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Improving living conditions and resilience of refugees displaced by the Syrian crisis and vulnerable hosting communities in Lebanon

eval_number:

2357415

eval_url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/eval/2357415

location:

country:

Lebanon

region:

Arab States

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eval_title:

Improving living conditions and resilience of refugees displaced by the Syrian crisis and vulnerable hosting communities in Lebanon

recommendations:

date:

2025-11-04 00:00:00.0

themes:

theme:

Organizational issues

category:

Programme implementation

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action_plan:

During data collection for the mid-term evaluation in March–April 2025, the project’s relatively low spending rate raised concerns regarding efficiency and prioritisation of interventions. This was largely due to access restrictions caused by the multiple crises and the 2024 war on Lebanon, which hindered implementation in several areas, particularly in the South, Beirut, and Nabatieh where SDC-related activities had been planned. On recommendation 3 (overall) and 3.2. Reduce the Number of Small EIIP Interventions: As of September 2025, ENABLE has significantly improved implementation and now reports a commitment and spending rate of 83%. The programme has refined its approach, consolidating activities under its three main pillars into clearer pathways rather than spreading resources across numerous small interventions. This has allowed ENABLE to more effectively link short-term employment opportunities, skills training, and financial education, reaching a wider audience while reducing administrative overheads. 3.1. Concentrate on High-Performing SDCs: An additional 20 centres were assessed, and an updated list of 40 eligible SDCs for ENABLE interventions has been shared by MoSA. The revised approach further strengthens the role of SDCs as connectors and facilitators of local economic linkages. MoSA and the new Government have also played a central role in scaling up piloted interventions and initiating the institutionalization of successful models, thereby ensuring stronger ownership and sustainability. As agreed with MoSA, ENABLE will focus on model SDCs that can serve as reference points for replication. In parallel, an Economic Inclusion Unit has been established within MoSA to facilitate coordination with SDCs and to prioritize employment promotion and referral mechanisms. 3.3. Prioritise Training Around a Limited Number of Sectoral Priorities ENABLE has streamlined its training provision by prioritising sectors with high employment potential, drawing on findings from the impact war assessment on private sector workers and enterprises and work-based learning outcomes. The project is now focusing on a smaller number of sectors where impact can be maximised—specifically agri-food, construction, tourism, garment and solid waste management—ensuring closer alignment with market demand and reducing duplication with other initiatives. This prioritisation allows for more effective use of resources and strengthens the link between training, employment services, and enterprise support interventions. 3.4. Integrate SDC Capacity Building with Service Delivery: ENABLE has enhanced linkages between SDC capacity-building and service delivery functions, ensuring that centres play a more direct role in outreach, profiling, and supporting local employment initiatives through implementing partners. Training provision is increasingly being prioritised around sectors with high employment potential, based on market assessments and work-based learning outcomes. 3.5. Develop an Exit Strategy: An exit strategy has been developed as part of the no-cost extension phase. This strategy sets out conditions for sustaining project results, including securing additional funding, clarifying the employment role of SDCs, and retaining institutional capacity through peer learning. It also defines a phased transition plan to progressively shift responsibilities from ENABLE to MoSA, municipalities and SDCs, ensuring that national actors take the lead in service delivery. The strategy highlights mechanisms for embedding ENABLE’s tools and approaches into government systems, while mobilizing complementary support from donors and development partners. Importantly, this exit strategy has provided the foundation for the design of ENABLE Phase II, ensuring continuity and scalability of results.

management_response:

Completed

progress:

Achieved

admin_units:

RO-Arab States/DWT-Beirut

title:

Recommendation 3: PRIORITISE STRATEGIC INTERVENTIONS AND INTEGRATE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECT COMPONENTS. • Addresses: ENABLE team, ILO • Priority: High • Resources: Low • Timing: Short -Medium Justification: To enhance effectiveness, efficiency and impact, ENABLE should prioritise interventions that demonstrate early success or strong potential, such as in certain SDCs. This would allow for the systematic refinement of models and the scaling up of proven approaches, rather than spreading efforts too thinly. Reducing the number of small interventions would lower transaction costs and administrative burdens, freeing up staff time for deeper engagement and more robust technical support. ENABLE should also adopt a more integrated implementation approach, particularly between SDC capacity-building efforts and other key interventions, so that SDCs can participate more actively in supporting, and eventually co-managing, some project components. More specifically, ENABLE could: 3.1. Concentrate on high-performing SDCs: The project should identify a reduced number of SDCs that demonstrate strong institutional capacity, engagement, and community reach. These centres can serve as pilot hubs for more intensive support and testing of integrated service models and coordination mechanisms. 3.2. Reduce the number of small EIIP interventions and, instead, aim to focus on a limited number of larger scale projects or prioritize specific locations where several interventions can be planned. Larger-scale interventions can create more job opportunities, generates economies of scale, reducing the administrative and logistical costs and can better be aligned with public infrastructure or service needs (e.g., irrigation, roads, drainage). This might facilitate a better integration with local governance structures (municipalities) and allow for SDCs to gain a more relevant role while creating effective linkages to skills training for beneficiaries. 3.3. Prioritise training provision around a limited number of sectoral priorities. In order to maximise impact and use resources more efficiently, the project could reduce the number of sectors in which it provides training, focusing instead on two or three priority sectors and related occupations that are highly relevant and have significant employment potential. These priorities should be identified through a review of previous work-based learning outcomes, existing market demand, and opportunities identified in coordination with other initiatives. 3.4. Integrate SDC capacity building with service delivery. SDC capacity-building should be directly linked to practical responsibilities within the project, such as participating in profiling and outreach of candidates for short term employment opportunities; managing beneficiary follow-up or hosting small, localized fairs in connection with vocational centres. This will help strengthen SDC ownership and move toward partial co-management of project components. 3.5. Develop an exit strategy. ENABLE should develop a clear sustainability strategy that outlines the conditions needed to maintain project results and prevent risks early. Priorities should include securing additional funding, clarifying the employment role of SDCs with national stakeholders, ensuring capacity retention through peer learning and academic integration, supporting group-based entrepreneurship, and linking SDCs with microfinance institutions to sustain business support after project funding ends.

project_symbols:

LBN/22/01/EUR

url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/recommendations/2357513

information_source:

Country Office

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