Context

In December 2020, the European Union (EU), the United Nations (UN) and the World Bank Group (WBG) launched the Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Framework (3RF). The 3RF provides a costed and prioritized plan of key actions over the next 18 months across various sectors to support the recovery and reconstruction of Beirut following the tragic explosion of August 4, 2020.

The 3RF Institutional Architecture. The 3RF sets out institutional arrangements that comprise:

1. a Consultative Group (CG), to serve as a platform for overarching strategic guidance and direction on implementation and for high-level policy dialogue on 3RF priorities;
2. a Partnership Council as the governing body for the Lebanon Financing Facility (LFF); and
3. an Independent Oversight Body to provide broad oversight on 3RF implementation progress and use of financing and aggregating citizen perspectives.

A dedicated Secretariat will provide support to the institutional arrangements and help facilitate 3RF implementation.

The inclusion of civil society in the governance and implementation of reform, recovery and reconstruction is a core principle of the 3RF. Civil society will therefore be represented in the Consultative Group as well as the LFF Partnership Council. The proposed Independent Oversight Body will be established once the CG has been constituted and will include opportunities for participation from civil society members or organizations.

This Call for Expression of Interest is being issued by the EU-UN-World Bank 3RF Technical Team and aims to facilitate the nomination of civil society and private sector representation (in short “Civil Society Organizations” – CSOs) in the CG.

CSOs are non-State, not-for-profit, voluntary entities formed by people in the social sphere representing a wide range of interests and ties. In the context of the 3RF, the CSOs component includes representatives of the professional associations and the private/economic sector.

CSOs need to take note that participation in the Consultative Group is not compatible with participation in the Independent Oversight Body. In case a CSO is selected for the Consultative Group and wishes to apply for a role in the Oversight Body, this CSO needs to withdraw from the Consultative Group.

The 3RF Consultative Group

The CG will aim to achieve the following strategic planning objectives and outcomes:

Providing strategic guidance and direction for implementation of the 3RF;

1. Ensuring strategic coordination, harmonization and alignment of resources to 3RF priorities;
2. Reviewing and monitoring progress in implementation of the 3RF; and
3. Communicating results and undertaking strategic initiatives.

CG Membership

The CG will have a tripartite structure, including representatives from the Government and parliament, civil society and development partners. It is expected to meet initially bimonthly, and later on a quarterly basis.

The CG will have a total of 28 members, with 9 representatives for each component of the Government/parliament and civil society and private sector components, and 10 representatives for development partners. There will be four co-chairs representing: Government; CSOs; donors/development partners, and the UN. CSOs and donor representation may be assigned on a yearly rotation basis.

Membership in the CG will be on a pro bono basis.

The role of CSO representatives in the CG will include the following:

1. to prepare and contribute views and positions in CG meetings, including on 3RF priorities, implementation challenges and ways of working;
2. to communicate and share feedback from CG discussions with constituency and/or civil society at large;
3. to follow up on CG decisions and next steps;
4. to promote the 3RF, its approach and results; and
5. to prepare and/or contribute to working documents and CSO initiatives.

It is expected that the CSO representative participating in the CG would have to commit at least 1-2 days every two months to participating in meetings, reviewing and/or commenting on documents, providing feedback and undertaking follow-up, and developing/supporting initiatives.

Proposed Composition of CSOs CG Membership (9 members)

Civil society representatives will be selected for the following categories (distribution of seats is indicative):

1. National and international NGOs - 2 seats

• INGOs and NGOs (with a preference for umbrella organizations or network)

1. Civil Society or Community-Based Organizations or Initiatives - 4 seats

• Citizen-based / academic initiatives, think tanks, advocacy organizations (e.g. gender/women’s rights, inclusion, human rights)
• Community-based and grassroots or neighborhood organizations

1. Professional and Business Organizations - 3 seats

• Professional associations
• Business /private sector associations

CSOs will need to meet specified criteria, as per below.   

Selection Qualifications / Criteria for CSOs

The following criteria will be applied to select civil society representatives for the CG:

• Representation: As part of their candidacy, interested organizations will need to demonstrate their ability to represent civil society or citizen perspectives at large or of their groupings and to carry the voice and concerns of people, notably vulnerable communities or groups. They will also need to demonstrate ability to feedback progress or challenges of 3RF implementation to their groupings and/or citizens more widely.

