· Web view2020/08/08 · In the framework of the funding of the Program for a Resilient Education System in Lebanon (PASREL) implemented by the Ministry of Education and Higher

CALL FOR PROJECTS CRISIS AND EXIT FROM CRISIS

COUNTRY: LEBANON

“Supporting retention of vulnerable children in school in Lebanon“

2020

In the framework of the funding of the Program for a Resilient Education System in Lebanon (PASREL) implemented by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) of the Republic of Lebanon, The French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement - AFD) in collaboration with the MEHE, intends to subsidize Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) or other non-profit organizations for the realization of a project for the education of vulnerable children in Lebanon mostly in one or several of the following governorates : North , Akkar, Baalbek-Hermel and Bekaa as well as in the area of South Beirut, according to a defined framework (see terms of reference - Section VII) .

The AFD possesses for this purpose a grant envelope of maximum ten million euros (EUR 10 000 000) according to the following modalities: a fixed amount of 8 million euros (EUR 8,000,000) and an additional amount of 2 million euros (EUR 2,000,000) following the explosion in Beirut on 4 August 2020, subject to financing being granted by AFD authorities in January 2021.. The selected project must be implemented over a period of 36 to 48 months. The selection will be made on the basis of a project note (see template - Section III) accompanied by an administrative file (Section IV), and information sheets (Section V and VI) to be submitted by email no later than 11 September, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. Paris time. Proposals received after this deadline will be rejected.

The selected CSOs or the selected CSOs in consortium will then be invited to complete the appraisal process, in close contact with the AFD Project Team Leader, and will submit a final project note. This final and complete proposal must integrate any elements arising from the dialogue with AFD, thus allowing the Project Team Leader to submit the project for final validation by AFD’s governing bodies.

The documents of the call for proposals will be available starting the 19th of May 2020 on the AFD website: https://afd.dgmarket.com/ and https://www.afd.fr/fr/appels-projets

Table of contents:

I. General framework defined by AFDII. Selection and final validation of proposalsIII. Project note templateIV. Administrative recordV. Information sheet on the applicantVI. Information sheet on the project partner(s)VII. Terms of reference

For further questions and enquiries, applicants may write to: Audrey MARTINENQ DUPLESSIS, Project Team Manager (AFD - Education Division, training: employment - [email protected])Thibault NOTTEGHEM, Evaluation Manager (AFD – Fragility, crisis and conflict division: [email protected] )Béatrice NICOULEAUD, Project manager (AFD - Beirut Agency: [email protected] )Régis MABILAIS, Country Manager for Lebanon (AFD –Orient Departments - [email protected] )

Call for project crisis and exit from crisis – AFDSupporting retention of vulnerable children in school in Lebanon

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mailto:[email protected]




https://www.afd.fr/fr/appels-projets

https://afd.dgmarket.com/

Every question and its respective answer will be shared on the afd.dgmarket.com platform for everyone’s knowledge.

I. GENERAL FRAMEWORK DEFINED BY AFD

Article 1. General terms and conditions

I.1 The call for projects Supporting retention of vulnerable children in school in Lebanon ("the Call") aims to finance a development project led by an international or Lebanese CSO or other non-profit organizations. CSOs can apply individually or as a consortium. In both cases, the Project Leader Institution (PLI) must:

- Be registered in Lebanon or be in the registration process;- Have an office in Lebanon, and be used to working closely with local actors;- Have past experience in project implementation in Lebanon, especially in the education sector;- Have a capacity for close dialogue with the AFD headquarters in Paris and with the AFD agency

in Beirut;- Demonstrate a capacity for dialogue with the national authorities at central (Ministry of

Education and Higher Education) and local (regional education offices) levels;- Present tangible elements demonstrating their ability to i) evaluate security issues and risks in

the intervention areas targeted and ii) set up a monitoring and evaluation system;- Demonstrate their ability to implement large-scale projects, the budget of the project submitted

must not represent more than 35% of the average annual resources of the organization carrying the project (or lead organization in the event of a consortium) over the last three accounting periods.

I.2 The purpose of this Call is funding, through a grant, an operational project in the education sector. (See ToR in section VII). The project will be worth €10M on a grant structured around a fixed amount of €8M maximum and an additional amount of €2M maximum. The implementation of the €2M component will be financed subject to the granting of the said financing by AFD in January 2021.

I.3 Project proposals will target one or several of the following governorates: North, Akkar, Baalbek-Hermel, Bekaa as well as the area of South Beirut. The additional component may also cover the governorates of Beirut and Mount Lebanon. The activities proposed under this component will need to demonstrate how they contribute to meeting the needs identified following the explosion of 4 August 2020, in coordination with the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education and within the framework of the needs analysis carried out, to the extent possible, jointly with other technical and financial partners. The PLIs will propose the specific localities and areas to be covered within these governorates / areas on the basis of reasoning (in accordance with the elements detailed in the terms of reference - Section VII).

I.4 Each CSO (or lead CSO in the event of a consortium) can only submit one project proposal.

I.5 As collaboration of national and international CSOs is encouraged, the activities and projected remuneration of each organization within the consortium must, where appropriate, appear explicitly in the different components of the project.

I.6 AFD reserves the right to end this Call for project.


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Article 2. Procedure

2.1 In the framework of the Call, AFD intends to contribute to the financing of expenses necessary for the realization of a project designed and defined by PLIs, alone or in consortium, for a period of 36 to 48 months.

2.2 International CSOs are encouraged to work in partnership with other CSOs, especially local ones to enable the reinforcement of local capacities.

2.3 AFD’s financial support can fund 100% of the total budget of the project including tax.

2.4 It cannot (i) finance expenses not directly linked to the project, (ii) replace existing funding.

2.5 The costs of the operations of the selected CSO or consortium of CSOs will be funded through advance payments as follows:

- On the basis of the estimated expenditure program established for the duration of the Project and an annual budgeted action plan, a first payment corresponding to the cost of the activities envisaged for the first year of implementation of the Project;

- The following payments will be made on the basis of i) The justification of 70% of the expenses of the previous payment and 100% of the penultimate payment, ii) of the last audit report (of year N-2 or the most recent) and semi-annual implementation reports and iii) the forecast expenditure program drawn up for the duration of the project updated on the date of request for payment;

- The last payment will be made in the same way as the previous ones. Its amount will take into account the revised needs of the project if necessary. The request for final payment will be accompanied by a plan for closing the project.

2.6 CSOs or consortia of CSOs will bear all costs relating to the preparation of their proposals and AFD will not be responsible for these costs, nor be required to pay them. In order to promote a rapid start-up, and subject to an agreement between the Parties, certain expenses may be eligible from the date on which the grant is awarded by AFD.

2.7 Administrative and structural costs must be reduced to a minimum and may not exceed 10% of the total budget. The personnel costs at the head office in charge of the project will be fully provided for in the "administrative costs" line. Only the mission costs of the headquarters staff can be passed on to another line such as “Support and Monitoring”. Particular attention will be paid to these administrative and structural costs compared to the amount spent on activities directly benefiting the target beneficiaries. The amount of these costs compared to the total budget of the project will constitute a selection criterion.

Article 3. Presentation of proposals

3.1 The selection is made on the basis of a project note (see model in Section III) accompanied by an administrative file (see Section IV) and information sheets (Sections V and VI) to be submitted no later than September 11, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. Paris time.

3.2 For the selected proposal, the PLI will then be invited to complete the appraisal process, in close collaboration with the AFD Project Team Leader. This instruction phase will provide additional technical and financial information to the initial project note and submit a final project note validated by all Parties. This final and complete proposal must integrate any elements resulting from a dialogue with the AFD Project Team Leader.

Article 4. Audit, reporting, evaluation and capitalization

4.1 Applicants must include in their proposal a budget dedicated to external audits (including control of procurement compliance). The selected PLI will contract with an audit firm. The selection process and final choice will be subject to AFD's non-objection. The audit firm will carry out the necessary diligences to ensure the proper use of project funds. The audit contract will be funded under the project at approximately 5% of the total project amount.


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4.2 A semi-annual technical and financial report of the activities carried out within the funded project must be sent to AFD, 30 calendar days at the latest after the end of each semester of implementation. This report will be shared by AFD with the national authorities. A detailed reporting system will also be specified within the framework of the funding agreement signed between the PLI and AFD.

