Consultancy - Political Economy Analysis at International Rescue Committee

Scope and Objectives

The Country Program, through the PEA exercise, seeks to understand the incentives and barriers that inhibit the effective participation of refugees and marginalized communities in county development processes, their ability to efficiently access services, the key partners required to support the governance agenda and the best ways to influence them in IRC’s four - program intervention counties (West Pokot, Garissa, Baringo and Wajir).

The PEA seeks to achieve the following specific objectives.

• Sensitize key partners - Government and I/NGOs - working in the target counties, and communities about the project concept, benefits, targeting criteria, implementation of strategies and modalities, monitoring and other such aspects.
• Participate in development of monthly outreach plans with community workers, based on case trends and ongoing needs of women, men, youth and refugees. This includes strategies to reach women, children of all genders who are more isolated/have special needs.
• Assure delivery of high-quality services commensurate with goals and results outlined. Identifying gaps in services and work to address them through internal and external capacity building.
• Design and develop detailed activity plans to assess how the public resources are distributed, taking note of those who benefit and those excluded, the opportunities and gaps that affect efficient and inclusive service delivery in line with program objectives.
• Develop and carry out strategies that result in strong representation with Governments, IRC partners, communities and other civil society actors that can be deploy to facilitate progressive agendas addressing host community, refugees and collaborators’ needs specific to each
• Conduct policy dialogue in close collaboration with IRC partners and key actors to identify, build and implement strategies to craft consensus around a governance roadmap to address in the next few years.

This analysis will.

• Chip in to identify and understand the key partner/actors' power relations/dynamics, influence and interests, formal and informal structures, processes, and institutions that facilitate or inhibit quality programming across IRC’s sectors.
• Examine decision-making dynamics in counties with a special focus on county departments with responsibilities that are relevant to the program's technical/ sectoral areas.
• Assess the county systems, institutions, and structures at the sub-county and community levels with a view to identifying capacity strengthening strengths, opportunities, and/or gaps that promote or hinder effective service delivery in the target sectoral areas.
• Spell out the roles of targeted population, including the marginalized groups in decisions pertaining to their rights and/or needs.
• Advise IRC’s program structuring, proactive response to contextual issues, and present balanced and durable interventions.

Qualifications

• An advanced university degree in development studies, international relations, political science, public administration, Monitoring and Evaluation, Research, Statistics, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• Solid experience in conceptualizing and undertaking research and evaluations using a varied mix of methodologies.
• Proven expansive experience in conducting political economy analyses in Kenya.
• Shown experience in working with government authorities, civil society organizations, and diverse partners at the community level in Kenya’s context of devolution.
• Familiarity with the Kenya devolution context would be an asset.
• Excellent skills in conducting policy dialogues
• Proficiency in written and spoken English and Swahili languages
• Outstanding report writing and presentation skills.