National Consultant - Monitor Coaching Sessions Provided to Selected SSE Entities under PROSPECTS Lebanon

1. General Background

The forced displacement crisis has increased in scale and complexity in recent years. According to UNHCR, 79.5 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide at the end of 2019. Forcibly displaced persons (FDPs), including refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) face specific vulnerabilities, including loss of assets and psychological trauma, limited rights, lack of opportunities, a protection risk as well as a risk to be out of school, and a lack of planning horizon. In addition, the communities hosting FDPs also struggle to pursue their own development efforts.
In response to the considerable challenges facing FDPs and host communities, a new partnership initiative titled: ‘PROSPECTS' Partnership for improving Prospects for host communities and forcibly displaced persons, was launched by the Government of the Netherlands, that brings together the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank. Through the PROSPECTS partnership, the five partner agencies aim to leverage their comparative advantages and areas of expertise to programme complementary and interdependent interventions that address education and skills, employment and protection challenges. The partnership spans eight countries, namely Egypt, Ethiopia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Sudan, and Uganda and covers the period 2019-2023.

2. PROSPECTS in Lebanon

Within the framework of the PROSPECTS programme in Lebanon, the ultimate objective of ILO’s intervention is to promote access for Syrian refugees and vulnerable host communities to decent work opportunities (rights to work); and to ensure that while working, the workers from these communities have safe working conditions and social protection (rights at work), in line with International Labour Standards. More specifically, and in line with overarching priorities, the three overarching pillars under which ILO will be working include: education and learning; employment with dignity; and protection and inclusion.

The Education & Learning pillar will aim to improve the learning outcomes for children and market-relevant skills of adolescents and youth living in Lebanon. The Employment with Dignity pillar will address the pressing challenges in the Lebanese context. The main aim of the programme within the employment pillar is to ensure enhanced economic opportunities and decent employment for vulnerable Lebanese host communities and Syrian refugees, with a focus on sectors such as agriculture and digital skills with potential for growth, job retention, and creation. The Protection & Inclusion pillar will increase protection and inclusion for refugees and host communities through strengthening of legal, policy and enabling environment for protection, social protection and inclusion. The ‘New Ways of Working’ outlines a framework to promote and document more effective and efficient programming, strategic learning, and support to policy development and implementation to transform the way partners and other stakeholders respond to the protracted stay of refugees in Lebanon and to the multiple crises.

Within the framework of PROSPECTS Lebanon, ILO’s focus has been on enhancing resilience of Lebanon’s crisis-hit labour market and creating better livelihoods for both Lebanese host communities and Syrian refugees. It is doing so by promoting the development of market-relevant skills, enhancing career guidance and employment placement services and labour market governance, strengthening social protection schemes, and promoting micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) and sectors with potential for decent job creation.

ASSIGNMENT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Lebanon has been undergoing since 2019 social unrest and political instability and struggling with its worst socio-economic and financial crisis in decades. A wide segment of the Lebanese and non-Lebanese population is falling below the poverty line with 89%1 of Syrian refugee households living in extreme poverty. Livelihoods of those living in poverty has worsened due to inflation, loss of jobs in large numbers, a decline in new employment opportunities and potential reduction in the provision of basic social services. The multiple crises in Lebanon have deepened further, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Beirut Port explosion in August 2020, exposing long-standing weaknesses in governance, socio-economic, and financial policies and increasing vulnerabilities, particularly amongst the poor segments of the population, economic migrants, and refugees.

In 2021, almost nine in ten Syrian refugee families were living in extreme poverty, with poverty levels also rising dramatically among Lebanese and Palestine refugee populations2. A recent ILO and CAS report3 suggests that nearly three quarters of the population are now income vulnerable living on less than LBP 706,050 per adult per month. Just 22.2% of the population surveyed reported formal employment, and notable differences emerged between Lebanese and Syrian refugee respondents. 95% of Syrians were in informal employment, while the figure was 64.3% (still considerably high) for vulnerable Lebanese. While the impact of the crisis has been felt across all groups in society, groups which were already vulnerable before the crisis, such as people with disabilities, single mothers, unemployed individuals, and older people have suffered the most. Based on the 2022 Lebanon Follow-up Labour Force Survey4, the Labour Force Participation Rate was 43.4%, meaning that less than half of the working-age population were either working for pay, or seeking employment. This declined by more than 5% from 2018-19. Amongst youth, labour force participation stood at 34.3%, compared to 46% among adults. Unemployment has also increased considerably to reach nearly one-third of the labour force being unemployed. This is an increase from 11.4% in 2019, to 29.6% as of January 2022. Among youth, the unemployment rate amounted to 47.8%. At the same time, the employment in the informal economy has grown considerably, with an increase by 13.1% between 2018-19 and January 2022.

In the face of Lebanon’s multiples crises, increased vulnerabilities, and unemployment among vulnerable groups, and in the absence of a government and recovery policies, a significant number of informal social and solidarity economy (SSE) initiatives have emerged to respond to a wide range of urgent needs. These are mainly related but not limited to food security, recovery from the Beirut port explosion, provision of basic, medical, and social services, provision of renewable energy to address the lack of electricity in the country and reduce dependency on diesel generators, and waste management to address the garbage crisis.

