Consultancy Lebanon Resilience Analysis

Resilience Analysis for Project Design under the BMZ Transitional Development Assistance Programme for Lebanon

Terms of Reference

Context

RET Germany e.V in partnership with GATE Lebanon (NGO) will implement a project under the BMZ[1] Transitional Development Assistance (TDA), covering Akkar in Lebanon.

BMZ’s Transitional Development Assistance purpose is to help strengthen the resilience of people who are particularly hard hit and of local structures in a sustainable way so that they will be able to deal with existing crises themselves and reduce the risk of new crises.[2]TDA as a funding instrument aims to strengthen resilience, while also taking into account the particular challenges and interdependencies inherent to the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. Resilience is contributed to by empowering the people affected effectively and sustainably to cope independently with crises; to prepare themselves for recurring stresses to mitigate the negative effects of crises and to gradually overcome them permanently through structural changes.[3] Based on the principle of promoting participation and self-help, TDA-projects shall contribute to strengthen and promote stabilization capacity, adaptation capacity and transformation capacity[4].

In this framework, the Project will address increasing food insecurity, particularly affecting vulnerable populations in rural areas who lack the means to produce food effectively, lack of income-generating opportunities, particularly among youth and women who are unemployed and lack the skills and qualifications to find employment and the means to start their own businesses; and growing social tensions that disrupt cohesion within and between communities, with marginalized groups being discriminated against and excluded from local communities and the economy.

Within the framework of this project, this Terms of Reference aims to define the scope, objectives, and deliverables for a Resilience and Context Analysis Consultant. The consultant will play a critical role in assessing the local context, identifying key challenges and opportunities, and providing strategic recommendations to enhance the resilience and self-reliance of the targeted communities. This document outlines the specific tasks, responsibilities, and expectations for the consultant’s role in supporting the successful implementation of the project.

The Project

The project “Enhancing food security, livelihoods and inclusion of women and vulnerable groups in communities affected by crisis, conflict and instability in North Lebanon” aims to improve food security and livelihoods of women and vulnerable groups, through climate-adapted agriculture and market-driven vocational training, and promoting gender equality, social inclusion and peaceful community relations in communities at risk of conflict in Northern Lebanon.

The project’s main target group is vulnerable women in Akkar who face multiple discriminations, such as women-headed households, divorcees and widows, refugees, and women with disabilities, who are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity, poverty, protection risks, and climate change impacts in the context of crisis and displacement. The project strongly focuses on women as the main target group (at least 70% female beneficiaries) and will provide services tailored to the specific needs of women. It is expected to reach 20.000 individuals of whom 14.000 women and 2000 individuals with disabilities).

The Project outcomes are:

• Outcome 1 – Food Security- focuses on vulnerable people (primarily women) who rely on agriculture as a (new) source of income and nutrition, from all social groups and minorities, including Syrian and Palestinian refugees and host communities.
• Outcome 2 – Income Generation- targets unemployed youth (16-35 years, mainly women) who lack income-generating opportunities due to lack of skills and resources, as well as existing women entrepreneurs or cooperatives who still need support to achieve sustainability.
• Outcome 3 – Social Cohesion – also specifically involves youth who are at risk of becoming involved in violent conflict to give them a positive role and better integrate them into their communities.

In all 3 Outcomes, special support is given to people with disabilities to integrate them into the local community and economy in the long term.

Objectives of the Consultancy

Resilience analyses are highly relevant for designing and delivering a risk- and crisis-informed project.[5] Within the framework of this project, this ToR aims to define the objectives, results and a framework for developing the key questions for the Resilience Analysis Consultancy. The consultancy will play a critical role in assessing the local context, identifying key challenges and opportunities, and providing strategic recommendations to enhance the resilience and self-reliance of the targeted communities.

Objectives

• Identify the actors concerned at all relevant levels and actively involve them via data collection and in the analysis
• Consider the local perspective of the people affected by risks and crises
• Include secondary and primary data collection and mixed method design such as focus group discussion and interviews using guiding questions that permit a thorough understanding of the perception of resilience and existing resilience capacities at various levels. The qualitative approach should be complemented by quantitative surveys, e.g. at the household level.
• The capacities identified as to be reinforced (via project activities at the output level), and the relevance of these capacities in terms of contributing to coping with risks and crises (outcome level) provide the necessary evidence for project design and create a base to formulate relevant indicators at the output and outcome levels for project monitoring and evaluation. A resilience capacity matrix shall serve as a key analytical instrument to summarize resilience capacities, presenting the actor’s responses to crisis contexts at all levels (individual, household, community).

