Enurmerator Skills Assessment

  Project background  Since the outbreak of violence in Syria in the spring of 2011, the number of Syrians crossing to Lebanon continues to increase. The influx of Syrians has created labour competition, decreasing daily wages and reducing the number of days work each household is able to access. This has resulted in less purchasing power for both Syrians and Lebanese families. Additionally, rent, food and some non-food prices (especially fuel) have increased as a result of border closures. The combination of decreased income and increased cost of essential expenditure is causing many households to engage in negative coping strategies, such as sending children to work, depleting assets and savings, and taking debt. While delivering humanitarian assistance programs to address these needs, Save the Children is also focused on supporting the local economy. Border closures have interrupted the supply of Syrian goods, but alternative trade routes have been identified and Lebanese equivalents are available. As markets continue to function and traders struggle with decreased purchasing power in communities, Save the Children is using cash and vouchers as a mechanism for assistance.  In addition, Save the Children is developing a longer-term strategy, which includes supporting livelihoods. Cash-for-work, vocational trainings and small business development are all activities to be implemented. Save the Children is scaling up its emergency response in Food Security and Livelihoods and requires an experienced Economic Recovery Adviser to ensure quality programming is implemented. In Lebanon, IRC and SCI International (SCI) are currently implementing livelihoods promotion programs, respectively in Akkar, and in Bekaa, Akkar and Tripoli. Among the livelihoods promotion activities, is the provision of vocational skills training to Syrian and Lebanese youth (SCI) and women (IRC). Due to the massive influx of Syrian refugees, the labour market in Lebanon, and especially in the areas that are receiving the highest number of refugees, is saturated in several sectors (ref. EMMA, March 2013). On the other hand, the humanitarian sector is expanding and demanding not only workforce with specific sets of skills, but also for goods and services that – wherever feasible - are purchased locally. For instance, several agencies are distributing kits that contain a wide variety of items such as clothing, items for personal hygiene, and items for the house. Bearing this in mind, vocational training interventions must be demand-driven and target those occupational areas offering more opportunities for employment and self-employment than others, and that will also be requested in Syria, across reconstruction efforts. Ultimately, the Localized Skills-Gap assessment will be instrumental to prioritize a limited number of training areas for ongoing livelihoods projects and also for future programs. It will be based on an analysis of both the demand and the supply of skills, in light of business opportunities and emerging markets. Considering that several livelihoods and labour market assessments have been carried out in Lebanon during the recent past months, the Localized Skills-Gap Assessment will exclusively focus on information gaps and will consider the information and analysis that have already been produced. While the assessment will look at the labour market (both its demand and supply ) in general terms, specific attention will be given to employment and self-employment opportunities and training needs of women and youth. This assessment will sensitively consider the specificities of this current context, and the fragile relationship between host and refugee communities. In particular, it will consider the importance of not disrupting local markets and private businesses and of managing post-training expectations in an environment where competition in the labour market is continuously increasing.   Responsibilities of Consultant   Successful candidates for the Assessment Enumerator position will participate in a 3 days training from … to … in (….). The training will be followed of 10 days of data collection in field locations (Akkar, Bekaa or Tripoli). The 3 days training will introduce the Assessment methodology, the purpose of this assessment and the techniques to be used for collecting market information and for conducting a thorough analysis of that data.   Actively participate in a 3-day training workshop to prepare for the Localized Skills-gap assessment Conduct key informant interviews or Focus Group Discussion (depending on which informant you are assigned) Thoroughly understand what information needs to be collected, and to rapidly adapt interview questions to collect the necessary data to answer the research questions Complete daily debrief sessions with your team after completing data collection. These debrief sessions will include ongoing analysis of information and planning for the next day’s activities To contribute to the analysis of information collected through questionnaires and interviews, and to use this analysis to answer the key research questions To contribute to the development of clear, concise, and feasible recommendations for responding to the livelihood needs of the target population affected by the refugee crisis To complete the data collection and daily analysis on schedule Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures       Qualifications needed Bachelor of Arts or Science in Social Science, Economics, Food Security, Development studies or related field A strong interest in humanitarian assistance Flexibility and willingness to change work practices and hours, capability to work in an insecure environment Prior experience conducting quantitative or qualitative research using surveys, interviews, and or other data collection methods Strong analytical and English writing skills required Experience analyzing research data, using data to draw concise conclusions and recommendations, and writing reports is highly desired Capable of completing verbal and written translation between Arabic and English, as needed; Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills, creativity and flexibility Personal qualities: Works well in and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure well Fluency in English and Arabic required 3 letters of references