4.3 AFD encourages the inclusion of a monitoring and evaluation system adapted to fragile areas, encouraging periodic feedback on the intervention context and participatory monitoring by beneficiaries. Two evaluations will be carried out, one at mid-term, the other at the end of the project, financed with project funds.

4.4 AFD encourages the development of a capitalization program and a communication program in order to contribute, on one hand to the dissemination of good practices, and on the other hand to good communication around the project. These activities may give rise to a component or a sub-component within the proposed projects.

Article 5. Contract currency and payment currencies

5.1 The applicants must establish their proposal in euros, the currency of the financing agreement. The budget must be established including all taxes, be fixed and not modifiable.

Article 6. Knowledge of the places and conditions of the call for proposals

6.1 By the very fact of submitting their proposals, PLIs are deemed to: - Have read and accepted the conditions of the call for proposals described in this Call, including its

different sections;- Have a perfect knowledge of the nature and scope of the actions to be carried out, local working

conditions as well as all the constraints that these actions involve;- Have read the general conditions (Article 1 - Section I), the administrative file and the information

sheets (Sections IV, V and VI).

Article 7. Opening of proposals and Evaluation and selection committee

7.1 The bids will be opened at AFD headquarters in Paris by the bid opening committee made up of the AFD Task Team Leader from the Education-Training-Employment Division, the Director of the Orient Geographic Department, the AFD Country Manager for operations in Lebanon, a representative of the AFD's Fragility, Crisis, Conflict Division, the AFD mission for relations with CSOs and a representative of the AFD office in Beirut. Coordination SUD will be invited to attend the opening of the files as an observer. A report on the opening of the bids, specifying the compliance of the proposals submitted with regard to their date of receipt and the completeness of the documents to be collected (project note and administrative file) will be drawn up. It will be sent to the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education. The opening committee may, if necessary, ask tenderers to complete the missing documents in their file within 48 hours.

7.2 The selection of proposals will be made by an evaluation and selection committee, composed of the same members as the bid opening committee. The scoring grid and the proposals retained after the opening of the bids will be sent beforehand to all members of the committee. Coordination SUD will be invited to attend the evaluation and selection committee as an observer.

7.3 An evaluation and selection report will be drawn up by the members of the selection committee. It will integrate, for each project analyzed, elements of assessment justifying the selection or the rejection of the project and will be communicated to CSOs/PLIs. The national authorities will be informed of the selected project and the unselected projects.

Article 8. Clarifications to the proposals


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8.1 In order to facilitate the examination, evaluation and comparison of the proposals, the evaluation and selection committee may ask the PLIs for clarifications relating to their proposal.

Article 9. Determination of the conformity of the proposals

9.1 CSOs or PLIs must demonstrate their capacity to implement large-scale projects.

9.2 The Commission may eliminate proposals from CSOsI clearly lacking the human and financial capacity to effectively implement the proposed project.

Article 10. Evaluation and ranking of proposals

10.1 The selection committee will assess and compare the proposals that have been recognized in accordance with the defined criteria.

10.2 The proposals will be rated out of 100 points during the selection stage using the following scoring matrix:

TITLE PTS CRITERIA

Initial Analysis (20)

Initial Analysis 20 Knowledge of the national policies/strategies and systems for (i) planning/implementing education sector activities, (ii) access to the public education sector in Lebanon by vulnerable groups (Lebanese and refugees) (3 points)Presentation of the context of the project, specifically in the project intervention areas (6 points)Assessment of the needs of the populations in the intervention areas of the project taking into account the needs of the different targeted populations by the Call for projects (8 points)Presentation of the different stakeholders present in the areas of intervention in the education sector (3 points)

Positioning of PLIs and their partners (8)

Positioning of the PLI in Lebanon in the Education sector

8 Presentation of the interventions and of the added value of the PLI and of its partners, if any, with a focus on the theme of the Call for projects. Particular attention will be paid to the complementarity of the CSOs in case of a consortium (2 points)Ability to dialogue with AFD in Paris and Beirut and with national authorities (2 points)Skills transfer to local actors (4 points)

Presentation of the project (47)

Operational scope and Methodology

33 Detailed presentation of the project based on the needs assessment. (23 points):

- Detailed presentation of the planned activities- Relevance of the proposed activities with regard to the

challenges and constraints of public institutions in the project intervention areas

- Relevance of the targeting of beneficiaries (schools and students)

- Robustness of the intervention logic (theory of change)- Relevance and feasibility of the implementation schedule for


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activities- Sustainability of the proposed actions

Methodology for the overall support process with details about (5 points):

- Strengthening the capacities of schools in the project intervention areas, in particular to meet the challenges of reception capacity, student well-being, support for schooling and social cohesion;

- Capacity building of MEHE (central and local level);- Capacity building of local partners (including local CSOs in

consortium if applicable).

Risk Analysis (5 points):- Contextual risks (political, economic and social situation,

impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, etc.)- Risks inherent in the project (risks relating to the execution of

activities, to working in consortium if necessary, to relations with the authorities and the different institutional actors, fiduciary risks, etc.).

Cross-cutting issues 7 Taking into account the cross-cutting dimensions of gender, psychosocial risks and stress and conflict prevention (5 points)Identification of possible social and environmental impacts and mitigation measures (2 points)

M&E 7 Relevance and robustness of the proposed monitor and evaluation system (including the indicators and their method of collection and calculation) enabling the results and changes induced by the project to be monitored.

Resources employed (25)

Budget 10 Relevance of the budget with regard to the operational field (5 points)Share of the budget allocated to administrative and support costs with regard to the total project budget and share of the budget directly benefitting to the populations (5 points)

Team 8 Relevance of the proposed system for the project (governance, steering, sharing of roles and responsibilities) (4 points)Qualifications and skills of the personnel mobilized for the project (4 points)

Partnerships 7 Partnership with other international and / or national CSOs and other organizations (3 points)Partnership and collaboration with public institutions in the education sector (4 points)

Article 11. AFD’s right to reject any proposal

11.1 AFD reserves the right to reject any proposal and to cancel the Call as long as it has not awarded the subsidy, without incurring any responsibility towards the CSOs concerned and without having to give any reasons for cancellation nor refusal.

Article 12. Developing the projects


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12.1 Once the project has been selected, the AFD Project team will carry out an open dialogue with the PLI in order to consolidate the initial proposal. AFD remains free not to proceed with examining the proposal. Amongst many others, the following specific points may constitute a reason not to accept the final proposal of the PLI or PLI in consortium:- refusal to participate in a dialogue in a satisfactory manner with the AFD Project team leader in order

to complete and enrich the proposal,- refusal to give arguments explaining why amendments suggested by the AFD Project team leader

have not been incorporated, - Existence of a gap between the budget presented in the project concept note and the final project

note,- Non-compliance of the CSO or the CSOs in the fight against money laundering and the financing of

terrorism (AML /CFT).

Article 13. Confidentiality

13.1 No information relating to the review, clarifications, assessment, and comparison of proposals or recommendations relating to the award of the subsidy/subsidies may be disclosed to CSOs or to anyone else outside the review and assessment procedure, from the moment the envelopes are opened until the award of the subsidy is announced to the selected CSO or consortium.

13.2 Any attempt by a CSO or consortium to influence the Selection Committee during the procedure of reviewing, assessing and comparing the proposals will have as a consequence the exclusion of the CSO or consortium.

Article 14. Information on the selection process

14.1 The CSO or consortium that is selected by the Selection Committee will be informed by e-mail. The latter sets the instruction schedule which will serve as a support of the dialogue.

Article 15. Information on the award and signing of the funding agreement

15.1 The AFD Project Team Leader will send the CSO or lead CSO in consortium benefiting from the grant a letter or email informing him of the grant, then a draft financing agreement for agreement before signature.


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METHOD USED TO SELECT AND VALIDATE PROPOSALS

The process leading to the funding agreement is carried out in two stages:

1) Selection based on a project concept note (see template in Section III), together with an administrative file (Section IV), and information sheets (Sections V and VI) to be submitted at the latest on the 11th of September 2020 by 1 pm Paris time (determined by date/ hour of arrival).

2) Sustained dialogue with the AFD Project team to develop the proposal and present a final project note that will be used as a basis for submitting the proposal to AFD's governing bodies.

