ART GOLD LEBANON

GOVERNMENT OF LEBANON – UNDP – ITALY

Draft Project Proposal

TABLE OF CONTENT

1. Programme Overview

1.1 Document Summary and Officers in charge

1.2 Logical Framework
1.3 Financial Plan (in US$ at the exchange rate 1 Euro=1,32 US$)

2. Context
2.1 Background

2.2 Lebanon General Profile

Geography
Climate
Natural Resources
The Government and the constitutional system
History
a) The parliament
b) The executive power
c) The juridical system
Population
Language
Religion
Historical background
a) Early History to independence
b) Pre-war period
c) The Civil War
d) The post-war period
Lebanon in the Regional Context
Socio-economic profile
a) Selected Economic indicators
b) Public finance
c) Development indicators
d) Poverty and Disparities

2.3 National Strategy Framework for Territorial and Sectoral

Development
Selection of the Program Areas
The UN System in Lebanon
Major UNDP Initiatives in Lebanon

2.4 Analysis of National Development Problems and the UNDP

action
Deficient governance systems
Under respected rights to development
 2.5 Target groups and executing agency

2.6 Base documents

III. Strategy

3.1 Brief analysis and selection of the strategy

3.2 General Objectives

3.3 Specific Objectives

3.4 Expected Outputs and Activities:

4. External Factors

4.1 Pre – Conditions

4.2 Main Risks

4.3 Flexibility of the Project to Adapt to External Factors

V. Managerial Arrangments

5.1 Programme Methodologies

5.2 Execution and Operational Modalities

Organisational Flowchart and Responsibilities
Legal Context

5.3 Managerial Resources and Cost Estimates

5.4 Timeframes

5.5 Financial Plan (in US$ at the exchange rate 1 Euro=1,32 US$)
Budget per Level of Intervention
Budget per Year of Execution

5.6 Co-Financing Resources

6. Sustainability:

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7. Monitoring and Evaluation

7.1 Indicators and Means of Verification

7.2 Monitoring Organisation

7.3 Feedback

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1. Programme Overview

1.1 Document Summary and Officers in charge

1.2 Logical Framework

PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS MEANS OF ASSUMPTIONS
VERIFICATION
Objective 1: National Level
The creation of an enabling environment at commitment by national
the national level for policies and authorities
strategies in the field of local development
that helps consolidating and deepening
national authorities competencies
concerning human development
cooperation. For this purpose, the Art Gold
Lebanon may be also used by Lebanese
government as an instrument for the
geographical coordination of international
cooperation activities in the field of local
human development. In fact it will provide a
common platform to each development
agent to participate in local development
activities in a coordinated way, under the
leadership of national and local authorities.

Expected output 1:
A National Working Group (NWG) is Number and Minutes of meetings
established, under the leadership of the diversification of NWG
Government counterpart (the CDR), composition
comprised of the main state departments
concerned by local development, UNDP, Technical and financial Co-financing tables in
Italy and open to the participation of other participation by other periodical reports
programme donors. By doing this, Lebanon state departments
would have an operational instrument to
facilitate the orientation of domestic and
donor’s resources towards the
implementation of national and local
development objectives in the project areas.
At the same time, the NWG will facilitate the
connections between the local, national and
international activities of the Art Gold
Lebanon. being the main interlocutor for
both the local working groups and the
international cooperation agencies.

Finally, this instrument would also make it

available an additional concrete mechanism
to the UN country team to implement the
UNDAF at the local level.
ACTIVITY
Consultations
National workshop
Periodic meetings of the NWG
Sectoral support
Coordination and resources mobilisation
Information and communication

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 PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS MEANS OF ASSUMPTIONS
VERIFICATION
Expected output 2:
The local human development Number of Reports
methodologies used in project areas are Municipalities, Cazas
systematised as a tool for encouraging or Unions using same Minutes of national
national dialogue and decentralisation instruments meetings
process, with particular regard to the local
economic development and international
partnerships components. In this respect,
the best practices that can be codified in
view of expanding their use to other areas
of the country will be documented and
diffused whilst the direct exchanges
between local authorities and communities
will be also promoted. It is expected that
more regions will adopt similar instruments.

Activities:
Systematise practices
Production of documental material
Creation of national thematic networks
Links to international networks
Exchanges of visits
Resources mobilisation

Expected output 3:
Improved capacities of high level public Number of universities Reports
officials and private/civic practitioners to involved
support local processes of planning and
managing human development. For this Number of students University registries
purpose, a national training plan on local attending
development will be organised and
implemented, in collaboration with the Curricula modified University study plans
Lebanese academic institutions in Reports of stages and
connection with the Universitas Network, Integration between interns
which is promoted by Art at the international academic knowledge
level. With respect to the current UNDP and political practices
collaboration with Lebanese universities,
that is the basis for the programme action,
the added value of the training offered by
the Art Gold Lebanon will be the connection
between the academic teaching and the
practical field action worldwide, that the
programmes of the Art network can provide
mainly through internships as well as
through the scientific know-how of the
international board of teachers.

This output has a terrific importance on the

middle-long term perspective, because it
targets capacity building and, thus, the
possibility of self feeding the process of
innovating policies and practices in the field
of local development. In addition to that, the
international setting of the training course
will help facilitate the intercultural
exchanges, in which the academia may
likely play a pioneer role.

Activities:
network of universities
Curricula and learning courses
learning visits and internships
professional development courses

Objective 2: Local Level

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 PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS MEANS OF ASSUMPTIONS
VERIFICATION
At the local level, the programme aims at Existence of national
widening the opportunities of populations in and local mechanisms
the selected areas to access to better living for the coordination of
conditions in terms of income, education, donor’s support to local
health, social integration and the development
environment, with a special focus on most
vulnerable population. This will be achieved
through improving functioning of local public
administration, enhancing basic services
and promoting the widest participation of
local communities in the development
process in a wide ranging partnership
between the public, private and civil sectors.
Selected areas are, as mentioned above:
 North Lebanon (Akkar and Minieh,
Dinniyeh and Tripoli- Bab el-Tebbaneh);
and
 South Lebanon (former occupied
regions in the areas of Marjeyoun, Bint
Jbeil, Nabatiyeh, Sour, Rashaya,
Hasbaya and West Bekaa)

Expected output 1:
The decentralisation process is Number of Reports
enhanced in terms of tasks, responsibilities development plans
and resources managed at the local level in implemented
a participatory way, where community and
local authorities may work together to Number and Minutes of meetings
identify needs, resources and formulate composition of LWG
local development plans. This will mean that
capacities of local government structures, Sectoral strategies/plan Reports
specifically municipalities, as well as of civil implemented
society organizations, primarily
cooperatives and youth clubs, are Co-financing obtained
strengthened to advocate balanced regional Financial programming
development in Southern and North of each institution
Lebanon.

This will also facilitate coordination of

development agents working in the regions
to decrease duplication and ensure best
usage of available resources and
sustainability of programme actions. The
programme, in particular, will make efforts
to facilitate the process of placing strategic
coordination roles at a higher level of
decentralised authorities, i.e. Caza level or
Union of Municipalities level. The meso
dimension in fact, is sufficiently small to
ensure universal participation in the
decision making processes, but at the same
time it is big enough to make it available a
critical mass of resources to kick off a
sustainable local development, as well as
ensuring balanced distribution of social
services.
Activities:
Local Working Groups (LWG)
sectoral development plan
integrated local development plan
advocating resources
GIS facilities

Expected output 2:
A set of integrated instruments are set up at Local economic Reports
the regional (Caza) level in view of a development plans

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 PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS MEANS OF ASSUMPTIONS
VERIFICATION
balanced and inclusive local economic formulated
development as a means for reducing
unemployment and poverty. These Local Compacts signed Reports
instruments will be implemented through the
adoption of specific and worldwide Ledas established
experimented participatory and concerted Membership registries
public/private mechanisms that, adapted to Jobs created of Ledas
the local context, allow for maximising the Ledas reports
endogenous resources and regional Regional
competitiveness, with a special focus on the competitiveness National surveys
SMEs.
Disadvantaged inserted
at work Reports
Activities:
Local economic development plans
Territorial Compacts
Local Economic Development Agencies
Public utilities management and social
enterprises

Expected output 3:
Improved coverage of public services and Sectoral organisation of Ministerial reports
utilities in the fields of health, education, local services
culture, the environment and basic
infrastructure through experimenting Number of projets Reports
innovative organisational models, in view of brokered by LWG and
better quality and sustainability. The Art NWG
Gold Lebanon will have a special focus for
the most excluded areas and persons, for Community satisfaction Survey
which purpose the programme will leverage
the social action carried out by
municipalities and youth centres in the
target regions to contribute to the
development of their communities and
promote social cohesion among different
communities with different political, social
and religious groups.

Activities:
maps of risks and potentials
sectoral strategy within the framework of
national priorities
materialise strategies into projects
Co-financing for projects with the
support of decentralised cooperation
community audit

Objective 3: International level

The internationalization of the Lebanese Openness of Lebanese
institutional, economic and cultural reality, reality and culture
with the support of the international
components of Art. This objective is
particularly relevant provided that local
development is opposed to localised. On
the contrary, each local reality can create
the conditions for its development only if it is
able to be connected to national and
international networks where partnerships
can be established to leverage local
resources. The Art strategy has been
designed for this purpose and will provide to
this programme, like to each of the network,
specialised instruments to network training,
welfare innovations, decentralised
cooperation and economies with a special

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 PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS MEANS OF ASSUMPTIONS
VERIFICATION
view to the specific Euro-Mediterranean
context and to the dialogue between
cultures.

Expected Output 1:
Decentralised cooperation partnerships are Number of contacts in Art Services reports
established in support of the implementation Europe and the
of local development plans in target areas, Mediterranean
under the leadership of the national and
local Working Groups. Participation of Reports
decentralised
Decentralised Co-operation is now widely cooperation
diffused and proved to be one of the most
effective instruments for co-development, Technical and financial Reports
which makes it possible to build long term resources mobilised
linkages between local communities of
northern and southern countries. The
linkages, leaded by local authorities, take
the form of wide-ranging partnerships
between these and public institutions, civil
society organisations, universities, unions
and the private sector of targeted territories.
The added value of decentralised
cooperation with regard to the regular ODA
modalities is the low-cost of technical
assistance, which is entirely funded by the
decentralised cooperation partners and thus
sustainable, and the high level quality of
that assistance, since it is provided by
leading centres of excellence.

Activities:
territorial marketing documents
Map of Decentralised Cooperation in
Lebanon
resources mobilization
international exchanges of missions
international seminars in Lebanon, Italy
and Europe

Expected Output 2:
The Lebanese experiences are linked with Number and quality of Reports
those of the other countries committed to innovations
the implementation of the Copenhagen
Platform of Action, particularly through Number of south-south Art Ideass report
mutual transfer of innovative know-how in project started,
the field of Local Human Development. The Lebanon being both
transfer, realized through specific south- demander or supplier
south cooperation projects and preceded by
preparatory activities at the national and Number of external Reports and field visits
international level, will bring concrete innovations
benefits to actors engaged in the incorporated in the
conception and implementation of programme
innovations in local development processes.

