
• Violence Prevention Advisor

Required Experience & Skills:

• 5-10 years of experience designing and conducting focus groups and interviews with multiple stakeholders
• Expertise in either qualitative, quantitative or mixed-methods
• Ability to work remotely and coordinate with multiple team members based in different locations
• Excellent written and oral Spanish skills, and the ability to present information logically and concisely
• Experience with violence prevention or USAID programs desirable
• Ability to work under pressure and deliver quality products under tight deadlines and in sparse working environments
• Strong organizational and presentation skills, attention to detail, and proficiency in Microsoft Office and other appropriate software
• Experience of working in international development and the humanitarian sector
• Preference given to candidates with prior experience and demonstrated understanding of citizen security and violence prevention in the country

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, religion, 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.