Call for Applications – OSH Mapping in Agriculture – ILO PROSPECTS LBN/19/50/NLD – 107274.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

1. General Background

The forced displacement crisis has increased in scale and complexity in recent years. According to UNHCR, 79.5 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide at the end of 2019. Forcibly displaced persons (FDPs), including refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) face specific vulnerabilities, including loss of assets and psychological trauma, limited rights, lack of opportunities, a protection risk as well as a risk to be out of school, and a lack of planning horizon. In addition, the communities hosting FDPs also struggle to pursue their own development efforts.

In response to the considerable challenges facing FDPs and host communities, a new partnership initiative titled: ‘PROSPECTS' Partnership for improving Prospects for host communities and forcibly displaced persons, was launched by the Government of the Netherlands, that brings together the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank. Through the PROSPECTS partnership, the five partner agencies aim to leverage their comparative advantages and areas of expertise to programme complementary and interdependent interventions that address education and skills, employment and protection challenges. The partnership spans eight countries, namely Egypt, Ethiopia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Sudan, and Uganda and covers the period 2019-2023.

2. PROSPECTS in Lebanon

Within the framework of the PROSPECTS programme in Lebanon, the ultimate objective of ILO’s intervention is to promote access for Syrian refugees and vulnerable host communities to decent work opportunities (rights to work); and to ensure that while working, the workers from these communities have safe working conditions and social protection (rights at work), in line with International Labour Standards1. More specifically, and in line with overarching priorities, the three overarching pillars under which ILO will be working include: education and learning; employment with dignity; and protection and inclusion.

The Education & Learning pillar will aim to improve the learning outcomes for children and market-relevant skills of adolescents and youth living in Lebanon. The Employment with Dignity pillar will address the pressing challenges in the Lebanese context. The main aim of the programme within the employment pillar is to ensure enhanced economic opportunities and decent employment for vulnerable Lebanese host communities and Syrian refugees, with a focus on sectors such as agriculture and digital skills with potential for growth, job retention, and creation. The Protection & Inclusion pillar will increase protection and inclusion for refugees and host communities through strengthening of legal, policy and enabling environment for protection, social protection and inclusion.

ASSIGNMENT BACKGROUND AND OBJETIVES

Within the framework of the PROSPECTS partnership in Lebanon, ILO’s focus is on enhancing resilience of the country’s crisis- distressed labour market and creating better livelihoods for both Lebanese host communities and Syrian refugees. It is doing so by promoting the development of market relevant skills, enhancing employment placement services and labour market governance, strengthening social protection schemes and promoting micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) as well as sectors, including the agriculture and agro-food with potential for decent job creation.

In this context, the ILO – along with the partners – has identified agriculture as one of the sectors with potential for growth, retention of jobs, and possibly creation of new ones; bearing in mind that agriculture is a sector where refugees are legally allowed to work. In light of the lack of appropriate legislation and the current crises that Lebanon faces, the agriculture sector requires support to promote decent work conditions and generate employment opportunities for refugees. The sector employs a large number of Syrian refugees (around 200,000) and has a good potential for engaging female workers and youth. Furthermore, the agriculture sector is in dire need of innovative ways to raise productivity, not only as a means to safeguard jobs and incomes, but also to increase food security, which is increasingly threatened by declining production levels due to the ongoing economic and COVID-19 crises in Lebanon.

Yet, the agriculture sector suffers from key decent work deficits, and the lack of a legal framework governing the work of agriculture workers and providing them with decent and safe working conditions. In response to these deficits, and specifically under the employment pillar, the ILO has dedicated a specific output to enhance capacity to protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers.

Under promoting safe and secure working conditions the ILO will pilot interventions in Akkar and the Beqaa and use its well established tools and methodologies in the agriculture sector in order to improve working conditions and occupational safety and health (OSH) for all workers at the farm level, and will do so additionally through bipartite dialogue with employers and workers’ organizations in the sector.

