Expression of Interest: Implementing Partner for Job Creation Activities and Integrated Employment Services

Programme Objective

With funding from the European Union, the International Labour Organization (ILO) is implementing the ENABLE programme focusing on providing livelihoods opportunities to enhance the economic capacity of the most vulnerable and marginalized communities residing in targeted areas. The programme will provide integrated employment services and short‐term employment opportunities, which will reduce dependency on social assistance for the extremely poor and vulnerable, contributing towards social cohesion. The implementation targets the creation of decent jobs for vulnerable Lebanese host community members and Syrian refugees to ease the strain on local infrastructure.

In context, ENABLE Programme has already started working with social protection beneficiaries for employment activation in close coordination with the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) in several concentration areas, considering many factors, such as the population density, diversity and socioeconomic conditions.

Aligned with the programme’s strategic objectives and informed by stakeholder consultations, ILO is launching an Expression of Interest (EoI) to pre-qualify International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) capable of delivering employment-intensive infrastructure activities, alongside services such as life skills training, coaching, Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and coordinating with other implementing partners on the delivery of financial education sessions.

Background

Several municipal districts across Lebanon are marked by having diverse populations and vibrant economic landscape. However, the country’s ongoing crises have placed immense pressure on local administrations, especially municipalities, many of which are facing severe financial constraints. These constraints have significantly undermined their ability to deliver essential public services, including the upkeep of roads, waste management, water networks and public spaces.

In multiple districts, basic infrastructure has deteriorated due to years of underinvestment, lack of maintenance and limited staffing capacity. This includes poorly maintained roads and sidewalks, malfunctioning streetlights and traffic signals, inadequate waste management systems and damaged water and sanitation networks. Public gardens, parks and green spaces have also suffered from insufficient upkeep, while many public buildings and community centers are in need of rehabilitation. In areas prone to heavy rainfall, clogged stormwater drains, and insufficient drainage infrastructure have led to frequent flooding, further damaging roads and restricting residents' mobility.

Therefore, there is a growing and urgent need to restore and maintain a broad range of municipal services. These include road and sidewalk repairs, cleaning and landscaping of public spaces, maintenance of water and sewer networks and rehabilitation of municipal facilities. Such efforts are essential to preserve public infrastructure.

This intervention aims to benefit both the communities that regularly experience the effects of infrastructure degradation and the individuals who will be employed to carry out infrastructure and maintenance activities. In addition to short-term employment, selected workers will receive employability and coaching sessions in addition to financial education (through other partners) to help them build relevant skills, ensure financial management and improve their long-term access to the labour market.

Scope of Work and Assignment Objectives

ILO is seeking an implementing partner (IP) to implement the following: 

Outreaching: ILO is looking to collaborate with an implementing partner to outreach for Lebanese (50%) and non-Lebanese workers (50%) to be involved in the activities, following the EIIP (Employment Intensive Infrastructure Programme) approach. The IP is expected to conduct several meetings with the local authorities as well as the local and international organizations working in the area and establish a referral system for the beneficiaries. The outreach mechanism adopted employs a diverse array of outreaching channels to reach targeted beneficiaries. The IP is expected to coordinate with existing networks of local and international organizations and key stakeholders to ensure referrals of vulnerable and marginalized individuals with a focus on women (with a target of 30%) and People with Disabilities (with a target of 4%). The IP will also disseminate the job announcement through social media and WhatsApp groups and flyers posted at the local businesses and public areas (butchery, supermarket, bakery, community centers, etc). The IP is expected to closely coordinate with the local authorities, mainly municipalities and relevant governmental agencies and ministries (MoSA, Social Development Centres - SDCs, etc) to ensure referrals of individuals who fit the programme’s selection criteria and can be involved in the interventions. 

By embracing this diversified approach, the outreach mechanism ensures that its resources and information are accessible to all, promoting inclusivity, equality, and empowerment within the community. The IP shall seek to include and prioritize beneficiaries benefiting from social assistance (NPTP, ESSN, assistance from organizations, etc), and ones with previous construction background (engaging in previous EIIP projects, cash for work projects, etc...). 

The implementing partner will ensure conducting info sessions to introduce the programme and inform interested potential participants about the intervention and expected work and allow interested individuals to ask questions and share their concerns. The IP will ensure filling beneficiary profiling assessments for all interested individuals and workers will be selected following a scoring matrix. 

Provide employability and coaching sessions for integration within the labour market:

The implementing partner will hire a trainer to deliver soft skills and life skills training sessions to selected participants. The trainer shall be certified and experienced in delivering soft skills training. The training sessions shall tackle topics related to job finding, CV writing, interviewing skills, stress management, time management, etc. The IP will provide training curriculum to detailer number of training days per group, and topics addressed during training sessions (average of 3-day training sessions).  

Liaise with ILO’s implementing partner on Financial Education Sessions: The selected implementing organization is expected to coordinate with ILO’s existing implementing partner who is assigned to deliver a one-day financial education session to all the identified beneficiaries enrolled in short-term employment, as a key requirement.

