Objective 3 

Guide the MC team on facilitating participatory prioritization and Joint Action Planning with community stakeholders, local authorities and relevant service providers to support implementation of agricultural and essential service interventions. 

Objective 4 

Strengthening the capacity of Community Stakeholder Committees, community representatives and Mercy Corps staff on practical approaches to conflict sensitivity, inclusive governance, participatory facilitation and collaborative decision-making, including an orientation on Community-Based Early Warning and Early Response (EWER). 

Objective 5 

Document key lessons learned, agreed community priorities and Joint Action Plans, and provide practical recommendations to support the remaining implementation period and project close-out. 

Consultant Activities: 

The consultant shall undertake the following activities. 

Objective 1 

Rapid Conflict and Stakeholder Analysis. 

The consultant will: 

• Review relevant project documentation, including the approved proposal, workplan, implementation progress, beneficiary selection process and available assessments. 

• Provide technical guidance and facilitate the Mercy Corps team in conducting rapid participatory conflict and stakeholder analyses in each target location using a mixed methods approach (e.g, Focus group discussions and Key informant interviews). 

• Identify existing community structures and key stakeholders at the community and local authority levels, paying attention to the interests and influence of different groups (e.g., women, youth, internally displaced persons, host communities). 

• Assess conflict dynamics that may influence project implementation, including land access, natural resource use, beneficiary selection, community relations and access to services. 

• Identify practical opportunities to strengthen inclusive participation during implementation. 

• Prepare concise conflict and stakeholder profiles with recommendations for implementation teams. 

Deliverable 

Rapid Conflict and Stakeholder Analysis Report with max 10 pages 

Objective 2 

Community Stakeholder Committees 

The consultant will facilitate the establishment and/or strengthening of Community Stakeholder Committees that will support transparent and inclusive implementation of project activities. 

Activities include: 

• Mapping existing community coordination mechanisms. 

• Conducting a power and inclusion analysis to identify and address potential barriers to participation for marginalized groups. 

• Supporting transparent committee formation where needed, ensuring fair representation of farmers, women, youth and other relevant community stakeholders. 

• Developing standard Committee Terms of Reference that are adaptable to the local context. 

• Defining committee roles and responsibilities. 

• Establishing simple meeting procedures and decision-making processes that include a grievance mechanism. 

• Supporting effective communication between committees, Mercy Corps, local authorities and relevant stakeholders. 

The consultant will encourage inclusive representation of farmers, women, youth and other relevant community stakeholders while respecting local context and existing governance structures. 

Deliverables 

• Community Stakeholder Committee Guidelines 

• Standard Committee Terms of Reference (Template to be contextualised) 

Objective 3 

Participatory Prioritization and Joint Action Planning 

Using participatory facilitation approaches, including Appreciative Inquiry where appropriate, the consultant will design and remotely facilitate community workshops and provide structured guidance to Mercy Corps field teams, who will lead the in‑person facilitation in each target location: 

• Guide the validation of agricultural recovery implementation priorities. 

• Support the review of   agricultural and community support needs. 

• Facilitate the identification of implementation challenges and opportunities. 

• Guide collaborative prioritisation of activities within the available project budget and timeframe. 

• Support and structure dialogue between communities and local authorities, with MC teams facilitating discussions on the ground 

Develop practical Joint Action Plans for each target location that outline specific, measurable activities, responsible parties (community, authorities, MC), timelines, and resources for each target location. 

Joint Action Plans should clearly define agreed priorities, stakeholder responsibilities, coordination arrangements and follow-up actions during the remaining implementation period. 

Deliverables

• Joint Action Planning Facilitation Package 

• Joint Action Plans for each target location (Approved by Mercy Corps) 

Objective 4 

Capacity Strengthening 

The consultant will design and facilitate practical field-based learning sessions for Community Stakeholder Committees, Mercy Corps staff and relevant stakeholders covering:

• Foundations of Conflict Sensitivity and "Do No Harm" 

• Conflict Management and Resolution 

• Group Dynamics and Collaborative Leadership 

• Participatory Decision Making and Negotiation Skills 

• Stakeholder Engagement and Communication 

• Introduction to Community-Based Early Warning and Early Response (EWER), including community roles, reporting pathways and referral mechanisms. 

Training should emphasize practical application using project examples, case discussions and field-based exercises rather than classroom-based lectures. Develop and facilitate an introductory orientation on Community-Based Early Warning and Early Response (EWER), including community roles, reporting pathways and referral mechanisms relevant to the project context. 

Deliverables

• Training Materials (PowerPoint presentations, facilitator guides, case studies, and handouts) 

• Capacity Building Report (Summary of sessions, attendance, feedback, and recommendations for follow-up).

  Objective 5 

Documentation and Close-out Support

The consultant will:

• Document key process lessons learned from the participatory governance process, focusing on what worked, what didn’t and why. 

• Compile committee documentation and Joint Action Plans. 

• Identify good practices and implementation challenges linking them back to the conflict analysis. 

• Provide practical, actionable recommendations to support project reporting and close-out and for potential future programming. 

Deliverables: 

• Lessons Learned and Recommendations Brief (Max 10 pages). 

• Final Consultancy Report (Compiles all key deliverables and provides an executive summary of the entire assignment). 

Consultancy Activity Mapping:

The Consultant will report to: CDCS Program Manager/Syria Country Manager 

The Consultant will work closely with: MC CDCS Program Team, MC PaQ Team, and Humanity & Inclusion (HI), where relevant. 

MC will be responsible for Stakeholder meetings’ logistics like (venue, refreshment) , no travel, accommodation, or field transportation costs for the consultant are included under this assignment, as the consultancy will be implemented primarily remotely. 

Required Experience & Skills: 

The successful consultant should possess: 

• An advanced university degree in Peacebuilding, Conflict Studies, Governance, Development Studies, Social Sciences or a related discipline. 

• At least 8 years of professional experience in conflict sensitivity, community governance, participatory development or social cohesion programming. 

• Demonstrated experience conducting conflict and stakeholder analyses. 

• Proven experience facilitating community dialogue and participatory planning processes. 

• Strong understanding of the Do No Harm framework and conflict-sensitive programming. 

• Experience in fragile and conflict‑affected contexts, including engagement in Food Security and Livelihoods, resilience, or recovery programming, or in related sectors with strong relevance to community dynamics and conflict sensitivity.Previous experience working in Syria or comparable humanitarian contexts is highly desirable. 

• Excellent facilitation, analytical and report-writing skills. 

• Fluency in English is required; Arabic is highly desirable.