Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Former Inmates in Tripoli

Project information

Search is implementing a project with an aim at reducing the risk of recidivism among current and former inmates in Lebanon. The project implements training sessions on soft skills and vocational training with the aim to support the rehabilitation process of former inmates.

Purpose of Assignment 

Non-custodial rehabilitation and reintegration are key in preventing and countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism. Thus, Search is seeking a local Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) to work together to develop a tailored, context- and conflict-sensitive approach to the challenge of violent extremism in Tripoli, North of Lebanon. The purpose of this assignment is two-fold : a) support the rehabilitation process of former Violent Extremist inmates through the delivery of a soft skills and vocational training program to contribute to their life skills, potential  employment and learning pathways which can support their successful reintegration into the community; and, b) a social project that aims at building the non-violent communication skills of former violent extremism inmates by mobilizing them to work closely with ‘other’ parties that they are in conflict with in order to bridge that gap, build trust and a conflict-free relationship and support their communities.

Duration of the Assignment:

Both the soft skills sessions and the vocational training must be completed from February 2021 until July 2021.

Scope of Work: Rehabilitation and Reintegration Program:

To achieve the project objectives, the following training program should strengthen the capacity of detainees and ex-detainees to identify and use alternatives  to violence to solve possible conflicts. The beneficiaries should receive life skills’ and vocational  training to facilitate their reintegration process. In addition, this program should address the shifting attitudes of community members to support the reintegration of former detainees. The program is expected to have activities developing community-led solutions for  reintegration.

The selected local NGO will be responsible to manage, coordinate and deliver soft training skills and vocational training, psycho-social support and health checks required for the selected beneficiaries. This initiative is seeking to engage 20 beneficiaries for three days a week for a full day of training from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Please see below rehabilitation and reintegration requirements: 

• Soft Skills Training: Provide soft training in regards to conflict transformation, mediation, stress management and critical thinking. The goal is to develop the skills of participating inmates to deal with issues in a non-violent manner and respond to conflicts in non-adversarial ways. 
• Vocational Skills Training: The training programme should also include vocational classes that are related to Arabic basic literacy skills, language learning (French and English), embroidery, sewing, calligraphy, art and cooking. The NGO is expected to provide trainees with all raw materials that are required, such as tools, safety equipment and necessary uniforms. Lasty, it is preferable if these classes are accredited by the Ministry of Labour; 
• Psycho-social support and health checks: To ensure proper rehabilitation and reintegration of beneficiaries a psycho-social and medical support component is key and critical.  The NGO should have a social worker and a psychologist ready to address the needs of the participants which can range from dealing with trauma to support when dealing with estranged family members. Additionally, participants must receive medical support for annual check-ups, medication for chronic illnesses, symptoms resulting from the time spent in Lebanese prisons and, in light of the pandemic, health checks should include PCR tests if needed;
• Team building initiatives:  As part of the R&R programme, a team building initiative is required for the 20 participants. This activity is key to building the relationships between the participants especially those that originate from communities that are at conflict with each other. Team building and ice breaking activities should be conducted on a monthly basis throughout the lifetime of the R&R programme. Such initiatives are not only critical for recreational but critical in building trust and forming relationships independent of the program itself. Team building activities should lead to the creation of trust building; 
• Youth community initiatives: This initiative aims at building the non-violent communication skills of participants by mobilizing them to work closely with ‘other’ parties that they are in conflict with in order to bridge the gap and build trust thus creating a potential conflict-free relationship that would lead to community stabilization and peacebuilding. The selected NGO should propose activities that are relevant to the context of Tripoli. This can include distribution of meals to economically marginalised families and or activities with the Lebanese armed forces. The overall aim of such an initiative is to build the resilience of participants and communities in which they live to form a strong and trustworthy relationship; 
• Mini video: The selected NGO is expected to produce a short video detailing the program, its activities and participants. The video’s aim is to have a visual impact of this project with a strong emphasis on participants’ thoughts, experiences and testimonies. The video should not exceed 2.5 minutes total;
• Social economic resilience: A key component of reintegration is the employment of former inmates. Therefore, the NGO is expected to support the beneficiaries in finding job placements where they will be able to support themselves and their families. The employment opportunities must be related to the skills the beneficiaries learned from their vocational training classes. The employment should at a minimum provide enough monetary return to allow the beneficiaries to support themselves. 

