Impact Assessment Consultancy

Near East Foundation - Lebanon

Request for Applications for Impact Assessment Consultant (Local Posting)

CONTRACT DATA

Period of Performance: October 26, 2020 – December 25, 2020

Location of Assignment: Beirut Lebanon (with travel to project locations in Tripoli, Berqayel, Halba, Taanayel and relevant communities/geographical areas)

Background: For 100 years, the Near East Foundation (NEF) has worked to build more sustainable, prosperous, and inclusive communities in the Middle East, Caucasus, and Africa through education, governance, and economic development initiatives. Working through a network of country offices and local partners, NEF currently has approximately 250 staff members – almost all nationals – and programs in ten countries: Armenia, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Mali, Morocco, Palestine, Senegal, Sudan, and Syria. Its programs are organized around three themes: Peacebuilding through Economic Cooperation, Climate-resilient Agriculture, and Microenterprise Development.

Assignment Overview:  The Near East Foundation (NEF) is promoting economic empowerment among vulnerable individuals in Lebanon, including refugees and poor and marginalized women and youth. We achieve this through capacity building and support of market-linked skills development, development of new income-generating activities (IGAs) (refugees) and MSMEs (Lebanese), and access to services to support growth of existing, high-potential IGAs and MSMEs. These efforts are intended to support self-sufficiency and protection among target beneficiaries by expanding their access to economic and social resources. Our methods maintain sensitivity to competition and protection risks, reduce the potential for tension/misunderstanding, and foster social stability between displaced and host populations.

Building on the lessons of four years of experience and taking into account the dynamic economic situation in Lebanon, NEF has launched a fourth phase of this work, providing financial and non-financial services; assisting refugees and marginalized Lebanese develop life and technical skills, access social resources, and engage in IGAs to reduce their social and economic vulnerability while mainstreaming protection in all stages of the project). NEF partners (local NGOs) implement these activities through community-based livelihood support hubs, Siraj Centers,  in North, Akkar, and Beqaa. The Centers enable refugees and vulnerable Lebanese to safely access training, financial resources, and advisory services to start IGAs, improve business skills and financial literacy, build social networks, or find referrals. They also provide information on a range of other services, such as aid, vocational training, psycho-social support, legal and refugee registration services, literacy, case management, microfinance. Siraj Centers provide safe environments for women.

NEF Lebanon is seeking a consultant to assess the social and economic impact (micro- and macro-level) of the Siraj centers in the communities where they operate: (1) Berqayel, Mhammara, Qoubet Chamra and Halba, Khreibet El-Jindi, Minyara in Akkar; (2) Taanayel, Bar Elias, Qib Elias in Beqaa, (3) Tripoli, Quobbe, Dahr Magher, Old Souks, Zahriye, Mina and Badawi in North, and (4) other relevant communities/geographical areas.

The aim of this assessment is to:

1. Generate evidence of impact and lessons learned since 2016 to strengthen current and future programming. The assessment should consider dynamics (direct and indirect impacts, multiplier effects, opportunities and constraints) related to local economies, market systems, food systems, social cohesion, systemic change, and potential for built capacities among stakeholders to contribute to social and economic resilience.
2. Describe, document and analyze the performance and the social and economic impact (direct, indirect, and unanticipated) of livelihood and protection activities from the start of PRM-funded project activities in 2016, leading up to the current project.
3. Analyze the value for money (cost effectiveness and comparative analysis). This may include a cost-benefit analysis, a social return on investment calculation, benchmarks with comparable programmes, or other approaches. Within this analysis, alternative programmes should also be analyzed (such as “do nothing”, training and technical assistance only (no direct financial support), government full subsidies, indirect market system development (no direct support to beneficiaries), etc….).

Audience and Use: The key audiences of the study are the Near East Foundation, the donor, and the local Community Based Organizations and other relevant stakeholders in the project areas. This assessment will complement several separate studies that together will assist NEF in developing and innovating the Siraj model in Lebanon. It will suggest practical measures to align the Siraj model with and emerging needs and new economic and social realities in the targeted communities. The findings of these exercises will provide NEF with a clearer picture, based on quantitative and qualitative data, of how the Siraj model can be structured and innovated in Lebanon to frame the present and future interventions.

