Expert in needs assessment: DEVELOPING LEBANON’S TECH SECTOR THROUGH THE LEBANESE DIASPORA

Ad Details

  • Ad ID: 1422

  • Added: May 19, 2021

  • Location: Lebanon

  • State: N/A

  • City: N/A

  • Views: 4135

  • Recruiting Organization: ICMPD - EU Global Diaspora Facility

  • Residence Requirements: no

  • Required Experience & Qualification: • University degree or equivalent higher education; • Sound knowledge in the field of export of services to France/EU or in areas of work linked to access to markets in the technology sector; • Sound knowledge of qualitative research methods with experience in conducting interviews strongly preferred; • Experience in the Lebanese and French tech markets is an asset; • Excellent analytical, drafting and organisational skills;

  • Required Language: Proficiency in English is required. Proficiency in Arabic or French is an asset.

  • How to Submit Application: Send your CV to hala.tarabay@icmpd.org

  • Contract type: Project based

Description

Background

The European Union Global Diaspora Facility (EUDiF) is an EU-funded project, implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), running from June 2019 until December 2022. EUDiF is the first EU-funded project that works towards fostering an informed, inclusive and impactful diaspora-development ecosystem.

To achieve this, the project has four interlinked components:
I. Mapping, research and evidence on diaspora engagement;
II. Capacity Development Laboratory (CDL) for governments and diaspora actors;
III. Outreach, dialogue and partnership activities;
IV. Diaspora Professionals for Development (DP4D), a roster of diaspora experts to be deployed for development projects.
As part of EUDiF’s component related to capacity development for diaspora engagement, EUDiF will undertake several Actions to empower diaspora organisations, partner governments and regional organisations to foster development in the country of origin over 2021-2022.

Action AFPI x Berytech

EUDiF is providing technical support under the Action “Developing Lebanon’s Tech Sector through the Lebanese Diaspora” that is led by the Lebanese diaspora organisation in France “Association Franco-Libanaise des Professionnels de l’Informatique” (AFPI) and is in partnership with Berytech, a local incubator and accelerator in Beirut. The objective of the Action is to equip the Lebanese diaspora in France with knowledge, skills and tools to support the development of the Lebanese tech sector.
AFPI and Berytech launched the Cedars Tech Label initiative alongside other partners to support Lebanese tech companies that wish to enter the EU market, particularly France. The Cedars Tech Label aims to unite innovative Lebanese companies around a common and strong identity, and to build upon a shared set of values to promote “Made by Lebanese” quality engineering. The specific objectives of the Action are as follows:
1. Strengthen the credibility of the Lebanese tech sector by supporting AFPI in drafting the guidelines for the Cedars Tech label; and
2. Ease the access of Lebanese companies to the French market by building on the diaspora’s expertise to tailor a training tool, the “French Market Acceleration Program”;
3. Develop the capacities of AFPI to promote its services and the Lebanese tech sector locally and internationally.
The focus of this assignment is related to specific objective 2: to conduct a needs assessment to feed into the content and the design of the “French Market Acceleration Program”.
Tasks
In line with the mandate of the EUDiF project, and in cooperation and coordination with the Project Team, the expert will develop the following activity:

Activity: Needs assessment

• Location: Virtual
• Working days: 10 (2 days for validation of the scope & development of research methodology and tools, 5 days for data collection, and 3 days for report drafting)

The objective of this assignment is to support AFPI & Berytech in exploring and assessing the capacities of local Lebanese tech companies to export services to the French market. The expert will conduct an assessment that will provide an analysis of the skills and gaps across those companies. He/she will conduct 10-12 focus group discussions (up to 4 participants in each FGD) with relevant stakeholders. This can include private sector organisations and business support organisations and associations. The needs assessment report should include the following key considerations:
1. Main profile of local stakeholders (i.e. trainees), their sub-sectors of interest and their experience with entering the French market (including bottlenecks faced).
2. A brief literature review on existing training programmes.
3. Preferred format and timeline of the training programme.
4. Training needs based on:
a. Knowledge about the rights and obligations when trading services with French consumers and businesses.
b. Knowledge about key players, businesses and promotion opportunities in the tech sector in France.
c. Ability to develop practical and concrete road maps for exporting services to France.
d. Knowledge about donor programmes and funds in the destination market.
e. Knowledge about existing training programmes for exporting services.
f. (If any) Other relevant thematic area(s) to be covered by the training programme that emerge from the research.

Sub-activity 1: Validation of the scope & development of research methodology and tools
• Location: Virtual
• Working days: 2
The expert will send EUDiF, AFPI and Berytech suggestions, if any, to refine the assessment’s objectives and to validate its scope. EUDiF, Berytech and the expert will together identify the participants of the FGDs, and after the approval of AFPI, Berytech and EUDiF, the expert will proceed to the development of the research methodology and tools, including FGD questions and forms. Attention will be paid to ensuring that the research methodology and tools can be re-used by AFPI and Berytech to replicate or update the exercise. Once the research tools are approved by EUDiF, AFPI and Berytech, the expert can proceed to data collection.

Estimated results of sub-activity 1:
• Validation of the research scope and the development of the research methodology and tools.
• AFPI and Berytech acquire a draft of the scope, methodology and tools to re-use them to replicate or update the needs assessment in the future.

Deliverable(s):
Methodology and tools for data collection, validated with the project team and AFPI & Berytech.

Sub-activity 2: Data collection
• Location: Virtual
• Working days: 5
The expert will conduct the data collection through virtual meetings and will be responsible for the planning and implementation of the data collection from the participants. The data collection must begin within one week of the validation of the research methodology and tools.

Estimated results of the sub-activity 2:
Collection of data from 10-12 FGDs (up to four participants in each FDG).

Deliverable(s):
FGD forms.

Sub-activity 3: Report drafting
• Location: Virtual
• Working days: 3
The expert must then submit the first draft of the report no longer than two weeks after the data collection ends to allow the project team and the AFPI & Berytech to review the document. The expert will review and consolidate the document no later than one week after receiving comments from the project team and AFPI & Berytech .

Estimated results of the sub-activity 3:
• Identification of the thematic areas to be covered in the training programme and its format.

Deliverable(s):
• Needs assessment report of maximum 10 pages (internal document not for public dissemination);
• The final version of the report should be submitted no later than 1 week after receiving comments from the project team and API & Berytech;
• The exact dates for delivery of the draft and final version will be fixed once the work plan has been agreed with the AFPI & Berytech.

All deliverables will be produced in English.

Number of working days for this project: 15 days.

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