Youth For Tomorrow Program, Expression Of Interest

Invitation to Submit an Expression of Interest to Manage Adolescent and Youth Friendly Space in Tripoli and Mt Lebanon

Mercy Corps is an international NGO that has operated in Lebanon since 1993. With the support of the Government of Canada, Mercy Corps is launching the Youth for Tomorrow program, which will be implemented in Saida, Mt. Lebanon, and Tripoli. This three-year program is part of a regional initiative by Mercy Corps, funded by the Government of Canada, in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria to build improved, evidence-based provision of psychosocial support and market-driven skills to vulnerable youth in the region. Adolescence is a critical time in one’s life that can put young people on a positive or negative trajectory for their future. This project seeks to develop their skills to better prepare them for adulthood and support them during this pivotal time in their lives to make positive decisions and develop productive habits.

The program will engage Syrian, Palestinian and Lebanese adolescent boys and girls, between the ages of 12 – 18 who are not currently enrolled in school or are at high risk of dropping out. The program will also engage young adults between the ages of 19 – 35 from among refugee and host communities to act as mentors and facilitators within the project. Youth for Tomorrow will provide adolescents ongoing psychosocial support and market-driven skill-building opportunities while building an enabling environment for young people through community engagement and provision of enhanced adolescent and youth services.

Mercy Corps is looking for two partners to manage the adolescent and youth friendly spaces in Mt. Lebanon and Tripoli, and invites any interested party that complies with the eligibility criteria to submit an expression of interest, along with the organization’s annual report for the last two years, by 5pm on the 27th January 2017 to [email protected]. Potential partners can apply in English or Arabic. Any applications should be entitled: “YFT PARTNER TENDER”. Any applications which do not use this title in the email may not be considered.

Partners can apply to manage one centre only (either in the Tripoli area or in Mt. Lebanon area). Following reception of expressions of interest from potential partners, Mercy Corps will shortlist applications based on the eligibility criteria mentioned below, and on the strength of their initial concept for how the adolescent friendly community centre could be run. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed and a further assessment carried out, before final selection of the two partners for the program.

Overview of the Adolescent and Youth Friendly Spaces:

The Adolescent and Youth Friendly Spaces will be in Tripoli and Mt Lebanon, in areas where there are the following conditions:

Low-income area Lack of existing services for adolescents High concentration of integrated communities (refugees and host community) High proportions of refugees (Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian)

The proposed Adolescent and Youth Friendly Spaces should be housed in a building with the following characteristics:

Space (at least 6 rooms) to host multiple sessions at the same time, preferably in same building / compound Access to a larger space to host events for up to 500 people Outdoor and/or indoor space for recreational activities, i.e. soccer match, volleyball Basic kitchen facilities for water and food storage Bathroom facilities, sex segregated Comfortable place for youth to play games/sports activities (i.e. wall or cover). Accessible (ramp, or other resources to ensure those with disabilities can access) Electricity and Water available at all time The center accessible for youth by walking (preferable)

Typical profiles of youth who should be targeted in these centres:

a) Students with high levels of absenteeism, school dropouts or students in their last year of primary school;

b) Caregiver or main Provider for household;

c) Adolescents from single-or female-headed households;

d) Those already involved in child labour;

e) In conflict with the law, and/or experienced circumstance where held accountable before the law;

f) Live in poverty and/or inconsistent financial support;

g) Engaged in early marriage and/or early pregnancy;

h) Come from divorced or separated families;

i) Affiliated with gangs;

j) Exercise illegal or dangerous practices eg, drug abuse.

The program activities aim to:

Build confidence, self-esteem, positivity Increase empathy & spirit of volunteerism Agency and empowerment Sense of community and belonging Decrease isolation and feelings of exclusion Break misconceptions/stereotypes among ethnic groups Promote social cohesion Build resilience to shocks and stresses and positive coping mechanisms among youth Improve communication and mediation techniques Increase sense of hope Increase sense of control over life through goal-setting Build a community of youth leaders via coaches who increase their employability skills and act as role models to adolescents Sense of safety and security at our space/ “haven” Raise awareness about child protection issues and response mechanisms in community Change the way community views young people/see them as positive agents of change and play a crucial role Reconnect youth/parents to themselves/families/community

Activities within the Adolescent and Youth Friendly Spaces:

The program will follow a tested methodology that has supported over 12,000 youth in Lebanon, Jordan and Syria since 2014, leading to demonstrable impacts in terms of their capacity to engage productively in communities.

The Adolescent and Youth Friendly Centres will provide a mix of social, recreational, educational and life skills training to youth, as well as psychosocial support, following methodologies which have been tried, tested and evaluated by Mercy Corps and partners. MC will support selected partners to understand and implement this methodology in the centres.

Each Centre should reach directly 9,000beneficiaries and indirectly 9,500 beneficiaries over a 33 month period (March 1, 2017 through October 31, 2019). Gender integration has been highlighted as one of Mercy Corps’ agency priorities, all target beneficiaries should be at least 50% Female of the total beneficiaries reached.

Outreach within the communities:

In addition to managing the centres, in coordination with MC, the partner organizations will:

- engage in community outreach activities

- support the development of a community protection and referral network;

- Support youth to implement initiatives which are of benefit to their communities.

- Engage in advocacy around issues which are of particular importance for the well-being of youth in these communities.

Resources Proposed and Support provided by Mercy Corps: :

The staffing structure proposed to manage these centres is as follows:

The partner should follow the Standard Operating Procedures for recruiting staff for management of the centres.

MC will provide technical supervision of the program and build the capacity of partner organisations to implement the methodologies for supporting youth in these centres. MC will also support the operational costs of running the centre, and will work with partners to develop mechanisms to contribute towards the sustainability of the centres so that they are able to continue functioning after the end of this current grant.

Eligibility Criteria for Partners:

Experience in managing community spaces/centers Strong relationship and connections within the community, especially with refugee and other populations Experience working with adolescent youth Experience managing protection programmes Passion for working with youth and supporting marginalized populations Strong connection with community stakeholders Good connection with local authorities and government ministries such as Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social Affairs, Mayor, etc. Experience managing budgets and tracking spending, forecasting, etc Officially licensed from the Ministry of Social Affairs Established for at least two years

Expression of Interest Template:

General Information Name of Organisation Name of Contact person, email and telephone number Address, phone, fax of Office Proposed subgrant period 33 months -- March 1, 2017 through October 31, 2019 Number of staff (Full time, Part time, Volunteers) in the organization Year Organization was established Vision & Mission of the organization List of previous projects managed, their duration, and budget Experience Please explain (Max. 500 Words for each answer) your experience with: Working with youth and adolescents (Refugees and host community) Outreaching strategies for youth especially for women and girls Working on protection and livelihoods programs Management of community centers or training spaces Relationship and connections within the community, networking Connection with local authorities, government ministries, local Ngos, Private sector, UN agencies, Social Development center, and any other local stakeholders who you consider important for this program in your context Management of budgets, spending, forecasting Location & Community Center Do you have existing safe space to convene youth? If yes what is the location? Address & GPS coordinates If no, how and where would you open safe space for programming? Explain the infrastructure that the proposed centre has (number of rooms, bathrooms, play area etc). Include information and statistics about the population around community space, with a focus on both lebanese and refugee populations (cite information to validate). Targeting Approach & Outreach Strategy Proposed Activities in the Community Centre Explain what activities you would like to implement in the centres Sustainability of the Community Centre How could the centre become sustainable?