SELECTING THE PROPOSALS

Selection based on a project concept note and an administrative file

Each lead CSO or consortium has to supply electronic copies of: its proposal, using the template project note with the cover sheet and the budget table signed by

someone authorized to request financing on behalf of the CSO or consortium; all the administrative documents required (Section IV), including the information sheet about the

applicant (Section V) and, in case of partnerships with other CSOs, the information sheet about the project partner(s) (Section VI);

In Excel format, the proposed budget for the Project and all documents relevant under this format.

Proposals will be written in French language or in English language.

Each page of the documents constituting the proposal must be initialed by the PLI.

These electronic copies should be sent by mail to the contacts reported below. Audrey MARTINENQ DUPLESSIS, Project Team Manager (AFD - Education Division, training:

employment - [email protected]) Thibault NOTTEGHEM, Evaluation Manager (AFD – Fragility, crisis and conflict division:

[email protected] ) Béatrice NICOULEAUD, Project manager (AFD - Beirut Agency: [email protected] ) Régis MABILAIS, Country Manager for Lebanon (AFD - Orient Department - [email protected] )

FINAL ELABORATION AND VALIDATION OF THE PROPOSALS

Once it receives notification that its project has been selected, the PLI / the consortium can start the process of compiling its final proposal, which will take the form of a final project note. To do so, it will start a dialogue with AFD. The MEHE will be associated with this discussion according to methods defined by AFD.

Following this process, the Project team Leader will give his/her agreement to validate the project note, if he/she considers that the final proposal reflects the content of the initial project note while integrating certain elements from dialogues with the PLI. Once the PLI has sent the final project note, the project team leader will be able to submit the project to AFD for validation.


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PROJECT NOTE TEMPLATE

“Supporting retention of vulnerable children in school in Lebanon “

Call for projects – Crisis and exit from crisis

Due date for submitting project notes: 11 September 2020 , at 1pm , Paris time (determined by date/hour of arrival) Name of applicant:

1) INFORMATION ABOUT THE PLI SPONSORING THE PROJECT (1-page maximum)

Title of call for projects Supporting retention of vulnerable children in school in Lebanon

Applicant

Acronym

Nationality

Legal status

Address

Telephone no.

Fax number

E-mail address of the organization

Website of the organization

Project contact

E-mail address of project contact

Project title

Year of establishment in the country where the call for project is implemented

Local partners

Locations (country, regions, villages)

Total cost of the action

Contribution requested from AFD

Contributions from any other partners

Duration of the action


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2. PROJECT OVERVIEW

2.1 Brief description of the proposed project (5 pages maximum)

a) Area and context of project implementation b) Experiences of the CSO(s) in the country and targeted regions by the call for projectsc) General objectives of the project d) Results expected; impacts, activities and the project intervention logic (theory of change)e) Partners: description of partners (international, national, local), contributions of each and terms of the

partnership f) Beneficiaries: description of target groups and local direct and indirect beneficiaries (including number

of direct and indirect beneficiaries) g) Key elements of the proposed budget

2.2 The Context: the proposals will present a rigorous contextual analysis integrating all elements in the targeted areas relevant to the project: socio-economic and humanitarian situation, demography and displacement of populations, analysis of conflicts and security risks, actors involved, education and protection challenges and needs, etc. (4 pages maximum).

2.3 The project: relevance, objectives, mechanism, methodology, actions, risks, taking into account cross-cutting issues (10 pages maximum)

a) Description of the relevance of the proposal with regard to the local context. Explain the relevance of the project with regards to (i) national policies / strategies in the field concerned by the Call for projects, (ii) the context in the targeted region and the role played by local authorities, (iii) needs of the populations, (iv) interventions by other actors in supporting the education of vulnerable children in the regions / areas targeted by the Call for projects. If necessary, the CSO or consortium can offer a critical analysis of the content and make corrective and constructive proposals. These modifications can only be taken into account once validated by AFD.

b) Outcomes expected locally, possible impacts Present the expected results for the direct and indirect beneficiaries, as well as the potential impacts for the intervention area(s). Explain the intervention logic of the project (desired final and intermediate changes and how to achieve them), as well as the assumptions and risks in a comprehensive logical framework.

c) Organizational framework Answer in particular to these questions: With whom will the project be implemented? Who are the project partners? How will local populations be consulted during project appraisal, implementation and monitoring? What bodies and mechanisms will be put in place to oversee the project and manage partnerships? How will information on the situation of beneficiaries and its development be collected?

d) Project operating mode and monitoring-evaluation systemDescribe the general methodology envisaged, particularly in terms of targeting beneficiaries, as well as the operating methods relating to actions that are particularly decisive for the success of the project. Describe the monitoring and evaluation system envisaged. The latter should make it possible to follow the evolution of the context and the results, but also the impact of the context on the project, and vice-versa, in order to allow its adaptation if necessary.

e) Description of main interventionsDescribe all the interventions to be carried out simultaneously or in the order in which they will be carried out. Specify the structuring character of the planned actions.


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f) Implementation CostDevelop a one-page1 budget (including taxes) that shows clearly each project component. Most substantial expenditures may be accompanied by brief explanations. The total amount requested at the end of the review may vary by 5% above or below this indicative budget within the limit of the maximum available budget of 8 million euros.

g) Likely risks and resources to address themExplain the risks to be considered (contextual, operational, social, security, others, in particular the consequences of the COVID-19 epidemic) as well as the measures envisaged to deal with them (risk matrix).

h) Inclusion policy (gender, disability, psychosocial/others) Specify how the project will have positive effects on gender; integrate the issues of disability and psychosocial disorders and how it will not create negative effects in this regard. If necessary, identify the other factors of school exclusion on which the project will have to work. Specify how the project integrated conflict prevention issues.

i) « Do No Harm » conflict sensitivity approachSpecify how the project will reduce vulnerabilities and factors of tension / conflict between communities and seek to strengthen factors of social cohesion. Specify how the project monitoring and evaluation system will make it possible to monitor the project's impacts on these issues.

2.4 Project implementation capability, expertise (4 pages maximum)

a) Capacity for implementing the project (organization and partners/ consortium); if applicable: Grouping protocol (partnership agreement / retrocession acts in case of transfer of funds between the lead CSO and the other CSOs of the consortium).

Submission of this agreement is not a requirement to finalize the proposal, but a signed copy will be a condition precedent to the signing of the funding agreement by AFD. If possible, a draft can be added as an appendix to the application. This agreement must be sufficiently detailed with regard to the sharing of responsibilities, operating procedures and internal project governance.

b) Expertise employed: CVs of key people in the project (project manager, other people with a major role in the project).

c) Ability to lead a dialogue with local authorities and AFD in Paris and the AFD office in Beirut.

2.5 Appendices

If the appendices cannot be integrated into the same electronic document as the project note, name each of the appendices starting with the title "APPENDIX" (for example "APPENDIX Detailed budget").

a) Project overview letter (see below)b) Logical framework: Including objectively verifiable qualitative and quantitative indicators (as much as

possible: specify the assumptions and risks associated with each activity) and the intended targetsc) Provisional implementation calendar d) Detailed budget: a table showing the overall projected expenses broken down by project components

that clearly distinguishes administrative and personnel expenses (expatriate and local staff), and audit, evaluation and supervision expenses. As a reminder (p.2 below): the personnel costs at the head office in charge of the project will be fully provided for in the "administrative costs" line. Only the mission costs of the headquarters staff can be passed on to another line such as « Support and Monitoring».If applicable, co-funding should be clearly explained. In this case, AFD resources should be clearly separated in the budget. Finally, the applicant must provide guarantees that all co-funding streams are secured. The first phase of the project may include analysis to refine the precise assessment of needs, but this assessment should not delay the implementation of tangible activities with direct benefits for the target

1 The template in appendix 2 may be used for this purposeCall for project crisis and exit from crisis – AFDSupporting retention of vulnerable children in school in Lebanon

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beneficiaries in the first six months of the project. AFD will retain some flexibility to make adjustments after this phase. The important thing during this stage is above all to agree on the budgetary guidelines adopted, that is to say on the distribution between the different activities, between the expenses dedicated to operational activities and those dedicated to administrative and management costs, share of personnel expenses, etc.See template in Appendix 2.

e) Evaluations, studies and notes relating to the regions and zones, the intervention sector and the project, when applicable.

f) When available, the authorization of the national authorities to intervene in the country concerned and / or request of the national or local authorities concerning the project, or any other document demonstrating the capacity of the organization carrying out the project to intervene in the country in accordance with local regulations. The transmission of this authorization and / or request is not required to finalize the proposal, but the delivery of a signed copy will be a condition for finalizing the appraisal of the project before allocation by AFD.


