DANISH REFUGEE COUNCIL LEBANON Accountability Framework This accountability framework summarizes those DRC commitments to our stakeholders in Lebanon that are additional to DRC s global accountability framework. The global accountability framework is valid for DRC and DDG everywhere; it is available on www.drc.dk 1. Brief Description of the Regional Program The Middle East and North Africa remains one of the world's political and humanitarian hotspots characterized by local and regional conflicts as well as complex and unresolved problems of refugees and internally displaced. DRC has been present in the Middle East since late 2003 and was one of the first international humanitarian organizations able to provide assistance following the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Over the years the program has developed in both geographical spread and the types of assistance provided following the multiple conflict-induced displacement in the region. Due to the millions of refugees, DRC currently has presence and operations in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Tunisia and Libya. DRC is addressing the needs of the most vulnerable Iraqi, Palestinian, Libyan and Syrian refugees, IDPs, returnees and migrants in the region. In response to the Syrian crisis, DRC has adopted a flexible, holistic and beneficiary-centric approach to protection, emergency response and future durable solutions for displacement affected populations. 2. DRC Lebanon s Objectives, Partners & Stakeholders DRC has been operating in Lebanon since 2004 with the objective of providing protection and assistance to Palestinian refugees in addition to Iraqi refugees and migrant workers. With the massive influx of Syrian refugees into Lebanon at the outbreak of the conflict in Syria in 2011, DRC Lebanon capitalized on its presence and its expertise in emergency response to address the urgent needs and rights of refugees from Syria. The conflict in Syria has entered its fifth year with no imminent solution in sight. The Syrian displacement crisis in Lebanon has moved from an emergency to a protracted displacement situation where transitional and durable solutions must be sought. With a population of around 4 million, Lebanon hosts the second highest number of Syrian refugees in the region with more than 1.2 million 1
registered Syrians in addition to some 53,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria (PRS) and about 300,000 Palestinian refugees. With the actual and foreseen decline in the quality of asylum, the continuation of the protracted displacement situation and the centrality of working with transitional and durable solutions, the overall objective of the programme in Lebanon is to contribute to preserving the quality of asylum of the displaced population in Lebanon and to preparing for durable solutions. This will be divided into three strategic objectives: DRC contributes to responding to the needs and rights of displacement affected populations in acute emergency situations; DRC contributes to preserving the protection space of displaced populations while strengthening their social and economic self-reliance in preparation for durable solutions; DRC contributes to promoting the economic recovery of host communities and supporting social cohesion in line with the duty bearer s stabilization efforts; Current or identified Partners and stakeholders engaged with DRC Lebanon to achieve the above objectives: Partners: Feminism Association, Women Charity League Association, The Lebanese Democratic Women s Gathering, Al Hadatha Association, North Local Economic Development Agency, Business Incubation Association in Tripoli, Makhzoumi, Lebanese Red Cross. Stakeholders: Syrian Refugees, Palestinian refugees, Migrant Workers, host communities the Lebanese government (i.e. Ministry of Social Affairs, Municipalities, Ministry of Labour, General Security), UN agencies (WFP, UNDP, OCHA, UNHCR and UNRWA), international and local NGOs (i.e. Concern, PU-AMI, Save The Children, NRC, SOLIDARITES, CISP, IMC, IRD). 3. DRC Lebanon Organisational Chart The management of DRC Lebanon is committed to implementing, maintaining and sharing a documented Accountability Framework. This commitment includes: ensuring that the CHS 1 requirements and the Anticorruption policy are clearly understood, appropriately addressed, implemented and monitored at all levels of the organization. Accountability improvement plans are established as necessary and that the responsibilities of all functions with regard to CHS are clearly defined. 1 The HAP Standard, the Sphere Core Standard and the People in Aid Standard are replaced by a joint Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), which is increasingly becoming the standard worldwide used to measure the quality of humanitarian action. 2
DRC Lebanon Structure: Bekaa Area North Area Beirut South 3
