Senior Technical Advisor

Expertise France is a French public agency under the tutelage of the French Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Economy and Finance with a strong inter- ministerial vocation. Expertise France offers project engineering and technical assistance by developing and implementing international cooperation actions worldwide. EF operates in various fields of development and institutional cooperation including safety and security reform, post-crisis/ stability, public health, human rights, strengthening of institutions and NGOs and governance. Carrying out large-scale, multi-stakeholder projects, EF can ensure the cooperation between individuals, teams and institutions with very different statuses, cultures and specialties. Besides, EF has acquired a sound experience in administrative and financial management of large-scale international projects and is accredited by the European Union for the management of delegated Community funds.

Context

The Middle East is currently experiencing a profound crisis. The conflicts in Syria and Iraq are both a reflection and a transmitter of this crisis, with growing potential to further destabilise neighbouring countries and the wider region. These crises have resulted in a humanitarian disaster affecting more than 13.5 million people who were forced to flee their homes from Syria, and more than 17 million people in need of humanitarian aid (12.2 in Syria and 5.2 in Iraq).

Lebanon is now home to the largest number of Syrian refugees per capita relative to its total population, putting a severe strain on the country’s fragile infrastructures, economy, and security. The population of Lebanon was estimated at about 4.8 million (including almost half a million Palestinian refugees) in 2013. Even though Lebanon has not signed the 1951 Refugee Convention, up to date it has taken in about a fourth of its own population. According to UNHCR, in September 2016 about 1,017,433 persons from Syria were registered as refugees in Lebanon. In the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan 2017- 2020 (2018 update) (LCRP), the total number of people living in Lebanon is estimated at 5.9 million, with 3.3 million people in need. Among the Syrian refugee population in Lebanon, which today comprises over 1.5 million people.

Background information on Qudra Specific Objective 3

’Qudra – Resilience for Syrian refugees, IDPs and host communities in response to the Syrian and Iraqi crises’ is a regional action financed by the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis, the Madad‘ Fund and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), seeking to strengthen the resilience of Syrian refugees, IDPs and host communities in response to the Syrian and Iraqi crises.  The programme launched in June 2016, is being jointly implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Expertise France (EF) and Spanish Agency for International Development (AECID) in programme partner countries of Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and North Iraq.

In Lebanon, Expertise France ensures the consistency and the implementation of the Specific Objective 3 of Qudra. The project seeks to improve social stability between communities in Lebanon through a comprehensive and local approach of protection for children and adults. To do so, activities will revolve around four pillars: (i) support to Social Development Centers (SDCs) of the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA), (ii) Child Protection activities, (iII) protection activities and (iv) campaigns and communication activities. Expertise France will work within the framework of the LCRP and MoSA National Plan for Safeguarding women and children in close partnership with Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA). The programme will be implemented in the SDCs of the MoSA and if needed in annexes that might be developed during the project’s lifespan. Expertise France will select local NGOs as partners to implement the activities, these NGOs will hire the necessary staff and implement the activities following a precise programme drafted with the MoSA.

Expertise France seeks to set-up a technical team to strengthen its office, and comply with technical requirements of the project. It is looking for a Senior Technical Advisor as the principal interface between the government and Expertise France and as an adviser for the technical implementation of the programme.

              Source: UNRWA

              http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/country.php?id=122

              http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/region.php?id=90&country=122, last update, September 2016

Description of the Tasks:

Institutional relation:

• Liaising with governments, multilateral and bilateral development cooperation organizations; maintaining close relationship with relevant partners and stakeholders
• Set up strategy to ensure the implementation and constant dialogue with institutional partners and authorities,
• Together with the programme coordinator, attend and facilitate technical meetings with partners (Ministries, NGOs) and contribute to smooth implementation of the programme
• Identify opportunities of development and synergies with other cooperation projects

Technical inputs:

• Serve as principal interface between the government and Expertise France in all matters related to planning, programming, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the programme Provide technical inputs to the programme in coordination with the technical experts on rehabilitation and protection
• Support the monitoring of the programme
• Initiate extra activities and other management interventions wherever gaps in the programme are identified or issues arise

Requested Profile

• Master degree in a relevant field; Project Management, Public Administration, Communication, Public Relations, International Relations, Social Sciences, Social Protection. Applications from candidates with other fields of studies will be disregarded.
• At least 10 years of experience in advising International cooperation projects on protection and social stability activities
• Diplomacy and negotiating skills are priorities
• Proven experience at working with ministries
• Excellent knowledge of Lebanese policies, guidelines, specially of the Ministry of Social Affairs
• Excellent knowledge of the Lebanese political context as well as of the relationship between host and refugee communities
• Good knowledge of international donors rules and regulations
• Proven experience in managing complex early recovery/development programmes
• Excellent reporting and writing skills
• Professional working knowledge of English & Arabic are required. French is an asset
• Good coordination and team work skills