Lead Researcher

Lead Researcher (Consultant) - Terms of Reference

Name: Lead Researcher

Coordinates with: Knowledge Coordinator

Payment: as per contract

Start - End Dates: 10-01-2023 till 30-06-2023

About Anti-Racism Movement (ARM)

ARM works to achieve social, economic, and gender justice for all migrant workers and racialized groups in Lebanon. Our theory of change is rooted in working with women, migrant domestic workers, and other racialized groups in Lebanon to build a movement against the systems that exploit them. Our aim is to build social justice systems that respect workers’ rights and freedoms with no exceptions. We believe this political change is possible through building strong and supportive communities for migrant workers against an environment that often only treats them as cheap labor or “beneficiaries” of aid.

About the research project

In 2023, ARM is conducting a research project to assess Lebanese residents’ awareness of and positions on the legal situation of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon through a public perception survey. Recent developments in Lebanon during the past few years pose challenges to the Kafala system’s continuous implementation. These developments include significant changes in the local care labor market, in addition to an increased public anti-establishment political discourse since the Lebanese October 17 revolution. Currently, we do not have adequate information on the current position of Lebanese residents regarding the Kafala system and migrant domestic workers’ labor rights. Accurate information about the current public awareness of, and positions on, the current situation of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon is essential for more powerful labor rights organizing and political interventions in the country.

About the position

The lead researcher is responsible for the successful implementation of the research project. The researcher will work on the different stages of the project, from planning, to data collection, writing up, and publication. Decisions regarding how the data will be collected (daily data collectors, research firm, etc.) will be made in coordination with the ARM team based on reliability, time, and available budget. More information about the project can be found in Appendix 1. ARM will be accepting applications from individual researchers, research teams, or research consultancy firms. The lead researcher must be available in Lebanon for the duration of the data collection process.

Main responsibilities:

1. Attend onboarding orientation/training sessions on relevant research procedures at ARM
2. Lead in the development of research strategies for data collection and analysis.
3. Conduct research activities that include:
   1. Review literature related to public perception surveys (validity, reliability, processes, strengths and weaknesses), labor organizing, and the Lebanese Kafala system.
   2. Designing the research protocol and deciding on data collection tools and methods in coordination with the ARM team
   3. Piloting and managing the data collection process, training and coordinating with data collectors
   4. Overall data analysis, in collaboration with ARM’s Knowledge Coordinator
4. Writing up, producing a high-quality research report within the project deadline

Desired qualifications

• An advanced degree in social sciences or related studies (or equivalent work experience) that placed a strong emphasis on both research methodology and context analysis.
• Training and/or experience with qualitative and quantitative research techniques.
• Ability to work with a high degree of autonomy within the research project (strong initiative and follow-through, capacity to think creatively and strategically, excellent editing skills).
• Ability to engage with and analyze relevant literature.
• Ability and sensitivity to conduct data collection with a wide range of people.
• Ability to produce high-quality written material within the required deadlines.
• Familiarity with SPSS or similar software for data analysis.
• Proficiency in English (spoken-read-written) and Arabic (spoken-read-written).
• Patience, tolerance, in addition to strong planning and organizational skills.
• Interest in gender, racial, and socioeconomic justice.
• Knowledge about local Lebanese politics, labor organizing, the Kafala system, and the situation of migrant workers in Lebanon is a strong advantage.

Research budget and remuneration

An approximate total budget of $15,000 is available (including lead researcher renumeration and potential research consultancy or data collection expenses). An exact budget breakdown will be developed with the selected lead researcher based on the adopted research methodology.