Socio-Economic Expert_(Consultancy Contract)

Position Title: Socio-Economic Expert

Duty station: El Ain, Bekaa, Lebanon; daily visits within field area

Contract duration: 6 months, starting 21st of June 2021

Salary level: Grade 8

INTRODUCTION

We World GVC is the Leading Agency in a project on Local Economic Development in the North East Bekaa, through improving irrigation, agricultural value chains, producer aggregation, capacity building for public institutions and support to small and medium businesses. Within this framework, We World GVC seeks to recruit a socio-economic expert with strong expertise in rural participatory development, whose role is to define and launch the implementation of participatory regional development plans, including definition of the methodology, participatory socio-economic territorial appraisal, set-up of a territorial development committee and construction of the regional development plan.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Elaborate a structured approach for the regional development plans activities, comprising a participatory socio-economic appraisal, the set-up of a Regional Development Committee, and the consensual elaboration of territorial plans
• Prepare the detailed methodology for the participatory socio-economic appraisal
• Create tools and activities for the participatory socio-economic appraisal (Focus Group Discussion guidelines, Key Informant Interviews templates, Value Chains assessment tools, etc.)
• Ensure the proposed methodology and tools are sensitive to cultural, gender, religion, age criteria, and that the involvement of most vulnerable groups (including but not limited to: women, unskilled labourers, youth, people with disabilities) is guaranteed throughout the process
• Ensure the feasibility of the proposed methodology and tools and their compliance with COVID-19 prevention measures
• In collaboration with the Project Manager, identify and secure the needed resources for the implementation of the participatory socio-economic appraisal, whether internal or external
• Train the project staff, partners and external service providers when relevant on the methodology, sampling, invitation modalities and the use of the tools
• Collaborate and support the Project Manager in the stakeholders mapping activity
• Lead in the implementation of the participatory socio-economic appraisal, providing socio-economic insights and recommendations for economic development opportunities that support region needs
• Gather all needed baseline socio-economic parameters, and ensure their analysis and use
• Lead the project team in the set-up of a territorial development committee, including conflict prevention and mitigation measures and maximizing stakeholders’ consensus around a common vision
• Identify collaboratively with all stakeholders sustainable economic opportunities, and frame them into a prioritized  regional development plan
• Coordinate the socio-economic regional development activities, providing recommendations for the alignment of all consortium activities and approaches to the territorial development plans
• Ensure all activities follow a participatory approach, involving stakeholders’, listening to and addressing their concerns

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications and Experience:

• Advanced university degree in the fields of Agro / Environmental Economics, Rural Development, Socio-Development Studies.
• Fluency in English and Arabic
• Minimum 7 years of relevant working experience in similar projects, including rural development, participatory governance, and regional /territorial economic planning
• Proven competence in academic research, including redaction of research projects, methodologies, and studies
• Previous work experience with international NGOs

Skills and Abilities

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Leadership, trouble shooting and conflict resolution skills
• Attention to detail and quality assurance
• Capacity to work autonomously and in problems prevention/resolution
• Ability to think strategically and conceptually and to translate these into concrete results
• Integrity in line with the NGO values and ethical standards

Desirable

Previous experience in North East Bekaa