The Art system, through the Ideass

programme (Innovations for Development
and South-South Cooperation), in
cooperation with the UNDP Country Office,
will then support Lebanese and foreign local
communities, in consultation with national
institutions concerned, in the process of
identification of innovations, their
international diffusion and the promotion of
south-south projects for innovation
exchange.

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 PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS MEANS OF ASSUMPTIONS
VERIFICATION

Activities:
Identification of scientific counterpart
public contest for the best innovations
brochures on the innovations
catalogue of innovations
Promotion of the Lebanese innovations
worldwide
Co-financing to South-South
cooperation projects

Expected Output 3:
The Art Gold Lebanon is systematically Number of sectoral Reports
linked to the other programmes of the Art partnerships
network through the support of thematic established
international activities in the fields of local
economies, advanced education and Technical and financial Reports
welfare. Being so inserted in the Art resources mobilised
Network, Lebanon will participate in the
International Laboratory of Innovative
Policies and Practices of Local Human
Development, thus profiting from and
contributing to the best experiences
worldwide through concrete activities, such
as a Web Portal, periodic reports, think
tanks and special events.

Activities:
Economic partnerships
Partnerships in welfare

1.3 Financial Plan (in US$ at the exchange rate 1 Euro=1,32 US$)

INPUT BUDGET TOTAL YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3

LINE BUDGET

Coordinator 11.02 432.000 144.000 144.000 144.000

Area managers/admin assistant 11.0x 523.200 174.400 174.400 174.400
National support staff 13.0X 129.600 43.200 43.200 43.200
Consultants 17.0x 393.600 123.000 140.600 130.000
Mission/travel 15.0x 387.800 107.300 150.800 129.700
Sub contracts 21.0x 384.600 168.200 108.200 108.200
Sub projects 22.0x 5.160.800 1.720.267 1.720.267 1.720.267
Training 31.0x 105.000 30.000 60.000 15.000
Workshops 32.0x 161.500 53.833 53.833 53.833
Internships 33.0x -
Procurement 45.0x 212.000 160.000 26.000 26.000
Miscellaneous 53.0x 257.200 80.200 97.000 80.000
Programme Expenditures Sub total 8.147.300 2.804.400 2.718.300 2.624.600
GMS (8,25% of actual expenditures) 672.152 231.363 224.260 216.530
TOTAL EXPENDITURES 8.819.452 3.035.763 2.942.560 2.841.130

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2. Context

2.1 Background

The Governance and Local Development programme for poverty reduction in Lebanon is part of a
network of programs co-funded by Italy in collaboration with other donors, as stated in the Aide
Memoire and confirmed during the UNDP/Italy consultative meeting held in Rome on June the 10th,
2004.

The network, called Art (Appui aux Réseaux Territoriaux et Thématique de Développement
Humain) is comprised of programs implemented in 17 countries using the same methodology and
approach, adapted to local context, to enhance governance and local development through
strategic territorial planning involving public, private sectors and civil society both at national and
local level and promoting decentralized cooperation partnerships to facilitate the exchange of
experiences and know-how.

The programme originates in 2000, as a follow up to the Copenhagen +5 Summit on Social

Development held in Geneva, when Italy committed to gradually promote Human Development
Programmes for Poverty Reduction in a number of priority countries that demonstrated interest in
participating.

The features of the specific Lebanese Programme, in the framework of the above mentioned
UNDP Art Strategy, supported by Italy, were negotiated remotely and through bilateral missions at
different stages during the period November 2000 – June 2004, with the support of UNDP.

A preliminary project document was originally formulated by UNDP and the Lebanese counterpart
(the Council for Development and Reconstruction - CDR). The document was then reviewed during
a joint Italy/UNDP/Lebanon Gvt. mission in June 2004.

The revision standardised this programme format and contents along with the others of the Art
Network, although respecting the specific Lebanese context.

A final revised version of the project document was formulated in a collaboration collaborative effort
involving the CDR, UNDP (Rome, Lebanon CO, RBAS) and Italy MFA/DGCS following the joint
formulation mission in August 2004. This final version of the project document was also aligned
with the UNDAF and CCF exercises.

2.2 Lebanon General Profile

Geography
Lebanon is situated on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, bounded on the north and east
by Syria (375 km) and on the south by Israel (79 km). From east to west it averages only 50 km,
meanwhile the coastline stretches over 225 km from north to south; its greatest width from west to
east is 85km. Total area of Lebanon is 10,400 square kilometers (of which 10,230 are land area
and 170 km are water area).

The terrain is a narrow coastal plain backed by Lebanon Mountains, the fertile Bekaa valley, and
the anti-Lebanon mountains that extend to the Syrian border. The highest altitude in the country,
Qurnet Al-Sauda rises to over 3,080 meters and is covered by snow for most of the year.

The region known as greater Beirut is heavily populated with around 1.5 million inhabitants, of
which 400 thousands are residing in the administrative Beirut, capital of Lebanon. Other major
cities are Tripoli 91 km north of Beirut, with about 250,000 people; Saida (Sidon) 41 km south of

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Beirut, with about 80,000 people; Tyr (Sour) 79 km south of Beirut, with about 30,000 inhabitants
and Zahle, 47 km east of Beirut with about 80,000 people.

Beirut is a mixture of old and new. The center of the city was heavily destroyed during the civil war
that lasted for around 2 decades. This has resulted in an urban expansion of the city and the
increase of the population as a result of the massive internal displacement from peripheral areas to
the city and its suburbs.

Climate
Lebanon has a Mediterranean climate along the coast and alpine in the mountains, with long sultry
summers and short mild winters. Average humidity along the coast ranges from the high 60’s to the
high 70’s. During the summer months from May through September, the average daily temperature
in Beirut ranges from 22 °C (72 °F) to 30°C (86 °F) but it feels hotter due to humidity levels. The
thermometer hovers around 23° even at night. January and February are the coldest months of the
year when the average temperature in the capital is 14 °C (55 °F), rarely falling below 8 °C (46 °F).

In the hottest months the mountains provide a welcome respite from the endless heat of the coast
– though the daytime temperatures are about the same as in Beirut, the humidity is much less and
the nights are cooler. Hemmed in on both sides by mountains, the Bekaa Valley is very hot and dry
in summer with temperatures reaching the high 30’s though the nights are cool. Bekaa Valley
winters are cold, wet and windy.

The spring and autumn seasons are short but pleasant. Average annual rainfall is 893 mm, of
which about 85 per cent are in the winter months.

Natural Resources
Unlike some other Arab states, Lebanon does not have oil. The most abundant resources the
country is rich of are water and fertile land. However these sources are still under-utilized. Lebanon
has two major rivers: the Assi and the Litani.

The Government and the constitutional system

History
Lebanon is a republic with a democratic parliamentary system and is administratively divided into
six provinces or governorates (Mohafazat), which are in turn sub-divided into smaller administrative
units called districts (caza'a).

Lebanon is a parliamentary republic. The laws are currently governed by the constitutional system
of September 1990 that followed the Taif accord that amended the constitution of 1926. This
constitutions confirmed that the Arab identity of Lebanon and its involvement in the Arab League
and the United Nations, as a founding and active member.

The political system in Lebanon is based on the separation of executive (represented by the
president of the republic and the cabinet of Ministers), legislative (parliament) and juridical powers.

Based on the Taif accord, the composition of the Government, the Parliament and the Civil Service
is based on a system of proportional representation of the different confessions and sects. The
President who is elected for a six-year term by Parliament, is always a Maronite Christian, the
Prime Minister a Sunni Muslim and the Speaker of the House a Shiite Muslim. The Deputy Prime
Minister post, when selected, is usually attributed to a Greek Orthodox while other Cabinet
positions are distributed to representatives of Lebanon’s various religious groups

a) The parliament
The parliament is elected every four years and is mainly responsible of proposing and adopting
laws, in addition to monitor the government policies.

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The seats in the parliament are equally distributed among Christians and Muslims. The Taif accord
called for a second-stage political reform that eliminates confessional political system, however,
this stage was not reached yet.

During the post war period, the Parliamentary elections were held three times in 1992, 1996 and
2000 respectively. The 1992 elections were the first to take place since 1972.

b) The executive power

The executive power consists of the president of the republic and the council of Ministers. The
president of the republic is elected by a majority of two-third of the parliament members. The
president appoints then the prime Minister, usually having the greater support in the parliament,
who will in turn form the council of Ministers. Current president 1 of the republic is Mr. Emile
Lahhoud, ex-commander in chief of the army, who was elected in 1998. Mr. Rafik Hariri who
headed most of the Councils of Ministers in the post-war period is the current prime Minister.

c) The juridical system

The juridical system in Lebanon consists of one administrative court, the state council court, in
addition to the civil courts. The government usually appoints the judges after the recommendation
of the Supreme Council of Justice.

Population
The last population census in Lebanon is dated back to 1932. Since then, population estimate is
based on partial surveys. In 1997, the Lebanese population was estimated 4 million inhabitants, of
whom 7 percent are non-Lebanese. Palestinians constitute the vast majority of foreigners,
estimated at around 200,000 inhabitants, of who around 50 percent are living in refugee camps.
Other nationalities include Syrian, Egyptian, Sri Lanka, Philippine and others. The latter are usually
foreign labor doing blue-collar job.

As to the ethnic classification of the Lebanese residents, 95 percent are Arabs, while the remaining
are from different ethnicities such as Armenian, Kurdish, Assyrian, and other ethnicities. Armenians
are the largest ethnic minority in Lebanon having been forced from their homeland earlier this
century. They maintain a very strong cultural identity, most noticeably in the Beirut suburb of Bourj
Hammoud.

Despite the high level of unemployment, many Lebanese are reluctant to do “blue collar” jobs so
you will see people from Syria, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Philippines and Africa on construction sites and
working as housemaids. The Syrian Army maintains about 38,000 troops within Lebanon.

Language
The official language is Arabic, followed by French as the second language (Street signs, menus in
restaurants, maps, are mostly in French and Arabic). English is becoming more common among
the Lebanese residents. The vast majority of Lebanese are becoming bilingual and even trilingual.
A minority not exceeding 4-5 percent speaks Armenian and Kurdish.

Religion
Lebanon is a multi-confessional nation. Despite it’s being a very small country in terms of
population size, it hosts more than 17 distinct religious sects (officially recognized by the Lebanese
government):
 5 Muslim sects: Shiite, Sunnite, Druze, Ismailite and Alawite
 11 Christian sects: 4 orthodox (Greek, Armenian, Roman, and Syrian), 6 catholic
(Armenian, Greek, Maronite, Nestorian, Roman, and Syrian) and one protestant
 Judaism

1
(info updated August 2004)

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The Muslims are estimated to consist 70 percent of total resident population. Prior to the civil war,
Muslims and Christians were almost equal in numbers. However, the massive migration reported
among Christian groups, during the last 4 decades, in addition to the relative higher fertility rates
among Muslims contribute to this demographic disequilibrium between the two groups.

