Crisis Analyst (Applications will only be accepted if submitted through the URL link provided below)

About Mercy Corps

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. Now, and for the future.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps has developed a Crisis Analytics function to support our programming in the most complex contexts, including Syria, Libya, Democratic Republic of Congo and others. The Lebanon Crisis Analytics Hub, which will be launched in Lebanon for the first time in August 2021, seeks to support Mercy Corps’ in-country programming as well as the wider  humanitarian and crisis response in Lebanon, currently experiencing a highly volatile and rapidly developing series of concurrent crises. It does this through the provision of quality, timely and relevant analytical products.

Mercy Corps’ LCAH team aggregates and analyzes data to provide more nuanced understanding of both the humanitarian context and its impact on markets, households, and coping strategies to enable better decision making for donors, implementers, and  policy makers in complex crises. The team directly contributes to data-driven decision making by layering information from primary sources, open sources and responders’ programmatic data, where it is analysed by subject matter experts and data scientists. This analysis is grounded in Mercy Corps’ status as an operational NGO, keeping our products constructive and relevant  for policy makers, responders and donors within a given crisis. The LCAH also serves as a real-time information hub; vets potential partners and collaborations; assesses programmatic, partner, and operational risk; identifies and maps stakeholders; and works with internal partners to better enable data-driven decision making.

While current data and analytics have tended to focus on the refugee crisis and the most vulnerable Lebanese, there is an urgently growing need to provide a more comprehensive countrywide view of what data around near daily changes in prices, devaluation, shortages, and

other shocks actually mean and how they impact those living in Lebanon. They will help forecast humanitarian and economic needs and anticipated knock-on effects of multiple shocks and stresses.

The LCAH seeks to provide that contextualized analysis through monthly situation updates, forecasts, scenario building, bespoke deeper dive pieces on important humanitarian and fragility issues, and urgent flash analyses of rapidly developing situations.

The Hub’s products will also guide and influence the course of Mercy Corps’ programming, serving three distinct purposes:

1. Provide analysis to program teams for more efficient, effective and  targeted humanitarian program design, implementation, and evaluation;
2. Provide information to program and operations teams that enables them to appropriately design risk mitigation plans; and
3. Develop a knowledge repository and build expertise on programming landscapes and relevant actors in Lebanon, further contributing to a culture of research and learning.

General Position Summary

The Crisis Analyst is part of a 3-member team forming the core of LCAH’s inception, development, and service delivery. They will network and form collaborative relationships with key stakeholders in data collection, humanitarian response, humanitarian funding, relevant academics, researchers, policy advocates and makers, civil society, and relevant governance structures to create complementarity and avoid duplication or over-assessment.

The Crisis Analyst is a critical analytical role within the team, reporting to and collaborating closely with the Chief Analyst/Project Manager, assisting in the establishment of a network of collaborative relationships with key stakeholders in data collection, humanitarian/crisis response,  crises-related funding, relevant academics, researchers, policy advocates and makers, civil society, and relevant governance structures to create complementarity and avoid duplication or over-assessment.

The Crisis Analyst will deliver analysis that links trends (economic, social, political, conflict) to their impact on humanitarian and development programming decisions. They will develop timely, nuanced, and actionable products that serve the wider humanitarian community and those living in Lebanon in need of right-sized, urgent, targeted support.

They will clean, crosscheck, and triangulate all market relevant data as needed to ensure accuracy  of source data and thus of the analysis. They will be responsible for the acquisition, management, protection, and analysis of relevant market data to establish developments, patterns, impacts, and scenario building. They will be responsible for establishing with the support of the Chief Analyst/Project Manager and maintaining close    relationships with private sector actors to confirm,

verify, correct or complement data, while contributing to products that provide nuanced  understanding of indicative multi-sectoral impacts on households of changes in the market indicators, providing insight into scenario building and forecasting. They will be responsible for delivering specific products including weekly reports to the Chief Analyst/Project Manager.

They will be part of a small team of analysts hosted by Mercy Corps - Lebanon in Beirut.

They will contribute to the design, oversight and delivery of contextualized analysis that can be used in the decision making process for humanitarian donors, implementers, policy makers, advocacy groups and others for more efficient, better targeted funding, program design, implementation, and evaluation. This will require thorough research and analytical skills, contextual knowledge of the ever-changing Lebanon context as well as the ability to triangulate  a range of information sources in order to more greatly benefit and improve understanding and targeting.

