Project Location(s): Madaba – Dieban , Zarqa’a – Azraq, Ma’an – Wadi Mousa.

Estimated Duration: 10 months

** This opportunity is only open for national individual consultants. Companies or non-Jordanians are not eligible to apply.

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.

Project Description:
Jordan, one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, is facing escalating climate-related disasters that threaten its communities, economy, and environment. Rising temperatures, declining rainfall, and more frequent extreme weather events—particularly flash floods and heatwaves—are straining the country’s already limited water resources and disrupting agriculture. In response, Mercy Corps Jordan is implementing Tabeaa: Strengthening Climate Resilience in Jordanian Communities, a project co-funded by the Z Zurich Foundation and the Embassy of Switzerland in Jordan. Tabeaa is part of Mercy Corps’ ongoing work under the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance, which focuses on enhancing resilience to climate hazards globally. Through Tabeaa, Mercy Corps Jordan is strengthening climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts at both national and local levels. Nationally, the project supports the localization and enforcement of climate policies and promotes climate-smart investments to build long-term resilience. At the community level, Tabeaa works in five highly vulnerable locations (Wadi Musa, Azraq, Mlaih, Dieban, and Shobak), implementing locally driven interventions to protect water resources, reduce disaster risks, and support sustainable livelihoods. By integrating national-level policy action with grassroots resilience-building, Tabeaa empowers both institutions and communities to sustainably adapt to Jordan’s growing climate challenges.

Community-led Advocacy Approach:

As part of the Tabeaa project’s Outcome 2 “Localisation and enforcement of CCA and DRR policies in Jordan are strengthened” Mercy Corps follows a community-led advocacy approach through the establishment of three Local Advocacy Committees (LACs) in the communities of Azraq in Zarqa, Wadi Musa in Maan, and Dieban in Madaba.  

Each committee consists of 12 to 15 members, representing both local communities and authorities. Members include local leaders as well as representatives from institutions such as the Municipality, Civil Defense, Agriculture Directorate, and Water Directorate. These committees were established not just to participate in activities, but to become credible community structures that can promote public participation in shaping policies and plans related to CCA and DRR. Their role focuses on strengthening the engagement of communities in advocacy efforts and policy discussions.

To support their role, the Tabeaa project launched the Advocacy Leadership Program (2025 to 2026). Through this program, committee members will participate in a structured learning journey that strengthens their leadership, advocacy, and policy engagement skills. Members will learn about climate risks affecting their communities, understand local policy systems, and build confidence in communicating with institutions and decision makers. The learning approach combines mentoring, practical exercises, and peer learning to help participants apply skills in real settings.

Throughout the program, members will work together to develop and implement an advocacy action plan focused on priority resilience needs related to floods and heatwaves in their communities. Advocacy efforts will be evidence based and informed by community consultations and local resilience assessments. Activities may include policy dialogues, meetings with decision makers, lobbying, and media engagement.

As part of the program experience, LACs have already received foundational training on basic advocacy concepts and have met and engaged with one another. A shared platform serves as community of practice, such as a WhatsApp or Facebook group, will also connect all committees to support ongoing coordination, learning, and exchange as they progress in their advocacy leadership journey.
 

Consultant Objectives:

The overall objective of this consultancy is to strengthen the capacity of Local Advocacy Committees (LACs) in Azraq, Wadi Musa, and Dieban to design and lead effective, evidence-based advocacy efforts that respond to local climate resilience needs. The consultant will be responsible for delivering a tailored capacity-building and mentoring process that equips LAC members with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to engage meaningfully with decision-makers and influence CCA and DRR policies at the local level.

In addition to the LAC members, the capacity-building process may include other community members nominated by Mercy Corps.

The consultant’s work will be delivered in four main phases:

This consultancy will be delivered in two phases, with Phase 2 commencing only upon Mercy Corps’ approval of all Phase 1 deliverables.

• Phase I: Inception and Action Planning

This phase will focus on building a shared understanding and establishing a strong foundation for the policy advocacy efforts the committees will lead. It aims to ensure that all training, tools, and action plans are grounded in evidence, tailored to community realities, and aligned with Mercy Corps’ climate resilience focus. The phase will combine inception work, targeted climate-policy advocacy training, and participatory action planning to equip committees with the clarity and direction needed to move forward confidently in their advocacy journey.

Objectives of this phase are:

• Develop a clear methodological approach for the consultancy through an inception process that includes reviewing Tabeaa’s evidence base and preparing a tailored workplan, tools, and materials for use throughout the consultancy.
  (Tabeaa project will provide the consultant with evidence of resilience gaps and priorities as identified by each community along with an advocacy toolkit to be used as reference)
• Strengthening understanding of climate-focused policy advocacy through theoretical and applied training, delivered to each committee separately. The training should cover key skills (e.g. stakeholder mapping, setting advocacy objectives, and identifying entry points) tailored to local challenges and based on local evidence.
• Lead a participatory planning process with each committee to co-develop practical advocacy action plans with clear objectives, target stakeholders, proposed activities, and a feasible timeline.
• Prepare committees for a structured review and validation process with a designated review panel (MC will select and lead the communication with the panel) to ensure the action plans are coherent, achievable, and aligned with national climate priorities.

