Project Support Consultant (Sort Term - Lebanon)

Position Summary

The consultant will support program teams in Lebanon across a variety of tasks for ongoing projects. The consultant will focus particularly on two projects: Everyone Gains (Diwan), and UNICEF Water Conflict Research. S/He/They will be responsible for supporting Project Managers project teams in drafting and editing donor reports, ensuring adaptive programming is developed based on DME analysis, and ad hoc administrative tasks. In addition, the consultant will support in the review of final evaluation reports and research studies during the project cycle as well as key close-out tasks. S/He/They will lead on the delivery of a short research project on water conflicts in Lebanon, coordinating with Search’s institutional partner AUB and facilitating punctual coordination meetings as well as internal research report reviews. 

S/he/They will work under the direct supervision of the Lebanon Country Director and in close coordination with the Project Managers and the MENA Regional team. This position will not include any supervisory roles to junior staff. The position will run for a period of four months: from July 1st until October 31st 2021.

Roles and Responsibilities

The position holder will more specifically have the following Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the review and feedback on a baseline study for the Pathway for Peace  project. This will involve restructuring the study based on Search’s internal template; formatting tables and graphs; providing a strong English language copy edit; and verify the findings are supported by the research data.
• Provide grant management close-out support for Search’s Diwan project (close-out memos, spend out plan, tracking weekly deliverables based on team task trackers, follow-up with staff on deliverables, etc).
• Support the review and updating of the Diwan final donor report and final evaluation report.
• Provide grants management support to the start-up process of the Supporting Civil Society Phase III project. 
• Lead the implementation and coordination of a 4-month UNICEF research project with AUB on water conflicts in Lebanon: coordination of meetings and review between Search staff and AUB; note taking and follow-up of tasks and workplan deliverables; and support MENA Regional grant management staff in project start-up and close-out.
• Conduct and coordinate Search’s final review of the UNICEF water conflict research report submitted by AUB prior to project close-out.
• Provide general grants management support to the Lebanon office, which may include but might not be limited to assistance in submitting quality donor reporting.

As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties.

Expected deliverables

• One research study review for sign-off by the Lebanon CD (Civil Society Support).
• One final donor report for sign-off by the Lebanon CD (Diwan).
• One final evaluation review for sign-off by the Lebanon CD (Diwan).
• One final research report review for sign-off by the Lebanon CD (UNICEF).
• Successful start-up, delivery, and close-out of a 4-month research project with AUB (UNICEF).

Required Profile 

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in research methodologies, social sciences or related disciplines; Master degree is preferable. 

Experience:

• Proficiency in English;
• More than 5 years of experience in project management, research projects, and peacebuilding programming;
• Experience in working with international organizations;
• Solid communication skills, cultural awareness and sensitivity;
• Demonstrated ability to write high quality, methodologically sound and analytical papers in English;
• Ability to work with people from various social and professional backgrounds and at all levels, (high-level officials to community leaders…)