The Market Data Analyst will assist the Chief Analyst/Project Manager in liaising with the donor and Mercy Corps’ own program teams, delivering briefings and presentations to provide key analysis upon request.

The Market Data Analyst will come ready with and further develop deep key understanding of local security, economic, conflict and humanitarian dynamics within Lebanon.

The Market Data Analyst will assist the Chief Analyst/Project Manager in organizing extensive research/analysis schedules and ensure strict quality control on all products that are delivered by the Hub.

Essential Job Responsibilities

OVERALL

• Directly manage the acquisition, cleaning, cross-checking, and triangulation of all relevant market data.
• Oversee the collection, storage and protection of all data according to Mercy Corps data protection protocols.
• Provide qualitative and quantitative analysis of market data indicators, trends and potential future scenarios to better guide humanitarian planning, crisis preparedness, targeting and response.
• Assist the Chief Analyst/Project Manager in advising the Senior Management Team (including the Country Director and Director of Programs) and the donor with updates on evolving developments in the country as it relates to Mercy Corps programs and  potential crisis/critical humanitarian response.
• Adhere to strict deadlines and quality measures.

• Work with the larger analytical team (regionally and globally) on major analytical projects on an ad hoc basis.
• Able to lead technical projects independently and as part of a team.
• Ensure that products developed are timely, useful, accurate and actionable for relevant stakeholders.
• Work alongside program teams, as requested by the Chief Analyst/Project Manager, reporting key localized analysis to inform and assist program implementation.

Analysis

• Maintain and constantly develop a strong understanding of the rapidly changing context in Lebanon Maintain and constantly develop a strong understanding of the rapidly changing context in Lebanon (political, legal, economic, social, and conflict, and their impact on the wider humanitarian/crisis context).
• Contribute to key analytics products for the donor, broader humanitarian response, community, and Mercy Corps program teams based on local area dynamics and under the supervision of the Chief Analyst/Project Manager.
• Contribute to presentations and updates for the donor and program teams as required.
• Support the overall continuation of a culture of a team, which is highly aware of the context.
• Contribute to contextual presentations to program teams on a regular basis.

Management

• Maintain strict adherence to quality control of the Hub.
• Be adaptive to remote working and management techniques if needed.
• Contribute to the organization and prioritization of outputs based on context and needs from the donor and Mercy Corps - Lebanon.

STRATEGY & CULTURE

• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and contribute to an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
• Contribute to the development of humanitarian, crisis response, country-level and regional strategies, as well as other key thematic sectors of interventions (economic development, governance, etc) for Mercy Corps in Lebanon.
• Understand and express conflict in terms of humanitarian needs, gender, diversity and inclusion, protection, shocks, stresses, and threats to the vulnerable and humanitarian community.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the  communities they serve - we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:

None

Accountability

• Reports directly to: Chief Analyst/Project Manager
• Works directly with: second Crisis Analyst, Program Performance & Quality (PaQ) Team, Program teams, relevant TSU teams, and other Crisis Analytics/Humanitarian Access Team members both regionally and globally under the direction of the Chief Analyst/Project Manager

Knowledge and Experience

• Degree in Economics, Finance, Politics, International Relations, conflict studies or a related field is an asset
• Excellent written and spoken English is a definite asset
• Excellent written and spoken Arabic is a must
• Analytical experience within a think-tank, UN, or NGO experience or a similar Crisis Analytics Unit is a strong asset
• Lebanese residence is a requirement with a strong depth of knowledge and experience with the Lebanese historical context and current state of multiple shocks and stresses, with specific understanding of political, social, conflict, and security dynamics within Lebanon a definite asset
• Other additional Middle East experience is a plus
• Primary and secondary research/academic experience in political science, sociology, economics, or conflict analysis
• Experience with both quantitative and qualitative research is a strong asset
• Experience working in small teams is a plus

Success Factors

A successful candidate will see opportunities where Mercy Corps programs can complement policy related to refugees, extremely vulnerable, and newly vulnerable, and contribute to exploring new partnerships or program modalities with private sector and local government. They will be able to relate programming in Lebanon with policy and work closely with regional teams to enhance our capacity and approach towards risk and access strategies. They will work on short deadlines, often under challenging circumstances, while remaining calm,  flexible, patient and creative. They are able both to work as part of a tight knit, small and collaborative team or work independently as needed. They will be comfortable speaking and presenting quite complex information in digestible formats before groups both big and small, sometimes with potentially controversial content, while remaining confident, professional, and open. A good sense of humor and excellent interpersonal skills are key.