Throughout this phase, the consultant must ensure that all training and planning processes are directly connected to CCA and DRR with a specific focus on floods, heatwaves, and water scarcity. Action plans must be feasible and achievable within the remaining duration of the project and aligned with the available resources. Emphasis should be placed on identifying targeted advocacy efforts that address pressing, locally identified climate resilience needs and that the LAC is realistically positioned to influence. The plans should avoid broad or long-term objectives that would require extensive national-level engagement or multi-year policy processes. Instead, they should prioritize actionable, short-term goals that can deliver visible progress and build the committees’ confidence and credibility with local stakeholders.

• Phase II: Advocacy Mentoring and Peer Learning

To ensure sustained support and the practical application of the skills and knowledge gained during the capacity-building sessions and development of advocacy action plans, each LAC will commence implementing its plan with support from the Tabeaa project. The consultant will be responsible for providing ongoing mentoring and technical guidance over a six‑month period, enabling each LAC to implement at least one advocacy objective outlined in their plan. The purpose is to strengthen committees’ confidence, applied advocacy skills, and leadership through ongoing mentoring, mid-point cross-learning, and a final peer reflection process.

Objectives of this phase are:

• Provide ongoing mentoring and technical guidance over a six-month period to support each LAC in implementing one selected advocacy objective from its action plan, ensuring that activities remain feasible, context-appropriate, and aligned with the project timeline and available resources. This includes helping committees refine their strategies, adjust messages, identify relevant stakeholders, and respond to emerging opportunities or contextual shifts during implementation.
• Maintain effective communication and structured follow-up through regular mentoring sessions and accessible support channels, ensuring timely technical assistance and consistent documentation of progress, challenges, and agreed-upon action points.
• Facilitate shared learning and collaboration among LACs through a midpoint cross-learning session (online) designed to exchange experiences, challenges, and emerging practices.
• Design and facilitate a two-day peer learning workshop (in-person) bringing all LACs together to share results and lessons learned, this session will be conducted at the end of the consultancy and will bring together all LAC’s to review the entire process from inception to closing. It will serve as a platform to share (lessons learned, success stories, and key learning moments) while identifying critical elements to build upon and formulating final recommendations for future action.

Throughout this phase, the consultant serves strictly as a mentor and advisor. Advocacy activities must remain LAC-led, with the consultant guiding rather than implementing. All advocacy materials, messages, and external communications produced by committees must be reviewed and approved by Mercy Corps prior to use. The emphasis is on strengthening LACs’ capacity to lead realistic, locally grounded advocacy initiatives while building a strong foundation for long-term community-driven policy engagement.

Consultant Activities & Deliverables:
 

Please check the Deliverables Table in the below link for full details:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MUhs8PTc6RNRFU_V7h3_Wz9-8Eyo76dx?usp=sharing

Timeframe / Schedule: 

The consultant should propose a full timeline for this consultancy that falls within 10 months of the contract signing, estimated to be between the Jan 2026 and Dec 2026.

(Consultant to propose the exact number of working days needed to complete the work based on the level of effort required within the proposed timeframe mentioned above).

The Consultant will report to: Mercy Corps team.

The Consultant will work closely with: Mercy Corps Program Teams, LAC’s, and other related stakeholders for the project.

Required Experience & Skills:

• 10-15 years of experience in a relevant technical field (required). 
• Bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, development studies, politics, business management, or related fields. 
• Strong experience in climate change policy, including understanding national strategies, adaptation plans, and related regulatory frameworks (essential). 
• Experience developing and delivering training/education content in local communities, of at least 10 years. 
• Familiarity with the humanitarian and development context is a plus.  
• Strong analytical and reporting skills are mandatory.  
• Strong and wide networks, including access to private entities, authorities, and government.  
• Expertise in adapting participatory approaches, gender-sensitive approaches, and methodologies. 
• Experience in delivering advocacy activities related to climate change is mandatory. 
• Fluent in Arabic and English. 

Application: 

Interested applicants must submit their applications, including the following:

• Technical Proposal:

Interested consultant(s) must submit a technical proposal covering, but not limited to the following:

• Consultant experience and qualification: A brief overview of the applicant’s professional background, highlighting relevant experience in policy advocacy, climate change, community engagement, and similar assignments. Applicants should provide concrete examples of previous work that demonstrates their suitability for this consultancy.
• A brief methodological approach that will be followed by the applicant throughout the assignment, including the way in which the consultant intends to carry out activities to achieve the objectives mentioned throughout this ToR.
• Clear work plan with a detailed breakdown of tasks and dates as per the deliverables identified above.

• Financial Proposal:

Applicants must submit a detailed financial proposal presented as a lump-sum amount per deliverable, covering all consultant-incurred costs, including (transportation to and from project locations, communication, preparation, facilitation, and follow-up time for all meetings, workshops, and events, and any additional resources or expenses required to complete the assignment.
The offer should be submitted in  JOD, inclusive of tax. 
 

Mercy Corps will cover the costs of event venues, participant expenses, and accommodation (including breakfast and dinner) for the consultant and one co-facilitator when needed for overnight field visits. The consultant is responsible for budgeting all other costs related to their work under this consultancy.
Offers will be evaluated against Mercy Corps’ cost-effectiveness and efficiency standards.

• References

The consultant (s) to share the information of two Recent References, including name, email, phone number, and address.

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