In reference to the above, and to support the work under the aforementioned output, the ILO is seeking to hire a consultant/agricultural expert to support on the understanding/mapping the Occupational Safety and Health conditions, measures, and awareness in the agricultural sector in Lebanon in the attention to conduct a Training of Trainers and eventually train farmers and workers on OSH in agriculture.

SCOPE OF WORK AND METHODOLOGY

To roll out OSH trainings for farmers, ILO is looking to partner with selected private, public organizations, NGOs and cooperatives in Lebanon in order to build their capacity to offer OSH trainings to farmers sustainably. For that, the ILO seeks the services of an experienced consultant to do an assessment of the OSH in agriculture trainings and stakeholders in Lebanon. The assessment is done to get an overview of the different organizations and institutions that ILO could partner with to roll out the OSH training for farmers, and better understand the need and demand for Occupational Safety and Health support measures amongst small-holder farmers and their workers in Lebanon.

This assessment will focus on stakeholders’ willingness and capacity to support decent working conditions at the farm level and will be conducted on the national level, with focus on Akkar and Beqaa governorates including both public and private stakeholders.

2.1 General information about Agriculture and OSH and OSH in agriculture in Lebanon (quick overviews in the Literature review)

The consultant should provide an initial overview that contains key information about Agriculture and OSH in agriculture situation in Lebanon. This should rely on secondary information sources and should cover:

• An overview of the agricultural sector in Lebanon, including the relevant workforce, main activities, and its contribution to the national economy.
• A brief about the general OSH system in Lebanon, how it works, how it applies to agriculture and its main challenges.
• A quick overview on National Policies on OSH specific to agriculture
• Requirements of OSH in agriculture from a farm and cooperative perspective
• Health Care and Work Injuries in agriculture
• Health and Safety of Working Women in agriculture (and if applicable People with Disabilities)

2.2 Supply side

The Supply side assessment will produce an in-depth understanding of existing OSH services both on the public as well as the private side in Lebanon. The assessment should provide a list of all public and private organizations in Lebanon that ILO could partner with to provide OSH trainings to farmers, as well as insights into the current capacity and sustainability of these providers. Examples of such institutions from the public/non-profit sector (i.e. MoA extension services, chambers of commerce, FAO, AVSI, WARD, Fair Trade Lebanon, etc.), the private sector (i.e. private agricultural consultancy firms, lead agricultural input companies and firms), as well as cooperatives, NGOs, relevant associations and community organizations (if applicable).

This study will not only help to understand the functioning of the OSH service and training market, but also provide crucial information that will help on deciding on who to partner with for a roll-out of OSH trainings and trainer selection.

Information collected to cover the general understanding/ positioning of OSH of the partners, their current activities, the need of OSH in agriculture, and what is currently happening, by who, and the scale? How is the farmers’ point of view perceived for OSH and its usefulness? Information to cover:

Organizations: What organizations/providers/companies/programs are providing services to farmers? (Mapping of potential partner organizations (including coops) and their current offer and capacity) to include:

• Credibility and reputation among farmers in their geographical area of intervention?
• The necessary means (financial and logistical) to carry out OSH trainings?
• A sound foundation to enhance the sustainability in the future?
• Farmer coverage and outreach

(These factors could be summarized in a table/ specifically from a private input supplier stand point)

• Target Group: What type of farms or small businesses do existing providers currently target/ engage?
• Training curricula: What types of OSH trainings are currently provided and what topics are covered? (Do private suppliers offer OSH trainings with their sales of inputs/ equipment?)
• Trainers: What is the qualification (education level, experience…) of trainers employed by these service providers?

Gap analysis and recommendation on farmer engagement:

What organizations/providers/companies/programs are not providing services to farmers, but could be? Do they have:

• Incentives to deliver OSH trainings to farmers by partners (for example, this could also include the delivery of training as a corporate social responsibility strategy by input suppliers/ or enhancing working conditions…)?
• The necessary means (financial and logistic) to carry out OSH programmes?
• Their view to enhance the sustainability of an OSH in agriculture training in the future?
• Consideration for smallholder farmers’ benefit?

