Result of Service

Ultimate Result of Service:

The aim of the evaluation of the Cultural Heritage Project implemented in Old Saida and Haddadine Tripoli is to provide the agency, its governing bodies and donors with an independent and forward-looking appraisal of the project’s operational experience, achievements, opportunities and challenges. Findings and recommendations from the evaluation are expected to play an instrumental role in shaping the focus of UN-Habitat Country Programme in planning and programming future projects, in influencing strategies, adjusting and correcting as appropriate, exploiting opportunities, replicating and up-scaling the implementation approach used, and generating credible value for targeted beneficiaries and addressing national priorities. Evaluation results will also contribute to UN-Habitat’s planning, reporting and accountability.

Key objectives of evaluation:

a) Assess achievement of results made at the outcomes and outputs levels of the Cultural Heritage Project implemented in Old Saida and Haddadine - Tripoli, focusing on Grant Agreement including the terms of reference with the three main components of the project;
b) Assess the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability of the Cultural Heritage Project implemented in Old Saida and Haddadine Tripoli in promoting local and national urban sustainable development by focusing on early recovery and sustainable reconstruction, beyond emergency relief interventions. This will entail analysis of delivery of actual outputs against expected outputs, achievement of outcomes and long-term effects toward beneficiaries;
c) Assess the extent to which the Cultural Heritage Project has incorporated cross-cutting issues such as gender, climate change, youth, human rights in the design, planning and implementation, reporting and monitoring phases. This should include an analysis of participation, social transformation, inclusion and empowerment toward gender equality;
d) Assess the extent to which partnerships have added-value to the Country Programme and brought forward opportunities for potential long-term partnerships between UN-Habitat and other organizations in Lebanon;
e) Assess the extent to which the community (host and displaced persons) in the two cities has been engaged in the project planning and implementation and influenced its interventions
f) Recommend actions to be undertaken to effectively promote and develop UN-Habitat’s support to sustainable urban development in Lebanon.

The evaluation is expected to assess achievements, challenges and opportunities of  the Cultural Heritage Project through a review of the scope odf services and an in-depth assessment of the project of three main components implemented during that period.

The evaluation will be based on the Theory of Change, outlining the results chain and will be integrated with projects’ Log Frame.

Work Location

Beirut, Lebanon

Expected duration

The evaluation will be conducted within 30 working days.  The consultant is expected to prepare in 2 weeks after contract signature, an inception report with a work plan that will operationalize the evaluation. In the inception report understanding of the evaluation questions, methods to be used, limitations or constraints to the evaluation as well as schedules and delivery dates to guide the execution of the evaluation should be detailed.

Duties and Responsibilities

Organization Background:

UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. It is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system.

UN-Habitat envisions well-planned, well-governed, efficient cities and other human settlements with adequate housing, infrastructure and universal access to employment and basic services such as water, energy and sanitation. To achieve these goals, derived from the New Urban Agenda endorsed in October 2016, UN-Habitat has set itself a medium-term strategy approach for each successive six-year period. The current Strategic Plan 2014-2019 has a strategic result “environmentally, economically and socially sustainable, gender-sensitive and inclusive urban development policies implemented by national, regional and local authorities have improved the standard of living of the urban poor and enhanced their participation in the socio-economic life of the city. The focus of the Strategic Plan targets support to governments and local authorities with the ultimate result to improve the standard of living for the urban poor. The connection between sustainable cities and other human settlements is also emphasized in the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goal 11.

As articulated in the final draft (October 2014) of UN-Habitat’s Regional strategy “Arab States Regional Strategy for Sustainable Urbanization” developed in response to the challenges to the region and identified in the State of Arab Cities 2012, the following priorities for common action are prioritized for future action:

(1) Improving the Integration of Comprehensive Urban Strategies in their National and Regional Development Plans
(2) Responding to Demands for Inclusive Economic Opportunities, Affordable Housing, and Access to Services for all
(3) Improving Urban Management and Promoting Participatory Governance
(4) Mitigating Climate Change.

UN-Habitat has been in present in Lebanon since 2006. UN-Habitat’s Lebanon Programme focus on interventions that underscores the economic, social and environmental inter-relationship and interdependence that exist between rural and urban areas vital to sustainable development at a national level.

The second part of this document will provide a background on the project that will be evaluated in the Old city, Saida and Haddadine – Tripoli, Lebanon.

The project targets heritage preservation of two historic old cities in both Saida and Tripoli in Lebanon.  Tripoli includes the second biggest Mameluke heritage in the world after Cairo, and rich heritage from Ottoman and Crusade periods. Saida’s old town constitutes a mixture of several eras, with predominant architecture from the Ottoman era . Saida is ranked one of the 10 oldest cities in the world, with traces of the first settlements found in and around the old city dating back to 4000 BC. Both old towns have been declared protected zones by the Lebanese Cultural Heritage Council. From historic mosques and hammams, to architecturally significant buildings, to still active old souks, the neighborhoods of Haddadine and Old Saida are characterized by a rich and unique heritage with relatively dense residing population.

