Reach Secondary Data Analyst (Consultant)

REACH, a partnership between ACTED, IMPACT initiatives, and UNOSAT, was initially deployed in response to the Syrian crisis in Jordan and Iraq during October 2012 in order to complement information management efforts undertaken by other humanitarian actors, notably UN agencies and working groups, and to contribute towards addressing information gaps on Syrian households located in refugee camps and host communities. In 2013, REACH and its partners also became operational in Lebanon and within Northern Syria. By establishing a baseline dataset that includes key information on displacement trends, the geographical distribution and priority needs of Syrian refugees and vulnerable communities within Northern Syria and neighbouring countries, REACH aims to ensure better planning, coordination and traceability of humanitarian aid using evidence based approaches.REACH was deployed to Lebanon in May 2013 in order to complement information management efforts undertaken by other humanitarian actors and contribute towards addressing information gaps on the situation of refugees, and other vulnerable populations, in Lebanon.In Lebanon, REACH will be conducting an assessment of host communities with the aim of identifying key social and economic vulnerabilities of communities in Lebanon which have been affected by the influx of displaced persons. The consultant will be responsible for conducting the desktop review of existing knowledge that will inform the assessment tools to be developed.The desktop review will serve the following purposes in the larger project:- Outline the social and economic context of host communities in the refugee crisis;- Identify the primary vectors of social tensions which should be examined specifically in the assessment;- Mine multiple types of sources for a rounded view;- Identify key sector-specific indicators to be captured in order to determine socio-economic vulnerabilities;- Highlight academic evidence and case studies of previous relevant social cohesion research;- Identify key geographic areas where host communities have been most severely affected by the refugee influx, including a review of existing rankings and other potential methodologies and sources of information.The final output of the consultancy should be a single concise document that aggregates substantial research into key themes, describing the consensus (or divergence) of opinion across existing research. This output should be analytical, well-structured in order to inform future data collection, and comprehensive; if necessary with a briefer abstract.Responsibilities:The Consultant will work under the supervision of the REACH Country Coordinator in Lebanon, while keeping in close contact with the REACH Assessment Officer, whose work will be informed by the results of the consultancy, and who will in parallel launch key informant interviews on similar topics. The Consultant will conduct a desktop review, synthesizing information from a myriad of sources, with the objective of identifying causes of tension in host communities in Lebanon.The following list of areas of focus provides a preliminary indication of the scope of the consultant’s assignment. Note: these activities may change based on discussions between the project team and the selected consultant.ContentTo achieve the research aims outlined above, the consultant is expected to focus on the following topics: The strain refugee influxes put on host communities. The emphasis should be on the current Syrian refugee crisis with over 900,000 registered Syrian refugees, high numbers of unregistered refugees, Palestinians of Syrian origin, and Lebanese returnees.o This should be context-specific, but drawing on global research regarding the socio-economic impacts that large numbers of displaced persons place on host communities. This should include, but may not be limited to: shelter, WASH, food, employment / livelihoods, electricity, education, health, protection, and other related issues. Vectors of contemporary inter community tension, and impact of the influx on social cohesion in host communities. Again, case studies are encouraged, and specific to this project’s methodology backstopping will be provided from the REACH regional office in Amman; where a similar project is nearing completion. Levels and factors of socio-economic vulnerability, marginalisation or social cohesion issues among local communities in Lebanon prior to the Syrian crisis. This should also draw correlations between these pre-crisis levels and factors, and the current impact of the crisis on host communities.Additionally, the final report should identify key demographic variances in the study population: Different socio-economic strata that should be taken into account when writing assessment tools (e.g. are the needs of urban and rural communities comparable or so different as to necessitate different assessment tools in those settings?). Minority or marginalized populations whom the proceeding study should take into account. Analysis and identification of typologies / themes of potential for tensions in communities. Specifically, what trends or triggers may be necessary to consider when identifying potential for disputes in host communities between refugees and Lebanese. For example, has the increased population in already vulnerable areas exacerbated existing socio-economic issues?ScopeIn order to ensure a thorough treatment of the theme, multiple types of information sources must be used in the desktop review, including: UN and NGO assessments and reports; Government and diplomatic releases; Academic research (both local and international); Region-specific news and analysis; Interviews with key informants / stakeholders.Expected deliverableThe consultant is expected to deliver a report presenting the results of the conducted data analysis. This final secondary data review report should be delivered by 02/05/2014.Overview: Conduct a desk review of host communities in refugee crises, focusing on the Lebanon context.