Consulting Organization to Conduct a Final Performance Evaluation-Lebanon Industrial Value Chain Development Project

Background

Social Impact is a global development management consulting firm. We provide monitoring, evaluation, strategic planning, and capacity building services to advance development effectiveness. We work across all development sectors including democracy and governance, health and education, the environment, and economic growth. Since 1997 we have worked in over 100 countries for clients such as US government agencies, bilateral donors, multilateral development banks, foundations, and nonprofits. Through Performance Monitoring and Support Program Lebanon II (PMSPL II), Social Impact supplements the monitoring and program management efforts of USAID/Lebanon staff and verifies, monitors, and supports USAID program performance in Lebanon. The period of performance of PMSPL II is September 2015 through September 2020.

USAID/Lebanon requested that Social Impact undertake a final performance evaluation for the Lebanon Industrial Value Chain Development (LIVCD) Project.

 

Objectives of the LIVCD Final Performance Evaluation:

The Lebanon Industry Value Chain Development (LIVCD) is a $42.6 million program that began in 2012 and will run through January 2019.  The objective of the project is to strengthen the agriculture and agro-processing sectors through technical support to targeted value chains.  It does so by enhancing access to finance for rural small businesses and by stimulating innovation and private sector investment.  Supported value chains include olives, honey, grapes, avocados, cherries and apples.  In addition, LIVCD supports food processing, a wide range of artisanal products and rural basket products—including thyme and pine nuts—as well as rural tourism activities to enhance economic benefits for rural communities.  LIVCD uses a market-driven approach and coordinates with private sector and farmer cooperative partners to tailor business development services, allowing them to meet the demands of the market while creating sustainable linkages among input suppliers, producers, processors, traders, and consumers. Public-private partnerships and co-investments initiated by LIVCD help to increase incomes of rural beneficiaries.

A mid-term evaluation was conducted for LIVCD in April 2016, it evaluated the diverse interventions under the selected value chains and provided recommendations for project improvement during the remaining timeframe and proposed different scenarios for an exit strategy.

The objective of this final LIVCD evaluation is to document critical successes as well as shortcomings of the project in order to provide the Mission, the USG, and the wider donor-community with usable lessons learned for adaptation under USAID’s Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) framework.  It should provide the audience with input on the approach and activities implemented under LIVCD in terms of achieving outputs as well as outcomes and the sustainability of its interventions.  It will also provide the Mission with a background, conclusions and recommendations package to be able to better plan for future activities and follow-on activities.

The expected start date for the evaluation is mid August 2018 and will be completed by November 2018.

Soliciting expression of interest (EOI)

Social Impact/ PMSPL II is seeking expression of interests from organizations, firms or institutions to collaborate with a team of experts in conducting the evaluation which will rely on a review of existing documents, a literature search, interviews with stakeholders and beneficiaries, site visits, and other tools to complete the evaluation.

 

Responsibilities:

  • During the prefield work period, the Consulting Organization will work with the evaluation team to develop a data collection strategy, design an interview and FGD guide, and prepare an outline for data analysis.
  • During the Kickoff period, the Consulting Organization will work with the evaluation team to finalize the data collection tools and interview guides; and finalize the logistics for the field work
  • During field work, the Consulting Organization will work with the evaluation team to interview key stakeholders and project beneficiaries, to carry out focus group discussions, and to prepare summaries of interviews and meetings for the evaluation report.
  • At the postfield work level, the Consulting Organization is expected to work with the evaluation team to analyze the data, write up sections of the report and assist in presenting main findings for USAID and responding to the Mission’s comments on those findings.

 

Specific skills and experience:

 

  • Good understanding of International Donors and Development Agencies’ evaluation standards and norms.
  • Experience managing qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis.
  • Knowledge of Lebanon’s development sector, agricultural sector, local agricultural value chains as well as public and private agribusiness sector institutions.
  • Experience in implementing and/or evaluating interventions of agriculture and industrial value chain development sector, private sector development, enterprise development
  • Fluency of team members in Arabic and English is required

 

How to apply

Interested Candidates should submit an expression of interest; company profile including CVs of proposed staff members for the assessment in English to:  [email protected] no later than July 25th, 2018. Please include PMSPL II | LIVCD Evaluation - Consulting Organization in the subject line. Only successful applicants will be notified of their selection.

Selected applicants will be invited to submit full proposals which will include detailed budgets, methodologies, and commitments from staff members. Please, no phone calls.

To learn more about Social Impact, please visit our website: http://www.socialimpact.com

SI is an EEO/AA/ADA Veterans Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Expired
Deadline
Wednesday, 25. Jul 2018
Type of Call
Call for Proposals
Intervention Sector(s):
Agriculture, Development, Research & Studies
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