Consultant - Development of MENA/Europe Regional Safe Programming Approach

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. 

Aligned with Mercy Corps' ten-year Pathway to Possibility (P2P) global strategy and its commitment to a Safe, Diverse, and Inclusive (SDI) environment, the Middle East North Africa and Europe (MENA/E) region, in its FY25 Regional Overview, prioritized inclusive participation, particularly for youth and women, while embedding gender equality, social inclusion, diversity across programs and in staff representation. The region is also committed to providing safe, accessible, and trusted channels for participants and communities to raise concerns, share experiences, and ensure that they are heard and addressed. When effectively managed, Community Accountability Reporting Mechanisms (CARM) strengthens transparency, enables timely corrective action, reduces risks of harm, and builds confidence in our programs, all of which are critical to program quality and success.  Additionally, Mercy Corps MENA/E is committed to advance safeguarding by implementing core commitments that guide staff to integrating protection measures into daily work and ensuring core behaviors are practiced organization wide.

Purpose / Project Description: 

The primary purpose of this consultancy is to support the Mercy Corps MENA/Europe region in achieving its Safe, Diverse, and Inclusive (SDI) objectives by conducting a comprehensive assessment of current safe programming practices and based on the findings, developing a strategic, forward-looking Regional Safe Programming Approach. This initiative aims to systematically identify strengths, gaps, and challenges in Safeguarding, Community Accountability Reporting Mechanisms (CARM), Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), and protection, ultimately leading to a coordinated framework that enhances program quality, accountability, and impact across the region.

Consultant Objectives: 

The consultant will be responsible for achieving the following key objectives:

• To assess the current state of Safeguarding, CARM, GESI, and protection integration across a representative sample of country programs (Georgia, Syria, Palestine) and with the possibility of including either Jordan or Yemen.
• To identify and document existing best practices, recurring gaps, systemic challenges, and key lessons learned, including insights from the Ukraine Safe Programming Report.
• To facilitate a collaborative sense-making process with country, regional, and global teams to validate assessment findings and build collective ownership of the results.
• To develop a practical and actionable Regional Safe Programming Framework that provides clear guidance, principles, and a structure for improving coordination, resourcing, and implementation of safe programming.
• To support the socialization and initial rollout of the framework to key stakeholders, ensuring clarity and readiness for adoption.

Consultant Activities and Deliverables

The consultancy will be implemented in two phases, corresponding with the project structure. 

Phase 

Activities  

Deliverables  

Timeline 

Phase 1: Safe Programming Assessment  

• Inception: Conduct an initial literature review of key documents (e.g. policies, work plans, regional strategies).  

• Tool Development: Design and finalize data collection tools (e.g. surveys, Key Informant Interview guides).  

• Data Collection: Conduct the agreed upon number of KIIs with country office and regional office. 

• Data Analysis & Reporting: Analyze collected data and draft a comprehensive Safe Programming Assessment Report.  

• Validation Workshop: Co-facilitate a sense-making workshop with MC staff to validate findings. 

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