Consultant – Develop Change Stories Booklet for PROSPECT I-IV Individual Consultant Long-term contract

Consultancy Title: Consultant to Develop Change Stories Booklet for PROSPECT I-IV

Project Location(s): Across PROSPECTS Series Implementation Counties: Montserrado, Grand Bassa, Bong, Margibi, Nimba

Timeline: Start date – April 22, 2026

Background

Mercy Corps is a global humanitarian and development organization operating in over 40 countries, with a mission to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by empowering people to build secure, productive, and just communities. In Liberia, Mercy Corps has led key initiatives in youth empowerment, peacebuilding, economic development, and resilience programming.

Since 2013, with support from the Swedish Embassy; Mercy Corps has implemented the multi‑phase PROSPECTS Program, designed to increase economic, social, and civic opportunities for adolescents and youth, particularly young women and marginalized groups. Over 13 years, PROSPECTS has made significant contributions to youth employment pathways, skills development, psychosocial well‑being, and community stability across five counties.

PROSPECTS I–IV Overview (2013–2026)

PROSPECTS I (2013–2016): Focused on enhancing skills, employability, and positive youth engagement.

PROSPECTS II (2016–2019): Expanded to include entrepreneurship, business development services, market‑driven skills, and youth leadership opportunities.

PROSPECTS III (2019–2022): Strengthened community resilience, social cohesion, and youth livelihood systems.

PROSPECTS IV (2022–2026): Emphasizes sustainability, scaling successful models, private‑sector integration, and evidence‑driven empowerment.

Across all phases, the program has supported thousands of youths in Montserrado, Grand Bassa, Bong, Margibi, and Nimba counties.

Rationale for Documentary Development

As PROSPECTS nears completion in 2026, Mercy Corps aims to capture and synthesize compelling impact stories showcasing the program’s transformational effect on youth, communities, and systems across Liberia. A well‑documented impact story booklet will serve as:

• A historical archive of a 13‑year flagship program
• A learning and advocacy resource
• Evidence for donors, partners, and government stakeholders
• A tool to inform future program design and upscale proven models

Purpose of Consultancy:

To document, develop, design, and publish a high‑quality PROSPECTS I–IV Change Stories Booklet. The consultant will remotely guide a team of enumerators, former PROSPECTS staff, who will identify and document stories from project participants across all counties.

The consultant will develop templates, train enumerators, synthesize collected data, craft compelling stories, and produce a visually appealing, standardized booklet ready for public dissemination.

OBJECTIVE:

Overall Objective: To produce a professionally designed impact story booklet that illustrates PROSPECTS’ achievements, lessons, and transformative impact from 2013–2026.

Specific Objectives:

• Develop a standardized story of change template.
• Train enumerators on ethical story collection, interviewing, and documentation.
• Guide enumerators in identifying and capturing beneficiary stories across PROSPECTS phases.
• Synthesize raw documentation into clear, compelling, evidence based stories.
• Design and publish a 25–35‑page impact story booklet using Mercy Corps branding guidelines.
• Deliver all final files in print ready and editable formats.

Activities, and deliverables:

Inception Phase

• Review PROSPECTS I–IV program documents.
• Conduct meetings with Mercy Corps team.
• Develop an inception report including:
  • Story collection methodology
  • Enumerator training plan
  • Story‑of‑change template
  • Workplan and timeline
  • Story of Change Booklet layout/sample
  
  

Inception Report + Story of Change Booklet Layout/sample

Enumerator Support & Story Collection

Remotely support enumerators to:

• Identify a diverse cohort of beneficiaries across counties and program phases.
• Conduct interviews and gather story materials.
• Ensure ethical standards, gender sensitivity, and informed consent.

Compiled Raw Stories + Interview Notes + Photos

Story Synthesis and Writing

• Review and analyze story submissions.
• Select strong representative stories across thematic areas.
• Edit, rewrite, and refine stories into compelling narratives.
• Ensure alignment with program objectives and donor requirements.

Draft Change Stories (20–25 stories depending on length)

Booklet Design, Validation, & Finalization

• Design a 25–35‑page professionally formatted booklet.
• Incorporate high‑quality photographs, infographics, and quotes.
• Apply Mercy Corps branding and communication guidelines.
• Present draft to Mercy Corps for review.
• Incorporate feedback.
• Produce final versions in all required formats

· Draft Designed Booklet (PDF)

• Final Print‑Ready PDF
• Editable design source files
• Final narrative booklet content (MS Word)
• All photos, graphics, and story assets

Methodological Approach

The consultant will apply:

• Participatory and inclusive methods
• Ethical story gathering principles
• Youth‑centered and gender‑responsive storytelling
• Data accuracy and confidentiality measures
• Sequential quality assurance (review → edit → design → validation)

Timeline: The Consultancy will last for a one-monthperiod. The start date is on April 22, 2026, and ends on May 23, 2026.

Mercy Corps Responsibilities

• Provide background documents and communication materials.
• Facilitate access to all sessions, participants, stakeholders and required resources.
• Provide logistical and administrative support, including venue and transport.
• Review and approve deliverables.

Cost of the Consultancy:

Estimated level of efforts 16 days @ 350 daily rate

Cost for enumerators level of efforts 5 days + 10 enumerators @ 50 daily rate (excluding transportation and communication)

• Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
• Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
• Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.

Team Engagement and Effectiveness

Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.

We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme . We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline (integrityhotline@mercycorps.org).

How to apply

Apply here: http://app.jobvite.com/m?3fkXtnwR

Tagged as: Agriculture, Food Security and Livelihoods