External Researcher Consultant - Beirut

  The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a humanitarian, non-governmental and nonprofit organization, founded in 1956, that works in more than 30 countries around the world. DRC has been operating in Lebanon since 2004, working with Palestinian and Iraqi refugees, as well as Lebanese communities affected by the war in 2006. DRC is committed to basic humanitarian principles; including impartiality and neutrality, and offers the highest standards of accountability to the people it serves. DRC Lebanon has been assisting the Syrian displaced, fleeing Syria into northern Lebanon, since May 2011, and the Bekaa valley since February 2012. This assistance has come through the provision of food and non-food items, various outreach activities and rehabilitation of collective shelters. The project “Mitigating the Socio-economic Impact of Syrian Displacement” funded by the World Bank will carry out the following activities: -          Capacity building on the local level to provide support to Social Development Centers (SDC) active in the North, Bekaa Valley and South Lebanon.   Build local capacity of 10 SDCs to lead emergency preparedness and response to crises and leading local coordination In collaboration with MoSA, assist and oversee the training component of the project and provision of IT and communication equipment to local SDCs. Training and mentoring of 30 staff members at affected SDCs on emergency preparedness and response.   DRC is inviting local candidates to apply for the position of Market Researcher - Beirut, to support its activities.   Purpose Under the project entitled, “Mitigating the Socio-economic Impact of Syrian Displacement” the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) will be taking on a 10 month project to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Social Affairs in dealing with Emergency Response in crisis settings and more specifically, the recent Syrian displacement. This project is twofold: (1) DRC will work in close collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs to reinforce Social Development Centers (SDCs) active in emergency response and where there exists a high concentration of refugees; (2) DRC will build capacity at the local level to provide livelihood support to both the Lebanese hosting communities and Syrian refugees. General Objectives of the Market Assessment The Market Researcher is involved in the livelihoods component of the project and is required to conduct a thorough market assessment of the informal labour sector in Lebanon’s North and Bekaa regions, where the majority of refugees are hosted. The influx of refugees continues to pose an economic and social strain on vulnerable hosting communities within these areas. The Market Researcher will assess current markets dynamics in these regions in order to identify job and income generation opportunities for severely affected host populations and the refugee population. The Market Researcher will provide creative entry points to the Lebanese market for vulnerable Lebanese and the displaced. Specific objectives of the Market Assessment Methodology - Qualitative and quantitative approaches; - In-depth interviews; - Focus group discussions; -  Review of existing data and studies; e.g. Any assessment on impact of the Syrian Conflict on Lebanon, livelihood opportunities for both vulnerable refugee and host communities, informal economy for refugees, etc. Target Groups: Major stakeholders Direct beneficiaries, households or groups:  vulnerable host and Syrian refugees (to capture their social and economic self-reliance vision and the self-reliance challenges they are facing) Labour market businesses and companies in the Akkar and  the Bekaa areas Labour market institutions (e.g., Chamber of Commerce, trade unions and other) NGOs and INGOs working/offering services to refugees in Akkar and Bekaa, especially VT courses and economic services (loans and MC) UNHCR Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) Municipalities and/or unions of municipalities   Specific responsibilities: Under the supervision of DRC Project Manager and Livelihood Coordinator, the external consultant will design and implement a labour market assessment to obtain the following information on the Akkar and the Bekaa market: -       Conduct desk research (review of secondary data) concerning existing baseline studies, social-economic profiling, local market trends and dynamics vis-à-vis the displaced and hosting communities in Lebanon. -       Conduct stakeholder consultations and work at the field level (collection of primary data) to examine the livelihood context and current local market practices and interventions (by internal and external actors) in the North and Bekaa regions. -       Based on the primary data gathered, carry out a market assessment with regards to economic capacity, highlighting potentials, challenges and identify gaps. -       Address the saturation of certain labour markets; such as the construction and agriculture sectors, and provide novel ideas/strategies of integrating the displaced and hosting communities into the Lebanese informal economy; proposals should also target and give emphasis to women at risk and youth.   Deliverables -           Market study report that outlines the following: Labour market trends to vulnerable host and refugee employment in the Akkar and the Bekaa areas   Identifying opportunities to strengthen women’s participation in the labor market by focusing on “creative entry points into the market” Recommendations for follow-up action that will enable: Cash for work projects Business development opportunities for the target group Self-Reliance or vocational training (VT) Presentation of findings to DRC and other relevant stakeholders   Qualifications and Skills A Masters Degree in social and/or economic studies, development studies, planning or equivalent. Five to ten years of work experience in the social/economic development sector and/or research consultancy or institutes. An excellent command of the English and Arabic Language Experience in conducting stakeholder consultations and interviews Knowledge of refugee employment and livelihood challenges in Lebanon Good analytical, communication and writing skills A sound knowledge of market analysis tools and methodologies Punctual and the ability to meet project deadlines   Submission guidelines: Applications should include a detailed CV and a cover letter that addresses the applicant’s motivation for applying. Please forward the application, in English, marked “External Consultancy – Market Researcher" to the following e-mail address: vacancy@drclebanon.dk. The deadline for submission is   Wed 26 February 2014 Kindly note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.