Consultant - Bekaa

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR STUDY ON LIVELIHOOD AND SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP OPPORTUNITIES IN BEQAA   1. Introduction   Basmeh and Zeitooneh works on relief and development in marginalized and vulnerable areas in Lebanon and Turkey. Two of our ten community centers are in the Beqaa Valley, where we are looking to do a market study to find a viable framework for a social entrepreneurship project.   2. Purpose and objective of the consultancy   Syrians in Lebanon can only work legally in three sectors that provide little income and no security. The bureaucratic hurdles to getting a work permit are very high and Syrians that are registered with UNHCR are not permitted to work. As a result of this and other restrictive legislation more than 80% of Syrians now live below the national poverty line. The Beqaa is especially influenced by the Syria Crisis in Lebanon; 63% of the total population is from Syria and the combination of reduced trade activities across the border and increased competition on labour and public services push vulnerable Lebanese people into poverty and lead to inter-communal tensions. An estimated 80% of the refugee population comprises women and youth, and there is a steep increase in the amount of female-headed households. As undocumented new entrants to the labour market women and youth are vulnerable to exploitation and discrimination.   The specific objectives of this study are;   Identify livelihood opportunities for women and youth that can connect the host and refugee communities Identify and analyze key challenges and constraints faced by women and youth in the local labour market and find tailored potential solutions, interventions and strategies to overcome these barriers 
 Identify and analyze influencing factors through which Basmeh & Zeitooneh can create evidence for its local and national advocacy strategy   3. Study location and duration
   The study will be conducted in Beqaa, within the target area of Bar Elias and its surroundings. The consultancy is set to start in November and end in late March.   4. Methodology of the assignment   Both qualitative and quantitative approaches of data collection can be used, such as focus group discussions with community members, key informant interviews with local business leaders, political leaders and other power holders, and surveys.       5. Key deliverables 
   Key Deliverables include:   research plan research instruments (e.g. interview questions, survey questions) sampling plan 
 debriefing after initial assessment debriefing at the end of field work data sets draft report 
 final report           6. Professional requirements 
           Broad knowledge of livelihood analyses and poverty reduction strategies in Lebanon and Beqaa Research and development experience in Lebanon 
 Strong oral communication in Arabic and English and strong written communication in English Advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent)   7. Application process   Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications and experience are invited to submit their Expression of interest (Eol) to: jobs@basmeh-zeitooneh.org with ‘Consultant - Bekaa’ in the subject line by October 29th 2017.   The EoI should include:   CV (s) with details of qualifications, experience, telephone number and names of three referees, financial proposal providing cost estimates of daily consultancy fees in US Dollars ($)