Key Results

• A systematic presentation of the risk and crisis context
• Identification of the target group and presentation of its resilience capacities
• Analysis of the gaps in the capacities and potentials to be strengthened
• Analysis of informed suggestions for the development/adjustment of the ToC and indicators of the project.
  • Assess the local context in Akkar, Lebanon, focusing on risks, crises that affect people in general and the target groups (vulnerable women, youth and young women, including refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and vulnerable host communities) in particular.
  • In particular: evaluate the impact of climate change, economic instability, insecurity and social tensions on the targeted communities (e.g. conflict and causes of violence and extremisms and its impact on people, and target groups).
  • Highlight conflict dynamics and elaborate on how risks and crises are interrelated.
  • Elaborate on topics such as employability and income opportunities, livelihoods, climate-adapted agricultural practices, food security, gender equality, social inclusion, and social cohesion.
  • Map Stakeholders, such as governmental institutions and organizations at the subnational level such as NGOs and networks. What are their role, interests, resources and capacities for taking action and how are they (or how are they not) responding to the mentioned risks, crises and challenges?
  • Elaborate on how individuals, households and communities respond to crises and shocks. Which groups are particularly vulnerable to the highlighted risks and why?
  • Elaborate on stabilization, adaption and transformation capacities to explain how people (at individual, household and community levels) meet their basic needs and how structures maintain their functionality to ensure survival in and after crises; how people and structures adapt to changes and cope with negative impacts; how structural change is promoted to create sustainable livelihoods (including assessing gaps and needs)
  • Map local, national and international humanitarian, development and peacebuilding actors and what are they delivering concerning the identified risks and crises? Elaborate on aspects such as coordination and exchange. Identify relevant opportunities for cooperation for the project.
  • Analyse the potential for implementing climate-adapted agricultural practices that can improve food security and income generation for the target groups.
  • Assess the market demand for vocational skills and identify training opportunities that align with market needs and can enhance the livelihoods of women and youth.
  • Identify factors contributing to social tensions and conflict within and between communities.
  • Recommend approaches to foster social cohesion, peaceful coexistence, and positive roles for youth, particularly those at risk of involvement in violent conflict.
  • Elaborate on the possible unintended negative effects of the project and on specific measures to mitigate the risks.
  • Identify the concerns of the target groups and the communities concerning action in the field of food security, employment activities and social cohesion.
  • Propose measures to enhance the sustainability of project interventions, including capacity-building for local stakeholders and reliance on locally based staff.
  • Encourage local ownership and participation in project activities to ensure long-term impact and effectiveness.
  • Conduct an extensive analysis of the risks and crises that has potential impact on project implementation including an analysis of precisely which system components, actors and groups are affected and how
  • Provide recommendations for risk mitigation and resilience-building strategies under different scenarios.
  • Assess the broader gender context in Akkar, Lebanon, focusing on social, economic, and cultural factors that influence gender dynamics. Evaluate how these factors impact the roles, responsibilities, and opportunities for men and women in the community.
  • Analyse the current situation of gender issues in Akkar, including the specific challenges and barriers faced by women, such as limited access to education, employment, and resources.
  • Conduct a detailed analysis to understand the different impacts of risks and vulnerabilities on men and women, with a particular focus on women-headed households, divorcees, widows, refugees, and women with disabilities.
  • Identify gender-specific barriers to resilience and propose strategies to promote gender equality and the inclusion of women in all project activities.
  • Ensure that the findings from the gender analysis are integrated into the design and implementation of the project to address the specific needs of women and promote gender-sensitive interventions.
  • Propose strategies to promote gender equality and the inclusion of women in all project activities. Ensure that these strategies address the specific needs of women and promote gender-sensitive interventions.

Framework for Key Questions

The resilience analysis should comprehensively provide evidence for the following parts (the list is a summary, and questions and sub-points will be elaborated in the inception report):

1. Context:
2. Resilience Capacities
3. Identify Opportunities for Climate-Adapted Agriculture and Market-Driven Vocational Training:
4. Social Cohesion and Peaceful Community Relations:
5. Do No Harm and Local Ownership:
6. Risk Analysis:
7. Conduct a Comprehensive Gender Analysis:

