The monthly dashboard summarizes the progress made by partners involved in the Lebanon Crisis Response and highlights trends affecting people in need. Partners in Lebanon are working to ensure that for vulnerable groups, especially youth, access to income and employment is improved.
PROGRESS TOWARDS SECTOR OUTCOMES AND OUTPUTS IN Q2
Livelihoods partners achieved promising results in the frst half of 2017, following the sharp increase in resources and funding which began in late 2016. With 34 active partners and over USD 60 million available for programming (2017 funding & carry over), compared to USD 10 million received at the same point last year, the sector has an unprecedented opportunity to scale up impact and deliver results.
The strong focus placed on job creation following the London and Brussels conferences enabled 1,181 long-term employment opportunities to be created/maintained in 2017, representing over twice the total 2016 job creation fgure. As a key engine for growth, 668 businesses were supported through the provision of in-kind and cash grants of a cumulated value of US$2,6m (vs. 648 MSMEs supported for the whole of 2016 through US$1.6m worth of grants). In addition, 1,814 entrepreneurs and employees benefted from business management trainings since January
Livelihoods partners are increasingly focusing on the latter type of support, as evidence from recent programme evaluation suggests that the provision of business development services, technical assistance and coaching are key to ensure the sustainable growth of supported companies.
In parallel, the sector is currently engaged in the development of seven key value chains in the waste management, furniture and agro-food/dairy sectors through 50 interventions conducted in the North/Akkar, Bekaa and South governorates. Evidence suggests that the potential return on investment of such interventions is high, especially in the waste management sector, with sizeable job creation opportunities.
On the supply side of the labour market, 11,276 vulnerable individuals completed market-based skills trainings (53% of whom Syrians), a remarkable threefold increase compared to Q2 2016. Despite partners’ eforts to combine the provision of such trainings with job placement schemes, only 573 trainees were successfully placed into jobs so far, confrming the need to deepen our collaboration with the private sector.
On a similar note, the number of labor-intensive interventions, which are both complex and costly to implement, has remained quite limited with only 2,103 benefciaries working on infrastructure rehabilitation and environmental assets improvements in 184 villages. This represents around 2/3rd of the Q2 2016 fgure and less than 6% of sector’s target for 2017, emphasizing the urgent need for larger-scale programmes to be implemented in the coming months.
