EXPERT IN MEAL

Since 2019, Lebanon has been facing one of the worst economic crisis globally since the mid-nineteenth century according to the World Bank , with 2 major events intensifying its impact, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Beirut port explosion in 2020. As the financial and economic situation unfolds, the downfall can be seen in all of the country’s aspects, from the availability of state services to the functioning of public administrations. Understanding the extent of this downfall requires an overview of several key facts that could represent Lebanon’s new reality.
Lebanon has also been facing political and economic crises for several years. The country has a complex political system that is based on power-sharing arrangements among its religious sects. However, this system has led to political gridlock, corruption, and a lack of accountability, which has resulted in a deteriorating economic situation and social unrest. The political deadlock in Lebanon refers to the ongoing inability of the country's political leaders to form a functioning government. This deadlock has been repetitive and has always persisted for multiple months and sometimes years.

TERMS OF REFERENCE / SPECIFICATIONS

The country’s worsening context has severe consequences on all sectors, with Lebanese public administrations being the most affected due to the reduction of available public funds. This has affected the core of public services and the basic functioning of administrations.
Project details
Based on what was mentioned, a new EU Program Action will be implemented in 2023 that aims to support progress in key areas of public administration reform in Lebanon through enhancing the integrity, transparency and accountability of its public administration aligned with the principles of a modern public administration. It consists of three outcomes:
1. Safeguarding integrity of the public administration, mainly in the area of public human resources management (i.e. civil service reform);
2. Enhancing transparency in public administration systems, mainly in the area of public procurement at central and local level (i.e. public financial management reform) and access to public information (i.e. accountability);
3. Strengthening accountability of the administration by reinforcing the role of the main oversight bodies (i.e., Central Inspection Board, Court of Audits and National Anti-Corruption Commission) in implementing reform, fighting and preventing corruption. This component is the continuation of the project ACT mentioned above.
This action will complement and reinforce the achievements made through the program “Anticorruption and Transparency at National Level in Lebanon” implemented by Expertise France until May 2023 and the AFD-funded project to support the public procurement reform implemented by EF until February 2024. It will also complement the current work done through the Lebanon Financing Facility of the “Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Framework - 3RF”, which is focusing on developing a responsive citizen engagement mechanism to advance transparency and accountability. This action is aligned with the opportunities of reform identified by the IMF Staff-Level Agreement and the principles of a modern public administration.
Needs justification
Expertise France is implementing a project that deals with numerous stakeholders, from both the public administration and civil society. The project involves a well-defined set of deliverables that must be attained throughout its 4-year period.
The continuous monitoring and evaluation of such a project is definitely vital for its success, and therefore, the MEAL expert will be supporting the project team in setting up the M&E system right from the inception phase, adapting this system to the actual situation as things proceed, and implementing it as a fully functioning system handling the project.
III. Objectives and desired results

1) General objective
The objective of the assignment is to create a Monitoring and Evaluation system for the project. The system must be finalized, adapted, and fully implemented within all project components, in order to ensure a systematic and effective means of collecting data. The system will take into consideration the needs of conducting analyses based on the collected information, and more importantly, the ability to build on the information as the project progresses.
2) Specific objectives
a. Conduct a full overview of the project, including but not limited to, its objectives, its progression, its stakeholders, and its deliverables.
b. Understand the standards of Expertise France and the European Union in regards to Monitoring and Evaluation systems.
c. Have a deep understanding of the implementation challenges and the limitations of the expected work.
d. Training and support project team for stakeholders on M&E system and its tools.
e. Ensure a reliable and timely project monitoring and analysis of data to inform decisions and accountability.
f. Reporting on important matters to promote knowledge sharing with the project team.
3) Anticipated results
The project should have a system that covers the entire needs of its components in regards to Monitoring and Evaluation.

1) General objective
The objective of the assignment is to create a Monitoring and Evaluation system for the project. The system must be finalized, adapted, and fully implemented within all project components, in order to ensure a systematic and effective means of collecting data. The system will take into consideration the needs of conducting analyses based on the collected information, and more importantly, the ability to build on the information as the project progresses.
2) Specific objectives
a. Conduct a full overview of the project, including but not limited to, its objectives, its progression, its stakeholders, and its deliverables.
b. Understand the standards of Expertise France and the European Union in regards to Monitoring and Evaluation systems.
c. Have a deep understanding of the implementation challenges and the limitations of the expected work.
d. Training and support project team for stakeholders on M&E system and its tools.
e. Ensure a reliable and timely project monitoring and analysis of data to inform decisions and accountability.
f. Reporting on important matters to promote knowledge sharing with the project team.
3) Anticipated results
The project should have a system that covers the entire needs of its components in regards to Monitoring and Evaluation.
IV. Description of the assignment
1) Planned activities
The service provider must support the project in performing the following activities:
Assignment preparation
• Attend a consultancy launch meeting with the project coordinator and the three component managers.
Phase I: Preparation phase
• Collect and study all project documents in order to have a full view of the expected actions.
• Conduct site visits to beneficiaries to better understand the project environment.
• Build a full understanding of Expertise France and the European Union’s standards vis-à-vis Monitoring and Evaluation.
• Check M&E systems from previous projects related to public administrations and from large EF projects.
Phase II: Tool inception phase

1.Draft a monitoring and evaluation plan in order to ensure efficient management of theactivities for and by all stakeholders. The M&E plan will be based on verifiable indicators andwill provide a solid basis to prepare progress reports and to communicate to the donors andthe beneficiaries/partners. It will be based on the logical framework.
2.Draft an M&E system that ensures an effective result:
oData collection using tools adapted to the activity type
oDistribution of responsibilities and tasks and workplan for the project team
oCompliance with Expertise France standards and contractual requirements
oCompliance with European Union standrads and contractual requirements
3.Conduct a baseline study that will review the indicators and their target values in order toreview them and ammend accordingly.
Phase III: Implementation phase
4.Train the project team on the M&E tool and advise on the work needed for filling it in
5.Interact with stakeholders on data collection and interpretation
6.Assist in the data collection process from all needed sources, check data quality andcompliance
7.Quarterly refresh the M&E tool created and ensure its continuous update
8.Produce information that can be clearly communicated in progress reports
9.Help with the organization of workshops that aim to learning and reviewing the work withstakeholders
10.Fulfill the needs of the European Union regarding its standard M&E requirements
2)Anticipated deliverables
Deliverables
End date
1.Conduct visits and collect information (report)
After 1 month of contract signature
2.Submit a Monitoring and Evaluation plan andM&E system
After 3 months of contract signature
3.Data collection and consolidation
4.Follow-up on M&E planand ensure a reliableand timely project monitoring and analysis ofdata
5.Prepare M&E submittals for all projectmilestones (narrative reports, steeringcommittee, etc.)
During implementation phase
6.Help the project team in the final submittalsreporting on the activities, results, and impact.
After 44 months of contract signature
3)Coordination
The M&E consultant will closely coordinate with the project team leader, who will be quality checking the Monitoring and Evaluation steps and achievement values.
The M&E consultant will also coordinate with the component managers will support on the data collection, consolidation of the data of each component in coordination with the beneficiaries and partners, analysing it, and develop tools to collect information (qualitative and quantitative).