Survival And Minimum Expenditure Basket Consultant

The role The Lebanon Cash Consortium (LCC) brings together six leading international NGOs to deliver multi-purpose cash assistance to approximately 15,000 socio-economically vulnerable refugee households using a harmonised technical and delivery model. An important part in designing the transfer value for multi-purpose grants is the estimation of the Survival and Minimum Expenditure Baskets (S-MEB). Humanitarian actors have identified the need to reinforce and update the methodology as well as calculation of the S-MEB.  Objectives The general objective of this research is to review and reinforce the Survival and Minimum Expenditure Basket as well as to provide insights on future programming. Specific objectives include: Review and strengthen working definitions for ‘minimum’ and ‘survival’ levels and related expenditure categories and confirm the need for two separate expenditure baskets (as the S-MEB was created after the MEB was finalized and found to be too high) Validate and/or propose a methodology to calculate the S/MEB based on the work conducted in 2014 in collaboration with the committee Identify sources to estimate expenditures and/or prices and select the most robust ones Examine the relevance of establishing a regional S-MEB Investigate the relevance of a fixed and variable categories of expenditures, such as services (e.g. rent), inside the expenditure basket along with regional and per capita or family size variance if any exists/relevant Calculate the national and regional MEB(s) and S-MEB(s) based on the current market prices and population needs building on existing data Recommend a timeline and methodology for reviewing the S-MEB considering the Lebanese context/market Recommend cash package(s) based on above results Validate and ensure that persons and agencies of concern are consulted throughout the research program, for example through Focus Group Discussions and or direct consultation with Key Informants Provide a comprehensive narrative report that supports the above mentioned and document the methodology as well as the rationale behind each of the steps Output Based on consultation and compilation of feedback from different agencies and partners involved in the Committee, the consultant is expected to produce: Inception report including final work plan A full report including A detailed methodology on S-MEB including recommendations on review methodology, sources and timeline Estimations and calculations for the different S-MEB value as per the specific objectives mentioned above (national, regional with fixed or variable component per capita, region, family size etc.) Final reviewed value for the national (and regional if relevant) S-MEB for 2015, detailed calculation and rational Debriefing presentation and/or presentation to Inter-Agency relevant forum(s) Duration and dates Estimated 20 to 30 working days; consultant is requested to provide a work plan   Competencies required Education background preferred in Statistics or Economics alternatively in development studies or any related field Significant experience in households economics and cash transfer programs Experience in Market analysis Experience in Monitoring and Evaluation Good data analysis skills  Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner for none technical staff and management Good coordination skills Good people skills / inter-personal skills / ability to engage with a wide variety of actors Knowledge of the region and Lebanon strongly preferred Knowledge of the humanitarian response up to date and specifically cash programming in Lebanon strongly preferred Fluency in English for oral and written communication Fluency in Arabic an advantage