The country is ruled by a system of political confessionals, which means that religion is still the key
to power, and people are being grouped by religion. This government policy was a key factor
behind the conflict that lasted for more than 15 years. Every citizen’s religion is specified on his/her
government-issued identification card. Atheism is not accepted as a possibility in Lebanon.

Mosques and Churches are spread all over Lebanon. There are many places of Christian worship
where services are conducted in Latin, Arabic, French and Armenian, as well as in the Chaldean
and Syriac languages. The Presbyterian and Anglican churches conduct services in English. There
is also a French Protestant church.

Historical background

a) Early History to independence

Lebanon has a very rich and diversified heritage. Its location on crossroads linking the
Mediterranean Basin with the neighboring countries contributed to enrich its cosmopolitan
character and multicultural legacy. Lebanon was first inhabited by the Canaanites, whom were
called Phoenicians by the Greeks. Different cultures have ruled the country through history,
including Assyrians (875-608 B.C.), Babylonians (685-35 B.C.), Persians, Greeks, and Romans. In
the late seventh century, Lebanon came under the Arab rule, exercised successively by the
Umayyads (660-750), The Abbasides (750-1258) and the Mamluks (1282-1516). The Crusaders
also controlled the area during the period 1095-1291, the coastal region in particular.

During the period 1516-1918, Lebanon was under the sovereignty of the Ottoman Empire. In 1920,
“Grand-Liban”, with its current boundaries was declared as a state by General Gouraud, head of
the French troops in the Middle East, with Beirut as its capital. Lebanon remained under the
French mandate till November 26 1941. Lebanon was declared effectively independent in
November 22, 1943 (independence day). In 1945, Lebanon was one of the founding members of
the League of Arab States, then of the United Nations. December 31, 1946 witnessed the
departure of the last foreign troops.

b) Pre-war period
A state of turmoil prevailed in the country during this period, as a result of the general unrest that
dominated the Arab states following the Suez crisis and the attacks on Egypt by Britain, France
and Israel. A struggle started at two fronts: Among the political leaders that were linked to their
religious groups, in addition to the growing ideological struggle between Pan-Arabism and
Lebanese nationalism. This state of turmoil led to an outbreak of a civil war in 1958 that resulted in
2000-4000 causalities. However, the crisis was put to an end quickly and General Fouad Shihab,
commander in chief of the Lebanese army, was elected as president of the republic.

Afterwards, Lebanon witnessed period of political stability and economic development. Lebanon
became a major provider of services to the neighboring countries, such as banking, education,
health and others. Also, it played an intermediary commercial role between its surrounding and the
international markets.

Late in this period, Lebanon witnessed the inflow of Palestinian armed groups from Jordan, whom
started to use South Lebanon as base for operations against Israel. This state of insecurity in the
Southern territories caused massive displacement of population towards the capital Beirut and its
suburbs.

c) The Civil War

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From April 1975, Lebanon was beset by civil war, causing considerable loss of life and economic
damage. By November 1976 it was estimated that up to 60,000 people had been killed. Syrian
forces intervened in April 1976 to support President Franjieh against the Lebanese Nationalist
Movement and the Palestinian forces and in October became the major component of the Arab
Deterrent Force formed under Arab League auspices. Although by the end of 1976 there was a
return to relatively normal conditions, large areas of the country remained outside governmental
control, including West Beirut, the scene of conflicts between opposing militia groups. The South,
where the Arab Deterrent Force could not deploy, remained unsettled and subject to Israeli-
Palestinian conflict. In March 1978, Israeli invaded South Lebanon after a Palestinian attack inside
Israel. Israeli troops withdrew in June after installing an Israeli controlled Lebanese militia force in
the so-called “security zone” along the border. Severe disruption continued in the South. In June
1982, Israeli forces invaded in massive strength and swept through the country, laying siege to,
and bombing Beirut. On the 23rd of August, Bashir Gemayel was elected President of Lebanon;
but was assassinated on the 14th of September. His brother, Amine Gemayel, was elected in his
place on the 21st of September.

Talks between the Israeli and the Lebanese Governments began at the end of 1982 under US
chairmanship. On the 17th of May 1983, the two sides signed an agreement on the withdrawal of
Israeli forces and security arrangements in southern Lebanon however it remained a dead
agreement because of the Syrian opposition. President Gemayel later disavowed the agreement in
March 1984. Israel withdrew its forces from the Beirut area on the 4th of September 1983 and
completed a three-phase withdrawal on the 10th of June 1985 from all but a 16 km wide self
declared “security zone” on the Lebanese side of the Israeli-Lebanese border.

On the 30th of April 1984 a government of national unity was formed under Sunni Prime Minister
Rashid Karami (assassinated in June 1987), but was crippled by sectarian conflict. Christian
opposition to concessions made in the Syrian sponsored 1985 Tripartite accord between Amal
leader Berri, and Druze chief Jumblatt and the Lebanese Forces head Hobeiqa, caused Hobeiqa
to be ousted by hard-liners led by Samir Geagea and the consequent collapse of the accord.
Muslim politicians blamed President Gemayel for his role in the accord’s failure and boycotted him.

Amine Gemayel’s term as President ended on the 22nd of September 1988 without a successor
having been elected by the National Assembly. In his last Presidential act, Gemayel appointed
Lebanese Armed Forces Commander Michel Aoun (a Maronite) head of an interim military
government, a move which was rejected by Muslim and pro-Syrian groups, which continued to
recognize Selim Al Hoss, appointed to succeed Karami, as Prime Minister. Two governments,
therefore, claimed legitimacy.

In March 1989, fighting erupted between the forces under Aoun and Muslim and other groups
backed by the Syrians. Shelling of Beirut and nearby regions caused much loss of lives and
physical damage. After six months, an Arab League Committee of three (Morocco, Algeria and
Saudi Arabia) managed to establish a cease-fire and to assemble at Taif in Saudi Arabia a group of
National Assembly deputies who finally reached an agreement on a package of political reforms
and redeployment of Syrian forces to the Bekaa Valley. Aoun did not accept the agreement. Rene
Moawad was elected President on the 5th of November and assassinated on the 22nd. Elias
Hraoui, who appointed a government headed by Prime Minister Hoss, succeeded him on the 24th
of November

In January 1990, fighting broke out again, this time between Aoun and the Lebanese Forces militia
as they battled for the Christian enclave’s dominance. Aoun wanted the Lebanese Forces to merge
with the army and to reject the Taif Accords. The fighting continued on and off for five months and
caused heavy material damage and a high casualty toll, particularly in the early days. The growing
tension between Hraoui and Aoun, who continued to reject Taif, resulted in swift and successful
attack against Aoun on the 13th of October by a joint Lebanese-Syrian force. Aoun sought refuge
in the French Embassy, where he remained until August 1991.

14
d) The post-war period
The Hraoui Government initiated in September 1990 a series of measures designed to disarm and
disband the militias and to expand the area under its control. By July 1991, most militia groups –
Lebanese and non-Lebanese – had agreed to surrender their heavy and medium weapons.
Hezbollah was the major exception because it and the Government agreed it was a legitimate
resistance force.

Prime Minister Hoss resigned at the end of 1990 to allow the appointment of an enlarged Cabinet
of National Reconciliation. The new Prime Minister was Omar Karami and the Cabinet included
most of the militias’ leaders. On the 21st of May 1991, the Governments of Lebanon and Syria
signed a Treaty of Fraternity, Cooperation and Coordination – the first treaty between the two
countries. The Treaty seeks to foster close Lebanese-Syrian relations and provided for the
formation of a number of committees. Later in the year, the countries signed a Treaty of Defense
and Security, which includes agreement to defend each other from external aggression.

Lebanon attended the opening session of the Middle East Peace Conference in Madrid and held
bilateral talks with the Israeli delegation. Further bilateral meetings were held in Washington but
Lebanon stayed away from the opening of the multilateral round in Moscow in January 1992.
Outbreaks of violence in southern Lebanon between the Israeli Defense Forces/South Lebanon
Army and Hezbollah/Lebanese National Resistance Forces escalated severely in the months from
October 1991, as the cycle of attack and counter attack intensified.

In April 1996, Israel bombed a number of sites in Lebanon including a UN base in Qana in
southern Lebanon, killing over 100 civilians. Nabatieh was also a target for bombing. Power
stations in Beirut were also bombed, thus causing severe disruption to electricity supplies. A cease-
fire was agreed upon from the 27th of April and a multi-national committee (Lebanon, Syria, Israel,
France, and USA) was established to oversee the agreement.

The multinational committee reached an accord called “April’s Understanding ”, in which both sides
agreed not to attack civilians.

In the summer of 1996, a new parliament was elected, and a new cabinet was appointed and
headed by Mr. Rafic Hariri.

In 1998, a new law was approved by the new parliament, according to which new municipal
councils were elected almost all over the country. These councils were to play a leading role in the
process of local development.

New treaties, in the economic, health and education fields, were signed between the Lebanese
and the Syrian Governments.

The political situation in the country continued to be unstable due to the increasing opposition of
the government policy. On the same level peace talks between the Lebanese and the Syrian
governments on one side, and the Israeli on the other did not make any progress. This increased
the opposition’s political pressure on the government.

In September 1998, General Emile Lahhoud, former army leader, was elected president of the
republic, after which he started a series of discussions with the different political groups in the
country.

In November 1998 the new president addressed his first official speech, which was identified as a
plan of action for the coming six-years period.

The government resigned, and Mr. Rafic Hariri refused to form the new cabinet, although he was
nominated to do so. President Lahhoud appointed a new government headed by Prime Minister
Salim Hoss.

15
The Hoss government initiated in January 1999 a series of measures aiming to fight what was
called administrative and financial corruption in the country, through presenting to the court files on
cases of corruption, mainly related to senior employees in the former government. Some of the
files were later closed, while others were frozen. The Hoss government presented to the
parliament the plan for financial reform; its basics were to decrease the deficit in payments balance
to 39%, which reached 46% by the end of the year in spite of all the measures taken.

The military situation in south Lebanon stayed unstable and in June 1999 the Israeli air forces
attacked and bombed the Lebanese infrastructure, including one of the main power stations of the
capital area that was totally destroyed. The government called for a local reconstruction fund
raising, and the sum of about 31 billion LL. was raised through donations. The cost of the
reconstruction of the bridges was donated by the Iranian government and that of the power station
by his Excellency Prince Walid Bin Talal Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.

On May 24, 2000, the Israeli troops withdrew from the southern territories, used to be occupied
since 1978. The withdrawal took place after a notification by Israel to the United Nations about the
intention of Israel to withdraw from Lebanon, in fulfillment of the UN resolution 425 that was passed
by the UNSC in 1978. The Lebanese government regained its sovereignty over the region.
However, the Lebanese army did not fully take over the security in the area, and several Hizballah
operations were reported in Sheba farms since the Israeli withdrawal.

However, after the withdrawal, the issue of Sheba farms, occupied by Israel since 1967, remained
unsettled. The Government of Lebanon considers this area as a Lebanese territory and
accordingly advised the United Nations on this issue.

