Assistant Programme CBI Officer – NOA – BEY131 – UNOPS Contract - Beirut, Lebanon

General Background

According to Government estimates there are 1.5 million displaced Syrians in Lebanon, which makes Lebanon the highest refugee-hosting country per capita in the world. There are no approved camps in the country, and refugees are spread over 1,750 localities. The refugee response is led by the Government and local actors, supported by the international community. As the designated lead agency in the refugee response, UNHCR has established a sector-based structure in Beirut and in the field to support the Government. The structure brings together 13 UN agencies, 60 national and international NGO partners in identifying and agreeing on the strategic priorities to address the needs of Syrian refugees and other affected populations. The Lebanon national response falls under the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP), whereby UNHCR guides the refugee response and UNDP facilitates the resilience and stabilization component.

The Vulnerability Assessment for Syrian Refugees (VASyR) conducted in 2021 shows that an estimated 9 in 10 displaced Syrian households are living in extreme poverty, with 88 per cent living below the Survival Minimum Expenditure Basket (SMEB) required to meet basic survival needs. In response to the growing needs, UNHCR has monetized assistance via Cash Based Interventions regarded as an effective and dignified form of aid to mitigate the impact of severe poverty in refugee communities. The Basic Assistance Unit implements and oversees cash and in-kind assistance provision to nearly 1.3 million refugees and poor Lebanese. The Multipurpose Cash (MCAP) and Winter assistance programmes (WINCAP) are in monetary terms and volume of beneficiaries the largest of all UNHCR operations. These programmes are also considered UNHCR flagship programmes globally and other operations look to Lebanon for learning and best practices, especially on the sophisticated targeting system to select families to benefit from assistance. 

UNHCR works closely with the Inter Agency Basic Assistance Working Group as well as different UN Agencies and NGOs using a Multi Agency platform for the delivery of Cash Based Interventions (Lebanon One Unified Inter Organisational System for e-Cards - LOUISE).

Purpose and Scope of Assignment

The Assistant Programme CBI Officer will work in UNHCR’s operation in Lebanon, in the Basic Assistance Unit (BA), under the supervision of the Programme CBI Officer. The incumbent will contribute to the work of the Basic Assistance Unit by 1) improving the overall quality and consistency of data analysis related to the financial transactions and other processes that UNHCR undertakes while delivering humanitarian assistance through Cash Based Interventions; 2) enhancing integrated data management, monitoring and reporting, by developing and updating tools, dashboards and processes and improving existing ones to strengthen quality control/check over the data being used; and 3) Support BA unit reporting, quality control and evidence-based decision making through routine analysis, data visualization and development and updates of dashboards, tracking sheets and automated summary reports, ensuring timely updates and reliability and alignment of indicators. This will include:

- Consolidating raw primary and secondary datasets into final datasets to be used for analysis, as needed. This will involve data processing (e.g. compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data) and data analysis (i.e. Identifying patterns and trends in data sets)

- Cleaning all datasets and create all necessary indicators. This will involve working with the M&E team to support on a thorough plan for data analysis and carry out the coding to perform this analysis. 

- Contributing to the preparation, shadow and follow-up on research papers including formatting and creating tables, graphs, and related analysis.

- Contributing to the drafting and writing of presentations, analytical reports, as well as research and policy briefs. 

The Assistance Programme CBI Officer will respond to different reporting requirements within the Basic Assistance Unit by providing updated/reliable figures, feeding internal and external reporting, M&E, targeting, advocacy with reliable data set/analysis. She/he will provide ad-hoc analysis on questions of interest to the BA unit, and support beneficiary selection process and caseload analysis as needed. 

The incumbent will also ensure adequate implementation, operational monitoring and reporting of cash-based interventions in line with existing SOPs, card management cycle and timelines, in close coordination with Field Offices Basic Assistance Focal Points and relevant units (Programme, Finance, ICT, Communication with Communities, Protection, Shelter etc..) and other UN agencies, especially WFP and UNICEF. These includes support in processing assistance payments preparation, preparing notification SMS files, ensuring inclusions of new beneficiaries, distribution of cards, validation of beneficiaries, no-show follow-up and exclusion of no shows and inactive cases, preparation of upload and invoices verification reports, preparation of KYC files and letters, etc.

The Assistant Programme CBI Officer will be responsible to ensure activities are implemented in accordance with existing SOPs, to ensure a proper documentation of all steps, and to suggest and contribute to the update and enhancement of existing processes and guidance notes. She/he will ensure continuous collection and archiving of key documentation of the BA Unit and prepare required documentation for audits.

The incumbent is expected to familiarize him/herself with all the details of the UNHCR Lebanon CBI programme, SOPs and guidance notes, Post Distribution and Outcome Monitoring reports, as well as research, surveys, and studies. In addition, the incumbent is expected to take part in various meetings, discussions and reviews of strategic and operational documents related to BA and is therefore expected to be able to independently express opinion, make suggestions and presentations relative to the topics under his/her responsibility. 

UNHCR Manual, programme objectives, Operations Plans, UN and UNHCR financial/budgetary rules and regulations will guide the work of the Assistant Programme Officer. In addition, and considering the specificity of the position, she/he is expected to be very familiar with financial and delivery of service awareness on cash transfers in humanitarian and development contexts. She/he is also expected to stay abreast of the developments in terms of bilateral and multi-agency approaches related to cash transfers and cash-ased interventions in humanitarian and development context.  

Monitoring and Progress Controls

Operational monitoring and quality control processes and tools in place and regularly and timely updated

Reliable and complete data analysis, dashboards, tracking sheets and visuals are developed, updated and shared in a timely manner

Notification SMS files are prepared on time for timely sending