Market Systems Development - Technical Capacity Strengthening Consultant

Background:Mercy Corps is a leading global humanitarian and development organization working with communities in the frontlines of conflict and climate change. We partner locally and globally to help people cope in the midst of crisis, adapt to a changing world, and thrive into the future. In 2025, we reached more than 36 million people with urgent aid and long-term solutions.Enhancing resilience is at the heart of what Mercy Corps does and how we work. Mercy Corps strengthens sources of resilience to enhance the capacities of people, markets, and institutions to handle shocks, reduce risk, build more equitable and responsive systems, and improve well-being. Through our programs, partnerships, and influence, we support communities to cope, adapt, and ultimately thrive.Since the escalation of the war in Ukraine in 2022, Mercy Corps has supported more than 1.2 million conflict-affected people in Ukraine and neighboring countries. We have provided humanitarian assistance for people in emergency situations and supported war-affected micro, small, and medium businesses, including farmers and agribusinesses, to recover their business activities. Increasingly, Mercy Corps is implementing Market Systems Development (MSD) approaches in Ukraine, seeking systemic solutions that build resilient, inclusive, and sustainable economic opportunities for conflict-affected populations. Notably, nearly all our programming is delivered in partnership with civil society organizations — integrating program delivery, mutual growth, and experience exchange with a genuine commitment to localization.Mercy Corps Ukraine is investing in strengthening internal team capacity on MSD programmatic and MSD Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) to enable more effective design, implementation, measurement, and adaptation of MSD programming across the portfolio. This includes building the team’s ability to plan and implement MSD interventions, monitor and measure outcomes and impact, demonstrate Value for Money (VfM), and continuously learn and adapt programming. To support this effort, Mercy Corps is engaging two complementary consultants: on broader MSD technical capacity strengthening (this Scope of Work) and the other focusing on MSD MEL and adaptive learning (separate Scope of Work). The consultancies are designed to be closely coordinated and mutually reinforcing.Purpose Description:Mercy Corps Ukraine is increasingly applying Market Systems Development (MSD) approaches to address systemic constraints affecting small and medium enterprises (SMEs), farmers, and market actors in conflict-affected and recovery contexts. Through a portfolio of MSD programming, the team aims to design, test, adapt, and scale interventions that contribute to systemic change, including innovative partnership models, financial and non-financial service solutions, and market-based approaches that drive sustainable economic recovery and resilience.Successful implementation of MSD programming across the full program lifecycle—including market systems analysis, intervention design, pilot implementation, program adaptation, and scale—requires program teams to strengthen their practical understanding and application of MSD principles. This includes capabilities in market systems analysis, intervention design, facilitation, partner engagement, adaptive management, and sustainability planning.To support this objective, Mercy Corps Ukraine seeks a consultant to provide mentorship and technical support to its team. The assignment will combine tailored capacity strengthening based on individual and team needs with hands-on technical support applied throughout the MSD program lifecycle. Learning will be anchored in real program activities, allowing staff to build skills through direct application of MSD concepts and tools across planning, implementation, adaptation, and scale-up processes.The consultancy will take an iterative and adaptive approach, flexibly responding to emerging programm…