In October 2000, a new government was formed, headed by Mr. Hariri, and submitted to the
parliament a policy statement focusing mainly on stimulating economic growth, regain control over
growing debt and budget deficit. The newly formed government stressed in its policy statement the
importance of privatization, reactivation of development project and the implementation of the
measures enabling Lebanon of joining the international and regional trade agreements.

Lebanon in the Regional Context

The country remains in the grip of regional and global political instability, which has negatively
affected business confidence and placed certain barriers in the path of sustainable economic
growth and development. The sub-regional crisis escalated rapidly in 2001 and the full
ramifications of the stalled Middle East peace process and of the 11 September aftermath remain
unknown. Domestically, although South Lebanon was finally recovered from occupation in the
spring of 2000, expectations for its integration are yet to be fully achieved and the full peace and
security essential for rapid development, remain elusive.

Socio-economic profile
Lebanon enjoys a liberal economy since it was first established as an independent republic. This
comparative advantage enabled Lebanon, prior to the war, of establishing a link between its
surrounding and the international markets. However, the civil strife that lasted for more than 15
years resulted in huge human and physical losses. Given the devastative effects of the war and the
developments reported in the region’s countries in the past two decades, Lebanon was no more
able to restore its pre-war role.

Post-war governments pursued monetary stabilization policies aiming at curbing inflation rates and
regaining confidence in the national currency. These policies, which basically employed a
mechanism of high interest rates and money supply control (mainly in LBP), were successful in
providing the required monetary stability, and resulted in a decline in inflation rates, which dropped
from around 100 percent in 1992 to less than 1 percent in 1999. The years 2000 and 2001
reported mild deflation as a result of the economic stagnation. Also, an improvement was recorded

16
in the annual average exchange rate of the Lebanese pound vs. the $US. that appreciated by
around 18% during the period 1992-2002 (and by around 40% as compared to September 1992).

The government had to go further in stabilization policy, not only to contain inflation but also to
finance the growing deficit in the budget resulting mainly from the uncontrollable debt service and
the wages of public sector employees. As a result, the public debt increased uncontrollably, to
reach more than 170 percent in 2002. Most of the debt was, during the pre-1998 period, in local
currency. Afterwards, in an attempt to lower the debt service and extend the repayment periods,
the government started to swap debt in local currency into foreign currencies. Late in 2002,
Lebanon held a Paris II meeting, during which the government could raise around 3 billion USD to
help debt-servicing.

The economic growth that used to report high rates in the first half of nineties, started to slowdown
in 1996, that lasted till present, noting that stagnation was recorded in 2000, where economic
growth was almost zero, with slight improvement afterwards.

a) Selected Economic indicators

The following is selected set of the most recent reported economic indicators:
- Economic growth was estimated at 1.3 percent in 2001, 2 percent in 2002, 2 percent in 2003
(estimate).
The trade balance reported a deficit of 5.4 billion USD end of 2002, as compared to 6.4 billion
in 2001, i.e., significantly dropping by 15.6 percent.
- The exchange Rate of the USD vs. the LBP remained stable at 1507 LBP.
Inflation rate in 2002 was estimated at 1.76 percent, after two consecutive years of mild
deflation. The inflation rate was attributed basically to the partial impact of VAT application.
The cumulative Balance of payment recorded a surplus of 1564.2 million USD during the year
of 2002, against a deficit of 1168.9 in 2001.
- Central bank’s Gross reserves in foreign currencies, at the end of December 2002, amounted
to U.S. 6946.57 million, against U.S. 5592.18 million, end of November 2002, i.e., increasing by
around U.S.$ 1354.39. This increase resulted from the outcomes of Paris II that was held in
December 2002.
- Interest rate on treasury bills was significantly lowered to reach 9.4 percent for two-years bills,
9.13 percent for one-year, 7.15 percent for six-month, and 7.77 percent for three-month
treasury bills. This decline in real interest rate followed the relative success in fund raising
during Paris II meeting.
- Total number of industrial firms reached 824 firms end of 2002, growing by around 37.6 percent
as compared to the beginning of the year.
- Beirut airport activity improved during last 2002, reporting an increase in the number of the
number of flights (7.6 percent compared to last year), in the number of passengers (6.6
percent) and in the air cargo (4.8 percent). 7.8%). The country witnessed a boom in the tourist
arrivals among Arabs, mainly after the events of September 11, 2001.
- Beirut port activity slowly declined as revealed by the slowdown in ships (4.6 percent) and
cargos (6.4 percent).

b) Public finance
- During the year of 2002, total expenditures amounted to L.L.10139.595 billion, increasing by
14.2%, as compared to their level of L.L. 8874.896 billion in the same period of 2001.
- Debt service during 2002 was estimated at 4678 billion LBP, i.e., representing 46 percent of
total public spending.
- Total public revenues, during the year 2002, amounted to L.L. 5846.292 billion, increasing by
25.8%, as compared to their level of L.L. 4645.592 billion in the same period of 2001. This
increase in revenues was mainly due to the application of the value-added-tax of 10 percent
starting February 2002.
- In the year 2002, a public deficit was recorded amounting to L.L. 4292 billion and representing
around 42 percent of total public spending, against L.L.4229 billion recorded in 2001
representing 47.7 percent of total public spending.

17
- Net Public debt recorded at the end of 2002, a total of 44256.7 billion LBP (29.5 billion USD),
increasing by around 3554.1 billion LBP (8.7 percent). The internal public debt declined from
26300 billion LBP, end of 2001, to reach 22338.1 end of 2002. The internal debt was being
replaced with debt in foreign currencies that reached 14539.7 billion LBP, end of 2002
(amounting thus to around half the total net public debt). The share of foreign currencies in the
public debt is expected to get higher as the government is intending keep on transferring the
debt from the short-term with high rate values of internal loans to external medium & long-term
with relatively lower interest rate loans.

c) Development indicators
Despite the many social interventions implemented so far, the government did not formulate a
strategy for Social development. Social indicators improved significantly as compared to the war
period and beginning of nineties.
- On the social level, the governmental action during the last few years was not based on a
comprehensive social development planning; some separate and different measures have
been taken.
- Lebanon ratified the convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against
Women (CEDAW) in 1997.
- Municipal elections that took place in 1998 (previous were in 1963), created a framework for
public participation & local governance, as well as promoting local development.
- In 1998 the law of compulsory education through age 12 (end of primary school) has been
approved & issued. Efforts continue to raise the age from 12 to 15, to include the stage of basic
education.
Early in 1999, the new government headed by Salim Hoss cancelled the law that had forbidden
demonstrations for the last six years.

The government raised the minimum age of child labor from 8 to 14 years, and a new law is being
prepared to raise the minimum working age to 15 years

d) Poverty and Disparities

The economic crisis witnessed in the country led to continuation of high levels of emigration,
particularly of youth, over the last 10 years, and increased pressure on the living conditions of poor
vulnerable households. Of particular concern regarding the repercussions of the economic crisis
are the poverty conditions in the already-depressed regions of the country such as the northern
Bekaa, North Lebanon, and the former occupied regions in southern Lebanon.

Lebanon’s population stood at 3.1 million in 1996, and is currently reaching a stage of
demographic transition with declining mortality and fertility rates, and increased aging. The last two
decades witnessed an improvement in the health status of the population, with the crude death
rate falling to 7 per thousand (1996), infant mortality rates reaching 28 per thousand (1996) and life
expectancy at birth reaching 71 years (1996). Still, the cost of health care and health financing
remain a problem2.

Similarly, education indicators are relatively favorable in Lebanon with high literacy among young
age groups and relatively high net primary enrollment (83.8 percent in 1996), and a closed gender
gap in this respect. The proportion of the working population has been increasing, with the total
labor force constituting 33 percent of the total population (1996) 3. However the economic activity
rate for youth has been declining due to increased school enrollment.

Whereas significant progress has been made to understand and measure poverty, the country still
lacks a national poverty strategy and specific poverty reduction targets. This is a major drawback
for poverty reduction policies and programs focusing on under-served areas and social groups.
There are large income disparities in the country between social groups and geographic regions,
with a small percentage of households accounting for a sizeable part of income, fixed assets and
2
Ministry of Social Affairs/UNFPA- Housing and Population Database Survey, 1996
3
ibid.

18
capital. These disparities reflect in part the consequences of the war and the uneven distribution of
the benefits of the initial recovery.

A recent study conducted for the Economic and Social Fund for Development4 estimated the lower
monthly poverty line (2002) to amount to $340 for a family of 4.64 members, or $2.2/day/person.
Based on this estimation, it is estimated that 7.1 percent of the Lebanese households live under
the absolute poverty threshold. The value of the lower monthly poverty line is found to be highest in
the Cazas (Provinces) of Minyeh ($365), Hermel ($357), Akkar ($352), Tripoli ($349), and Baalbeck
(340). The lower monthly poverty line is also relatively high in Bint Jbeil ($331), West Bekaa
($328), and Nabatiyeh ($327). In addition, the highest poverty headcount index in found in Hermel
(22% of households), followed by Baalbeck (21.8%), Akkar (19.4%), Bint-Jbeil (16.7%), Sour
(14.9%), and Minyeh (14.7%).

In terms of non-income demographic and health indicators, Akkar, Hermel, Minyeh, Baalbeck,
Tripoli and Sour again emerge as poorer Cazas with big families, high dependency ratios, higher
mortality and fertility rates and low coverage of health insurance. In terms of non-income proxy
education indicators, the Cazas of Akkar, Hermel, Minyeh, Bint-Jbeil, Tripoli, Baalbeck, Hasbaya
and Marjeyoun emerge as poor areas. In terms of economic activity indicators, the Cazas of Akkar,
Bint-Jbeil, West Bekaa, Rashaya, Hermel, Baalbeck, Marjeyoun and Sour are lowest in economic
activity rates and higher in unemployment rates (Akkar a little less than 3 times the national
unemployment rate of 7.9%). Finally, access to basic infrastructure and services is also limited in
Cazas of Akkar, Hermel, Minyeh, Sour, Baalbeck, and Bint-Jbeil.

