Value Chain Consultant - North

RI is seeking an individual to provide a comprehensive market system assessment within the targeted municipalities of Al-Mina, Kfarmilke and Mhamra focusing on each municipality’s local economic development priority sectors. A value chain study will be conducted in coordination with each municipality that will inform the areas of potential job creation and additional employment within the municipality. In order to be responsive to current events, the value chain assessments will be modified to not only examine potential value chains to explore, but also how to rebuild those that have been damaged that were providing employment in the targeted areas. This will require engagement with other key actors including but not limited to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the North, Research Center for Agriculture in Akkar and the private sector. Each value chain study will be linked to assessments already conducted by other actors in order to ensure no duplication of efforts. The market-based assessments for this program are designed to identify functions within the value chains that provide the greatest employment opportunity for economically disadvantaged Syrian refugees and Lebanese. The consultant with support from RI staff will select the sectors that have growth opportunity. Priority will be given to sectors with employment opportunities where Syrians are legally allowed to work in Lebanon: environment, agriculture, and construction. These market assessments once finalized, will support RI with a participatory planning process with each municipality to develop a Job Creation Plan based on the value chain assessment findings.

The assessment will include:

• Assessment Launch Workshop with targeted municipalities Al-Mina, Kfarmilke and Mhamra
• Market System Selection Workshop
• Data Collection and Market Assessment Mapping

The assessment will be conducted over 3 months:

1. Market systems development training for RI staff  
2. Workshops in Al-Mina, Kfarmilke and Mhamra to initiate the development of market-based assessments focusing on each municipality’s local economic development priority sectors
3. Market assessment in selected sectors (3-6 expected)
4. Preliminary findings presentation
5. Market Assessment Reports

Activities

• Assessment launch workshop with consultant with orientation on RI strategy
• MSD training for RI staff 
• Development of the assessment work-plan with RI staff input
• Market System Selection Workshop:  The workshop will start by setting a list of criteria to select market systems, such as relevance to target population, opportunity to create new employment, potential to grow existing businesses within that market, potential to create new businesses, opportunity to raise incomes, opportunity to access new markets, potential for exports, current exploitative working conditions, potential to improve working conditions, etc. Then markets will be rated against the set of agreed market selection criteria and the four to six sectors identified with the highest potential will be selected for an in-depth market assessment.
• Data Collection and Market Assessment Mapping:   An initial desk review will be carried out on the chosen market systems, including a review of other value chain programs to analyze potential synergies and/or distortions to the market. The desk review will be followed by a mapping of key actors in the system and of linkages between them. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions will be held with target groups. Each assessment will include interviews with actors from the whole market system - small and large traders and exporters, input suppliers and service providers, financial service providers, government departments, municipalities etc. The assessment should review supporting and service functions to that value chain as well as the formal and informal rules and regulations that impact the market systems.

Expected Activities and Deliverables:

• Establish selection criteria of the market system to be used for selection
• Develop the list of possible market systems using target group and selection criteria identified
• Select market system against criteria
• Map the structure of the selected market system and key actors involved in the various functions of the selected market system, and map the linkages between them.
• Identify the capacities, constraints and incentives related to each of the core functions, supporting functions and rules in their target market system.

Deliverables:

• A brief inception report outlining the approach, work plan and including assessment tools submitted for review and approval before beginning field data collection
• Half day training for RI staff on MSD approach
• Kick off workshops with the municipalities
• Market Assessment Report Due (example template will be provided/ to include):
  • Description of the economic development and business environment within the municipalities
  • Justification for selecting the target market system(s)
  • Strategic framework
  • Map of market system structure - the ‘donut’
  • Map and analysis of market actors and their linkages
  • Capacities, constraints and incentives (for each of the market system functions)
  • Recommendations for suggested interventions
• Present findings to RI staff and municipalities to validate findings and refine interventions

Timeframe / Schedule : Due dates will be finalized in the workplan approved by RI. The anticipated level of effort for this assignment is 3 months. Ideal start date is March 2020.

Qualifications

• BSs in Economics, Business Administration, International Development, or any research related field, MSc/MBA is preferred
• More than 5 years of progressive experience in economic development-related programs, ideally within Lebanon
• Demonstrated experience with market systems assessments, municipal engagement and designing private sector development activities
• Fluency in spoken and written English (required) and Arabic (preferred)