Trainers On Facilitation Skills, Consensus Building And Project Cycle Management

I. INTRODUCTION Project Background Information The Lebanon Reforestation Initiative (LRI) is an ongoing, multi-year project funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by the United States Forest Service (USFS), implementing a community-based reforestation program that has resulted so far in the planting of more than half- a-million native trees throughout Lebanon since 2011.  The project promotes a community-led approach to reforestation, bringing together diverse committed municipalities, community stakeholders, Lebanese civil society organizations, and other actors such as the private sector, to restore and replant degraded community lands. With administrative offices in Beirut, LRI technical experts manage a multi-year work program of activities throughout Lebanon in collaboration with grassroots organizations and local communities. Community Engagement Recent economic, social and environmental developments have increased attention given to the role that good governance and sustainable engagement of local communities plays in achieving long-term development goals. Reforestation being a long-term process that requires continuous follow-up and good management, active community involvement and community ownership of this process becomes crucial for its success. LRI seeks to ensure a process of community involvement and local community-based governance that enables interested local citizens or stakeholders to meet on equal terms to facilitate a participatory decision making process. The goal is to provide local communities and their constituent stakeholders with ownership of the project to help promote success and longer-term sustainability. As part of its community engagement strategy, LRI has developed a twinning program under which mentor communities, usually previous LRI partners on participatory reforestation projects, transfer their knowledge and experience acquired to one neighboring community. In both communities, environmental committees are established to work actively on this process.   II. PURPOSE OF THE CONSULTANCY LRI is currently seeking a team of two trainers (1 lead trainer and 1 co-trainer) to design and deliver two training workshops for members of the environmental committees of the twinned communities. The first two-day workshop will cover facilitation and organizational skills and will be targeted to the mentor committees, whereas the second one will be on consensus building and project cycle management (PCM) for the mentee committees. The Consultants are expected to perform the following duties: Assessing the needs of the participants based on feedback provided by LRI team;   Tailor the training content and methodology based on LRI requirements and community needs; Prepare pre-and post- knowledge evaluation tests in order to assess the knowledge acquired during the training workshops and include the analysis of the test to the training report; Develop a summary report at the end of the training, specifically to include major challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations; Below a proposed training guideline to be detailed by the trainers: Phase one 15 – 16 April 2016   Mentor Group (Group trained by the lead trainer) Mentee Group (Group trained by the co-trainer) 1st Day Facilitation Skills PCM Basic Level 2nd Day Mentor and Mentee Groups (Trained by the lead trainer)   Organizational skills (roles and responsibilities) Revision of Calendar of activities / time frame   Phase two June 2016   Mentor Group (Group trained by the lead trainer) Mentee Group (Group trained by the co-trainer) 1st Day Consensus Building PCM Advanced Level 2nd Day Mentor and Mentee Groups (Trained by the lead trainer)     Decision making mechanism – Consensus building approach. Revision of Calendar of activities / time frame   Interested trainers are requested to send a detailed proposal including; objectives of the training, deliverables, methodology to be used, detailed agenda, resumes of the trainers, budget.   III. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES TIMEFRAME In close coordination with the LRI’s Senior Manager on Social Stability and Community Engagement, the consultants are expected to conduct and deliver the first training workshop on Friday 15 and Saturday 16 April 2016. The second two-day training workshop will be delivered in June 2016.   IV. REQUIREMENTS The Consultants for the design and facilitation of this assignment should possess the following competencies, and experience: Master or equivalent degree in Social Work, or related field; Demonstrated experience in designing and facilitating training workshops; Demonstrated track record of success in delivering previous trainings on facilitation skills, consensus building and PCM;