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Appendix 1 - PROJECT OVERVIEW LETTER template

SUBMISSION OF A PROJECT PROPOSAL

to

Madam/Sir/ Task Team Leader of the Agene Française de Développement

Dear Sir,

After examining the tender documents of the Call for projects "Supporting retention of vulnerable children in school in Lebanon”, we, the undersigned, (given name(s), surname(s)) ....., acting in our capacity as ...... (position(s)) in the name and on behalf of..... (legal name and address of the tenderer or the members of the consortium), after reviewing all the items included in or mentioned in these tender documents and after assessing, from our own point of view and under our responsibility, the nature of this call for projects,

Submit, bearing our signatures, the following project proposal accompanied by a budget,

We jointly and severally undertake, with (name of the PLI) .... serving as agent and manager of the consortium, to carry out the project in accordance with the proposal expressed in our draft and at the costs that we have estimated ourselves, which show the amount of funding requested in EUR to be:

AMOUNT WITH ALL TAXES AND DUTIES: EUR ................. (amount in figures and letters),

under the economic conditions of the month of the authorized deadline for submitting our proposal, that is ……..

We agree that AFD is not required to respond to any of the proposals it receives.

I confirm, under penalty of termination as a matter of right, that I am not subject to, and that the PLI or consortium of actors on whose behalf I am acting is not subject to legal prohibitions in France or in the State(s) where our associations are headquartered, nor in the country of proposed intervention.

Signed in ....................., on .........................

Signature

The signatory shall attach the instrument that delegates to him/her the power to commit his/her association. In the case of a temporary consortium of associations, attach the instrument which constitutes the consortium and names its manager and agent.

The original copy of the submission must be marked “ORIGINAL”


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Appendix 2 - Budget Template

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 … Total % of Grand Total

Activities/ Program Human resources

- Program (expatriates / locals)- Support (expatriates / locals)

Logistics

Monitoring/evaluation

Capitalization

Project-related communication

Audits

Safety

SUBTOTAL DIRECT COSTSMiscellaneous and contingencies (maximum 10% of direct costs subtotal)

TOTAL DIRECT COSTS

Administrative costs

Grand Total


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IV. ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD OF THE PLI SPONSORING THE PROJECT

Each of the documents in the administrative file must be named in accordance with the numbers defined in the list below (for example, electronic documents to be named: “1. Information sheet… ” or “9.a. Balance sheet and operating accounts 2019” and “9.b. Balance sheet and operating accounts 2018”…).

1. Applicant information sheet (section V);

2. Copy of signed articles of association;

3. A copy of the statement of registration with the prefecture and a copy of the publication in the Official Journal or its equivalent according to the State’s regulation where the PLI’s headquarters are established;

4. If available, the certified true copy of the authorization of a foreign non-profit association in the country where the call for project is implanted or any other document demonstrating the capacity of the organization carrying out the project to intervene in the country in accordance with local regulations.

5. Dated list of board members, offices and senior executives with their contact information and date of the most recent elections;

6. Organization chart dated and signed by the manager or the person in charge of the local office of the country of intervention.

7. Activity reports from the last three years and excerpt or supplement on activities in the country where the call for projects is to be implemented;

8. Minutes of the most recent general assembly meeting or at least the agenda of the most recent general assembly meeting and key resolutions;

9. Certified and audited balance sheets and operating statements for the past three years (with appendices and explanatory notes) that have been approved by the general assembly and show the origins (public or private) of financial resources. This information should then be updated each year.

10. Forecast budget for the fiscal year under way, both overall and for the country where the call for projects is to be implemented, that includes a list of anticipated public funding and indicates whether it has been requested or obtained, as approved by the general assembly and signed;

11. List of private funders contributing more than 15% of the PLI’s most recent budget approved by the general assembly and/or more than 15% of the budget of the present project, and the members of their Boards of Directors.

12. Information sheets on project partner(s) (in case of grouping) (section VI).

Proposals must be submitted electronically no later than 11 September 2020 at 1 pm, Paris time (time/date receipt at AFD, to be confirmed by a formal acknowledgement of receipt) and sent by mail to the following addresses: [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] All proposals received after the time and date indicated above will be rejected.


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V. INFORMATION SHEET ON THE PLI SPONSORING THE PROJECT

Full name of organization:Acronym:Mailing address:(to which all correspondence regarding this project should be sent)Location of registered office: (if different from mailing address)Telephone:Fax:E-mail address: Website:

Purpose of the organization:

Intervention area(s) in the country targeted by the call for project:

Field(s) of Action:

Existence of a strategic document approved by the General Assembly2:

Main funding and partnerships established between the PLI and AFD over the past 3 years. (specify the purpose, amount of funding and AFD department involved)

Main funding and partnerships established between the PLI and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs over the past 3 years. (specify the purpose, amount of funding and ministerial department involved) [if applicable]

Membership in collectives, networks, platforms:

Main publications of the PLI :

Contact person(s) for this project Name Telephone E-mail addressTechnical contact:Financial contact:Administrative contact:Given name and surname of the Executive Director: Surname, given name and position of the person responsible for this

2 Attach the strategic document of the PLI to the administrative file, which is compulsory when applying for a grant in the framework of a program agreement.


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application for co-funding3:

Date of creation:Legal status:References of registration with the prefecture:No. Date DepartmentDate of publication in the Official Journal;If appropriate, date of designation as "in the public interest":If applicable, the date of approval by a ministry and which one:

Surname and given name of president:Surname and given name of secretary general:Surname and given name of treasurer:Number of members on the Board of Directors4:Does the organization have a member working for Agence Française de Développement?

If yes, specify the name(s) and position(s)

Does the organization have a politically exposed person5?

If yes, specify the name(s) and position(s)

Date of the General Assembly during which the current members of the Board of Directors and executive committee were elected:Expiration dates of the terms of these members:Expected date of the next General Assembly:

2017 2018 2019

Number of members

Number of contributors

3 Attach to the administrative record a list of persons authorized to sign agreements and any other official documents for the association.4 Attach a detailed list to the administrative record5 A politically exposed person (PEP) is a person who exercises or has exercised important public functions; these include heads of state or government, politicians of high rank, senior officials within the government, magistrates or high-ranking military personnel, executives of a state-owned company or political party leaders. Business relations with the family members of a PEP or persons closely associated with them can involve risks, in terms of reputation, similar to those associated with PEPs themselves. This expression does not cover persons of middle or lower rank in the categories listed above


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Amount of contributions

Staff at the head office of the PLI Total (FTE6) Full-time Part-time

Employee(s)

Volunteer(s)

Total

Staff abroad: Total (FTE) Full-time Part-time

Expatriate employee(s)

Local employee(s)

Volunteer(s)

Total

Budget items by source of expenditures Total amounts of funding allocated over the past three years

2017 % 2018 % 2019 % Total %Operation cost Personnel costs (employees in the field and at the head office [expatriates and locals)

Leasing fees Finance charges and taxes Communication and fund-raising expenses

Subtotal Interventions7

International solidarity actions Awareness/ education development Food Aid Emergency AidSending Volunteers (for PLIs sending volunteers)

Action in favor of refugees MissionsOtherSubtotal TOTAL

6 Full time equivalent7 International development work and development education actions


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Amount of total financial resources for past three years (in euros)

Year Turnover of the PLI Of which public funds8 % of total turnover Of which private funds % of total

turnover

2017

Total amount: Total amount:Of which AFD: Of which contributor(s) giving more

than 10% of the total budget of the PLI9:Of which other central government/ministries:

2018


than 10% of the total budget of the PLI:Of which other central government/ministries:

2019


than 10% of the total budget of the PLI:Of which other central government/ministries:

8 Record here all funds of public origin: grants and subsidies; public funds of local, national, international origin.9 Please list here all the private contributors who have made a contribution greater than or equal to 10% of the total budget of the PLI (relative to the most recent annual accounts approved by the General Assembly). If it is a legal person, provide the list of the members of this organization’s Board of Directors (surname, given name, position and address). If it is a moral person, provide their identity (surname, first name, position and address).Call for project crisis and exit from crisis – AFDSupporting retention of vulnerable children in school in Lebanon

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VI. INFORMATION SHEET ON PROJECT PARTNER(S)

To be completed for each partner involved in the project

Specify the total number of partners involved in the project:

Full name of organization:Acronym:Address:Location of registered office: (if different from mailing address)

Telephone:Fax:E-mail address: Website:

Contact person(s) for this project:Given name and surname of the Executive Director:

Date created:Legal status:(Attach to the technical file the certificate of registration or its equivalent; if the structure is informal, indicate that here.)