Implement general infrastructure/municipal activities: In close coordination with the Public Works department within the relevant municipality, the implementing partner is supposed to hire, manage and supervise the selected beneficiaries under Decent Work conditions to implement the below works: 

• Road’s maintenance (pothole patching and road resurfacing) 

• Streets’ sweeping and cleaning 

• Traffic signal and streetlight maintenance, including signage replacement 

• Sidewalks and pedestrian zones construction/rehabilitation/repairs 

• Maintenance of water distribution networks 

• Sewer and stormwater drainage cleaning and repairs 

• Maintenance of public toilets 

• Waste management activities 

• Parks and green spaces’ maintenance (grass cutting, trees’ pruning, irrigation system maintenance, replanting, landscaping) 

• Rehabilitation works and repairs to municipal buildings, community centres, public markets, etc. (e.g., painting, plumbing, electrical work) 

• Cleaning of riverbanks or coastal areas 

The interventions are considered employment intensive activities and will follow the Employment Intensive Infrastructure Programme (EIIP) implementation modality where decent work is a main pillar and safety measures are to be fully applied. Workers are typically employed for 40 working days, after which they are rotated out and new workers are brought in. Workers receive a daily wage in line with EIIP standards and are to be paid on a bi-weekly basis through a third-party money transferring provider. They are also provided with accident insurance coverage, along with refreshments and drinking water during working hours (8 hours, including 1 hour break). It is worth mentioning that the IP will be in charge of procuring PPEs, visibility materials, equipment and all necessary equipment and tools required for the implementation.  

Preparing a sustainability and maintenance plan to be handed over to the municipality: The IP is supposed to prepare a comprehensive sustainability and maintenance plan after concluding the above-mentioned municipal activities, that should include the following key components: 

• Regular maintenance schedule: This should include frequency (e.g., monthly, quarterly) and specific tasks to be performed during each maintenance. 

• Inspection Procedures: Outline procedures for regular maintenance. Include criteria for assessing the condition of infrastructure and the frequency of inspections. 
• Maintenance Procedures: Provide clear guidelines for maintenance activities such as repairs, replacements, and upgrades to ensure the long-term functionality and integrity of the infrastructure. Specify the types of maintenance tasks required, recommended materials and equipment, and procedures for addressing common issues (e.g., blockages, damage). 
• Environmental Considerations: Incorporate measures to minimize environmental impact during maintenance activities, such as proper disposal of debris and pollutants, use of eco-friendly cleaning products, and adherence to relevant environmental regulations and guidelines. 
• Community Engagement: Include strategies for engaging the community in ongoing maintenance efforts, such as educational outreach programs, volunteer opportunities, and reporting mechanisms for residents to notify authorities of maintenance issues. 

• Budget and Resource Allocation: Provide an estimate of the budget required for implementing the sustainability and maintenance plan, including costs associated with equipment, materials, labor, and any other relevant expenses.  

Deliverables, Reporting and Coordination

Prior to the commencement of short-term employment activities, the Implementing Partner (IP) is required to submit a detailed methodology and work plan for review. These should be developed in close coordination with the selected municipality(ies) and are subject to ILO’s endorsement.

The IP will be expected to submit periodic progress reports and other reporting templates throughout the implementation period, documenting activities, challenges and outcomes.

The IP will operate under the overall supervision of the ILO project engineer and ENABLE CTA and will be expected to maintain close and ongoing coordination with the ILO team. An initial kick-off meeting will be organized between ILO and the IP to align on expectations and operational details.

Required Qualifications and Proposal Submission

• Eligible applicants must be registered local or international non-profit organizations operating in Lebanon.
• The organization must have a minimum of 5 years of experience in implementing similar projects.
• Technical capacity: The organization must have successfully implemented at least three major projects in the past 5 years related to infrastructure and/or employment programmes using the EIIP (Employment Intensive Infrastructure Programme) modality and/or Cash-for-Work (CfW) modality, preferably in collaboration with UN agencies or INGOs.
• Previous experience working with municipalities will be considered a strong asset during the selection process.

The proposal shall include:

• Organization’s profile (to include previous projects and success stories).
• Capacity Statement proving the capacity to carry out the work with the necessary equipment and personnel needed.
• Comprehensive List of projects proposed qualified personnel (project managers/engineers/community mobilizers/finance and admin staff, etc) for this specific assignment including their CVs.
• CV of soft skills/life skills trainer including certification.

Payment Schedule

• 1st payment: amounting to 30% of the total IA value, whichever is less of the total budget upon  contract signature.
• 2nd and final payment: amounting to 70% of the total budget upon the satisfactory completion of cleaning and maintenance activities and upon the submission and clearance of the final financial report along all deliverables, invoices and supporting documents deemed necessary by the project.

The final payment will not exceed the difference between the total processed prepayments by the ILO and the total approved expenses as reported in the final financial report.

The payment schedule is subject to change after the selection process.
Payments will be made in USD bank transfers; the assignment is VAT exempted.