Researcher To produce a policy paper on State’s role in enhancing accountability through institutionalization of whistleblower and grievance mechanisms

Entity Background

About LTA

The Lebanese Transparency Association - No Corruption was established in 1999 with the aim of reducing rampant corruption in Lebanon, promoting the principles of transparency and accountability, establishing the rule of law and respecting the fundamental rights inaugurated in international laws and the Lebanese Constitution, by focusing on systematic improvement, building alliances, and encouraging civil society organizations to take measures towards transparency and accountability. LTA later became the national chapter of Transparency International.

LTA has worked to enhance transparency in the public and private sectors in Lebanon for more than a decade, by implementing a number of projects that ranged from contributing to the development to lobbying the anti-corruption laws (such as the draft law on the Right to Access to Information, the Whistleblowers Protection Law, the Asset and Interest Declaration and the Punishment of Illicit Enrichment Law etc....), and the monitoring of parliamentary and municipal elections since 2009, in addition to other projects aimed at empowering youth and municipalities on issues related to good governance.

LTA was chosen as a member of the first Independent Oversight Board (IOB) for the Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Framework (3RF), which was launched in response to the aftermath of the Beirut Port explosion.

Vision

A Lebanon with well governed, transparent and accountable institutions, free of corruption and built on the rule of law.

Mission

To promote transparency and integrity as well as prevent and fight corruption through collaboration, advocacy and active engagement, in public, private and non-governmental organizations.

Project Background

The project is a multi-partner effort funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and driven by two local Lebanese based organizations: LTA and Lebanese Crisis Observatory (AUB), and supported by the expertise and networks of TI-S.

The goal of this two-year project is to ensure greater accountability and transparency of humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts particularly for those most affected by the Beirut port explosion. To produce this change, the project will apply a multi-stakeholder approach targeting local civil society including journalist networks, Lebanese state actors and citizens, particularly those most affected by the port explosion.

With a civil society that is better equipped to play its role as watchdog, a greater mass of informed and empowered citizens ready to hold duty bearers accountable, and state actors who feel confident, supported and pressured to advance and implement accountability reforms; this will produce a more sustainable ecosystem of actors better able to identify, monitor and reduce the risks of corruption and ultimately nurture a stronger culture of accountability, integrity and transparency in Lebanon to avoid future tragedies similar to the port explosion.

This project aligns with the German Federal Foreign Office’s Transformation Partnerships objectives to promote a strong civil society able to both hold state accountable, as well as support state structures to implement accountability reforms.

Scope of work

In the aftermath of the Beirut Prot blast which exacerbated the previously escalated socio-economic and political crisis in Lebanon, people’s trust in state institutions has significantly deteriorated. While state institutions are bound to perform more effectively and efficiently, they are called to undertake an array of reforms in order to restore the faith of their constituencies and international community counterparts in the role of the Government.

Through the lens of oversight institutions mandated with the role of ensuring accountability and managing grievances within the public sector, LTA aims to understand the recent progress that state has made in institutionalizing whistleblower protection, grievance and complaints mechanisms for citizens. For this purpose, under the scope of this project, LTA plans to develop a policy paper that conducts a situational analysis of the institutional framework for grievances and complaints mechanisms within state institutions from an oversight and accountability perspective. The paper will then identify determine key challenges in the institutionalization of such frameworks in terms of prerogatives, capabilities, resources, citizen education, etc. in order to draw recommendations on possible solutions.

The paper will then be used by LTA as a tool for advocacy in key areas for public sector reforms which would contribute to the overall progress towards a reformed state and restored faith in its institutions.

Proposal Submission

1. 1. Required Competencies:

The Researcher should have the following knowledge and experience:

• PhD in social sciences (preferably Law, Political Science, or a specialized master in the topic of the study, in this case anti-corruption regulations or legislative tools is required).
• Proven record of relevant publications.