Research Methodology: The methodology and research tools to be employed during the assessment include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Desk Analysis

The consultant will review recent (last 5 years) documents related but not limited to the following: (1) existing assessments in the target areas; (2) project documents and databases (including the Siraj toolkit, relevant SoPs, Institutional Capacity Assessments, Vulnerability Assessments, Baseline and Endline Surveys, Business Development Trainings, Vocational Trainings, Capacity Building, Coaching and Networking), (3) previous project evaluations, and (4) other relevant documents, resources, and data sources.

• Interviews with Key Informants and Focus Groups

The consultant will interview key informants in the areas where NEF operates since 2016 in Tripoli, Berqayel, Halba, Taanayel and relevant communities/geographical areas; these will include mainly women and youth, beneficiaries of NEF’s previous and current programs, suppliers, producers, farmers, vendors and consumers, implementing partners, local authorities and other concerned constituents. The consultant also will conduct at least one focus group discussion in each project village involving individuals who are/were members (since 2016) of the targeted demographic for project beneficiaries: Lebanese and refugees.

• Surveys

The consultant will conduct surveys in the areas where NEF operates since 2016 in Tripoli, Berqayel, Halba, Taanayel and relevant communities/geographical areas; these will include mainly women and youth and beneficiaries of NEF’s previous and current programs.

Expected Outputs/Deliverables of the Consultancy: Under the supervision of the Country Representative, and with support from the M&E Officer, the Consultant will be required to deliver the following outputs:

• A solid and well organized draft report in English (qualitative and quantitative) detailing the methodology, analysis, key findings, lessons learned and in-depth recommendations that will inform current project and future programming, submitted for review and comments to NEF by the 4th of December 2020 with the possibility of having up to 3 rounds of reviews. Collected quantitative and qualitative data and analysis should be annexed. 
• A 4-hour presentation/debriefing on the report, highlighting key results, lessons learned and recommendations to key NEF staff after the 11^th of December 2020. 
• A final version of the report by the 25^th of December 2020. The report will be written in English and submitted electronically in a MS – Word document. The consultant is responsible for proofreading the final report. The report should consist of:
  • Executive summary of key findings, lessons learned and recommendations (no more than 1,500 words)
  • Project background information and context analysis presented per key research criteria with a brief description
  • Assessment methodology with clear explanation of data collection approach, sampling and limitations, participants’ selection and data analysis approach
  • Research findings, analysis, with associated data presented, where appropriate in clear graphs or charts. Infographics in 1-2 pages highly recommended. The findings can include subsections for each research criteria
  • Conclusion, including recommendations for future programming.
• Along with the report, submissions should include the soft and hard copies such as handwritten and electronic transcripts of data collection tools and collected data, hard copies of survey questionnaires, lists of participants etc.
• The consultant shall prepare a brief workplan. The workplan should set out the consultant’s approach for conducting research activities for conducting the assessment. The period of consultancy should not exceed 20 working days, starting the with the day the agreement is signed.

Deadlines:

• Contractual Starting Date: October 26, 2020
• Deadline for Inception Report: November 6, 2020
• Deadline for completion of data collection phase: November 20, 2020
• Deadline for the draft report: December 4, 2020
• Deadline for the presentation/debriefing of the draft report: December 11, 2020
• Deadline for the final deliverables: December 25, 2020

NEF will be responsible for:

• Provision of previous and current project documents for contextual background;
• Provision of previous evaluations and assessments conducted;
• Logistics and transportation for the days of field work (including the FGDs) when applicable.
• The consultant is expected to use his/her own laptop and phone.

Payment Method:

The payment will be made as follows: 35% in advance, 50% on submission of the draft report and 15% on approval of the final report. NEF will not be responsible for any further expenses incurred by the consultant during the consultancy visits and for any loss and/or damage to him/her

Skills, experience and selection criteria:

• University degree in relevant field;
• Proven capability and experience in conducting similar assessments;
• Should have a clear vision for how to approach the project subjects and be able to build a trust and rapport with the subjects and communities being profiled;
• Experience in the livelihoods and protection sectors in Lebanon, and in evaluating related programs in these sectors;
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in conducting participative evaluations and impact assessments;
• Experience in qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques including conducting focus group discussion; 
• Familiarity with the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan, as it pertains to Livelihoods, and Protection sectors in particular; 
• Familiarity with the socio-cultural context of Middle East and the social, cultural, political and religious sensitivities relevant to the Syria crisis;
• Native Arabic speaker;
• Excellent writing and communication skills in Arabic and English;
• Availability and willingness to travel to various areas in Lebanon during weekdays; and,
• Ability to work under strict and demanding timelines.