Wood processing value chain expert - PSD Programme

Expertise France, the French technical cooperation agency, has been entrusted with a major Private Sector Development Programme in Lebanon by the European Union. This programme has a focus on two sectors; the wood processing sector (specifically the furniture community in Tripoli) and the agribusiness sector (specifically two or three priority crops in the Bekaa valley and Akkar region). The project aims to increase micro, small and medium enterprises competitiveness, productivity and participation in the economy by fostering their development and integration into value chains. 

For wood processing, the above is achievable through the development of an inclusive social and economic sustainable cluster in Northern Lebanon.

The inception phase diagnostics research has identified the main work streams of relevance to the promotion of competitiveness of the Tripoli furniture cluster. The recommendation is to prioritise the four work streams outlined below:

Work stream 1: Setting up a Value Chain Information System

Work stream 2: Promoting Marketing, Sales and Communications

Work stream 3: Offering Business and technical support to the Tripoli furniture community

Work stream 4: Creating an integrated platform to support new product development

As part of the third and fourth work streams, the technical expert shall:

Task 1: Technical support to follow-up the rehabilitation and renovation processes of the selected facility for the integrated platform (Action A24):

• Periodic collaboration with the supervisor to follow-up the rehabilitation works of the integrated platform Fair building (International Fair of Tripoli)
• Support to EF in order to ensure the coherence of the renovation process with task 2 (Installation of equipment and machines specifically in the workshop space)

Task 2: Technical support to negotiate and assist the purchasing process of the needed equipment

• Support for the evaluation of the offers received in relation with the purchase of the equipment for both spaces of the integrated platform (ITIT and International Fair of Tripoli)
• Participation in the negotiation phase of the equipment purchase in order to optimize the purchasing process

Task 3: support EF Lebanon team and Innovation Factory (selected service provider for the ST-assignment A.2.4.)  in the organization of the product development contest organized in the framework of the integrated platform

• Participation as a member of the jury in the evaluation of the proposals received in the framework of the contest
• Provide the adequate support to the EF and Innovation factory team in managing the whole process of the contest

Task 4: support EF Lebanon team and any other key stakeholder in manufacturing the furniture for the integrated platform

• Support in the design process of the integrated platform furniture
• Support to the providers in manufacturing the selected furniture

Task 5: support EF and the team recruited to manage the integrated platform activities in the formulation and development of the label for wood processing in Tripoli

• Support for the definition of the technical specifications of the label and of the process of certification
• Support in coordinating the development of the label together with the team in charge of the management of the platform and with Markits (In charge of A22)

Task 6: Support EF Lebanon Team in formalizing the governance system for the integrated platform and at a later stage for the furniture cluster in Tripoli

• Support in the consolidated design of the entity in charge of the governance of the wood processing sector in Tripoli
• Support in the implementation of the selected entity and in the coordination mechanisms related to the management of the activities of this entity