The poor in Lebanon have bigger families, with a youthful age structure and a high dependency
ratio. These families have high educational dropout rates, low educational attainment and higher
illiteracy levels. In addition, poor families have low economic activity rates, with a low number of
average workers per family. Handicraft labor and agricultural skilled employment, as well as small-
scale self-employment, constitute the major sources of income for the poor.
In addition to the poverty status of some Cazas in the country, different problems related to under-
development are evident:
- Female-headed households constitute 14% of all Lebanese households. However, in some
Cazas in South Lebanon this phenomenon is highly observed (ex. Jezzin ~21%, Marjeyoun
~19.5%, Bint-Jbeil ~18%, and Nabatiyeh ~15%)5.
- Child labor is another phenomenon related to under-development. Officially, working children
constitute 3% of the total economically active population. However, this ratio increases to reach
8% in Minyeh, 6% in Akkar, 5% in Sour and Bint-Jbeil, and 4% in Hermel and Baalbeck6.
- Former combatants7 in South Lebanon is another special category that should be taken into
consideration. The majority of the former detainees were imprisoned after 1982 and suffer from
the mental and physical traumas of the torture they went through. Prisoners suffer bad
conditions of detention, especially violence during interrogation, lack of nourishment, and poor
sanitary conditions. Most suffer from irreversible health problems, including sight disorders,
digestive system disorders, back problems, and at times permanent disability. They also suffer
from psychological traumas and depression related to their isolation from the world and loss of
morale resulting in difficulty in social and professional integration. Former detainees also
confront immediate economic problems. Detainees express their needs most importantly in
terms of accessing education, medical care, employment and small credit.
- Agricultural workers constitute 8% of the total labor force in Lebanon. However, this ratio is
estimated at 33% in Hermel, 32% in Marjeyoun, 25% in Bint-Jbeil, 23% in Sour, 22% in
Hasbaya, 21% in Minyeh, and 19% in Akkar.8

4
CDR and the EU, Short Term Mission on Social and Municipal Development- Poverty Analysis and Targeting
Mechanism for the ESFD Project, 2002
5
Ministry of Social Affairs and UNDP: Mapping of Living Conditions in Lebanon, 1998
6
ibid.
7
Ministry of Social Affairs: The Constraints and Needs of Lebanese Former Detainees in Israeli Prisons (Preliminary
report in Arabic), January 2001
8
ibid.

19
- Disability is not widespread in Lebanon. Still, in South Lebanon, it is linked to the war
conditions, and is observed among former combatants. In North Lebanon, especially Akkar, it is
mostly a result of hereditary diseases and is mainly due to inter-family marriages.

2.3 National Strategy Framework for Territorial and Sectoral

Development

After the end of the conflict, and until 1998, the government policy has been based on 3 main
priorities:
Restoring political balances within the public sector,
Maintain monetary stability to attract Lebanese deposits abroad,
Focus on reconstruction of Beirut center, as an essential mean to be in a position to recover its
position within the region.

Although globally successful in terms of overall economic indicators, the outcome of this policy has
been however limited by two major factors, namely the persistence of the regional conflict and the
increase of regional and social unbalances.

The period between 1998 and 2000 has been marked by a clear intention to bring reconstruction
and development outside the capital city and do more for disadvantaged social group.
Unfortunately, economy slowed down and the weight of the service of the debt burdened the
national budget. The public sector remained globally inefficient and no significant improvement
neither in correcting regional unbalances or social disparities. However, significant efforts towards
structural reforms have been initiated during this period for the fist time since the end of the
conflict. First, a comprehensive public investment planning process was introduced, based on a
normative 5 years development programme adjusted annually through a 3 years rolling public
investment plan (PIP). The municipal elections that were held in late 1998 have considerably
boosted the process of organizing the fabric of civil society organizations and mainstreaming their
energies towards development at the local level. The liberation of the South from Israel occupation
raised many expectations on lesser direct impact of regional conflict on Lebanese social and
economic affairs. The expectations turned into frustrations as the response on the international
community to the Lebanon call for support in rebuilding the South have been so far limited.

After only 2 years interruption, the leadership that have managed Lebanon since the end of the
conflict has been reelected in the last elections, with a commitment to learn the lessons of the past
and address the issues left pending. Emerged from the October 2000 legislative elections, the new
government has defined its development policy in a political statement that the Prime Minister
provided to the Parliament on November 1st 2000. This statement constitutes a detailed outline of
the policies and strategies that the government is applying while steering the development process. It
defines clearly the contours of the National Development Framework that was pushed forward in the
last 4 years.

The basic principles beyond the National Programme’s rationale is to strengthen National values of
sovereignty, independence, democracy and dialogue at all level of society and among all segments.
This means proactive modernization without denial of heritage from past. Efficient administration will
be pursued as priority targets for modernization. Moreover, the National Programme aims at operating
the fusion between the ambitions of the civil society and the policies of the state, in order to
strengthen political stability, realize balanced development in all regions and instill confidence among
the Lebanese. The most forward looking strategic assumption of the new policy is to strengthen the
alliance between Syria and Lebanon in all socio-economic aspects by increased economic
cooperation and integration between the two sister-countries in order to achieve mutual benefit for
both peoples.

20
Specifically, the governmental development policy is articulated around the following 19
commitments:

• Establishing a state where rulers and citizens are accountable to clear regulations in
accordance with the Law and in the respect of the Human Rights.
• Boosting the official and private media to play its role on the local and international scene
(through satellite transmission) which promotes Lebanon’s image of haven of freedom,
dialogue, diversity, cultural interaction, openness to other civilization and an example of
resistance.
• In order to confront the problem of youth unemployment that dangerously lead to immigration
abroad and deprive the Country from highly qualified modern expertise, invigorating the
economy and its growth to create job opportunities that are needed for Lebanon to be able to
benefit from its youth potential.
• Providing women with equal employment opportunities in both public and private sectors and
protecting their rights under laws and legislation.
• Vitalizing the role of civil society and NGO and mainstream their resources and capabilities in
complement to the government developmental investments.
• Rehabilitating the neglected historic sites in order to encourage cultural tourism and promote
Lebanon recover as a “shining star of the Arab culture”.
• Overcome the national budgetary deficit by restoring economic growth. Restoring economic
growth will be achieved by improving incentives for the private sector, including:
• Draft a new set of laws for better investment climate,
• Reactivate projects with secured financing through already approved soft loans,
• Marketing Lebanese commodities and services locally and abroad,
• Reducing import/export barriers and speeding up administrative procedures
• Join Arab and European economic blocs and WTO,
• Privatize projects and facilities,
• Respect state’s obligations, commitments and pledges and
• Reward/grant ISO compliant businesses.
• Encourage private sector that create job opportunities
• Reform the public administration in order to make it modern, smaller, efficient, responsive,
accountable, through investing in modern systems and in staff retraining and performance-
based incentives.
• In the framework of the public sector reform, the health sector will receive particular attention in
order to correct the fact that the health bill has dramatically increased without significant
improvement of the coverage, quality of services and preventive care to the population.
Emphasis will be then made on putting the freshly rebuild health infrastructure at work.
• Improving Lebanon’s competitive edge in information technology.
• Supporting the agriculture and agricultural industry in modernizing in order to be competitive in
the market, by reactivating agricultural research and extension, identifying alternative crops
and produce, encouraging high-yield crops and supporting exports.
• Work to a sustainable solution of the irrigation problem, including:
• Protection of aquifers and combating pollution
• Undertake projects for better use of renewable water resource such as dams and artificial
lakes.
• Create, under the Ministry of Environment, a modern authority for sustainable water
management.
• In the education sector, the public schooling map will be reconsidered in order to optimize the
use of the infrastructure and human resources, including expanding the capacity at certain
levels. Implement the new curricula and follow-up on developing them. Invest in teachers
training, incentive quality and increase supervision. Special attention will be given to vocational
training through creating technical and vocational academies and high level technological

21
 institutions. The government will support the Lebanese University to recover its central role in
the process of enhancing the national education system.
• Declare environmental state of emergency in Lebanon in order to stop environmental
degradation. A national scientific institution will be established to issue guidelines that will be
enforced through Ministry of Environment’s cooperation with all line Ministries. Establish as a
matter of priority a modern polluter payer tax system to finance environmental recovery.
• Redesign Lebanese territorial organization in order to enforce urban planning and insure
balanced development while protection agriculture, forest and archeology. Expand work on
zoning efforts to regulate land ownership.
• Improve public transport systems including reorganization and modernization of railroad in all
Lebanese territories in order to reduce the fuel bill and reduce pollution.
• Develop tourism in accordance with the evolution of the worldwide market that supercedes
holiday-making to incorporate our wealth of culture heritage and civilization. Therefore, the
government will promote investment in the tourism sector and protect the tourism and
environmental wealth. Widen Lebanon’s position in the world tourism market to include cultural
and ecological tourism.
• Simplify establishment of industrial facilities and encourage new investment in developed
industries, in particular in information technology and education. Support dialogue between
employers and employees and encourage professional training in particular in rural areas.

Selection of the Program Areas

The project primarily targets the areas of North Lebanon (Akkar and Minieh, Dinniyeh and Tripoli-
Bab el-Tebbaneh); and South Lebanon (former occupied regions in the areas of Marjeyoun, Bint
Jbeil, Nabatiyeh, Sour, Rashaya, Hasbaya and West Bekaa).

Seen that the Muhafasa (regions) and Cazas (provinces) are administrative entities, appointed by
the Ministry of the Interior, which do not have operative relevant functions on the ground, the
municipality is the main (for certain aspects, the only) territorial level for local development
projects. Enhancing local capacities at the municipal level and encouraging civil society and private
sector participation in strategic local development planning represent real challenges for the
sustainability of territorial development and for enhancing the democratisation process from bottom
up. However, a wider territorial level is represented by the Union of Municipalities. The law, in fact,
allows neighbouring municipalities to federate temporarily or permanently to become an
intermediate administrative body which can access and collect either the resources provided by
municipal taxes or the ones provided by the State. Twenty-two such Unions have already been
formed.

The program intervention, as confirmed by the July/August joint formulation mission will capitalize
the experience and use the installed capacities of the following programs jointly implemented by
the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) and UNDP:
Post-Conflict Socio-Economic Rehabilitation Program of Southern Lebanon, a joint program
implemented by CDR and UNDP in the former occupied regions of southern Lebanon. The
program was established in September 2000, and focuses on local mobilization (capacity building
and implementation of small scale community projects- municipalities and cooperatives),
employment generation (enterprise development), youth reconciliation and reintegration, mine-
action socio-economic rehabilitation, coordination and information databases.
Support to the Regional Development Program in Akkar, a joint program implemented by CDR and
UNDP in the Caza of Akkar. The program has been initiated in mid 2003, and focuses on local
mobilization (capacity building and implementation of small scale community projects-
municipalities and cooperatives), employment generation (enterprise development), and youth
reconciliation and reintegration.

The UN System in Lebanon

22
The UN organizations present in Lebanon cover a wide range of activities spanning from
peacekeeping, assistance to refugees, and humanitarian assistance to financial and technical
assistance for development. Each one of these programmes is formulated and implemented in
partnership with the Government and in consultation and cooperation with non-governmental
organizations, civil society and the private sector, in support of national objectives of reconstruction
and development.

Lebanon throughout the past years has been a keen supporter of the United Nations and the
Lebanese have played prominent roles in international affairs. The growing and important
presence of UN organizations in Lebanon is evidence of the desire of the authorities to develop the
full potential of cooperation programmes, on one hand, and to re-establish Lebanon as a regional
center of international activities for development, on the other.

There are sixteen offices of UN organizations in Lebanon. A brochure giving more detailed
information on their activities is available from the UN office at Riad El-Solh square. UN
organizations in Lebanon are (in alphabetical order):

FAO United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization

ILO International Labor Organization
UNDCP United Nations Drug Control Programme
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNESCO United Nations Education, Science and Culture
UNEDBAS Organization / Regional Office for Education in the Arab States
UNESCWA United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
UNFPA United Nations Population Fund
UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund
UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization
UNIFEM United Nations Fund for Women
UNIFIL United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
UNLOB United Nations Liaisons Beirut OCET
UNRWA United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East
WHO United Nations World Health Organization

Major UNDP Initiatives in Lebanon

The following achievements listed below represent some of the most salient achievements:

A new project was launched with the Lebanese parliament in 1999 to assist it in developing an
information and management structure, enhance linkages with Arab Parliamentarians and
strengthen its human capacities.