• Expertise: CSOs must have demonstrated expertise in area(s) relevant to the reform, recovery and reconstruction of Beirut; expertise to comment and shape strategies and modalities for 3RF implementation; and, experience in 3RF crosscutting areas, including governance, gender, social inclusion, and environment.

• Track record: CSOs should have a track record of credible, transparent, ethical and impactful interventions in Lebanon, including demonstrated work/engagement following the Beirut port explosion; experience in multi-stakeholder coordination is desirable for the NGO and professional/business association seats. A minimum of 5 years of experience for NGOs and professional/business associations and of 1 year for other CSOs is required. CSOs need to also have track record on core values and principles, including social cohesion and inclusion, transparency and accountability.

• Capacity: CSOs must have the administrative capacity and human resources to engage in the Consultative Group.  They must commit to make time and resources available to effectively and efficiently perform their role as representatives, if and when selected.

• Inclusion & non-partisanship: CSOs must be gender-inclusive, i.e. open to all and not discriminate against a particular sex or gender identity or expression. CSOs representing youth, disabled and other vulnerable categories will be favorably considered. CSO should provide services and or undertake activities without regard to any religious community or political affiliation.

The selection of CSOs will aim to achieve full gender balance in terms of individual representatives across the available seats. In addition, the intention is to select at least two civil society representatives with a direct focus on women’s rights/interest (such as women’s rights organization or a women’s business association), contingent upon the receipt of enough Expressions of Interest that fulfill the criteria listed below.

The CSO submitting an Expression of Interest for CG membership will need to disclose any potential conflict of interest (e.g. role in implementation of donor or government funded programs that relate to the 3RF).

Process for Expressing Interest in Consultative Group Role

CSOs interested in pursuing this opportunity are requested to send their Expression of Interest, duly signed by an authorized representative of the organization to the 3RF Technical Team at the following email address: 3RF_Technical_Team@worldbank.org,  by Tuesday, February 23, 2021.

The expression of interest should describe:

1. Motivation and interest in being a member of the CG;
2. Mandate, objectives, size of the organization (including membership for umbrella organizations/networks); and
3.  Expertise, track record and capacity of the organization (see criteria above).

 In developing the Expression of Interest, CSOs should carefully take into account the selection criteria set out above. CSOs should also identify supporters, i.e., organizations/initiatives that are backing their application, and submit proof thereof (e.g. email, letter of endorsement) in annex.

The submission should clearly state the CSO category applied for:  i) INGO/NGO; ii) Civil society or Community-based organizations or initiatives; or iii) professional/business organization.

The submission should also clearly state the name of the CSO and its contact details as well the name, title, and contact details of the person proposed to represent the CSO in the CG. The CSO must indicate its registration number/status in Lebanon (if available).

The submission should be made in English, using Calibri (body) font size 12 (twelve). It should not exceed two pages.

Selection Process

The selection will be based on an open, transparent process.

The review and processing of the Expressions of Interest will be done by the 3RF Technical Team, composed of officials from EU, UN and WB, in cooperation with a small independent advisory group nominated by the 3RF Technical Team.

A prioritized shortlist of CSOs (by category) meeting the criteria will be presented to the CSOs of the relevant category that submitted an Expression of Interest with a view for them to undertake a nomination by consensus (self-selection). In case no consensus can be reached, the decision will be made by a majority vote by the CSOs that submitted an Expression of Interest. Nominations will be made for the years 2021 and 2022, taking into account annual rotation. The 3RF Technical Team will support the selection process.

The result for each category will be communicated to the 3RF Technical Team, which in turn will inform the principal representatives of the UN, WB and EU in the 3RF. The first CG meeting will confirm the nominations.

Other Opportunities for Involvement

There are other opportunities for stakeholders to participate in the implementation process of the 3RF. These opportunities include:

• Specialized CSOs may be called to participate in the CG on ad hoc basis for specific agenda items;
• Participation in the work of the Independent Oversight Body, which in broad terms, would monitor 3RF implementation progress and use of financing; periodic reporting disclosed to the public and presented to the CG; and, collect feedback from beneficiaries and citizens and report its findings;
• Participation in multi-stakeholder coordination mechanisms;
• Participation in working groups and task groups that focus on specific areas/issues;
• Town hall and neighborhood discussions.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to help guide and direct the implementation of the 3RF by playing a pivotal role in the Consultative Group. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the 3RF Technical team at the following email address:

3RF_Technical_Team@worldbank.org.