Rapid Livelihoods Assessment - Arsal

1. 1. Background

Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) is a humanitarian organization rooted in the Norwegian Labour Movement. We work with International Development Partnerships, Humanitarian Disarmament, Rescue Service and First Aid, and Asylum and Integration. Norwegian People’s Aid has more than 12,000 members in Norway and 2400 staff worldwide.

NPA Lebanon is currently implementing Development, Humanitarian assistance, and Humanitarian Disarmament Projects throughout Lebanon. NPA’s humanitarian assistance program centres on partnerships with local actors, including capacity building and organizational development in food security, livelihoods, and protection (SGBV). NPA has a livelihoods programme that support local CSO working in Syrian, Lebanese, and Palestinian communities in Mount Lebanon, South Lebanon, and the Bekaa.

Following the cessation of conflicts, Arsal has emerged as an area of high concern with rising humanitarian and development needs. NPA established a field office in Ras Baalbek as of 2018 as part of our humanitarian disarmament programme to clear explosives in North East Lebanon. NPA Lebanon having access to the North East and having acquired knowledge of the local context, Lebanon Development Programme conducted a limited assessment including an initial mapping of local civil society actors in Arsal and surrounding areas to guide the establishment of a post-crisis livelihoods programme.            

1. 1. Services to be provided

NPA is commissioning an assessment to guide and provide input into the establishment of a livelihoods programme in Arsal. Based on our in-house rapid assessment, NPA is currently in the planning and design phase of a potential intervention in the area. The services rendered is a more in depth study to guide NPA’s intervention in the area.

1. The Assessment has several objectives and can be summarized as per the below:

The assessment should take into consideration the stage of the crisis in Arsal which is post-conflict and development. The objectives of a livelihoods programme in Arsal will therefore aim at a mixture between Livelihood recovery/rehabilitation (process of protecting and promoting livelihood of people recovering from emergencies, restoring productive assets) and livelihood promotion (improving resilience of household livelihoods, diversification of livelihood strategies, improving access to markets) with a focus on the latter. NPA aims in particular to support the livelihoods of the most vulnerable groups in the area, the poorest Lebanese households, People with Disabilities (PwD) Syrian refugees, stateless, youth and women.

The assessment should take into account the policy constraints on livelihoods programming, the knowledge from the sector since the last 5 years where most livelihood activities focused on emergency employment, development of human capacity/skills training, and access to forms of cash, and what we know about the  results thereof. The assessment should provide recommendations based on an early recovery/development approach to livelihoods. 

The assessment should take into account the current best practices on humanitarian action, i.e. humanitarian core standards (HCS) and particularly standards for food security and livelihoods, i.e. SPHERE standards.

The assessment should mainstream protection and gender equality concerns throughout the study.

The assessment should also provide recommendations based on conflict and sensitivity concerns and aiming at supporting the entire community.

1. Scope of Work:

The assessment should assess the following:

• Who are the current actors in Arsal area working on livelihood support, including civil society, government, and private sector?
• Who are the most vulnerable groups? What is the reason/s of vulnerability?
• How many vulnerable individuals both from the host and refugee communities are not targeted within Livelihoods interventions?
• Statistics, where obtainable, on the population in Arsal focusing on:
  • Ratios of unemployed and employed residents
  • Percentage of residents involved in formal and informal employment
  • Percentage of people who have fixed salaries or daily-basis income

   

• What are the main humanitarian and development gaps to be filled?
• Arsali’s main livelihood sectors (agriculture and stone quarries) have been impeded as a result of the conflict. What is the estimated duration for these sectors to be revived?
• What will be the main obstacles faced in establishing new sustainable livelihoods projects in Arsal?
• What role would the municipality be able to play within NPA’s possible intervention in Arsal?
• How is the Lebanese Government supporting Arsal in terms of financial/economical needs?
• Was Syria a major consumer of Arsali goods or was it only a contributor in terms of accessible route for export and shipping?
• What is the collaboration between the Private and Public sectors in Arsal? What are the links between the Arsali market and other markets in the surrounding areas? In Lebanon?
• What are the legalities and needed processes for establishing a CSO operated factory (or other income generating project)?
• What are the Ministry of Agriculture’s laws, regulations and requirements on veterinarians regarding the management and health of herds? What services does the Ministry provide?
• Are there any child protection departments/actors/services in Arsal?
• Are there any Social Development Centers in Arsal?

Kindly note that the above questions are to be validated and assessed while taking into consideration gender equality, protection, conflict sensitivity and the current policy context in Lebanon.

1. Methodology

The consultant will propose a clear methodology which will address the questions, and achieve the identified objectives listed above.

The consultant shall develop a work-plan with clear deliverables and within the timeframe set for the assignment.

The methodology shall respect ethical guidelines on research.

1. Deliverables:

The consultant shall submit a final report of the rapid assessment in the English language. Its submission shall be electronically in MS-Word document, and shall include:

• General overview and context
• An executive summary of the key findings
• Methodology used
• Evaluation and analysis of key findings and conclusions (use of tables, graphs, statistics are highly encouraged)
• Concrete recommendations for the design of the programme
• Appendices (Methodology and study tools used, list of key informants and interviewees, questionnaires and surveys)
• Raw data

1. Desired qualifications and competencies:

We require a brief summary of the person or team that will conduct the project. The summary shall highlight any relevant experience or expertise within the field. In addition to, CVs, division of tasks, and percentage of work contribution for each member of the team.

• Proven experience in above mentioned topics either from the humanitarian or development sector.
• Knowledge of the public, economic and political context in Lebanon. Knowledge on the economy in Lebanon and the local economy in North East Lebanon is an advantage.
• Expertise on livelihoods programming (market assessment, value chain analysis, targeting, etc.)
• Experience from designing, planning, and implementing humanitarian/development response programmes.
• Experience in assessments and research for the humanitarian/development sector. Qualitative and quantitative data collection, analysis and reporting.
• Ability to provide concrete and useful recommendation for programming purposes.
• PhD or master degree in economics, political science, social science, business administration, statistics, or any other related fields.
• Excellent English writing language skills. If the person/team does not possess Arabic skills, the consultant must address how this gap will be filled in the bid.

1. 1. Contract Period

Dates

Action

13 January 2019

Deadline of submission of proposals

14-15 January 2019

Scanning of proposals

15-18 January 2019

Interviews with shortlisted consultants

21 January 2019

Agreement signature

22 January 2019 – 24 February 2019

Implementation of the Assessment

25 February 2019

Submission of the draft report

4 March 2019

Submission of the final report

1. 1. Budget

Max USD 15,000. Please note that this amount must cover any taxes that may apply. Please also note that price is in the selection criteria.

1. 1. Application Procedure