These old towns, have however been severely damaged during conflicts, and a 1956 earthquake in Saida. With limited restoration, both areas have been transformed into deprived neighborhoods, increasingly hosting internally and externally displaced caused by conflicts in Lebanon and in the region. Interviews conducted with inhabitants in Haddadine show that older generations still remember the area as the main economic hub for north Lebanon, extending into Syria. Interviewed youth however, had little knowledge about their surrounding heritage. Additionally, high unemployment amongst youth has pushed poor youth to engage in armed conflicts.

Over the past decades, the two target neighborhoods; Saida Old City & Haddadine have experienced dramatic negative impact on the built heritage due to waves of conflict and lack of investments in these old towns by economically week municipalities and residents. However, both areas are acknowledged as critical historic sites in Lebanon that can foster economic opportunities. The latter serves as an opportunity to preserve important historic buildings as well preserve the two operational souks and old towns overall structure and typology.

The Project aims to preserve historic buildings occupied by poor families, promote histories of places and restore people’s memories connected to the selected heritage sites.

The Project involves the rehabilitatation of internally and externally up to 36 buildings in the two cities, which will directly benefit 480 Inhabitants residing in those buildings.  The anticipated interior works are not supposed to entail relocation of families to other places. They may require relocation of persons within the same housing unit, from room to room.

The intervention addressess both the physical deterioration and build knowledge about the importance of the sites. In doing so, the project will directly help alleviate poor housing conditions of affected vulnerable families (both host and refugees), preserve historic building from physical deterioration, and secure and improve the livelihoods within the souk. Through strong community engagement, job opportunities, and engagement and capacity building of local authorities, the project is expected to support building trust within communities and with local authorities.

The entire project is implemented in close coordination between UN-Habitat and the two Municipalities. In particular, the Technical Units existing under each municipality will be engaged in the day to day activities progress and implementation. The project will also respond in consistency with the norms and standards set by the Government in relation with archeological sites through the Directorate of Antiquity DGA.

Supervision:
The consultant will report to UN-Habitat Country Programme Manager, Monitoring & Evaluation Reporting Officer and Project Officer.

Duties and responsibilities to complete this assignment include:
a) Review of documents relevant to the project and to UN-Habitat Country Programme Documents to be provided by the Lebanon Programme staff or by  other partner organizations.
Documentation to be reviewed will include:
• New Urban Agenda and relevant SDGs
• Original project documents and implementation plans and deliverables;
• Project’s Annual Work plan;
• Project’s Monitoring Reports;

b) Key informant interviews and consultations, including focus group discussions will be conducted with key stakeholders, including each of the implementing partners. The principles for selection of stakeholders to be interviewed as well as evaluation of their performance shall be clarified in the inception report at the beginning of the evaluation. The informant interviews will be conducted to obtain qualitative information on the evaluation issues, allowing the Evaluator to assess the relevance, efficiency and effectiveness and impact of the Project.

c) Field visits to assess activities of the 2 sites of the project for in-depth evaluation.

The Evaluator will meet with the UN-Habitat Project Officer and the M&E/Reporting Officer at the beginning of the assignment and during data collection, and at the end of the Evaluation in order to review findings with key partners.

The evaluator will describe the Theory of Change, interpretation of evaluation questions, expected data analysis and instruments including time schedule in the inception report.

Qualifications/special skills

Academic Qualifications:
Advanced academic degree in political science, international relations or social sciences or field of urban development, housing, infrastructure, local governance or similar relevant fields is required;

Experience:
a) Minimum of 10 years work experience in evaluation, results-based management, professional project management and monitoring and evaluation is required;

d) Experience in working with projects in the field of urban development, local governance, housing or infrastructure. Familiarity with post-conflict environment is desirable;

c) The consultant should have ability to present credible findings derived from evidence and putting conclusions and recommendations supported by the findings is an added advertage. Example of evaluation report produced by the evaluator to be included in expression of interest;

d) Country specific knowledge and understanding of International Organizations and the organizational context of the Lebanon Programme;

Language:
Fluency in both English and Arab is required

Additional Information

Competency:
Professionalism:
Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter. Good research, analytical and problem-solving skills. Conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results.

Communication:
Excellent and effective written and oral skills. Ability to present information in a concise and accurate manner, proven ability for preparing comprehensive documents and reports.

Teamwork:
Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals. Solicits input by valuing others ideas and expertise and is willing to learn from others.

Planning & Organizing:
Proven ability to plan, coordinate and monitor own work and that of others. Ability to work under pressure and uses time efficiently. Identifies priority activities and assignments, adjust priorities as required.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.