Project Officer

We're seeking a competent Lebanon based project officer with experience in livelihoods, youth entrepreneurship and private sector development to set up the Hivos component of the Alliance 2015’ Addressing Root Causes Programme. (ARC) We are especially interested in applicants with an experience in the following sectors: creative industry/ handicrafts/ and green jobs. The goal of ARC is to create income-generating and livelihood opportunities in a conflict sensitive manner, leading to jobs, income and more resilient communities (incl. for IDPs and refugees). Specifically the activities of Hivos are relating an economic inclusion programme that aims to improve access to income generation opportunities for vulnerable individuals through supporting enterprise growth. The task of the project officer will be to develop a solid plan and start implementing the activities together with the Alliance 2015 consortium partners. The task includes identification of local partners in Lebanon with whom Hivos can implement the desired activities.
 
Background:
 
Due to the protracted nature of the Syrian Crisis, there is a need to move away from emergency assistance that has characterized the types of assistance to date, towards holistic, long-term approaches that address not only the rising issues of the crisis itself, but the underlying structural constraints that pre-date the crisis. The root causes of conflict between host and refugee populations and instability in Lebanon are twofold – issues related to social protection (and social inclusion), as well as structural issues with the labour market affecting availability of employment opportunities, and policy frameworks preventing economic inclusion of vulnerable populations.
Before the Syrian crisis, labour market conditions in Lebanon were already dire. High unemployment numbers coexisted with a skills mismatch in the labour market and a high prevalence of low-quality and low-productivity jobs. The influx of Syrian refugees has increased labour supply in the area of low-quality and low-productivity jobs with major impacts on women, young people and unskilled workers. Indeed, the mass influx of refugees from Syria is estimated to have increased the labour supply by almost 50%, with the majority of Syrians being low to semi-skilled workers.
 
Hivos aims to set up private sector development activities that aims to improve access to income generation opportunities for vulnerable individuals through supporting enterprise growth. These activities will be implemented with one or more service providers. Activities could include training, incubation or coaching to MSMEs and it could also include establishing linkages to existing BDS services and impact investments to increase/improve available employment opportunities. The activities should be in line with to the underneath result pathway of the Alliance2015 consortium.
 
The task of the Project Officer will be to co-develop with this consortium the Hivos activities of the Root Causes Alliance2015 programme.
 
Outcome level:
Private sector generates employment opportunities
Number (%) of programme beneficiaries who indicate they are more confident about meeting their household needs (disaggregated by sex, youth, and specific groups to be defined according to context)
Number (%) of programme beneficiaries who indicate that their self-employment / business development activities have grown over the last 6 months
Number (%) of trained programme beneficiaries who are employed (disaggregated by: contract / no contract & sector)
 
Sub-Goal Outcome
Businesses development (in a more inclusive manner) Number of informal jobs created for beneficiaries by companies that participate in the programme
Intermediate outcome
MSME financial viability and productivity increase % of target MSMEs maintaining or increasing revenue streams 6 months after receiving BDS support.
Outputs MSMEs have improved capacity or modes of operation
Number of SMMES who received BDS support.
What is your responsibility?

Implementation of the Hivos activities, as part of the ARC consortium. The Project Officer is expected to gain swift understanding of existing relevant Hivos work with regards to private sector development, Within this process the Project Officer is also expected to consult with Hivos, the Alliance2015 consortium partners and key stakeholders (including beneficiaries) to test assumptions and make a needs assessment. Ensure that the developed activities have synergies with the other activities implemented by the consortium
Identify together with the consortium partners, service providers that are capable and willing to implement with Hivos the private sector development activities that fit into the Addressing Root Causes result pathway described above.
Set of activities co-developed with the local partner or partners. The activities should aim to improve access to income generation opportunities for vulnerable individuals through enterprise growth. Activities could include training, incubation or coaching to MSMEs and it could also include establishing linkages to existing BDS services to increase/improve available employment opportunities/ access to finance such as impact investment.