Development and Partnerships Specialist

POSTION INFORMATION

- VA No.: UNDP/LBN/VA26/138

- Position Title: Development and Partnerships Specialist

- Duty Station: Beirut with some site visits to North, Bekaa, Mount Lebanon and the South.

- Duration: 4 months (Total of 18 working days per month)

- Vacancy Date of Issue: 20 August 2026

- Vacancy Closure Date: 27 August 2026

- National or International consultancy: National consultancy

To review the full Terms of Reference (TOR), please follow link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fq0wNGYuJvUBLoaMeF0p9M_6oAliTw5H/view

BACKGROUND

Palestinian Gatherings represent one of the most vulnerable and marginalized host communities in Lebanon. These areas represent informal areas of dwelling for a majority of Palestinian refugees without enjoying a camp status. An estimated 120,000 host and newly displaced refugees live in dire conditions that have long existed in the gatherings, marked by poverty and inequality, lack of service provision, run-down physical environments, and limited access to jobs and income-generation opportunities. Legal restrictions imposed on Palestinian refugees in Lebanon contribute to the worsening of their socio-economic conditions. Palestinian refugees are unable to own property assets in the country as per the 2001 law, which required to bequeath properties already acquired by Palestinians to religious authorities. In spite of the recent limited changes in labor regulations, Palestinian refugees in Lebanon also remain excluded from all syndicated professions. Moreover, Palestinian Gatherings remain excluded from wider sector development plans or local projects and services. The situation has worsened since the Syrian crisis, resulting currently in a 16% population rise in these vulnerable host communities. As a result, Palestinian Gatherings have been witnessing unmet demand on WASH services and infrastructure networks, unprecedented pressure on available shelters and spaces, and additional competition over resources, jobs, and relief. All these factors have contributed not only to worsening the living conditions of Palestinian refugees in the Gatherings, but also to the rise of tensions within the Gatherings and surrounding communities. The project seeks to strengthen the resilience of the host communities in the most vulnerable host Palestinian Gatherings. Interventions include:

• Output 1: Provide environmentally and economically sustainable WASH services at the community level in the gatherings.
• Output 2: Improve environmental and structural conditions of shelter units in the gatherings.
• Output 3: Promote inclusive and safer environments in the gatherings through comprehensive neighborhood-upgrading interventions.
• Output 4: Improve hygiene conditions for host and new refugee communities in the gatherings.
• Output 5: Reduce youth risky behaviors in the gatherings through livelihood interventions.
• Output 6: Develop a national coordination and planning platform for response and development in Palestinian Gatherings.
• Output 7: Local communities and institutions supported to respond to COVID-19 in the gatherings.

Since 2016, the project has been implementing interventions to improve the socio-economic conditions of dwellers in Palestinian Gatherings Host Communities, with a focus on youth, women, PWDs, as well as productive entities, start-ups, and SMEs.

SCOPE OF WORK, RESPONSIBILITIES AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ANALYTICAL WORK

Under the overall guidance of the Project Manager, the Development and Partnerships Specialist will perform the following functions:

• Support the Project Manager in articulating and visualizing priority objectives and strategic interventions of the project.
• Develop strategies and directions for the community development sector (social and economic) through the identification of priorities, responses, and potential national partners.
• Lead the design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of community development activities.
• Support the Project Manager in developing relevant Concept Notes, TORs, and Monitoring and Evaluation frameworks.
• Develop and strengthen partnerships with local organizations and different community groups to promote their effective participation and their support of the project’s development objectives.
• Design tools and manage the implementation of community outreach strategies and behavioral-change campaigns in support of various sectors of UNDP work in Palestinian Gatherings, including environmental responsibility and public health campaigns.
• Lead the research, development, pre-testing, design, and production of IEC material, including animation videos and online platforms in Arabic and English.
• Lead the design of tools and training of personnel implementing community engagement activities, including focus group discussions, key informant interviews, surveys, needs assessments, etc.
• Organize and facilitate events, workshops, focus group discussions, etc.
• Lead the production of relevant publications issued by the project, including visibility material, project briefs, awareness material, and thematic guides and reports.
• Report progress and results to the Project Manager.
• Plan activities and tools to ensure the active participation of women, men, youth, children, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups.
• Ensure conflict sensitivity and gender mainstreaming in activity design, implementation, and monitoring.

EXPECTED OUTPUTS AND DELIVERABLES The Consultant is expected to submit monthly progress reports undertaking the above-mentioned tasks and activities under the TOR, noting that the total duration should not exceed four months (a total of 18 working days per month). INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

• The Development and Partnerships Specialist will work under the overall guidance of the Project Manager.
• UNDP will be responsible for providing the contractor with all necessary materials related to the project in a timely, thorough, and transparent manner. UND