Collaborative Learning and Adaptation (CLA) Specialist- Lebanon Community Support Program (LCSP)

About Chemonics

Chemonics International is an international development company based in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to promote meaningful change around the world to help people live healthier, more productive and more independent lives. Since 1975 we have worked in 149 countries around the world, and our USG business line currently implements 95 contracts in 91 countries. Our main partner is the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), but we occasionally work with foreign donors as well. We have over 1,000 staff based in our Washington, DC office and over 5,000 staff in our project offices around the world.

1. Project Background

The Lebanon Community Support Program (CSP) is a multi-year project funded by USAID to support municipalities and underserved and vulnerable communities in providing better services and enhanced economic opportunities to improve lives and reduce tensions that contribute to conflict and violence, primarily in Lebanon’s North, South, and Beqaa regions.

2.  Summary of Position

The CLA specialist will conduct a CLA assessment on CSP’s investments in the “Livelihoods” and “Solar Energy” sectors. The CLA specialist is expected to document and report on how CSP teams have conceived of and designed livelihoods and solar energy projects and how the teams have collaboratively learned and adapted implementation to contextual realities. The assessment is to provide Chemonics and USAID with lessons learned on livelihoods and solar energy project design, implementation, and adaptations.  

CSP’s investments in the livelihoods sector consists of two main clusters of projects/activities implemented through different Lebanese communities, namely: 1) the cash for work cluster which consists of some eight cash-for-work (CFW) activities implemented in different Lebanese regions and nationally; those mainly include paid works to clean forests and improve forest fire preparedness and management, cleaning of water canals, and temporary employment for persons with disabilities;  and 2) the agricultural cooperative support cluster, which mainly consists of in-kind and technical assistance activities to six Lebanese cooperatives in the North, South, and Bekaa. In-kind support included the provision of new kitchens, solar PV panels for equipment welding purposes, mechanical olive harvesters, the construction and equipping cooperative headquarters and cooking tools, and the provision of agricultural equipment and tillers. The assistance also included technical assistance on the operation and management of newly provided equipment and across the broad support in branding, labeling, packaging, marketing, and improving market channels and sales.  

CSP's initiatives in the solar sector are organized into three primary clusters of interventions, executed across various communities in Lebanon, specifically in the North, South, and Beqaa regions. These interventions, valued at USD 4.86 million, aim to benefit approximately 433,000 residents. These projects are divided into three categories: 1) Solar for water projects, which involve the utilization of solar energy to improve water infrastructure; 2) Street lighting projects, which are designed to provide sustainable, solar-powered lighting solutions; and 3) Grid power projects, which include the integration of PV systems with diesel generators to create a more efficient and eco-friendly power solution. The support in this sector includes both the provision of necessary equipment and technical assistance, ensuring the effective operation and management of these solar interventions. Additionally, CSP's commitment extends to wide range support encompassing aspects like system installation, maintenance training, and enhancement of energy efficiency and sustainability.

This is not intended to be an evaluation exercise, as the latter has already been conducted by USAID. This means that this assessment is not intended to cover the traditional evaluation questions of relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and design issues. Rather, this assessment is intended to focus more on CSP’s effort at collaboratively learning from the implementation lessons and adapting to the changing environment (Lebanon’s financial crisis during implementation, for example). The assessment is expected to be forward looking, highlighting the achievements, points of pain, and lessons learned, for purposes of future design.

3.  Specific Duties and Responsibilities​​​​​​

The CLA specialist will be responsible for the following:

• Review the literature on the design, implementation, and toolkits developed to implement livelihood and solar energy projects under CSP in targeted communities.
• Conduct Key Informant Interviews and/or Focus Group discussion (s) with CSP team leads and senior staffers (7-10 persons) involved in the design and implementation of livelihoods and solar energy interventions.
• Conduct Key Informant Interviews and/or Focus Group Discussions with local actors that benefited from CSP assistance within the designated communities.
• Produce a CLA draft report to be reviewed by CSP team, and later a final report (including executive summary and PowerPoint presentation) on the two sectors assessed: livelihoods and solar energy.

 4.  Minimum Qualifications

• Monitoring and Evaluation Expertise: The specialist should possess more than 10 years of experience in monitoring and evaluation, with a specific focus on evaluation of development projects. Previous work with USAID implemented projects is a plus.
• Familiarity with USAID’s Collaborative Learning and Adaptation (CLA) methodology is also strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated social research skills (Key Informant Interviews and Focus Group Discussions).
• Ability to work independently, take feedback, and incorporate it into final deliverables.
• Excellent Written English and Spoken Arabic Skills.

 5. Eligibility Criteria

 Interested individual experts shall have the capacity to enter into a short-term technical assistance (STTA) contract and shall have a satisfactory performance record and record of integrity and business ethics.

 6.  Place of Assignment

The expert will be liaising with CSP’s TO1 MEL team, and TO2 and TO 3 technical teams at CSP offices in Sin-El-Fil and will be traveling to project field locations when needed.

7.   Reporting

The expert will be reporting to a team composed of CSP Directors: Director of Community Support, Director of Technical Assistance, and MEL Director.   

Chemonics is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants that can legally work in Lebanon will be considered for employment based on their qualifications without discrimination.