Deliverables

• An Inception Report prior to the commencement of the study, based on the guidance provided by the BMZ (see footnotes page 1) the consultant or consultant team will provide the outline of the study, including methodology (research methods, data collection instruments and sampling) and detailed timeline, which will be reviewed by RET Germany and adjusted with the consultant, if necessary.
• The data collection will be complemented by a review and exchange workshop with RET Germany and the local implementing partners where the preliminary findings are discussed. If possible, this workshop will be supported by representatives of the target group and other stakeholders.
• In between debrief sessions for the project management and implementation team during the research phase
• 2 debrief sessions for the project management and implementation team during the research phase, including a supporting PowerPoint presentation with updates on findings.
• A comprehensive draft and final report detailing the findings of the risk and resilience analysis, including identified risks, vulnerabilities, and resilience capacities. The report should cover:
  • In-depth analysis of the qualitative and quantitative data, data sets and transcription of the interviews and focus group discussions.
  • Resilience Capacity Matrix that visualizes the resilience capacities and gaps at various levels.
  • Analysis with recommendations for risk mitigation and resilience-building strategies
  • Guidance for the ToC and recommendations for integrating resilience into project design and implementation.
• Soft copy of the database of the primary data analysed and used in the report.
• The draft and final reports should be submitted in soft copy to RET Germany byl the last day of the consultancy duration (deadline). completing the analysis work. The consultant will submit the final report 2 weeks after receiving consolidated comments from RET. RET will approve the report if it meets organizational minimum standards. The report should not be more than 30 pages (excluding the annexes) and should contain relevant parts such as an executive summary, findings, , recommendations and annexes.

All deliverables will be in English.

Duration and Location of the Assignment

Duration of the assignment: 1 July 2024 to 30 August 2024

The consultancy firm or organization or consultant expressing interest should be prepared to complete all aspects of the analysis, from the inception report to the final report, within this specified timeframe. Timely execution and adherence to the outlined schedule will be a critical factor in the selection process.

The selected consultant or consultancy firm will be based in Beirut. Travel to the project implementation areas will be necessary and will be coordinated with the RET team. The project implementation areas include Akkar in Northern Lebanon. Prospective consultants should be prepared to travel to these locations as required for data collection and assessment purposes.

Payment

The amount paid to the Consultant shall be gross and inclusive of all associated costs such as travel, social security, pension and income tax etc. Payments will be made upon submission and approval of the deliverables above and certification by the RET Germany supervisor that the services have been satisfactorily completed.

Payment shall be effected only if all the deliverables in this ToR are submitted to RET Germany within the timeframes stipulated in the ToR and they are approved by the supervisor.

Without submission and approval of the deliverables, the consultant shall not receive any payment even if s/he invests time for this assignment.

Key Qualifications

Prospective firms/consultants should meet the following key qualifications:

• The consultancy firm should have a robust background in research and analysis, including the design and execution of resilience, risk and context analysis. This experience should ideally encompass food security, protection risks, livelihood, and/or social cohesion.
• A deep understanding of the geographical and socio-political context is essential. The firm should have experience in conducting similar analyses, in Lebanon. Experience in the project implementation areas of Northern Lebanon will be key.
• Proven work experience with refugees, vulnerable groups, and projects related to women’s empowerment, needs assessment, context analysis, risk analysis and/or baseline analysis is highly valuable.
• Knowledge and practical experience in using participatory methodologies in monitoring and evaluation contexts, ensuring that data collection engages the target group effectively.
• Proficiency in Arabic language skills among staff and pollsters is vital to facilitate effective communication and data collection with the target group.
• A commitment to gender inclusivity is essential. A minimum of 60 percent of the staff and pollsters should be women, ensuring balanced representation and data collection within the target group.
• Strong facilitation skills for effective data collection and the ability to write comprehensive reports in both English and Arabic languages are necessary for conveying findings.

For individual consultants/project teams:

• Graduate degree in statistics, social sciences, agriculture or relevant field from a recognized institution of higher learning.
• Extensive experience in research including designing and conducting context and resilience surveys and assessments preferably in agriculture and/or social cohesion.
• Extensive understanding of the Lebanese context and project sectors in particular
• Fluent in both Arabic and English languages
• Excellent facilitation and report writing skills in English language.
• Knowledge and experience of using participatory methodologies in monitoring and evaluation in a developing country context.
• Computer literate in standard software applications,
• Proved knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server and quantitative and qualitative data analysis tools such as STATA and NVivo,
• Demonstrated the ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which includes willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.

[1] German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development

[2] https://www.bmz.de/en/issues/transitional-development-assistance

[3] https://www.bmz.de/resource/blob/100470/factsheet-strengthening-resilience-creating-new-prospects-.pdf

[4] https://www.bmz.de/resource/blob/83022/strategiepapier505-01-2020-en.pdf

[5] https://www.bmz.de/resource/blob/100468/produktblatt-resilienzanalyse-eng-barrierefrei-291121.pdf