Collaborative Learning and Adaptation (CLA) Specialist

About Chemonics

Chemonics International is an international development company based in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to promote meaningful change around the world to help people live healthier, more productive, and more independent lives. Since 1975, we have worked in 150 countries around the world, and we are currently implementing 118 projects in 84 countries. Our main partner is the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and we also work with foreign donors such as the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the Global Fund. We have more than 4,000 staff in our project offices around the world, and more than 500 staff based in our headquarters in Washington, D.C.

1. Project Background

The Lebanon Community Support Program (CSP) is a multi-year project funded by USAID to support municipalities and underserved and vulnerable communities in providing better services and enhanced economic opportunities to improve lives and reduce tensions that contribute to conflict and violence, primarily in Lebanon’s North, South, and Beqaa regions. Under Task Order No. 3 (TO 3), the project provides technical assistance to municipalities, civil society organizations (CSOs), the private sector, or other entities to increase capacity and ensure sustainable impact in providing key essential services. The main objective of this 5-year task order is to support Component 3 (Capacity Building) of the CSP Program by delivering technical assistance to enhance the sustainability of CSP interventions under Component 1 (Community Stabilization Support) and Component 2 (Community Development Support), and if required, under future Task Orders.

2.  Summary of Position

The CLA specialist will conduct a CLA Assessment on the “Recyclables Waste Management” Sector at CSP. The CLA specialist is expected to document and report on how CSP teams have conceived RWM projects and how the teams have collaboratively learned and adapted implementation to contextual realities. The assessment is to provide Chemonics and USAID with lessons learned on RWM project design, implementation, and adaptations.  

This is not intended to be an evaluation exercise, as the latter is already being conducted in parallel by USAID. This means that this assessment is not intended to cover the traditional evaluation questions of relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and design issues. The assessment is intended to focus more on CSP’s effort at collaboratively learning the implementation lessons and adapting to the changing environment (Lebanon’s financial crisis during implementation, for example). The assessment is expected to be forward looking, highlighting the achievements, points of pain, and lessons learned, for purposes of future design.

3.  Specific Duties and Responsibilities

The CLA specialist will be responsible for the following:

• Review the literature on the design, implementation, learning, and adaptations of RWM projects under CSP, specifically in Bechmezzine cluster (18 communities), Amioun Cluster (18 communities), East Saida cluster (6 communities), Ras Nhash, Mejdlaya and Makse Community.
• Conduct Key Informant Interviews and/or Focus Group discussion (s) with CSP Team leads and Senior Staffers (7-10 persons) involved in the design and implementation of RWM interventions.
• Conduct Key Informant Interviews and/or Focus Group Discussions with Managers of MRFs (Material Recovery Facilities) (4-5 persons) that benefited from CSP assistance within the designated communities.
• Conduct 2-3 Focus Group Discussions with Mayors of beneficiary communities (8-12 persons) and volunteers/local champions (8-12 persons) who have contributed to awareness raising campaigns on sorting from source at targeted communities.
• Produce a CLA draft report to be reviewed by CSP team, and later a final report on CLA Assessment of the RWM at CSP.

4.  Minimum Qualifications

• Monitoring and Evaluation Expertise: The specialist should possess more than 10 years of experience in Monitoring and Evaluation, focused on evaluation of development projects. Previous work with USAID implemented projects is a plus.
• Familiarity with USAID’s Collaborative Learning and Adaptation CLA Methodology is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated Social Research Skills (Key Informant Interviews and Focus Group Discussions).
• Excellent Written English and Spoken Arabic Skills.

 5.  Eligibility Criteria

Interested individual experts shall have the capacity to enter into a short-term technical assistance (STTA) contract and shall have a satisfactory performance record and record of integrity and business ethics.

6.  Ineligible Experts:

• Government employees.
• Individual experts that appear on the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Non-Procurement Programs.

7.  Place of Assignment

The expert will be liaising with CSP TO 3 team at CSP offices in Sin-El-Fil and will be traveling to project field locations when needed.

8.   Reporting

The expert will be reporting to a team composed of CSP Directors: Director of Community Support, Director of Technical Assistance, and MEL Director.   

Chemonics is an equal opportunity employer.  All applicants who can legally work in Lebanon will be considered for employment based on their qualifications without discrimination.