Assessment Area Team Leader

Project background  Since the outbreak of violence in Syria in the spring of 2011, the number of Syrians crossing to Lebanon continues to increase. The influx of Syrians has created labour competition, decreasing daily wages and reducing the number of days work each household is able to access. This has resulted in less purchasing power for both Syrians and Lebanese families. Additionally, rent, food and some non-food prices (especially fuel) have increased as a result of border closures. The combination of decreased income and increased cost of essential expenditure is causing many households to engage in negative coping strategies, such as sending children to work, depleting assets and savings, and taking debt. While delivering humanitarian assistance programs to address these needs, Save the Children is also focused on supporting the local economy. Border closures have interrupted the supply of Syrian goods, but alternative trade routes have been identified and Lebanese equivalents are available. As markets continue to function and traders struggle with decreased purchasing power in communities, Save the Children is using cash and vouchers as a mechanism for assistance.  In addition, Save the Children is developing a longer-term strategy, which includes supporting livelihoods. Cash-for-work, vocational trainings and small business development are all activities to be implemented. Save the Children is scaling up its emergency response in Food Security and Livelihoods and requires an experienced Economic Recovery Adviser to ensure quality programming is implemented. In Lebanon, IRC and SCI International (SCI) are currently implementing livelihoods promotion programs, respectively in Akkar, and in Bekaa, Akkar and Tripoli. Among the livelihoods promotion activities, is the provision of vocational skills training to Syrian and Lebanese youth (SCI) and women (IRC). Due to the massive influx of Syrian refugees, the labour market in Lebanon, and especially in the areas that are receiving the highest number of refugees, is saturated in several sectors (ref. EMMA, March 2013). On the other hand, the humanitarian sector is expanding and demanding not only workforce with specific sets of skills, but also for goods and services that – wherever feasible - are purchased locally. For instance, several agencies are distributing kits that contain a wide variety of items such as clothing, items for personal hygiene, and items for the house. Bearing this in mind, vocational training interventions must be demand-driven and target those occupational areas offering more opportunities for employment and self-employment than others, and that will also be requested in Syria, across reconstruction efforts. Ultimately, the Localized Skills-Gap assessment will be instrumental to prioritize a limited number of training areas for ongoing livelihoods projects and also for future programs. It will be based on an analysis of both the demand and the supply of skills, in light of business opportunities and emerging markets. Considering that several livelihoods and labour market assessments have been carried out in Lebanon during the recent past months, the Localized Skills-Gap Assessment will exclusively focus on information gaps and will consider the information and analysis that have already been produced. While the assessment will look at the labour market (both its demand and supply ) in general terms, specific attention will be given to employment and self-employment opportunities and training needs of women and youth. This assessment will sensitively consider the specificities of this current context, and the fragile relationship between host and refugee communities. In particular, it will consider the importance of not disrupting local markets and private businesses and of managing post-training expectations in an environment where competition in the labour market is continuously increasing.   Responsibilities of Consultant   Actively participate in a 3-day training workshop to prepare for the Localized Skills-gap assessment Desk research Make preliminary selection about field work areas in collaboration with team members Ensure data collection resources are prepared. Discuss any needs or resources for local language translations Provide leadership and technical input to data collection methodology Provide support to the data collection team Coordinate all activities with relevant security personnel/structures Thoroughly understand what information needs to be collected, and to rapidly adapt interview questions to collect the necessary data to answer the research questions Confirm vehicle and driver availability and appropriateness for anticipated travel Provide daily briefings and de-briefings for the enumerators. These debrief sessions will include ongoing analysis of information and planning for the next day’s activities To contribute to the analysis of information collected through questionnaires and interviews, and to use this analysis to answer the key research questions Conduct analysis on a daily basis throughout the data collection phase To contribute to the development of clear, concise, and feasible recommendations for responding to the livelihood needs of the target population affected by the refugee crisis To complete the data collection and analysis on schedule Consolidate report according to template Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures     Qualifications needed Bachelor of Arts or Science in Social Science, Economics, Development studies, or related field A strong interest in humanitarian assistance Flexibility and willingness to change work practices and hours, capability to work in an insecure environment Prior experience conducting quantitative or qualitative research using surveys, interviews, and or other data collection methods Strong experience in data analysis, experience analyzing research data, using data to draw concise conclusions and recommendations, and writing reports is highly desired Strong analytical and English writing skills required Computer skills (good command of Excell) Capable of completing verbal and written translation between Arabic and English, as needed Demonstrated experience in managing a team in a humanitarian context Excellent time management skills Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills, creativity and flexibility Personal qualities: Works well in and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure well 3 letters of references