Surname and given name of president:

Number of members on the Board of Directors:

List of members of the Board of Directors:

Purpose of the organization:Primary areas of intervention:Human resources of the organization:Total annual budget in Euros:Main donors:Membership in networks, federations, collectives, etc.:History and nature of cooperation with the partner(s): institutional and contractual tiesRole and involvement in preparing the proposed project:Role and involvement in implementing the proposed project:


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Experience with similar actions with regard to its role in implementing the proposed action:


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I. VII. TERMS OF REFERENCE

1. THE SECTOR AND THE CHALLENGES

I. THE IMPACTS OF THE SYRIAN CRISIS AND THE ECONOMIC CRISIS ON POPULATIONS IN LEBANON

I.1 THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE SYRIAN CRISIS IN LEBANON

The war in Syria has caused a massive influx of refugees into Lebanon. Lebanon is the country hosting the largest number of refugees in the world in proportion to its population. The United Nations figures estimate that 1.5 million Syrian refugees are currently hosted in Lebanon (out of a population of 4.5 million), including 631,209 children aged 3 to 18 years10.

The living conditions and access to basic services of the Syrian refugee populations in Lebanon are precarious (76% of Syrian refugee households live below the poverty line) and deteriorated during 2019. 40% of Syrian refugees continue to live in precarious shelters and the proportion of refugees having less than US $2.90 per day increased from 51% in 2018 to 55% in 2019 11. Increasing use of child labor to supplement family income is reported by refugees.

An increase in tensions between refugee populations and host populations was reported during 2019, in particular in the North and Bekaa regions through stigmatizing and violent speech on social networks12. These tensions fuel situations of stress and anxiety which increasingly affect Lebanese populations as refugees, children in particular.

I.2 The impacts of the recent financial and economic crisis in Lebanon

The current financial crisis is already having major consequences on the real economy and on Lebanese and Syrian households: falling incomes, rising unemployment (220,000 formal jobs would have been destroyed13 and 12% of businesses would have stopped their activity14), increasing impoverishment of the population, including the middle class. According to World Bank projections, a 25% price increase would lead to an increase in the share of the population living below the poverty line (8.6 USD per day) from 40.9% to 45% and an increase in the share of the population living below the extreme poverty line from 20% to 22%15. These figures do not take into account the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown which, as in all countries, will have significant impacts on the economy, nor do they take into account the medium and long term consequences of the explosion at the port of Beirut on 4 August 2020. The banking crisis could cut the economies of a significant part of the population, weakening the middle classes and plunging some of the disadvantaged social strata into poverty. The need to reduce the public deficit also raises fear of difficulties in funding essential services (education and health in particular) from the national budget while the livelihoods of a large part of the Lebanese population and refugees are reduced.10 Figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, September 201811 2019 Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon12 PNUD, 201913 Figures from the Regional Economic Service of the General Directorate of the Treasury in Beirut 14 Economic Briefs from the Middle East – Week from 07 to 14 February 202015 Press release: World Bank: Lebanon is in the Midst of Economic, Financial and Social Hardship, Situation Could Get worse, Nov 2019: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2019/11/06/world-bank-lebanon-is-in-the-midst-of-economic-financial-and-social-hardship-situation-could-get-worseCall for project crisis and exit from crisis – AFDSupporting retention of vulnerable children in school in Lebanon

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https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2019/11/06/world-bank-lebanon-is-in-the-midst-of-economic-financial-and-social-hardship-situation-could-get-worse

https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2019/11/06/world-bank-lebanon-is-in-the-midst-of-economic-financial-and-social-hardship-situation-could-get-worse

In this context, the risk is that the “negative survival mechanisms” will impose themselves on more families who may have to arbitrate between their different expenses (by eliminating those deemed non-vital like those related to education) and have more recourse at work or even the exploitation of children when the public authorities' capacity to react is reduced16.

The explosion that occurred in the port of Beirut on 4 August 2020 is likely to have a medium- and long-term impact on the most vulnerable Lebanese and refugee populations, particularly those residing in Beirut. According to UNICEF estimates, between 34 and 120 public and private schools were damaged or destroyed by the explosion (approximately 55,000 students affected).

I.3 Which regions and populations are most affected by these multifaceted crises?

According to the LCRP17, 28.5% of Lebanese, including 470,000 children, more than 68% of Syrian refugees live below the poverty line. The country is said to have as many Syrian refugees as vulnerable Lebanese.

The most vulnerable communities are concentrated in specific areas: the 251 most vulnerable cadasters account for 67% of vulnerable Lebanese and 87% of Syrian refugees (see map below)18. In these cadasters, the presence of Syrian refugees greatly increases the pressure on public services, in particular basic social services.

Vulnerability is studied here from the point of view of the inhabitants' incomes while also taking into account other demographic indicators. Families with less than $ 87 per capita per month are therefore considered to be very vulnerable. The demographic indicators used in this econometric model link the expenditures made (monetary approach) with the following main variables: household size, dependency ratio, percentage of households with disabilities, if the household has a member suffering from a health problem , lone parent households, female headed households, child headed households, households with elderly members.

II. IMPACTS OF THE ECONOMIC CRISIS ON THE EDUCATION SECTOR

16 Inter-Agency Brief, February 202017 Lebanon Crisis Response Plan 2017-202118 Inter-Agency Coordination Lebanon Statistical Dashboard, December 2019Call for project crisis and exit from crisis – AFDSupporting retention of vulnerable children in school in Lebanon

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II.1 The Lebanese public education system is structurally weakened

Education in Lebanon is one of the axes of the Lebanese government's transition policy and a sensitive issue for the cohesion of a country fragmented into multiple communities, faiths and social classes. However, the country spends only 8.6% of its total public expenditure (far from the UNESCO recommendations which recommend that countries devote 20% of their public expenditure to education).

Lebanon has 1,100,000 schoolchildren hosted in 2,885 schools. 70% of these pupils are educated in private establishments19. The proportion of students enrolled in the private sector is higher in primary (71.8% according to 2018 figures) than in secondary (59.1%)20. The public education system mainly welcomes students from disadvantaged families for whom public education is the only option.

The education system in Lebanon is characterized by : (i) a poorly rationalized school offer (the teacher / pupil ratio is only 10 to 1 and the number of small establishments welcoming few pupils is significant), (ii) unsatisfactory indicators in terms of quality (Lebanon's results on PISA tests, for example, are significantly lower than two of the other countries in the region for which data are available), (iii) but also bilingualism or even trilingualism (Arabic, French, English), making training and skills linguistic factors particularly critical for the quality of teaching. However, only 23% of teachers have a professional teaching21 qualification and according to fragmentary data, barely 14% of French teachers have the level of proficiency in the language expected22.

Reception and teaching-learning conditions vary by region. The poorest schools are concentrated in the regions23 of Akkar, El Minieh-Dennieh (north of Tripoli) and Baalbek while the areas with the most pupils are those of Baabda, Akkar, Beirut and Baalbek24.

II.2 The care for Syrian refugee children in the Lebanese public education system

In this context, the arrival since 2011 of nearly 650,000 Syrian refugee children of school age has further weakened the Lebanese public education system. With the support of technical and financial partners, Lebanon has made significant efforts to enable and supervise the education of those children. 200,000 of them are welcomed every year in 350 schools25. However, despite the actions undertaken, most of the Syrian refugee children still encounter difficulties integrating formal schooling (59% do not have access to school) and 75% of those who are in school attend afternoon classes (in which the national program is cut off from artistic disciplines and sports) and do not benefit from specific support.