UNDP support to UN agencies and bilateral cooperation programmes through the four Integrated
regional development programmes (Baalbeck-Hermel, Chouf, Akkar, South) has been particularly
successful. Strengthening national capacity and establishing efficient and result-oriented
coordination mechanisms at the local level have been the key factors in consolidating
partnerships and promoting sustainable development approaches.

Moreover UNDP provides technical assistance and aid coordination support at the upstream
policy level in the area of governance with specific emphasis on reform and rehabilitation of the
public administration and fiscal measures, including mainstreaming national policies for poverty
reduction. Of special notes is the role of undertaking a poverty mapping of basic needs,
organizing in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Ministry of Economy and Trade a
national forum to discuss means to link economic growth and social development. UNDP also
helped putting forth-key policy issues for implementing the 20/20 initiative for rationalizing public
expenditure for Basic Social Services.

23
A programme to reactivate and strengthen municipalities is being formulated. Support is provided
to re-establish reliable basic national statistics and a trade information services. A tourism master
plan was recently completed; ongoing support is provided to protect the country's cultural
heritage.

Moreover, for the first time, UNDP has been called upon by the Council of Development and
Reconstruction (CDR) to provide technical assistance and capacity building support towards the
implementation of the 5-year development plan for the country.

Furthermore, UNDP was the key player in formulating the first development strategy for southern
Lebanon at this important juncture of liberation; the strategy included a three-fold approach: 1) for
immediate assistance; 2) for development assistance during the withdrawal process and 3) the
medium rehabilitation and reconstruction for the region.

Under Social Reconstruction and Poverty Alleviation, assistance is provided to help the
Government develop a national strategy for poverty alleviation, including employment promotion
and social development. UNDP provides assistance in the different components of the education
sector, particularly basic education. Three area development schemes in the Baalbeck and
Hermel districts, in areas of Mount Lebanon where displacement took place, and in southern
Lebanon, are being supported with the aim of creating jobs, promoting social services and
alleviating hardship. A Project to strengthen the skills of women entrepreneurs constitute for a
national plan to mainstream women into economic and social life and the public service.

The Environment Management and Sustainable Development programme focuses on national

capacity building in terms o policy advice, updating environmental legislation, promotion of
national capacities through training of stakeholders and establishment of integrated systems.
Sound environmental practices and policies are promoted through strategic pilot initiatives to
follow up the Rio Conference and to implement international instruments - projects in the fields of
desertification, biodiversity (including through protected areas), climate change and ozone
depletion have been initiated, with the support of the Global Environment Facility. These and other
international instruments such as the Montreal Protocol and the European Union initiatives include
the participation of municipalities, NGO'S, CBOs and the private sector. A national action plan for
environmental education and increasing public awareness has also been initiated.

Finally it is worth noticing that Beirut hosts a UNDP Sub Regional Facility (SURF) of the Arab
States Region, where cross country competencies and skills are gathered to provide on demand
assistance to COs for knowledge networking.

2.4 Analysis of National Development Problems and the UNDP action

Through the UNDAF formulation process, the United Nations system in Lebanon has dedicated
considerable efforts to analyze the root cause of the development problems faced by Lebanon.
The United Nations system agreed on a common diagnosis of the situation and on the best ways
in which the United Nations system can better help the Government of Lebanon in its quest of
solutions:

Deficient governance systems

The main national priorities are to resolve the budget deficit problem to promote economic
recovery and to achieve political stability in southern Lebanon and across the country.

The Government has made many efforts to enhance governance capacities and tackle the
challenges ahead. However, these efforts have produced little sustainable improvements in
performance and less in terms of impact because of political resistance to reform, an outdated
legal framework in the public sector and weak structural capacity of the public administration and of

24
the economy. In 1999, the Government formulated a five-year fiscal adjustment plan with the aim
to improve tax collection capacity, to implement privatization and to introduce the Value Added Tax
(VAT). In 2000, a five-year development plan was formulated and a series of reform initiatives
were launched, including the proposal to reduce the number of Ministries from 32 to 16 and to
merge three reconstruction and development public authorities. Also in 2000, the Government
activated the national Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Coordination of efforts between
civil society, the private sector and the Government, although relatively shy, has improved in areas
pertaining to social development, employment and participation. Yet these plans and initiatives
remain independent of a comprehensive framework/agenda for governance, and hence reduce the
likelihood that they will meet their target.

After years of electoral suspension and slow legislation, sufficient efforts were invested to
reactivate parliamentary and municipal elections. The capacities of municipal councils are yet
weak and decentralization remains largely theoretical. While other elected bodies seem
satisfactory by good governance standards, that of the executive branch has often been criticized
for lack of responsiveness, transparency and accountability. The efforts to establish new state-
citizen relationships were often undermined by the rigidity of the public sector, its high level of
politicization and the skepticism among citizens. Hence, a general atmosphere of skepticism
prevails regarding the government ability to sustain and mainstream the various reforms, to
improve the structures and other initiatives to combat poverty and corruption, to implement reform
and to improve efficiency. The judicial branch is not an exception; several efforts were made to
enhance its integrity and effectiveness.

Under respected rights to development

The Government recognized the reduction of disparities as an important issue in the national
development plan. Lebanon finalized important studies that form the basis for measuring living
conditions and the extent of poverty. In addition, the Government, with the support of UN agencies,
has implemented several development activities aimed at enhancing the living conditions of
specific disadvantaged groups and in specific under-served regions. A five-year plan was
formulated in 2000 with focus on balanced development among regions and emphasis on under-
served and neglected areas as a priority mean to improve living conditions. Moreover, the
Government increased allocation for improved access to social services.
Yet, aggregated data reveal serious disparities among regions and social groups, including access
to basic social services among regions and quality of services in densely populated areas and in
remote rural areas. Poverty eradication in the country is constrained by the absence of a
comprehensive national plan that would identify and focus on under-served areas and social
groups. An important manifestation of disparities is the prevalence of nearly half the population (48
percent) without any form of social security. The bulk of these segment are the poor – who do not
qualify to enter the national social security scheme and cannot afford available private schemes.
The public services available to them are only at the level of meeting certain needs and area yet to
be translated into acquired rights to which all citizens are entitled by law.

Disparities are also noted between the “haves” and the “have-nots” with respect to access to health
and education. About 50 percent of the Lebanese population do not have any form of health
insurance and 21 percent of household expenditures is dedicated for health care. Infant mortality
rate in the Bekaa and the South is two to three times higher than in Beirut and Mount Lebanon.
Likewise, significant disparities exist in terms of prenatal and natal care. Although enrolment rates
for children at primary level are very high, there are problems related to accessibility to education
by children in the different regions and among the various social classes.

The distortion between public spending and social services, on the one hand, and the quality of
public services, on the other, suggest serious weaknesses in the administration of public
resources, a weakness in targeting and monitoring and unbalance in the allocation of resources.
Decentralization is lacking or very weak.

25
Although Lebanon ratified a number of global human rights conventions, there are continuing
discrepancies with the national laws. Also, the Government put a number of significant reservations
on ratified human rights conventions, including the Convention for the Elimination of all forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

In view of the above and based on the results of the field visits realized to the ongoing UNDP
Socio-economic Development Program in South (Saida, Nabatiye) and the same project in the
North (Akkar) Lebanon, as well as to the Northern provinces of Miniyeh/Dinniyeh, were no project
was yet started, the following emerges:

The northern and southern areas present socio-economic clear differences as well as a different
social and political/sectarian fabric, which justified using different project methodologies, although
safeguarding the same participatory local development approach and very light and agile project
structures. The coordination between the two project is kept at the central level through the UNDP
programme officer and the CDR staff, but joint activities were not yet envisaged.

The UNDP project in the south is older, established in the aftermath of the Israeli withdrawal, and
its duration is foreseen until the end of 2005. In this sense, the project is an important asset to the
region in view of stabilization and social dialogue, although the sectarian fragmentation jeopardises
the process. The occupation at first and the Hezbollah later have long since replaced the State role
and ensured certain level of investment in social services and utilities as well as economic
activities. The UNDP project in the north, on the contrary, was recently established and is supposed
to continue until mid 2005. The area is definitely poor, although easier from a political point of view.
The presence of the State is weak and the power and capacities of communities to influence local
policies and investments is also deficient.

The three institutional targets of these projects (municipality councils, youth and cooperatives)
appear to be the most appropriate also for this initiative. The southern project highlighted the
support to cooperatives and youth, whilst in the north the main focus was the support to local
authorities capacity building. This seems also appropriate for this initiative, given the context. At
present the CDR is the only State department which actively and continuously active in the areas
and the projects, although sporadic presence and support is also provided by the Ministry of Social
Affairs.

The commitment, professional skills and leadership exercised by the UNDP local staff, as well as
the high quality substantive and managerial backstopping provided from Beirut, both by UNDP and
the CDR will also be capitalised by this project. In fact, it was evident that CO possesses
leadership, institutional and substantive, which is acknowledged by the international community
and national authorities, in the focus areas of governance and local development.

Finally, this initiative will profit from the local coordination mechanism implemented by UNDP
involving main local and international players, such as NGO-s, donors and IO-s, with good results
despite some difficulties faced with a EU new project.

In view of the above, the two existing projects will be kept as such, as the backbone of the new
initiative, which could also enlarge the geographical coverage to the Miniyeh/Dinniyeh area, and
therefore duration of each project carried on to the same deadline. This would allow for a unified
programme divided into mutually linked geographical modules, that facilitates RM. Art Gold
Lebanon will play a role of putting the different projects together in a more systematic and concrete
way, in view of promoting policy impacts and advocating for local development schemes. The
backstopping from the “centre” will be kept unified, under the responsibility of the CTA of the new
initiative.

2.5 Target groups and executing agency

26
Provided that the Art Gold Lebanon provides assistance to national strategies for local
development, it definitely targets some specific groups as the engines of such strategy vis-à-vis
national authorities. These groups are the same target groups of the ongoing UNDP projects in the
North and South of Lebanon, namely, municipalities, cooperatives and youth.

In fact, in consideration of objective slow pace of the decentralisation process, caused by the
complex process of State Reform, the municipality is the main (for certain aspects, the only)
territorial level for local development projects. Enhancing local capacities at the municipal level and
encouraging civil society and private sector participation in strategic local development planning
represent real challenges for the sustainability of territorial development and for enhancing the
democratisation process from bottom up.

Municipal councils and mayors are elected for a 6-year mandate (last elections held on June 2004).
Muhafasa (regions) and Cazas (provinces) are administrative entities appointed by the Ministry of
the Interior, but do not have operative relevant functions on the ground. However, a wider territorial
level is represented by the Union of Municipalities. The law, in fact, allows neighbouring
municipalities to federate temporarily or permanently to become an intermediate administrative
body which can access and collect either the resources provided by municipal taxes or the ones
provided by the State. Twenty-two such Unions have already been formed.

