Project Support Assistant - EIIP Social & Environmental Safeguard Assistant

Introduction

Lebanon continues to face a serious and increasingly challenging employment and labour market situation. The multiple crisis endured by Lebanon have worsened already fragile socio-economic conditions, resulting in heightened levels of vulnerability, poverty and informality and social tensions. This disproportionately affects marginalized groups including refugees but also increasingly the host communities. The country has weak labour market institutions, coupled with a deficient demand for labour and low levels of job creation, particularly in high productivity/ high value‐added sectors. This has long contributed to weak employment outcomes in Lebanon, including high rates of unemployment, especially among youth and women, low employment‐to‐population ratios and high levels of informality. Other structural challenges, such as skills mismatch, and a highly deficient social protection system that does not facilitate the transition from social assistance to decent employment opportunities have also hindered progress towards full and productive employment in the country, with the skills provided by training and education institutions not adequately and fully responding to the labour market needs. Refugees and host communities have become increasingly subject to poor living and working conditions, requiring further support through urgent and well‐targeted measures.

To address these challenges, the European Commission supported “Improving living conditions and resilience of refugees displaced by the Syrian crisis and vulnerable hosting communities in Lebanon” project that starts in January 2023 and will continue till 31st December,2025. The project aims at providing alternative livelihoods to selected Syrian refugees and host communities, particularly women. This will be done through employment-related services and skills training for enhanced employability, as well as through short-term employment in local employment intensive infrastructure programmes (EIIP). A further track will be through entrepreneurship development for self-employment.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent of the position will carry out full-time tasks under the direct supervision and guidance of the EU resilience project Chief Technical Advisor to whom s/he will report directly on progress and delivery of results. The incumbent will work also in close collaboration with EIIP Engineers, the other members of the EIIP team and the skills development team.

Description of Duties

1. Support the team in assessing EIIP capacity of staffs, contractors, & government counterparts and in providing guidance in the identification of projects, suitable for labour based, onsite-trainings and local resource/green based approaches. Assist in reviewing and validating the technical feasibility of proposed projects, prioritizing initiative based on agreed criteria, and reviewing work plans.

2. Undertake site visits to monitor work and training conditions on EIIP trainings on-sites, ensuring adherence to labour laws and, decent work principles. Assist in monitoring the progress of the project activities by reviewing and verifying progress reports, final reports and other data for clarity, consistency, and completeness.

3. Provide technical assistance and support to the team and the contractors on the conceptual & detail technical design, drawings, BOQ, specifications, cost estimates, bids, contracts, and work plans and ensure the implementation of the Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework, and the training social clauses.

4. Assist in reviewing contractors’ work programmes, method statements, material sources, QA/QC, etc. and any proposed modifications or variations, and technical support during procurement process and contract award to ensure that employment creation and skills development remain an objective. Carry out regular inspection and measurement of works, quality of materials and as-built drawings and certify and recommend payment of completed works.

Description of Duties (Continued)

5. Follow up with SSOs on monitoring and documenting works to determine the extent and nature of any defects and that deficiencies are mitigated or rectified.

6. Assist in organizing on-the-job training sessions based on the skills development plan and support companies’ mentors in the onsite training sites to ensure the acquisition of the predetermined competences.

7.Inspect working and training conditions at construction sites, ensuring that occupational health and safety practices are in compliance with prevailing standards and delivering OHS trainings and decent work and help to identify issues, blockages and misunderstandings occurring at the community level and provide suggestions for corrective action and to facilitate complaints mechanism and for undertake corrective actions.

8. As appropriate participate in relevant meetings, community sensitizations, evaluations, assessments, workshops etc. with a view to increasing required skills and knowledge and to ILO’s advocacy on decent work and skills development for resilience.

9. Perform any other duties assigned by the supervisor.

Education

Completion of secondary school education

A university degree in Civil Engineering or related field from a recognized University is desirable

Complementary studies in green constructions technologies are desirable

Experience

- Minimum four years of work experience including civil works supervision.

- Desirable experience in on-site training and skills development.

- Good knowledge of EIIP local resource based methods, renewable energies and green/ecoconstruction approaches would be considered an advantage.

- Knowledge of Lebanese labour law and ILO Decent Work principles as it pertains to the construction sector (knowledge of EIIP Social Safeguards Framework would be considered an advantage).

- Experience in organizing meetings, seminars and on the job training at local level (eg for municipal officials, project beneficiaries etc)  

- Previous experience involving the UN or other international organisations would be considered an advantage;

Languages

Excellent command of English and Arabic.

Competencies

In addition to the ILO core competencies (Integrity and transparency, Sensitivity to diversity, Orientation to learning and knowledge sharing, Client orientation, Communication, Orientation to change, Takes responsibility for performance, Quality orientation, Collaboration), this position requires:

• Familiar with labour-based and local resource-based approaches to infrastructure improvement.
• Ability to work well in a team, with good interpersonal skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing – and prepare reports and publications of high quality, technically sound and with conclusions leading to an action plan and programme development.
• Ability to work independently, quickly, precisely, and take initiative and responsibility.

Competencies (Continued)

• Strong organizational abilities and ability to work to tight deadlines.
• Ability to deal with people with tact and diplomacy and to build strong working relationships.
•  Driving License is required.
• Good ability to interpret project information and to identify and analyse problems with implementation.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.
• Proficient in computer software (Auto-CAD, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Adobe Reader) and ability to use other software packages required by the Office.