Please note: The NGO should implement all government approved COVID-19 protection measures where needed. The NGO should provide all training sessions and materials in Arabic and should ensure that all activities are adapted to either low-educational levels or illiteracy.

Key Deliverables

Under the direct supervision of, and in collaboration with the project manager, the following represents a general outline for the work to be conducted;

Design and deliver the following training  programmes:

• Outreach participants: The NGO will be responsible for outreach and recruitment participants through their already established relationships with the wider community. The participants should be chosen according to the selection criteria co-drafted with the selected NGO;  
• Training methodology report: The NGO, in collaboration with the project team, should deliver a report on the methodology and schedule of the training days. The report should include annexes, a training guide, agenda, pre and post-tests forms/tools, explanations of session methodologies, PowerPoint presentations to be used,  handouts to be given to participants, links of videos, and other learning aids to be used in the training. The training must be participatory and experiential and the curriculum drafted must clearly demonstrate this; 
• Training Delivery: The training session the 20 participants should be on conflict transformation, mediation, stress management and critical thinking. Vocational training should be provided based on needs and gaps of the participants. During the training sessions, the trainer should form a trust-worthy and respectful relationship with these ex-inmates by abiding by the DO NO HARM principle which will encourage them to reach out for 1-1 coaching sessions if needed; 
• Delivery of medical and psychosocial support: Throughout the lifetime of the R&R programme, a psychosocial component is required so that it is readily available to participants willing to engage; 
• Pre-test: A pre-test needs to be conducted to assess knowledge of  beneficiaries and in order to divide groups according to their level and needs in order to avoid any hindrance to their full and active participation. This test will also be used to conducted any adaptations needed to the curriculum;
• Post-test: A post-test needs to be conducted once the training sessions are completed in order to ascertain whether the beneficiaries were able to absorb the training’s key messages and tools. The post-test is also indicative of the success of this assignment. 

Reporting - Training Program

Search will be visiting the NGO’s center/offices to monitor the activity. In addition, the selected NGO shall provide Search with monthly progress reports including:  

• Attendance register reflecting the numbers and names of trainees trained for the period for each category;  
• Progress and evaluation report for the trainees; and   
• List of activities undertaken and training accomplished.

Finally, when this assignment is concluded, the NGO is expected to submit a final documentation report comprising the salient features of all the activities and initiatives under this program, suggestions and recommendations emerging from the participants, compilation and an analytical note of the evaluation sheet (pre evaluation and post evaluation).

All reports must be submitted in English. Also note, Search respects the DO NO HARM principles and therefore, the reports should include a code number/name for each participant to protect their identities and confidentiality.

Requirements of  the NGO

The NGO must be local and registered with a proven track record of working with former foreign fighters and individuals that have engaged in political and sectarian violence in Jabal Mosen and Beb el Tebbaneh. Other requirements include:

• Previous experience in training conflict transformation  and vocational training;
• Understanding of needed countering violent extremism (CVE) programming in Tripoli; 
• Implemented previously CVE programming in Jabal Mohsen and Beb el Tebnnaeh;
• Previous experience in implementing projects from foreign NGOs;
• Staff members/trainers have demonstrated work experience with former violent extremism inmates;

Competencies:  

• Excellent interpersonal skills; 
• Political, cultural sensitivity and commitment to diversity; and
• Communicates effectively with and relates to people of different cultures, demonstrating an ability to see issues from different perspectives.

 The NGO will have to share with Search the CVs of selected trainers including details of their academic and professional backgrounds.