On the other hand, the cooperative is the local economic grouping on which the project strategy for
sustainable local economic development can be built. Around 782 cooperatives are registered in
Lebanon (December 2001) mainly in the agricultural sector (52%). Current indicators point at the
weakness in the cooperative sector as a result of several factors such as: the lack of awareness in
the cooperative sector as a means for mutual economic individual and group interest; the lack of
policy that could overcome the current economic crisis trough finding protective legislation that
would help the sector in marketing production; the lack of any scientific study on the formation of
cooperatives that prohibits competition within the sector and stops its fragmentation. Cooperative
programs cannot succeed when its services are limited to a small community. However,
cooperatives represent a real instrument for optimising resources and know how as well as
improving farmers’, fishers’ and artisans’ quality of production and income, if included in a strategic
plan for territorial economic development.

UNDP supported a large number of middle-sized cooperatives (200 to 500 members), sometimes
helping their constitution. This also seemed very appropriate for promoting business and income
generation, although it was not possible to have a clear vision on how this component relates to the
municipal capacity building and in general to local economic development. In this respect the Local
Economic Development Agencies could constitute the vehicle for diffusing the benefits of
cooperatives activities throughout the territory.

Youth are the third target that is key to enhancing dialogue, reconciliation and reintegration.
Stabilisation comes through their involvement in all sorts of training and social activities aimed at
improving their participation in society and through exchange with other groups and situations. This
also prevents from internal and external migrations, which seemed to be the main life-project for
the young people involved in UNDP activities. UNDP currently supports cultural activities and social
dialogue within the youth and their participation within the municipal councils, enhancing the role of
women in development. This work is definitely crucial, although, also in this case, the relation to the
local economic development is not yet clear.

Special attention and targeted interventions will be foreseen for street children in Minyeh and
Dinnieh, disabled and former detainees in South Lebanon.

At the central level, the UNDP works in support of the various State constituencies: government,
parliament sectoral departments and others. There is a political momentum for advocating for local
development and community participation. However, the political scenario is still too complex and
uncertain to provide concrete and solid background for advocacy impacts. For this reason the Art

27
Gold Maghreb could enhance UNDP chances to open a strong national policy component for local
development within its activities.

2.6 Base documents

A number of studies & surveys were conducted in the last few years by the government and in
collaboration with the UN, regarding social issues and have been consulted and used for the
formulation of the present project document:
 Population & Housing Survey; with UNFPA in 1996
 PAP child; Ministry of Health in 1996
 Census of buildings and establishments, Central Administration of Statistics, 1995-1996
Study on the labor market (survey at the enterprises), National employment Office, ILO,
UNDP in 1997
 Survey on unemployment (Household survey), National Employment Office, 1997
 The Living Conditions of the Lebanese. Households Survey; Active population CAS in 1998
 Mapping of Living Conditions; with UNDP in 1998
 Multiple Indicator Child Survey (MICS), UNICEF, 2000.
 Household Health Survey, Ministry of Health and WHO, 2000
 Survey of industrial establishments (update of 1994 census data), Ministry of industry,
2000.
 National Human Development Report on Youth; UNDP in 1999
 National Human Development report on Globalization, UNDP, 2002.

In addition to those documents, information was extracted from project documents of other UNDP
and UN initiatives as well as from UNDP intranet.

28
III. Strategy

3.1 Brief analysis and selection of the strategy

As mentioned above, the programme is part of the Art strategy (Appui aux Réseaux Territoriaux et
Thématique de Développement Humain) for implementing the Copenhagen platform and Plan of
action as well as for contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals,
particularly concerning poverty reduction, in collaboration with the UN family.

The Art Strategy was specially designed by a group of UN Agencies under UNDP leadership,
namely UNDP, UNESCO, UNOPS, UNIFEM, WHO, to help these and other agencies work more
closely together to face the MDG using a comprehensive approach.

The MDGs, in fact, are interrelated and strategies for their achievement should point at confronting
both the tangible manifestations of world disequilibria, such as poverty, illness, illiteracy,
environmental degradation or violence, as well as the structural causes, which are rooted in current
development models that discriminate between peoples and between countries.

For this purpose, the Art strategy consists of helping Governments to support local communities to
fully participate in the coordinated and integrated management of development problems at their
territorial level, in a wide ranging partnership between all social actors. This means:
• To target the different sectoral problems at the same time (economy, income, public services,
health programmes, education and training, environment and urban planning, capacity and
institution building, etc);
• To use instruments that, while concretely improving living condition, provoke structural
solutions for social dialogue, conflict prevention and human development.

The Art Gold Lebanon will implement the strategy through:

• A national framework programme for human development, that operates at national, regional
and local level;
• International support by the various components of Art, namely: backstopping and technical
assistance, decentralised cooperation and international partnership promotion, knowledge
networking and training, innovation and south-south cooperation.

This approach seemed relevant to the national authorities, Italy and the UNDP in view of the
development problems described above (i.e. the deficient governance system and the under
respected rights to development) and also in view of the fact that it would remark the continuity of
UNDP action in the northern and southern regions of Lebanon, where it proved highly effective.

3.2 General Objectives

In view of the above, the general objective of the programme is to contribute to stimulate economic
recovery, social rehabilitation and balanced development in the medium and long term, through the
implementation of local human development strategies in selected regions and through building
territorial development partnerships across the Euro-Mediterranean region, focusing on the key
role of local communities.

This would in turn result also in a reversal of the migratory flow between the region and the capital
as well as in a reduction of regional disparities.

29
Finally, the project is instrumental to articulate national policies and local practices in the field of
local development, so as to make decentralisation more effective.

By doing so the programme will enhance and leverage UNDP Country Office opportunities of
providing training, advice, and technical assistance support to national and sub-national institutions
operating in the field of local development, through internationally acknowledged resource persons
and institutions. This is highly relevant also in view of the fact that Lebanon hosts a SURF for the
Arab States, that will help provide the necessary background and knowledge networking for
empowering the recipient actors to interact with international cooperation programmes and
economic partners.

In terms of longer term social process, the programme wishes to contribute to some more
structural objectives in Lebanon and in the Middle East Region in terms of promoting a culture of
peace through exchanges within the Euro-Mediterranean area, that:
 lower levels of microconflict and, accordingly, more pro-active attitudes towards concerted
development actions
 improves relations between institutions and the population
 provide for greater propensity towards peaceful and constructive relations between actors
in Lebanon, in Italy and Europe

3.3 Specific Objectives

The Art Gold Lebanon will be executed through a multilevel approach, that simultaneously
implements activities at the local, national and international levels. The specific objectives,
therefore, are the following:

1. The creation of an enabling environment at the national level for policies and strategies in
the field of local development that helps consolidating and deepening national authorities
competencies concerning human development cooperation. For this purpose, the Art Gold
Lebanon may be also used by Lebanese government as an instrument for the geographical
coordination of international cooperation activities in the field of local human development.
In fact it will provide a common platform to each development agent to participate in local
development activities in a coordinated way, under the leadership of national and local
authorities.

2. At the local level, the programme aims at widening the opportunities of populations in the
selected areas to access to better living conditions in terms of income, education, health,
social integration and the environment, with a special focus on most vulnerable population.
This will be achieved through improving functioning of local public administration,
enhancing basic services and promoting the widest participation of local communities in the
development process in a wide ranging partnership between the public, private and civil
sectors. Selected areas are, as mentioned above:
 North Lebanon (Akkar and Minieh, Dinniyeh and Tripoli- Bab el-Tebbaneh); and
 South Lebanon (former occupied regions in the areas of Marjeyoun, Bint Jbeil,
Nabatiyeh, Sour, Rashaya, Hasbaya and West Bekaa)

3. The internationalization of the Lebanese institutional, economic and cultural reality, with
the support of the international components of Art. This objective is particularly relevant
provided that local development is opposed to localised. On the contrary, each local reality
can create the conditions for its development only if it is able to be connected to national
and international networks where partnerships can be established to leverage local
resources. The Art strategy has been designed for this purpose and will provide to this
programme, like to each of the network, specialised instruments to network training, welfare

30
 innovations, decentralised cooperation and economies with a special view to the specific
Euro-Mediterranean context and to the dialogue between cultures.

As a whole, these objectives are a combination of top-down and bottom-up approach to produce
policy changes in the field of local development:
­ The bottom-up approach is implemented through local, participatory and integrated human
development plans in selected geographical areas (which are submitted to national and
international stakeholders for financing) and through international partnerships,
corresponding to objectives 2 and 3;
­ The top-down approach is implemented by advocacy, training, networking best practices
and advising activities vis-à-vis national and local authorities, corresponding to objective 1.

Being coordinated with the current CDR-UNDP interventions in northern and southern Lebanon,
the Art Gold Lebanon could represent an added value in three main areas: a) the “meso dimension”
of local development; b) international partnerships and decentralised cooperation; and c) local
economic development. In particular:

a) The Art Gold Lebanon, will definitely build on existing local planning and coordination
instruments and mechanisms set up by both National and Local actors, although pushing to place
strategic planning functions at a wider territorial level rather than just the municipality. This level
could well be the Union of Municipalities or other forms of associations, if it should be verified the
unfeasibility of working at the Caza level. In this respect, the development planning could be made
in a more integrated and comprehensive way, overcoming current fragmentation project
components and between projects.

b) The Lebanese institutions will gain capacities from the programme to profit in a ordered and
sustainable way from international partnerships of decentralised cooperation. This could on the one
hand provide some missing elements at the local level: self-trust, long term vision, sense of being
part of a whole, as opposed to isolation. On the other hand it could help with providing know-how
and technical resources which was the main demand by local authorities. Finally, it would definitely
be meaningful in a larger regional Middle East perspective.

c) The local economic development component developed by ongoing UNDP projects will be
strengthened through introducing new instruments and mechanisms to link up cooperative, local
authorities and civil society, such as, for example, private/public compacts, local economic
development agencies, service centres for the SME-s, international economic partnership
opportunities, etc.

The national level activities of ongoing projects could finally be strengthened in view of making the
case of local development of those regions. In this respect, the Art Gold Lebanon should be closely
related to other UNDP initiatives that work with national institutions, particularly with Government
departments and Parliament.

3.4 Expected Outputs

Related to specific objective 1:

The creation of an enabling environment at the national level for policies and strategies in the field
of local development

Expected output 1:

A National Working Group (NWG) is established, under the leadership of the Government
counterpart (the CDR), comprised of the main state departments concerned by local development,
UNDP, Italy and open to the participation of other programme donors. By doing this, Lebanon

31
would have an operational instrument to facilitate the orientation of domestic and donor’s
resources towards the implementation of national and local development objectives in the project
areas. At the same time, the NWG will facilitate the connections between the local, national and
international activities of the Art Gold Lebanon. being the main interlocutor for both the local
working groups and the international cooperation agencies.

Finally, this instrument would also make it available an additional concrete mechanism to the UN
country team to implement the UNDAF at the local level.