In June 2022, at the International Labour Conference 110th session, the ILO adopted a resolution and conclusions concerning decent work and the social and solidarity economy that provide a universal definition of the term “social and solidarity economy” and set out its associated principles and values. The SSE encompasses enterprises, organizations and other entities that are engaged in economic, social, and environmental activities to serve the collective and/or general interest, which are based on the principles of voluntary cooperation and mutual aid, democratic and/or participatory governance, autonomy and independence, and the primacy of people and social purpose over capital in the distribution and use of surpluses and/or profits as well as assets. SSE entities aspire to long-term viability and sustainability, and to the transition from the informal to the formal economy and operate in all sectors of the economy. They put into practice a set of values which are intrinsic to their functioning and consistent with care for people and planet, equality and fairness, interdependence, self-governance, transparency and accountability, and the attainment of decent work and livelihoods. According to national circumstances, the SSE includes cooperatives, associations, mutual societies, foundations, social enterprises, self-help groups and other entities operating in accordance with the values and principles of the SSE.

Against this backdrop, the ILO is implementing, in partnership with Makesense Lebanon, COSV, and RPS Consulting, a social entrepreneurship programme in Lebanon in sectors with high potential for sustainable and decent job creation for Lebanese host communities and Syrian refugees and short-term response to local socio-economic needs. This community-driven programme is built on collaborations with, and involvement of strong local community actors and representatives such as municipalities, local community-based organizations (CBOs), existing SSE initiatives/structures serving local communities. The programme supports livelihoods of vulnerable Syrian refugees and Lebanese host communities and respond to local urgent socio-economic needs, as well as addressing important cross-cutting issues related to a) enhancing inter- and intra- community social cohesion, b) creating and/or strengthening green social enterprises and green jobs, c) boosting women’s economic participation, and d) empowering people with disability.

Following a thorough selection process that included a call for applications, screening of 260 applications submitted by existing and new SSE entities across Lebanon, a series of trainings on design thinking and business model development, 16 SSE entities were selected for technical and financial assistance. In the coming 4-6 months (incubation period), the implementing partners, Makesense Lebanon, COSV, and RPS Consulting, will assist ILO in the provision of grants (up to USD20,000 per SSE entity) and coaching sessions as well as opportunities to network with local communities and stakeholders.

To monitor this incubation period, there is need to recruit a Social Entrepreneurship Expert to help assess and strengthen the social aim and business model of each of 16 SSE entities, and provide guidance on coaching and follow-up activities conducted by the implementing partners. SCOPE OF

WORK AND METHODOLOGY
 

The Social Entrepreneurship Expert is expected to monitor and provide support to implementing partners and advisory services to the 16 selected SSE entities over a period of 4-6 months as follows:

- Review and provide recommendations on needs assessment results submitted by Makesense Lebanon related to each of the 16 selected SSE entities. Recommendations will indicate which of the selected SSE initiatives will need targeted support and what kind of support to clarify and strengthen their social aim and improve their business model for sustainability. (3 days)

- Review and provide recommendations on the coaching plan submitted by Makesense Lebanon related to each of the selected 16 SSE entities. Recommendations will be related to the coaching modality, technical areas to be tackled by coaching, duration, and frequency of coaching sessions. (1 day)

- Conduct technical monitoring visits in coordination with Makesense Lebanon to support the implementing partner during coaching sessions and provide guidance to the partner as well as advice to the selected 16 SSE entities.
o Two visits (a mix of online and on-site) per SSE entity will be conducted over the whole coaching period (4-6 months) (2 visits per each of the 16 SSE entities, 32 days)

- Develop and submit two monitoring reports highlighting challenges faced by SSE entities and recommendations to the coaching content and modality implemented by the partners (4 days).

DELIVERABLES

The social entrepreneurship expert is expected to submit the following deliverables:
- Deliverable 1: Brief recommendation report on needs assessment results and coaching plan foreseen for each of the 16 SSE entities by 31 August 2023 (4 days)

- Deliverable 2: One monitoring report highlighting challenges faced by SSE entities and recommendations to coaching modality at midline level, by 31 October 2023 (18 days)

- Deliverable 3: One monitoring report highlighting challenges faced by SSE entities and recommendations to coaching modality at endline level, by 31 December 2023 (18 days)

All data and information received from ILO for this assignment are to be treated confidentially and are only to be used in connection with the execution of these Terms of Reference (TOR). The contents of written materials obtained and used in this assignment may not be disclosed to any third parties without the express advance written authorization of the ILO. All intellectual property rights arising from the execution of these TOR are assigned to the International Labour Organization. The intellectual property rights of the materials modified through the assignment remains with the International Labour Organization.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

1. Proven experience in providing business coaching specifically to social businesses and SSE entities (start-ups and more established ones) in Lebanon
2. Proven experience and expertise in social entrepreneurship development and social and solidarity economy in Lebanon with a focus on vulnerable host and refugee communities
3. Experience in providing support to implementing partners in the field of social entrepreneurship in Lebanon
4. Solid understanding of ILO tools and training programmes on entrepreneurship development
5. Excellent monitoring and reporting skills
6. Strong communication and inter-personal skills
7. Good understanding of the current context of multiple crises in Lebanon, particularly contexts of vulnerable host communities and Syrian refugees
8. Fluency in written English and Arabic

TIME FRAME

This assignment will be implemented over the period between 11 August and 31 December 2023 with an estimated 40 working days. All deliverables are expected to be delivered to the satisfaction of the ILO no later than 31 December 2023.

SUPERVISION AND LOGISTICAL ARRANGEMENTS

The consultant will conduct the assignment under the overall guidance of the PROSPECTS Regional Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) and direct supervision of the PROSPECTS Skills and Job Promotion Officer in Lebanon. Technical inputs will be sought from the ILO ROAS Enterprise Specialist and ILO HQ COOP Unit.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE

Below payments will be processed upon reception of related deliverables to the satisfaction of the ILO. Payment # Deliverable Amount percentages
First payment by 31 October 2023
Upon the delivery of deliverables 1 and 2
55%
Second payment by 31 December 2023
Upon the delivery of deliverable 3
45%