Service Provider: HARETNA Community Enterprise Component – Incentive System - Saida Area

Background

Funded by AFD – the French Development Agency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, the HARETNA project is implemented by NRC in partnership with COSV, TEC, and RDFL. The project aims to foster economic recovery across three urban neighborhoods in Lebanon while reducing gender inequalities through strengthening social cohesion, improving access to essential services, protecting human rights, and enhancing livelihoods.

As part of its environmental and community development approach, the project promotes sustainable waste management practices through an integrated model combining awareness, organic waste management, and incentive mechanisms. The incentive system plays a critical role in encouraging behavioral change at the household level by rewarding proper waste sorting and participation in the system.

Within this framework, COSV seeks to contract a specialized Incentive System Service Provider to design, implement, and manage a transparent, efficient, and community-based reward system aligned with waste management operations.

Objectives of the Consultancy

The objective of this assignment is to design and operationalize a performance-based incentive system that promotes household-level behavioral change toward proper waste sorting and environmental responsibility. The system will aim to increase participation rates, improve sorting quality, and strengthen community engagement by linking measurable household performance to tangible rewards. It will also contribute to the sustainability of the overall waste management model by integrating monitoring, feedback, and locally anchored incentive mechanisms.

Scope of Work

The Service Provider shall be responsible for the following key components:

1. Coordination with Organic Waste Management Company

The Service Provider shall coordinate closely with the Organic Waste Management Service Provider to:

• Co-design the incentive mechanism in alignment with operational realities (collection, transport, treatment).
• Align sorting standards, verification processes, and contamination thresholds.
• Define feasible reward types based on material recovery and operational capacities.
• Conduct and document regular coordination meetings and technical exchanges.

2. Household Registration System

The Service Provider shall design and implement a household registration system, including:

• Assigning each participating household a unique identification mechanism (e.g., ID cards, QR codes).
• Collecting and securely managing household data for monitoring and reporting purposes.
• Ensuring data protection and confidentiality in line with project standards.

3. Communication of the Incentive Mechanism

The Service Provider shall develop and implement a communication strategy to clearly explain the incentive system, including:

• Criteria for earning points based on proper sorting of organic waste and recyclables.
• Bonus mechanisms for specific materials (e.g., glass, metals).
• Reward tiers and how points translate into incentives.

All communication materials shall be user-friendly, culturally appropriate, and adapted to the local context.

4. Verification of Sorting Quality

The Service Provider shall establish a verification system to assess sorting quality on a weekly or bi-weekly basis through:

• Coordination with collection teams.
• Use of standardized contamination checklists.
• Documentation of results to ensure transparency and consistency.

5. Incentive Distribution System

The Service Provider shall design and implement a transparent and efficient reward distribution system, including:

• Monthly allocation of incentives based on accumulated points.
• Application of a tiered reward structure, such as:
  • Tier 1: Hygiene kits
  • Tier 2: Vouchers for local businesses
  • Tier 3: Composting or biogas kits
• Ensuring fairness, traceability, and consistency across neighborhoods.

6. Monitoring System and Reporting

The Service Provider shall develop and maintain a monitoring system (dashboard or structured reports) to track key performance indicators (KPIs), including:

• Percentage of households correctly sorting waste.
• Points accumulated per household and per area.
• Volumes of organic waste and recyclables collected.

Data shall be used for reporting, decision-making, and system optimization.

7. Feedback and Continuous Improvement Mechanism

The Service Provider shall establish a feedback mechanism allowing households to:

• Report challenges related to waste sorting or participation.
• Provide suggestions to improve the system.

Feedback shall be regularly analyzed and integrated into system improvements.

8. Innovation and Sustainability of the Incentive Model

The Service Provider shall contribute to enhancing the long-term sustainability of the incentive system by:

• Exploring locally anchored models (e.g., partnerships with neighborhood shops).
• Linking incentives to circular economy approaches (e.g., compost value chains).
• Proposing adaptive and scalable solutions based on field experience.
• Propose an exit strategy for the system to continue operational beyond the project duration.

9. Coordination and Integration

The Service Provider shall work in close coordination with:

• COSV Project Team
• Organic Waste Management Service Provider
• Awareness Service Provider
• Neighborhood Action Groups (NAGs)
• Municipal authorities

Deliverables

• Inception Report outlining the overall approach and operational framework for the assignment.
• Final Implementation Plan, incorporating feedback and approvals from the Project Team
• Outreach and information sessions, as required.
• Household Registration Database
• Communication Materials Package
• Quarterly progress reports.
• Monthly implementation reports
• Final Report including exit strategy: Comprehensive report on system

Eligibility Criteria

• The bidder must be a legally registered company or consultancy firm.
• Lebanese firms must provide their legal documents upon request.
• A minimum of three years’ relevant experience; the bidder must demonstrate experience in waste management, community engagement, incentive systems, environmental awareness, or related donor-funded projects.
• The bidder must submit a complete technical and financial proposal in accordance with the RFQ instructions once provided.
• The bidder must be able to provide CVs of all proposed key personnel.
• The bidder must submit signed and stamped integrity, security, and undertaking declarations upon request.
• The bidder must comply with anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, ethical, environmental, and social responsibility standards.

Duration

Ten Months – from July 2026 to April 2027