Consultancy Call for a Researcher

1. Background

CARE is an international humanitarian and development organization without religious, political or government affiliation. CARE is committed to protecting and promoting the rights of vulnerable girls and boys, women and men and improving the lives of refugees and host communities alike.

CARE International in Lebanon (CiL) works at national, municipality and at community levels to develop customized solutions and ensure long-term sustainability as well as respond to basic needs. We design projects that fall into alignment with national priorities and can be owned by communities. Our interventions range across clean water, affordable sanitation and community healthcare and sexual and reproductive health rights programs, economic opportunities, and protection.  Across program areas, CIL’s activities are guided by a rights-based, holistic, gender-sensitive/transformative, and inclusive approach.

CIL has been operational in Lebanon since 2013 and works nationwide.

The Project focuses on building emotional, psychological and psycho-social well-being to increase resiliency for youth and women mitigating against key drivers of social and economic instability and violent conflict. By engaging youth and women in activities, it has far-reaching benefits for participants: strengthens beneficiaries’ sense of belonging; social cohesion; sense of hope; improve inter and intra personal skills; increase their readiness to work; build career paths; and encourage social interaction with others. The Project is also designed to help beneficiaries learn new skills to handle boredom, failure, rejection, fear of success and other situations. Secondary activities aim to increase pathways for community and entrepreneurship engagement to boost mental strength and resilience.

The Project consists of three interlinked components, which will collectively contribute to enhancing the economic resilience of marginalized communities and individuals. The Project will address barriers related to individual employability and labour market links, small business development and job creation, community relations and self-organization.

Core components:

1. Engaging communities and enhancing social, psychosocial and economic skills and knowledge. This component will mainly tackle the human capital of the local communities, as well as the theory of change that stipulates the engagement of the local communities.

2. Stakeholder buy-in. Engaging businesses and entrepreneurs in the process of neighbourhood development through the consolidation and empowerment of the local businesses, as well as the provision of a better entrepreneurship environment. This component also tackles the LED dynamics to alleviate poverty and create jobs and incomes.

3. Promoting positive institutional and organizational change. To sustain and consolidate the local communities and revitalize their own potentials and dynamics, CIL will support and help local NGO to increase awareness, participation, advocacy and local social and economic initiatives.

To stimulate enhance the livelihood and social conditions of the local communities (Lebanese and Syrians) in Tripoli, through the three main strategic axis CIL and partners engage three main target groups:

• Vulnerable women and youth that do not have qualifications and skills and who do not have access to work or that have low-paying and unstable sources of income;
• Vulnerable youth and women that have some skills or partial qualifications but lack the resources, know-how or completed qualifications to access stable employment that allows them to sustain themselves; and
• Community members with completed education and a certain skills level that are motivated to support other groups through SME start-ups or social enterprises or already own businesses with growth potential

1. Purpose / Project Description:

CARE Lebanon is preparing a series of Women Empowerment Research studies to take place in Northern Lebanon mainly in Beb El Tebeneh, Jabal Mohsen & Kobbeh area.

The Women economic Empowerment Research will inform CARE’s programming strategy for boosting sustainable employment, entrepreneurship and economic growth opportunities for individuals and relevant MSMEs. The research shall take into account Protection and Gender issues, while identifying potential further areas of research related to economic empowerment and resilience.

The Consultant is expected to work on desk review of relevant research as well as key informant interviews with stakeholders in the target locations. the Consultant will be responsible for development of methodology, data collection tools, aggregating and analyzing the data, and delivering a final report with recommendations, and presentation. The Consultant will be supported closely by CARE’s project manager.

2. Consultant Tasks:

The Consultant will:

• Review the questionnaire concerning woman inclusion in the SME sector;
• Conduct in-depth interview with woman SME owners, at least 60 SME owners.
• Write up findings and analysis concerning the WEE report.

3. Key Deliverables:

• Written summary of desk review;
• Key interview contacts list and interview notes;
• Women Economic Empowerment Research report and findings
• PowerPoint (or similar) presentation

4. Timeframe / Schedule: 

The Consultant shall offer the number of working days, starting in May 2019.  

5. The Consultant will report to:

Program Manager

6. Profile of the Consultant:

• MA/S or equivalent in research, social science or other relevant field.

• Minimum of five years of research experience
• Minimum three years designing Development Research
• Previous Experience carrying out  Economic Empowerment Research
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English. Arabic skills an asset.
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members.

7. Application Procedure and Requirements:

Candidates interested in the position are expected to provide the following documentation:

• A technical proposal with detailed response to the ToRs,
• A financial proposal detailing the daily rate expected;
• CV including a minimum of 3 references