Grants Officer (Public Administration Reform)

1. Context and justification of the need

Expertise France (EF) is a public agency created on the 1st of January 2015, and it has joined AFD Group as of January 1, 2022. EF offers programme engineering and technical assistance by developing and implementing international cooperation actions worldwide. Expertise France is the French public agency for international technical assistance.

Project: Supporting progress in key areas of public administration reform in Lebanon

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.

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 started in December 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 and beneficiaries, 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.

With such a project, the management of grants and funds is vital for succeeding, and therefore, the Grants Officer will be supporting the project team in all matters related to the project’s grants and the support it provides for beneficiaries right from the inception phase, adapting with the situation as things proceed and develop.

2. Objectives and desired results

The main role of the Grants Officer is to support the implementation of the project’s activities related to grants to the civil society. Working under the supervision of the Deputy Team Leader, in close collaboration with the Component Managers and the project officer, and in coordination with the M&E expert of the project. The position is based in Beirut, but the officer will work on regular basis both in the office and on the field.

 Responsibility 1: Operations

• Develop and manage the project’s grant program:  Draft ToR for call for proposals; ensure the review of grants and their selection is completed in an organized, timely, financially sound manner; train selected applicants on reporting rules
• Oversee implementation of operations in coordination with the Component Managers.
• Finalize the grant contract documents (Description of Action, Logframe, Budget, etc.) in close coordination with the M&E, finance, and legal teams.
• Follow up on the implementation of project activities in the field, ensuring that activities and expenditure are progressing according to their workplans and budget forecasts.
• In close collaboration with the M&E expert, ensure that monitoring data is collected and archived in a timely manner, and that feedback to donors is provided in a timely fashion. Support the M&E expert in preparing for activities and evaluations.
• Identify key stakeholders to be involved in the project and approach them.
• Make sure that any updates/information needed are shared in due time with partners (official letters, activity progress reports, minutes of the meetings, etc.)
• When the needs arise, be part of the call for proposal/tenders’ preparation and selection process of partners in coordination with the Component Managers and project coordinator.
• Responsibility 2: Coordination
• Report to Component Managers on any context updates, needs, challenges and discuss solutions, and report to project Team Leader when deemed necessary.
• Follow up on all procedures relating to application processes and workshops or trainings.
• Lead coordination meetings, in cooperation with the Deputy Team Leader, with Civil society organizations, private sector, universities active in the project sectors of intervention.
• Responsibility 3: Finance, Logistics and Administrative support
• Make sure that logistical, administrative, and financial procedures linked to project implementation are followed according to EF and EU requirements.
• Follow up to ensure that all administrative documents related to project implementation are up to date and well-stored.
• Ensure that all partner financial documents are submitted, collected, and analysed for the validity of the expense.
• Work closely and coordinate with the Component Managers on reviewing partner submissions, ensuring the accuracy of financial reports in accordance with their activity planning (financial supporting documents, revising Budget vs Actuals, etc.)

Responsibility 4: Reporting

• Make sure that grant beneficiaries issue timely monthly and quarterly qualitative reporting (both narrative and financial, including quarterly financial forecasting)
• Draft the monthly/quarterly information sheet summing up monthly/quarterly achievements and planned activities with CM guidance/support.
• Support the Component Manager (CM) in producing narrative reports, ad hoc reports related to field visits, attendance at workshops, conferences, seminars, etc.

1. Technical Skills, Experience & Knowledge

Education level                                                              

University degree in Management, Political Science, Social Sciences, or related field, master’s degree is a plus.

Qualifications

• 4 to 5 years of experience in non-governmental organizations, including small and medium sized organizations. 
• Strong knowledge of NGOs financial reporting requirements (work experience on finance is an asset).
• Excellent knowledge of the Lebanese civil society.
• Fluency in English and Arabic (written and spoken). Excellent command in French is a plus.
• Excellent computer skills: MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Excellent communication and reporting skills.
• Strong relationship skills and the ability to work effectively with local stakeholders.
• Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented.
• Previous experience work experience with international agencies would be an asset.