4. How DRC Relates to its Beneficiaries Key mechanisms and tools for beneficiary awareness and participation in DRC projects include the following: Consultation with beneficiary groups throughout the project cycle (tools used include individual interviews/needs assessments, focus group discussions, post-project monitoring surveys and general assessments); Written project summaries, detailing beneficiary eligibility, project services and DRC contact information, are distributed to beneficiary groups and other stakeholders (community leaders, etc.), in Arabic Collaboration with local implementing partners with strong grass-roots connections and specialized expertise; Beneficiaries (along with partners, staff and other stakeholders) have safe, accessible and confidential complaints mechanism - based upon their expressed preferences, as outlined during focus group discussions - with specified processes for handling sensitive and nonsensitive complaints which are used to improve practice and learn 5. List of Current Projects: Objectives, Beneficiaries, Relevant Authorities, Funding and Implementing Partners Project #1 title: Respond to and prevent Displacement crises in the Middle-East and North- Africa region- Regional Tripoli, North Lebanon DANIDA Framework Livelihoods: 90 HHs access livelihood opportunities through the development of business partnerships Implementation of Community Support Projects (CSPs) benefitting 600 individuals Capacity building (on conflict management and mitigation) of municipalities and community based committees Beneficiaries: 1,005 Business Incubation Association in Tripoli 4
Project #2 title: Beneficiaries: Addressing acute humanitarian needs and promoting the self-reliance of conflict-affected populations in Syria and neighbouring countries in preparation for durable solutions. North Bekaa DANIDA Emergency Cash/ Protection: Multipurpose LCC aligned monthly Cash Distribution 200 HHs Project #3 title: Support to Protection and Shelter needs of Syrian Refugees in North Lebanon North Lebanon UNHCR Protection: Training on GBV prevention and response; Case-management for identified GBV and CP cases; PSS and life skills activities to women and girls. Shelter: Rehabilitation of occupied SSUs and CS; Distribution of shelter kits. Livelihoods: Establishment of community based committees; Awareness and sensitization campaigns; Skills development and Life Skills trainings; Identification of protection cases through protection desks. 5
Beneficiaries: 6,890 Women Charity League, Al Hadatha Association Project #4 title: Protecting Vulnerable Children and Women from Violence in Lebanon through Systems strengthening and Community Based Mechanisms South, Bekaa, North Lebanon UNICEF Child Protection: Structured psychosocial support (PSS) activities to refugee & host community children and caregivers; Awareness sessions to children and caregivers; Establishing community based committees and capacity building of these committees on PSS. Gender Based Violence (GBV): Beneficiaries: 23,135 Training of community members on how to promote PSS for CP and GBV; Skills development and life skills trainings; Engaging men in GBV prevention activities; Case management services in mobile and static safe spaces; Training of CP and non-cp actors on CP standards. The Lebanese Democratic Women s Gathering, Social Development Centres (Qab Elias, Talia, Haret Saida, Amayer, Bakhoun) Project #5 title: Two years multisector humanitarian assistance to conflict affected populations in Syria and Lebanon 6
South, Bekaa, North Lebanon DFID Shelter: Rehabilitation of Small Shelter Units (SSUs), Occupied Collective Shelters; Shelter-box construction; Cash for Rent. CSMC: Establishing committees in Collective Sites (ISs and Collective Shelters); delivering trainings to committees on CSMC; Multi-purpose cash assistance; Distribution of relief packages. Livelihoods: Beneficiaries: 125,000 Community Support Projects (CSPs); Cash for Work (CfW); Support to the municipality through MSAs and relevant trainings; Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (EPRP) trainings to municipalities. Project #6 title: Improved protective environment for refugee populations in Lebanon North Bekaa, North Lebanon BPRM Shelter: Cash for Rent Emergency Cash assistance to families at risk of eviction. 7
Beneficiaries: 6880 Livelihood: Forming MoSA/DRC committees composed of both vulnerable Lebanese and Syrian in order to work together; Life Skills and Skills Development Trainings; Apprenticeships and Job Placement Cash for Work in Agricultural production activities. Protection: Pilot project targeting adolescent girls and their caregivers to prevent exposure to early marriage and protection concerns through delivering a tailored curriculum, and providing services to married girls; Legal counseling. Feminism Association, Women s Refugee Commission, The Lebanese Democratic Women s Gathering Project #7 title: Improving living conditions for vulnerable Syrian women and children in Lebanon Akkar Ole Kirk Livelihoods Life Skills and Skills Development Trainings; Community-based activities and social events; After school psychosocial activities; Capacity development supported for SDC staff, CDC staff and volunteers such as MoSA of Alamayer staff, DRC staff. Protection: Awareness raising, information session and counseling at protection desks. 8
Beneficiaries: 2775. (indirectly benefitting 5760) MoSA Project #8 title: WFP E-Card Assistance Programme North Lebanon WFP Distribution: Distribution of E-cards to registered refugees at DRC distribution site and door-to-door; Pin code distribution to families for multi-purpose cash assistance. Monitoring and Evaluation: Beneficiaries: 82,776 Post-Distribution Monitoring activities to ensure project implementation; Targeting and verification. Lebanese Red Cross 9