19 Of the 2,885 schools in the country, 1,270 are public schools (44%), 1,182 are fee-paying private schools (41%), 366 are subsidized private schools (13%), and 67 are schools operated by UNRWA (2%). Source: Statistics CERD/ French Institute20 Data Bank of the World Bank: https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators21 Figures for the 2017-2018 school year. Source: Center for Educational Research and Development of MEHE22 Source: French Institute Results of the linguistic positioning tests carried out in 2014 by the French Institute in Lebanon on a sample of 2.500 teachers 23 KFW feasibility study, 2019 24 According to the ARK’s “Regular Perception Surveys on Social Tensions throughout Lebanon ∗Wave VI», published in August 2019, the quality of education services has particularly deteriorated in the governorate of Baalbek Hermel since the last survey conducted by ARK in 201825 Figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Call for project crisis and exit from crisis – AFDSupporting retention of vulnerable children in school in Lebanon

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https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators

The MEHE is now facing two new challenges: - The number of Syrian children attending school each year continues to increase: in 2017, the

number of refugee children aged 6 to 14 was 340,357 compared to 283,929 in 2014. Furthermore, while in 2015-2016, Lebanese public schools welcomed 57% of Lebanese students and 43% of non-Lebanese students, in 2017-2018 the trend was reversed with 48% of Lebanese students and 52% of non-Lebanese students.

- The funding mechanism set up via the RACE (Reaching All Children with Education) program to welcome Syrian students in Lebanese public schools is far from being sustainable since it relies solely on technical and financial partners. RACE’s funding gap is growing year by year as the number of Syrian refugee children increases.

2.3 The main obstacles of schooling to Lebanon

Depending on age categories, the main obstacles identified to schooling in Lebanon are the cost of transport and the distance between home and school26, the low awareness that families have of free education, lack of available places in schools and the negative perception that families have of school.

For all age categories, the direct costs (transportation27 in particular, but also all other costs linked to the purchase of textbooks and supplies, and meals) and indirect cost (opportunity cost 28) are the main obstacle to schooling. The higher the child's age, the more the opportunity cost is a factor taken into account by families in deciding whether or not to send their children to school.

26 Out-of-School Children Mapping and Profiling 18-19, HCR, mars 2019. The study mainly concerned Syrian children who constitute 97.5% of the children interviewed27 $17/ month/child-Source: « Qualitative Research on Social Tensions, Lebanon » UNDP/UNHCR July 2019 28 In this case, the opportunity cost consists of the income that a family forgoes when it decides to send their child to school rather than to make them workCall for project crisis and exit from crisis – AFDSupporting retention of vulnerable children in school in Lebanon

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The second reason cited by families was the lack of available places at school. Although Lebanon has 2,885 schools29, the number of classes per school and the number of students per class remain low. Consequently, there are not enough places in public schools to allow generalized access to a nearby school without having to pay more or less costly school fees for private establishments. As regards specifically the reception of Syrian refugee students in afternoon classes, double vacation is now in place in 350 public primary schools, but the number and location of these schools are likely to vary year after year, the school heads must annually confirm that the school, and more generally the community and the local authorities, are always ready to accommodate the double shift.

Finally, the third reason cited by families is the negative perception they have of education and its usefulness, mainly in terms of integration into the labor market.

2.4 The impacts of the economic crisis on the education of the most vulnerable groups in Lebanon

The impoverishment linked to the economic crisis, aggravated by the containment measures linked to the COVID-1930 pandemic, affects the Lebanese population as well as the refugee populations in proportions that seem to worsen with each new economic analysis or diagnosis of actors in the field. Bearing in mind that i) the cost of education is one of the main obstacles to the education of refugee children and ii) the majority of Lebanese children are enrolled in paid private establishments (the costs of which have also risen sharply since the start of the 2018 school year), the Lebanese authorities and NGOs confirm a significant risk of children from the most vulnerable families dropping out of school. The structural weakness of the public sector, the limited reception capacity in the public, the lack of funding and the weak guidance exercised by the State greatly increase this risk.

For the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education, preventing the dropout of children from vulnerable families has therefore become a central issue. The data available to analyze the impact of this polymorphic crisis on education are fragmented; however interviews with the authorities, NGOs, children and their families allow us to identify several likely consequences for education.

I) Transfer of large numbers of students from the private sector to the public education sector and saturation of the reception capacities of the public system

The financial difficulties of Lebanese families translate concretely into the unprecedented migration of students from private schools to public establishments due to the impoverishment of the middle class, many families of which no longer have the resources to pay school fees in the private sector 31. Thus, the number of students enrolled in the private and semi-private sector for the 2019-2020 school year has decreased by 12,226 students (while this number has continued to increase in recent years) while conversely, the number of pupils enrolled in the public increased by 11,626 pupils (the 29 CERD statistics/ French Institute30 Schools have been close since February 29, 2020. Bartering has been seen in some regions paralyzed by the economic downturn and daily workers are particularly affected31 Average tuition fees for a primary and complimentary student are around $2,600 a year in a country where the minimum wage is around $800 a month. The costs are not the same in primary and complimentary and then secondary. It should be possible to distinguish these costs according to educational levels Call for project crisis and exit from crisis – AFDSupporting retention of vulnerable children in school in Lebanon

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number of new registrants in the public sector thus tripled compared to the previous year) 32. The additional pressure on the public education sector in Lebanon is therefore very important and is likely to increase further for the year 2020-2021.

The regions of Akkar and Bekaa (Baalbek-Hermel area in particular) are particularly affected by this drop in student numbers in the private and semi-private sectors for 2019-2020: in those regions, the workforce decreased by 6.45% and 2.78% respectively. On the contrary, the number of students has increased by 3.28% in Akkar and 4.46% in Bekaa33.

However, given the low reception capacity of the public system, at both primary and secondary levels, not all students will be able to be received, which could lead to the phenomena of student selection on the basis of their social or denominational affiliation with, as a consequence, a significant increase in the number of out-of-school children in Lebanon. Especially since the explosion in Beirut on 4 August 2020 has damaged schools whose students will no longer be able to be accommodated at the start of the new school year, increasing the pressure on other schools not affected by the explosion, which may, in the meantime, shelter populations who have lost their homes. Secondary schools could be particularly affected, given the preference of families to educate children in the private sector at the primary level and then in the public sector at the secondary level. In general, trade-offs could be made between the schooling of children in terms of education levels. With specific regard to Syrian refugee students, the lack of schools willing to accommodate students - the school administration and the parents’ committee having to agree - or their lack of capacity is already one of the main reasons for not attending school for 33% of refugee children aged 3 to 5 and 15% of refugee children aged 6 to 14 years34.

In this context, non-formal education systems (which would welcome 8% of 6-14 years old and 6% of 15-17 years35 old) are an alternative to allow children to acquire basic skills or complete the learning they have achieved in the afternoon classes for Syrian refugee children 36. Accredited structures providing non-formal education programs face funding difficulties that do not allow them to meet all needs (in 2019, the objective was to be able to support 70,000 children; however, only 22,044 children could benefit from it, namely 31%).

II) Risk of dropping out and definitive exit from the education system and challenges of protecting the most vulnerable children

For students aged 15 to 17, the main dropout factor is related to the cost of education compared to the economic contribution to the family income of a young working person. For young Syrian refugees aged 15 to 17, this is the main factor in non-schooling: according to UNHCR data (March 2019), 25% of refugees aged 15 to 17 are not in school because they work.

32 4,000 new members of the public were registered for the year 2018-2019. Source: CERD Statistical Report, Lebanon33 CERD Statistical Report34 Out-Of-School Children mapping and profiling, UNHCR, March 201935 Out-Of-School Children mapping and profiling, UNHCR, March 201936 There are several non-formal education systems organized by the State for Syrian refugee children of primary school age aimed at upgrading these out-of-school or out-of-school students to enable them to integrate or reintegrate through following a formal course.Call for project crisis and exit from crisis – AFDSupporting retention of vulnerable children in school in Lebanon

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However, the fall in income of most households in Lebanon, potentially exacerbated by the explosion on 4 August, when shops, offices and livelihoods were damaged or destroyed, raises fears of the development of child and youth work (including hazardous work), the risk increasing with the age of the child37. In view of the current economic crisis, the greatest risks for children over the age of 13 are for boys to be out of school to work and for girls to be out of school to be married38.

Growing needs for psychosocial support are also appearing, in particular due to an increase in cases of violence between pupils or between pupils and teachers. The already violent environment in which some children live, associated with the multiple factors of vulnerability, seem to make it increasingly necessary to sensitize parents and teachers to the issues of child protection (awareness, identification of cases, care for victims, monitoring).

