National Consultant On Social Protection For Rural Livelihoods, Farmers And Agricultural Workers

Vacancy Number: FVAC.15.010
Job title or task:    National Consultant on Social Protection  for Rural Livelihoods, farmers and agricultural workers

Division / Department: RNE/FAOLB

Program / Project No: Small Scale Agriculture Regional Initiative

Location: Beirut, Lebanon

Estimated start date: Duration:

September 2015

Duration:

21 days

Supervisor: Name: Malika Martini - Regional Gender Officer for Agriculture and Rural Development

General description of the tasks, targeted objectives and outputs

 
Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Lebanon, and technical supervision of concerned Officers in the Regional Office for the Near East (RNE) in Cairo, Egypt and in close collaboration with the Advisor of the RI on SSA, the national consultant will conduct the following activities:

Based on the framework established by ILO on social protection and decent work, compile a database of all existing laws, policies and regulations n Lebanon related to social protection and decent working conditions and how they apply to rural populations, including in the informal economy and family farming, in consultation . Particular emphasis should be given to social assistance, (non-contributory- ie: transfers, removal of user fees, health/education vouchers, etc), access to social and health insurance, pension, minimum wages and to child labor, gender discrimination, decent working conditions, and occupational safety and health;
Review or mapping of existing social protection (contributory and non-contributory) programmes
Gather data on child labor, including any reports on children working in the agricultural sector as well as experiences to date in addressing the issue, paying particular attention to the engagement of Syrian refugee children and the magnitude and dynamics of the situation.
Based on discussions with the Legal department at the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Social Affairs, identify the social protection issues that have been debated over the past 10 years with various stakeholders and, if applicable, collect any related draft laws and/or ministerial decisions aimed at addressing these issues;
Based on consultations with concerned Ministries (Labor, Agriculture, Social Affairs, Health), identify which social protection and decent work measures are applicable to rural populations, farmers and agricultural workers;
Conduct consultations with farmers’ representatives and associations to identify their priority social protection issues and their proposals for addressing these issues; and identify existing collective practices for social protection in rural areas;
Identify rural organizations and other non-state actors that provide social protection-related services to their members or in rural areas in general, with a brief description of their profile, portfolio of services, target groups, geographic coverage and funding, where possible; 

Conduct consultations with the Parliamentary committees on Agriculture and on Labor in relation with the identified priorities for social protection and working conditions;
Based on the above consultations and meetings with various stakeholders, prepare a national report outlining the main priorities for social protection for rural communities,  farmers and farm workers, as well as the suggestions for addressing these priorities  as recommended by various stakeholders.
Present the draft report during a national workshop involving all concerned stakeholders to discuss and validate the report and to come up with policy recommendations.

 
Qualifications and Experience:

Advanced degree or equivalent in Social Science, International Development Studies, Law, Rural Development, Economics or Sociology;  
Minimum 5 years working experience in social development issues, including issues related to social protection, labor rights, occupational safety, gender issues or similar practical expertise;
Knowledge of rural settings and deep understanding of agricultural working conditions in Lebanon.

 
Selection Criteria:

Good understanding of social protection issues, particularly under rural settings
Practical experience in conducting similar work
Good command of Arabic and English; proof of good English writing skills

MAIN RESULTS
-          Report on decent work and social protection in rural areas as defined above, with clear recommendations on the way forward;
-          Proceedings of the national workshop.
 

At the end of the consultation the consultant will submit a final report