Advisor: Municipality engagement & Participatory Planning Processes – ACE

Salary band 4 –

Senior professional 4T

Advisor: Municipality engagement & Participatory Planning Processes – 5T

Job Profile

1. Required qualifications, competences and experience

Qualifications

• Education/training: University qualification (Master) in sociology, social sciences, peace and conflict studies or related field to participatory planning processes/social stability or conflict sensitive project management

Professional experience

• 5-7 years’ professional experience, strong expertise in conceptualising and moderating participatory planning processes at the local level with local authorities and civil society actors
• Experience in context- and conflict sensitive capacity development and firm knowledge in different approaches for citizen dialogue, participatory methodologies and multi-stakeholder approaches
• Experience in conducting peace and conflict assessments
• Experience with conflict management, social stability measures and how to link them to other thematical areas (food, agriculture, SME support) is an advantage

Other knowledge, additional competences

• Fluent written and oral knowledge of Arabic and English
• Strong knowledge of Lebanese context (working with Lebanese local authorities, especially municipalities) and ease in dealing with culturally and politically sensitive topics
• Regional experience in areas of the project region (Hasbaya, Upper Chouf West Bekaa, Zahle and Baalbak) is a plus
• Willingness to engage directly with communities in municipalities that may be affected by political volatility, social tensions, or security-related challenges, while adhering to organizational safety protocols.
• Willingness to upskill as required by the tasks to be performed – corresponding measures are agreed with management

2. Responsibilities

The Advisor: Municipality engagement & Participatory Planning Processes is responsible for

• Coordinating with diverse project partners on the implementation of participatory processes and the procurement of low-threshold community initiatives to strengthen social stability.
• Providing continuous quality assurance on participatory planning and partner engagement
• ensuring continuous communication with all stakeholders, in particular the 25 partner municipalities
• Expectation management and transparency of the social stability activities
• Developing capacity development measures for civil society actors & municipalities that focus on citizen dialogue and management of multi-stakeholder dialogue & conflict management together with training providers
• Facilitating meetings and exchanges between different municipalities for knowledge exchange on good practices

The Advisor performs the following tasks:

3. Tasks

1. Management responsibility

The Advisor: Municipality engagement & Participatory Planning Processes:

• Leads field-based coordination and facilitation of onboarding, and relationship-building processes between municipalities/local administrations, residents, and civil society actors; regularly conducts in-person meetings, workshops, and community-based activities essential for the development and implementation of social stability measures in the partner municipalities.
• Supports project partners (CSO, CBO, municipalities) in the identification of needs and existing plans and in the direct implementation and handover of selected initiatives (mostly in-kind and service procurements)
• Gives orientation to colleagues (national and international advisors) in carrying out their work related to activities of the social stability component
• Assists the head of component for social stability and the project manager in organisational and management questions related to the social stability component (e.g. management of local subsidies)
• Regularly consults with the project management team on all project activities

2. Professional advisory services

The Advisor: Municipality engagement & Participatory Planning Processes:

• Advises partner institution(s) on participatory planning processes, identifying needs, developing concepts and strategies, and provides technical input
• Contributes to preparing and implementing the coordination process, joint project activities and work trips in the project regions
• Formulates terms of reference and selects and supervises third parties in the course of supporting participatory planning and social stability activities
• Monitors the development and implementation of participatory plans and activities in close consultation with counterparts
• Contributes field-based insights to local assessments of political and security developments in the municipalities.
• Develops and organises quality assurance measures and suggests necessary changes, improvements and initiatives

3. Networking and cooperation

The Advisor: Municipality engagement & Participatory Planning Processes:

• ensures cooperation, regular contact and dialogue with partners; cooperates with local CSOs, CBOs, municipalities and individuals in the project environment and with other projects to improve and maintain good working relationships
• communicates local interests and efforts, forwards these and encourages sharing ideas and information for the benefit of the project
• travels in the project regions (especially Hasbaya, Upper Chouf West Bekaa, Zahle and Baalbak) regularly, in accordance with project requirements

4. Knowledge management

The Advisor: Municipality engagement & Participatory Planning Processes:

• compiles information on participatory planning processes and ensures knowledge transfer
• develops strategies and technical concepts related to the component
• draws up reports and presentation documents
• formulates appropriate input related to participatory planning for various project reports including annual reports, and contributes to the other reports required by the programme manager and GIZ Head Office

Project Description: The project Strengthening Agriculture, Local Communities and Small and Medium Enterprises (ACE) is a  Transitional Development Assistance (TDA) project. The goal of TDA is to sustainably strengthen the resilience of people and local structures to minimize the impacts and consequences of current crises and reduce the risk of future ones. The project will promote individual skills so that the parties responsible in agricultural businesses, food processing enterprises and other Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) downstream of agriculture, as well as local authorities and civil society, will be better equipped to foster change and become more resilient in coping with the multidimensional crisis. The overall approach of the project provides for strong synergies between the following three fields of action (1) strengthening the agricultural sector, (2) funding for MSMEs and start-ups, as well as (3) promoting social stability at the local level.