The decrease in household incomes could also lead families to arbitrate food spending while the proportion of families experiencing a situation of food insecurity is growing 39. The NGO International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) indicates that according to observations made in public schools before their closure, about a third of the students would no longer bring their lunch and that the school leaders reported more cases of students not having lunch. In this context, school feeding programs have the double advantage of helping children in the most vulnerable families to stay in school (thus reducing school absenteeism) and improving student performance40. At the request of MEHE, the World Food Program (WFP) is expanding its school feeding program to support an additional 12,000 students from public schools.

III) Impacts on learning outcomes, in particular for pupils in the first levels of primary education

A number of students may be unable to return to school and complete the school year. The risk is particularly important for pupils in the first classes of primary school during which the first learning must be carried out in order to anchor skills in reading, calculation and writing in the long term.

This risk is increased by the closure of schools due to measures taken to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the country and the damage caused to schools by the 4 August explosion. A distance learning program via television has been set up by MEHE; however, as in other countries, children's ability to i) follow this program and ii) learn from it strongly depend on their access to tools (television, internet) and on the parents' ability to support them.

From this point of view, non-formal education devices would play an important role in the implementation of school support activities and extracurricular activities to improve the quality of

37 From this point of view, it will be noted that the dual vocational training systems, which allow young people to access vocational training on the one hand and contribute to the family income on the other, are poorly developed in Lebanon. In all cases, the reception capacities are far below the requirements.38 A 2015-16 UNICEF study in Lebanon also indicated that the prevalence of early marriage (that is, before the age of 18) affected people in Lebanon differently depending on their nationality. Early marriage thus concerns 40% of young Syrian girls, 25% of Palestinian refugees from Syria, 12% of Palestinian refugees from Lebanon and 6% of young Lebanese girls.39 2019 December Statistical Dashboard – Inter-Agency Coordination Lebanon40 The study by the American University of Beirut (AUB) highlights better performance in mathematics.Call for project crisis and exit from crisis – AFDSupporting retention of vulnerable children in school in Lebanon

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student learning but also in the dialogue between families and educators (in particular around the issues of raising awareness about preventing dropouts and supporting children), with refugee students as well as Lebanese students. The MEHE recently asked local actors organizing school support activities in schools that these activities cover 50% of Lebanese and 50% of non-Lebanese, in schools where possible41.

IV) Increased tensions between host and refugee communities

The economic crisis currently affecting Lebanon comes in a context of great fragility and pre-existing difficulties: the consequences of this crisis are therefore adding to those of the Syrian crisis.

Since summer 2019, there has been an increase in social tensions. In education, these tensions crystallize around the differences in treatment observed in public schools between Lebanese and Syrian42 students and the perception, for some of the Lebanese families, of a decline in the quality of reception conditions (deterioration of the premises, for example) and of teaching-learning (deterioration of the textbooks which are not replaced, fatigue of the teachers who provide the morning and afternoon lessons) due to the implementation of the double vacation and manifest in and on the way to school.

A risk of stigmatization of refugees, as Lebanese families see their financial difficulties increase, is reported. The social tension monitoring system set up by the UNDP and the UNHCR 43 shows a clear increase in tensions (polarization of speech, negative perception of the other, propensity for violence, etc.) which could have led to a larger number of Syrian refugees to return to Syria in December 201944.

2. THE CALL FOR PROJECTS CRISIS AND EXIT FROM CRISIS SUPPORT FOR KEEPING VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN SCHOOL IN LEBANON

2.1 Purpose

The Call for projects aims to improve the success of the most vulnerable students in the Lebanese public education system by enabling it to respond to the challenges of quality, equity and social cohesion, in a context of transition from emergency to development, exacerbated crisis and strong inequalities.

The objective of the Call for Projects is to prevent the most vulnerable groups from dropping out of school in a context of exacerbated crisis. The activities will exclusively target public schools, and possibly the non-formal education centers for activities such as homework support to students from public schools. Other non-formal education systems, for example to take care of children who are

41 Learning Support Needs, NRC, February 202042 Tensions related to the cost of the school: $150 / year for Lebanese students against free for Syrian students, the fact that Lebanese students must wear a uniform while Syrian students do not, books are payable for Lebanese students and free for Syrian students. Source: Qualitative Research on Social Tensions, Lebanon, UNDP / UNHCR, July 201943 Tensions’ Monitoring System44 https://information.tv5monde.com/info/au-liban-des-refugies-syriens-touches-par-la-crise-economique-quittent-le-pays-337499Call for project crisis and exit from crisis – AFDSupporting retention of vulnerable children in school in Lebanon

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https://information.tv5monde.com/info/au-liban-des-refugies-syriens-touches-par-la-crise-economique-quittent-le-pays-337499

https://information.tv5monde.com/info/au-liban-des-refugies-syriens-touches-par-la-crise-economique-quittent-le-pays-337499

unschooled or out of school, will not be eligible under this Call, except under the additional €2M component.

The selected project should contribute to strengthening the public education system, in particular its resilience capacities. It will have to offer short, medium and long-term activities with the most direct effects possible on the most fragile audiences.

2.2 Specific Objectives

In the education sector, the objectives of the MEHE as of the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP) 2017-2020 are:

- Improving access to education, especially for the most vulnerable children;- Improving the quality of education;- Strengthening the education system.

The projects proposed must therefore be aligned with these priorities.

The specific objectives of the Call for projects are as follows:

Improving access of vulnerable children in Lebanon to safe and quality learning environments;

Preventing dropouts ; Improvement of the quality of teaching-learning; Implementation of actions enabling schools to become vectors of social cohesion between

refugee populations and host communities; Strengthening the resilience of the public education system to be able to cope with shocks

(including a sudden and growing demand for education in the public sector) through capitalization-modeling work to develop recommendations for public action.

2.3 Intervention Process

The intervention approach of the project will be explained through a theory of change allowing identification of:

- Final and intermediate changes targeted;- The paths chosen to achieve these changes (change paths);- The targeted impacts in relation to the results to be achieved and the actions to be

implemented.

The intervention process of the project will also take into account:- The need for the first tangible activities to be implemented within six months after the start

of the project;- Links between short-term activities and medium / long-term activities;- From the "Do no harm" approach.

2.4 Targeted priority areas

The Call for Projects targets the following governorates/areas: North, Akkar, Baalbek-Hermel and Bekaa, as well as the area of South Beirut. Following the explosion in the port of Beirut on 4 August 2020, an additional €2M will be made available to adjust the response to the situation and needs identified following the explosion, in coordination with the MEHE and as part of the needs analysis conducted jointly with the other technical and financial partners present in Lebanon. This component will be implemented subject to AFD financing being granted in January 2021.


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Within these specific intervention areas, CSOs or consortia will propose areas of intervention. The choice of these intervention areas must be clearly explained and justified. In particular, the identification of these areas by CSOs or consortia should take into account the following three factors:

- The proportion of vulnerable households living in the chosen area;- The number and proportion of Syrian refugees living in the chosen area. The number of

children will be specified by distinguishing the number and proportion of children aged 6 to 14 and the proportion of children aged 15 to 17;

- The educational situation with regard to i) the state of public infrastructure, ii) the enrollment rate and reception capacities, iii) transfers of students from the private to the public sector, iv) teaching- learning45 conditions, and v) the learning outcomes. CSOs will choose the indicators they deem most relevant to illustrate the educational situation by clearly specifying the wording, the calculation method and the source.

- For the additional component, the impacts of the explosion, the needs of the most vulnerable populations and the articulation of the proposed interventions with those already implemented or likely to be implemented in the coming 6 months by other technical and financial partners (NGOs, United Nations, bilateral or multilateral agencies). Particular attention will be paid to the coordination of the proposed actions with those of other partners in order to avoid duplication of efforts and to promote aid coordination.

Particular attention will be paid to the way in which the intervention zones will be selected within a coherent perimeter (a group of villages, districts or neighborhoods) in order to facilitate exchanges with local actors and their participation in the project, to support the emergence of actions carried out by the communities concerned and to limit the costs of monitoring and supervision.