2.3 Demand side

Demand side: OSH deficits that currently exist for farmers and workers (do they have contracts? Protective gear? Are there many accidents? Exposure to toxic material? etc) what kind of OSH deficits to look out for specifically.

The above questions will fulfill the below:

This information would be needed to ensure that the training/support measures respond to the actual needs of farmers and workers in terms of OSH.

The assessment aims to get a clear picture of the current demand for OSH trainings and related support services amongst Lebanese farmers (check farm selection table) indirectly through a good and clear data collection methodology. The research will include investigations into:

• Practices of Lebanese farmers to effectively, safely, and protectively grow their farms (use of material, equipment, chemicals…)

The main activities carried out in those farms and what type of equipment/material are being used.
The main work-related to hazards and their potential effect on the health and safety of workers.

• Awareness of Occupational Safety and Health in general, with a particular focus on awareness of OSH on the farm level, how does it impact farm workers, awareness on the need of OSH trainings on the farm.
• OSH Training

1) Previous Attendance/Experience of OSH Training: What are reasons for attendance / non-attendance and experience
2) Self-reported Impact/Perception of OSH Training: If target group had access to training previously, has it had any impact on their farm practices? If yes what type of impact, if no, why not?

• Organization to provide these trainings: who is the suitable organization that the farmer believes should provide such trainings.

The study will try to understand/ identify the following (in addition to what the consultant finds relevant):

- Identify stakeholders awareness of OSH in agriculture; current available certified OSH training material;
- Identify stakeholders potential to facilitate awareness raising, and support services that support enhanced OSH working conditions at the farm level;
- Identify cooperatives’ and farmers perception of OSH, and their compliance with or divergence from the OSH principles2 (current status);
- A Gap analysis (SWOT) on the current status of OSH in agriculture at both farm level and governmental level;
- The main conclusions in terms of the identified gaps and weaknesses.
- Recommendations for rectifying the current situation and making working environment in those workplaces safe and healthy for workers. Identify recommendations for:

• Actions to enhance stakeholders (sustainable) role in supporting OSH at the farm level.
• Actions to enhance/support cooperatives’ and farmers engagement in this area.
• Modality of training for OSH at farm level.
• Other factors highlighted by consultant.

Methodology:

A variety of research techniques and approaches are welcomed, on condition, that they effectively capture the various dimensions of the issues listed above.

The consultant needs to pay attention to the type of questions asked, and make sure to collect information from stakeholders/farmers with the least bias possible. (Ex: How many injuries do you have at the farm per year? What are the reasons? etc…) linking effects of OSH to its causes on the farm.

A research design/action plan and questionnaires will be submitted and approved by the ILO prior to beginning of the assessment. This should include the proposed assessment methodology, tools and timeline.

DELIVERABLES

By the end of the consultancy, the attached deliverables are expected (please refer to page 5 in the attached document).
 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND APPLICATION PROCESS

To be considered as an eligible candidate, the applicant should have the following qualifications:
1. Advanced degree in social sciences;
2. At least 5-7 years conducting mixed methods research at both the national and international levels;
3. Experience in Lebanon’s agricultural sector, production systems, and cooperatives system would be an advantage;
4. A deep understanding of Occupational Safety and Health in the agricultural sector with well demonstrated experience.
5. Good connections with farmers and an existing network in Akkar and Beqaa
6. Fluency in Arabic with advanced proficiency in English
7. Excellent analytical skills and demonstrated ability to write high quality documents

SELECTION CRITERIA

Selection Criteria include: (a) quality and relevance of the proposal to the TOR’s; (b) relevant experience of the proposed consultants; (c) costing.
The “Most Economic Advantageous Offer will be selected based on weighted evaluation of the technical proposal (weight: 70%) and financial Proposal (weight: 30%).

Clarity of the proposal, provision of all required documentation, and innovative delivery are considered as a cross cutting measurement criteria.

Reporting Line:  The consultant will perform his/her assignment under the supervision of the National Skills Officer and the overall guidance of ILO PROSPECTS Chief Technical Adviser for Arab States. All technical clearances will be obtained from ILO Labour Inspection and OSH Specialists.