Community Development Local Expert

Project Objective:

Through 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 this project is September 2015 – September 2020.

Position Description:

The U.S. Forest Services (USFS) was awarded $7,000,000 million dollars to implement the Lebanon Reforestation Initiative (LRI)- Phase 2. This is a three-year activity extending from July 2015- December 2018, implemented by the US Forest Service (USFS) through a Participating Agency Partnership Agreement with USAID (PAPA no. AID-268-P-00-10-00046/ Modification No. 7).

LRI-Phase 2 was designed as a follow-on activity to a previous activity with an award extending from September 30, 2014 to June 30, 2015.

The initial four-years activity (project), that ended in June 2015, introduced new technical practices and standards for native tree nursery production, assisted local communities throughout the country to restore communal forest lands, established the first web-based reforestation platform in Lebanon and related biophysical data for reforestation practitioners, and introduced advanced reforestation and wildfire management practices to ensure sustainable landscape restoration.  It laid out the design for LRI Phase 2, beginning in July, 2015 till December 2018.

The three-year project (Phase 2) was designed to replicate the community-led landscape restoration activities, leverage funds through increasing the involvement of the private sector and of Lebanese institutions, and utilize reforestation to promote community development and social cohesion in underserved areas of the country. Sustained and increased emphasis will be placed on engaging communities in participatory planting, “twinning” with neighboring communities, and capacity building of civil society and municipalities. While landscape-scale reforestation will remain the main entry point for the project, this second phase will aim to amplify the program’s socio-economic co-benefits, focusing on diverse sectarian communities, especially those host communities hit hardest by the Syrian refugee crisis. Such co-benefits include: social outcomes such as stronger inter- and intra-community relations, stronger local institutions and civic groups engaged in service provision, increased involvement of women in local decision-making, increased youth civic engagement; and economic benefits of seasonal job creation, workforce development in reforestation and ancillary activities (pruning, irrigation, etc.), and strengthening value chains for select tree species. 

After almost 3 years of activity since the initiation of the second phase, a final performance evaluation is scheduled to assess LRI activities for their relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability, allowing USAID to implement current course corrections. 

The evaluation will be conducted within the context of SI’s Evaluation Quality Use and Impact (EQUI™) approach, processes and protocols.  EQUI processes are designed to achieve a quality evaluation that incorporates learning and utilization. 

SI is seeking local expert with at least 7 years of experience in community stability/or social development sector in Lebanon. The period of performance is from October to November 2018. The expected level of effort is 25 days. Local expert will join an evaluation team including a Team Leader, a local social reforestation expert, a performance evaluation specialist and PMSPL II Staff members.

**Please note: Only candidates with (Lebanese) citizenship will be considered.**

Responsibilities:

During the pre-field work period, the expert 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 Kick-off period, the expert will work with the evaluation team to finalize the interview guides and finalize the logistics for the field work

During field work, the expert 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 post-field work level, the expert 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.

The expert is expected to support the evaluation team in responding to USAID comments on the draft report and support the team in submitting a final report to USAID mission.

Qualifications:

The local expert should have at least 7 years of experience in the fields of community stability/or social development sector in Lebanon other related fields.

He/she must hold a Ms. degree in Social Sciences or Sustainable/Community Development or in any of the above-mentioned fields Ph.D. is a plus.

He / She should have good understanding of community development initiatives, social integration and social stability. 

He /She should have good understanding of the current structure, strengths and challenges facing social stability and local development at the community level in Lebanon. 

He/she should have demonstrated ability to undertake programs needs analysis.

Knowledge of USAID and other international donors that provide support to the reforestation sector is a plus

He/ She should be fluent in Arabic and English

He/ She is expected to work closely with the Team Leader on the evaluation.

Come join our energetic and innovative team!  We offer you the opportunity to play a leading role in the growth of our company, work as part of a creative and committed team, and make a difference in the well-being of our world.