2.5 Project Content

Projects will need to offer activities to support keeping the most vulnerable children in school. The proposed actions must demonstrate their articulation with the directions of the MEHE (including the contingency plan under development) and the PASREL program funded by AFD, and be consistent with the directions of the MINKA46 initiative. The axes proposed for the Call for projects are therefore the following:

- Improvement of school and learning environments. Mild rehabilitation activities aimed at increasing the intake capacity in schools located in the identified intervention area may be offered provided that the MEHE owns the school. On the contrary, new construction activities will be excluded from eligible activities;

- Preventing school drop-out, for example through awareness-raising activities for families or measures to support schooling: school feeding, distribution of textbooks and school supplies, monitoring of children and their families, etc.;

- Improving the quality of teaching and learning, including through school and out-of-school support actions;

- Improving the well-being of children (including their families), for example through psychosocial support actions;

- Preventing tensions between host and refugee communities in schools.

45 For example, proportion of teachers with a professional teaching qualification, percentage of teachers with language skills, number of textbooks per student, etc.46 https://www.afd.fr/fr/minka-fonds-paix-et-resilience The objective of the MINKA Middle East initiative is to mitigate the risks of the spread of the Syrian conflict beyond its borders by supporting the humanitarian-development transition and by acting in response but also in preventing future crises.Call for project crisis and exit from crisis – AFDSupporting retention of vulnerable children in school in Lebanon

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An ad hoc component should also propose actions in response to the impacts of the explosion of 4 August on the most vulnerable pupils for a maximum amount of €2M.

The projects must specify the first tangible activities to be implemented in the first six months after the start of the project (“rapid-impact component”).

The projects must also specify how the proposed activities will:- Contribute to improving relations between the school and the family / community;- Take into account and respond to gender issues in and around school, including school-

related gender-based violence;- Contribute to improving the well-being of children at school in a context of polymorphic and

evolving crisis;- Adapt to changes in the intervention context;- Contribute to strengthening the public education system, in particular its capacity to deal

with crises / shocks;- Coordinate with other actions / projects developed by national and local authorities or PLIs

in the project intervention areas.

Projects will also: - Integrate a "Do No Harm" approach so as not to unintentionally exacerbate the tensions

existing in the intervention context, but on the contrary reinforce the elements contributing to peace or cohesion;

- Integrate a method of consultation and participation of local populations and public authorities (including at the local level);

- Integrate a monitoring-evaluation-capitalization system adapted to the crisis context. This system should make it possible to monitor changes and progress, taking into account changes in the context and the impact of the project on local contextual dynamics, and will rely as much as possible on the participation of project beneficiaries;

- Be designed in a sustainable manner; - Take into account security constraints.

3. STAKEHOLDERS AND PROCEDURE

a. Eligibility

To be eligible, candidate PLIs must fulfill the following general conditions:- Be duly registered in Lebanon or be in the process of registration;- Justify an office in Lebanon and working relationships and / or partnerships with local actors

(PLI, authorities at national and local level);- Have at least prior experience in implementing projects in Lebanon in the education sector,

ideally in the areas of intervention of the Call for projects;- Have a capacity for close dialogue with the AFD headquarters in Paris and with the AFD

agency in Beirut;- Demonstrate a capacity for dialogue with the national authorities at central (Ministry of

Education and Higher Education) and local (regional education offices) levels. Past experience working with the MEHE of the CSO or one of the CSOs in consortium will be considered an asset;

- Have a territorial base and successful work experiences with communities in areas with a large number of refugees;

- Present tangible elements demonstrating their ability to i) assess security issues and risks in the intervention areas targeted and ii) set up a monitoring and evaluation system;


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- Demonstrate their ability to implement large-scale projects: the PLI must have a robust financial and administrative management system (procurement), implementation and monitoring-evaluation. They must also, in the specific context of Lebanon, demonstrate their capacity to quickly disburse the funds paid by AFD for the execution of activities (the execution of the financing should not be affected by present or future restrictions imposed by the Lebanese banks on the withdrawal / use of funds deposited in account).

b. Budget

The total budget dedicated to the project is a maximum of 10 million euros ; a fixed amount of 8 million euros already allocated by AFD and an additional amount of 2 million euros subject to allocation in January 2021 to finance actions in response to the 4 August explosion. This budget is intended to cover all costs related to the implementation of the project.

The funding may cover 100% of the tax-inclusive budget of the project presented by the CSO or consortium. It will take into account the operating costs relating to the implementation of the project, the project monitoring-supervision costs, the committee meetings, as well as the structural costs of the CSO(s).

The distribution of charges will include a line "miscellaneous and unforeseen costs - component not affected" representing 10% of the overall budget of the project. Audit costs are estimated to be approximately 5% of the entire project budget.

c. Financial Management

The financial management will be ensured by the PLI signing a financing agreement with AFD in accordance with the provisions and obligations defined in said financing agreement. This will set the conditions for the receipt and use of funds, including eligible expenses, the commitments requiring AFD's non-objection notices, as well as the modalities and frequency of technical and financial reporting. For administrative and financial procedures, the standard AFD provisions applicable to NGO funding will be used.

Project proposals will provide the list of materials to be acquired for the project in the form of a procurement plan (see AFD model available online). A plan for the retrocession of acquisitions to the national authorities will be established. It will constitute a prerequisite for the completion of the last payment under the project. The destination of this material will be decided with the MEHE for integration into the heritage of the ministry.

d. Audit

Bidders must include in their proposal the performance of external audits which will include the verification of procurement procedures. The PLI will contract with an audit firm, whose terms of reference, selection procedures and final selection will be subject to AFD's no objection. AFD's standard terms of reference for audits will be used. The firm will carry out the necessary verifications regarding the proper use of project funds. The audit contract is financed within the framework of the project, up to an estimated 5% of the total amount of the project.

e. Monitoring and EvaluationThe monitoring and evaluation system will be adapted to the degraded and volatile security context of the project intervention areas. It should make it possible to regularly monitor the impact of the


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evolution of the context on the results of the project, but also the impact of the project on the dynamics of social cohesion, in order to guarantee the conflict sensitivity of the project. To do this, the participation of communities (beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries) in the identification, monitoring and evaluation of activities is encouraged.The indicators of the project monitoring and evaluation system should allow it to measure the contribution of the project to the achievement of the results of the national policy as much as possible (contingency plan, emergency response plan, etc.). At a minimum, the following indicators will be monitored for the total duration of the project:

Number of children enrolled in primary education and in lower secondary education

Number of students

Number of girls enrolled in primary education Number of girlsNumber of boys enrolled in primary education Number of boysNumber of children achieving primary education Number of studentsNumber of girls enrolled in lower secondary education Number of girls Number of boys enrolled in lower secondary education Number of boys

The monitoring and evaluation system may also propose a budget dedicated to studies and action research.

f. Security Policy

AFD draws the attention of tenderers to the fact that several zones in Lebanon are classified as orange and red vigilance zones by the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE). The project must therefore be subject to a detailed risk analysis and have appropriate security means. The selected CSO or consortium will be solely responsible for the definition and implementation of its security plan which will be transmitted to the competent consular or local authorities with regard to the nationality of the CSO (or CSOs in the case of a consortium).

AFD will in no way be responsible for the security of the project and will not comment on the security strategy or procedures developed by the CSO(s). The costs associated with the resources dedicated to security may, however, be covered by the project and must therefore, where appropriate, be clearly identified in the budget. In any event, they will be deemed to be included in the proposal.

AFD's good practices guide is available: https://www.afd.fr/fr/ressources/guide-de-bonnes-pratiques-plans-de-surete

4. CALENDAR OF THE CALL FOR PROJECTS AND DURATION OF THE INTERVENTION

a. Provisional calendar for the Call for projects

Publication of the Call: May 19, 2020Deadline for receipt of proposals: September 11, 2020Opening of the proposals: September 14, 2020Analysis of the proposals: September 21, 2020Selection of the project: September 25, 2020Start of the co-construction period: September 28, 2020Signature of the agreement: December 18, 2020Project start-up: 1st quarter 2021


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https://www.afd.fr/fr/ressources/guide-de-bonnes-pratiques-plans-de-surete

https://www.afd.fr/fr/ressources/guide-de-bonnes-pratiques-plans-de-surete

b. Duration

Within the framework of the Call, AFD intends to contribute to the financing of expenses necessary for the realization of projects designed and defined by CSOs, alone or in consortium, for a period of 36 to 48 months.


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Documents

· Web view2020/08/08 · In the framework of the funding of the Program for a Resilient Education System in Lebanon (PASREL) implemented by the Ministry of Education and Higher