Livelihoods and Market Development Consultant – Akkar

Mada Association is seeking a Livelihoods and Market Development Consultant under the “GDIR: Gender and Disability Inclusion Regreening” Project, funded by Australian Aid, implemented by World Vision, Lebanon Reforestation Initiative LRI in partnership with Mada, the Council of Environment and REEF. The project’s objective is to directly respond to the key environmental challenges and socio-economic dynamics by tackling biodiversity loss and water scarcity by focusing on participatory biodiversity conservation, regreening initiatives and sustainable agricultural practices. The Consultant’s output will enable Mada to design evidence‑based technical and financial support packages.

Mada Association is launching a Livelihoods and Market Development Study in three villages in Akkar (Qobayat, Akkar Atika and Andaket). The goal is to guide the selection of environmentally sustainable income-generation activities and regreening enterprises.

The mission is estimated to require 12 working days over a period of one month starting July 21st, 2025(estimated).

Objective and scope

The Consultant will conduct market analysis, develop selection criteria, map and score potential sectors. This will inform the technical and financial support packages to be provided under the project, ensuring that selected activities are economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and aligned with community needs and local market dynamics. The approach will include:

1. Map and profile existing cooperatives (with emphasis on women‑led and disability‑inclusive) and producer groups/MSMEs in Qobayat, Akkar Atika & Andaket.
2. Facilitate the formation of new producer groups covering value chains not served by existing cooperatives.
3. Analyze local and regional markets for environmentally sustainable products/ services and rank opportunities using a participatory scoring matrix.
4. Feed into the design of capacity‑building packages: identify the technical, business, marketing needs.
5. Develop a marketing and branding roadmap linking cooperatives/producer groups to buyers and fairs.

Key Tasks and outputs

Under the supervision of the Project Manager and in coordination with the MEAL Manager, the Consultant will be responsible for implementing the following tasks related to the selection of income-generation activities and regreening enterprises:

1. Conduct a Market Analysis

• Collect and analyze data on local and regional market trends relevant to regreening and environmentally sustainable enterprises.
• Identify demand-driven sectors with growth potential, focusing on green jobs and nature-based solutions (e.g., sustainable agriculture, agroforestry, eco-tourism, renewable energy, composting).
• Interview key stakeholders, including cooperatives, small businesses, and local authorities, to understand supply-demand dynamics and value chains.
• Produce a market assessment report highlighting at least 5–7 promising income-generating sectors with a focus on environmental sustainability.

2. Develop Scoring Criteria for Activity Selection

• Create a clear, context-specific scoring matrix for evaluating and ranking the identified sectors and activity types.
• Criteria should include but not limited to: environmental impact, economic viability, employment potential, scalability, gender inclusivity, youth engagement (above 18), and alignment with regreening goals.

3. Map and Prioritize Activities

• Apply the scoring criteria to the sectors identified through market analysis.
• Map existing and potential actors/initiatives within the selected sectors.
• Prepare a final selection report including justification for the selected activities and a summary of the scoring results.

4. Reporting and Documentation

• Submit the following deliverables:
  • Market analysis report
  • Scoring criteria and methodology document
  • Sector mapping and prioritization report
  • Stakeholder validation workshop report
  • Final selection report with recommendations for support packages

All reports must integrate Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) considerations, risk analysis, and practical recommendations.

Other Responsibilities:

The Consultant shall be responsible for submitting a first draft of all deliverables for review by the project team and the lead partner.

The Consultant is expected to demonstrate flexibility and responsiveness in incorporating comments and feedback to ensure that the final deliverables meet the project’s objectives, quality standards, and reporting requirements.

The Consultant will be required to travel to Mada’s office in Tripoli as well as to the project implementation areas in Akkar, including Akkar Atika, Qobayat, Andaket, and surrounding localities, as necessary for fieldwork, data collection, stakeholder consultations, and validation workshops.

ADMINISTRATION, REPORTING AND COORDINATION

The Livelihoods and Market Development Consultant will be contracted by Mada Association and his/her primary point of contact will be Mada Project Manager.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

The Livelihoods and Market Development Consultant must have the following experience and skills to be able to perform the tasks of the ToR:

• A graduate/master’s degree in agriculture, agri-food, business development, market systems, environmental or rural development, natural resource management or related fields,
• At least 5 years of previous experience in Market systems development or market assessments in rural, environmental or agricultural contexts, with focus on cooperatives and MSMEs,
• Strong understanding of green economy principles,
• Previous experience in conducting stakeholder consultation and participatory validation processes,
• Proven experience in data collection and analysis, especially qualitative and quantitative market assessments,
• Strong facilitation, coordination and stakeholder engagement skills,
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Arabic,
• Familiarity with the local context, especially rural livelihoods in Akkar is highly preferred.
• Proven capacity of applying cross cutting themes like gender and disability inclusion, M&E and advocacy.
• Proven experience of using participatory tools and methodology.