Activities:

Wide ranging consultations, under the leadership of the CDR and UNDP to identify suitable
interested national institutions as partners to the NWG

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work programme off. 11.01
part time work coordinator 11.02
4 missions (total 24 days) at 600 USD/day inc. dsa consultants 17.0x 18.000
to introduce the different components of Art to the
relevant national institutions
4 international travel at 1500 each mission/travel 15.0x 6.000
4 internal workshops at 1000 each workshops 32.0x 1.000
sub total 25.000

Preparation of a national workshop for the presentation in Lebanon of the Art Strategy,
open to the participation of national public and private institutions, institutions from the Art
Network countries and international potential partners

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
reimbursements for dsa and other expenses to 3 consultants 17.0x 2.400
international participants at 200/day for total 12
days
3 international travel at 1500 each mission/travel 15.0x 4.500
reimbursements for transport and dsa for 20 mission/travel 15.0x 2.000
national participants at 100 each
facilities for the event (rent of premises, video and workshops 32.0x 15.000
audio equipment, translations, transports,
publication of the minutes, etc.)
promotional materials publication and distribution miscellaneous 53.0x 1.500
sub total 25.400

Organisation of periodic meetings of the NWG, the UNDP serving as technical secretariat, to
follow-up on the general status of the Programme, prioritise areas and sectors of
intervention, endorse area work-plans, prepare consolidated work-plan and present it to the
Review meetings

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

32
 LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
3 workshops (1 per year) at the occasion of the workshops 32.0x 1.500
review meetings at 500 each
reporting materials 2500 per year miscellaneous 53.0x 7.500
sub total 9.000

Assistance to national institutions in shaping sectoral support to local human development

strategies and plans

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
part time work area managers 11.0x
senior expert on LED for 36 days at 600/day inc. consultants 17.0x 21.000
dsa
senior expert on welfare services in health for 36 consultants 17.0x 21.000
days at 600/day inc. dsa
senior expert on education systems for 36 days at consultants 17.0x 21.000
600/day inc. dsa
national sectoral experts 120 days at 150/day consultants 17.0x 18.000
6 international travel at 1500 each and 3 intl. Travel mission/travel 15.0x 18.000
at 3000 each
travel within country mission/travel 15.0x 2.000
9 sectoral one-day workshops at 500 each workshops 32.0x 4.500
publications, translations and various materials miscellaneous 53.0x 5.000
sub total 110.500

Assistance to the NWG to liaise to other relevant national and international institutions,
particularly the UN system through the UN country team for coordination and resources
mobilisation purposes

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
Part time work coordinator 11.02
reimbursement of dsa and other expenditures to 2 mission/travel 15.0x 36.000
delegations per year composed by 6 persons (2 per
area and 2 nationals) at international events for a
total of 144 days (average 4 days per event) at
250/day
(co-funding) NHDR and MDG reports - 6 sub projects 22.0x 30.000
publications
3 donor coordination national meetings at 1000 workshops 32.0x 3.000
each
promotional materials at 1000 per intl. event miscellaneous 53.0x 6.000
sub total 75.000

Assistance to the NWG and institutions thereof to plan and implement the overall strategy
of information and communication of the Art Gold Lebanon

33
 RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST
LINES
junior information officer starting 2nd year for 24 area managers 11.0x 55.200
months at 2300/month
photo and video creatives for 30 days at 250/day consultants 17.0x 7.500
national travel reimbursements mission/travel 15.0x 5.000
website creation and maintenance sub contracts 21.0x 10.000
sub total 77.700

Expected output 2:

The local human development methodologies used in project areas are systematised as a tool for
encouraging national dialogue and decentralisation process, with particular regard to the local
economic development and international partnerships components. In this respect, the best
practices that can be codified in view of expanding their use to other areas of the country will be
documented and diffused whilst the direct exchanges between local authorities and communities
will be also promoted. It is expected that more regions will adopt similar instruments.

Activities:

Promotion of a board of high standing figures of the cultural Lebanese reality, linked to the
committees in charge of the NHDR and MDG reports as well as to other projects
promoted/financed by different agencies, to analyse, systematise and stimulate
methodological innovations for local human development practices

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
4 academic researchers for 30 days each at consultants 17.0x 18.000
150/day
6 meetings at 500 each workshops 32.0x 3.000
sub total 21.000

Production of documental material, in both paper and multimedia supports, that illustrates
the local innovative practices of human development

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
publication of 3 videos (one per project area) at consultants 17.0x 12.000
4000 each
publication of 3 brouchures per project area at miscellaneous 53.0x 16.200
1800 each
sub total 28.200

Support to the reinforcement or, when needed, the creation of national thematic networks
among those practices innovating in the fields of local public administration, local
economic development, welfare, education, culture and the environment

34
 RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST
LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
part time work area managers 11.0x
international senior expert in LED for 15 days at consultants 17.0x 9.000
600/day inc. dsa
international senior expert in welfare for 10 days at consultants 17.0x 6.000
600/day inc. dsa
5 international airfares at 1500 each mission/travel 15.0x 7.500
reimbursment of dsa and travel expenditures to 90 mission/travel 15.0x 9.000
participants (18 per workshop) at the workhops at
100 each
5 national workshops at 1000 each workshops 32.0x 5.000
sub total 36.500

Promotion of links between the national Lebanese networks and the international networks

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
part time work area managers 11.0x
reimbursement of dsa (at 250/day) and mission/travel 15.0x 30.000
international airfare (at 1500 each) for 12 Lebanese
representatives participation in international
network events (average 4 days per event)

sub total 30.000

Promotion of exchanges of visits between the communities and authorities of the various
projects areas and between these and other areas of the country that showed interest in
joining the Art strategy

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
part time work area managers 11.0x
dsa and travel reimbursement to 108 participants to mission/travel 15.0x 10.800
local workshops at 100 each
18 local workshops at 500 each workshops 32.0x 9.000
sub total 19.800

Technical assistance and support to resources mobilisation to those additional regions of

the country that express interest in deepening the knowledge or directly wish to implement
local human development approach in their territory

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
part time work area managers 11.0x

35
internal transports mission/travel 15.0x 2.000
sub total 2.000

Expected output 3:

Improved capacities of high level public officials and private/civic practitioners to support local
processes of planning and managing human development. For this purpose, a national training
plan on local development will be organised and implemented, in collaboration with the Lebanese
academic institutions in connection with the Universitas Network, which is promoted by Art at the
international level. With respect to the current UNDP collaboration with Lebanese universities, that
is the basis for the programme action, the added value of the training offered by the Art Gold
Lebanon will be the connection between the academic teaching and the practical field action
worldwide, that the programmes of the Art network can provide mainly through internships as well
as through the scientific know-how of the international board of teachers.

This output has a terrific importance on the middle-long term perspective, because it targets
capacity building and, thus, the possibility of self feeding the process of innovating policies and
practices in the field of local development. In addition to that, the international setting of the training
course will help facilitate the intercultural exchanges, in which the academia may likely play a
pioneer role.

Activities:

Support to the constitution of a board of Lebanese universities interested in organising

advanced teaching courses (master sc., doctorates or other) and applied research on local
human development, in close synergy and collaboration with the international cooperation
actors that are involved in the Art strategy and linked to the international network of
universities (called Art Universitas) that already joined

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
part time work area managers 11.0x
reimbursement of dsa (15 days at 200/day) and mission/travel 15.0x 7.500
travel expenditures (3 international travel at 1500
each) for Art Universitas representatives missions
one subcontract for HDRNet for identification and sub contracts 21.0x 15.600
insertion of relevant publications in the website
sub total 23.100

Joint elaboration of specific curricula and academic learning courses to form specialised
professional skills that are requested for facing local development in a globalised era.
These skills are useful not only for local administrations and regional governments, but
also for state departments which deal with local development, labour offices, chambers of
commerce, universities, private sector, other public institutions and NGO’s

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
part time work area managers 11.0x

36
2 months per year reimbursement of working time consultants 17.0x 72.000
of the Art Universitas coordinator at 12000/months
2 cycle of master sc. Courses (includes sub projects 22.0x 85.800
remuneration, dsa and travel reimbursements to
international teachers from the Region, Europe and
Latin America during 7 modules of one week each)

3 workshops at 500 each workshops 32.0x 1.500

sub total 159.300

Organisation of learning visits and internships at the international level as practical training
periods in the Art Gold Lebanon or in other Art programmes, connected to the advanced
academic courses

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
part time work area managers 11.0x
3 applied research interventions in regions sub projects 22.0x 135.000
additional to project areas at 45000 each
sub total 135.000

Organisation of professional development courses, in collaboration with governmental

training structures, the board of universities and the Art Universitas, of specialised short
trainings for the personnel of ministries and local authorities, primarily of the project areas
and open to the participation from other interested regions. The trainings will be
implemented through the technical assistance of the universities, Lebanese local experts
and the decentralised cooperation actors and will use the Art Gold Lebanon as a field for
practising

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
Part time work coordinator 11.02
funds for reimbursement of dsa and travel mission/travel 15.0x 5.000
expenditures to participants from other regions
6 courses (2 in each project area, open to other training 31.0x 48.000
area's representatives) at 8000 each
sub total 53.000

Related to Specific Objective 2:

Widening the opportunities of populations of project areas to access to better living conditions, with
a special focus on most vulnerable population, through improving functioning of local public
administration, enhancing basic services and promoting the widest participation of local
communities in the development process in a wide ranging partnership between the public, private
and civil sectors.

Expected output 1:

37
The decentralisation process is enhanced in terms of tasks, responsibilities and resources
managed at the local level in a participatory way, where community and local authorities may work
together to identify needs, resources and formulate local development plans. This will mean that
capacities of local government structures, specifically municipalities, as well as of civil society
organizations, primarily cooperatives and youth clubs, are strengthened to advocate balanced
regional development in Southern and North Lebanon.

This will also facilitate coordination of development agents working in the regions to decrease
duplication and ensure best usage of available resources and sustainability of programme actions.
The programme, in particular, will make efforts to facilitate the process of placing strategic
coordination roles at a higher level of decentralised authorities, i.e. Caza level or Union of
Municipalities level. The meso dimension in fact, is sufficiently small to ensure universal
participation in the decision making processes, but at the same time it is big enough to make it
available a critical mass of resources to kick off a sustainable local development, as well as
ensuring balanced distribution of social services.

Activities:

Constitution of Local Working Groups (LWG) in each municipality of the project areas,
under the leadership and responsibility of the local authority, comprised of the main public,
private and civic actors of the territory. The LWG will be in charge of planning and executing
in a participatory and non-discriminatory way the development actions in their area and
institutionalising the working methods

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
part time work area managers 11.0x
equipment and forniture for the 3 offices of the procurement 45.0x 31.500
LWG at 10500 each
regular office management and running costs at miscellaneous 53.0x 27.000
3000 yearly per office inc. internet facilities
sub total 58.500

Assistance to the LWG institutions for constituting participatory planning seminars for each
sectoral development priority in view of their consolidation into one only integrated
development plan

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
part time work area managers 11.0x
5 sectoral workshop per year per working group at workshops 32.0x 22.500
500 each
sub total 22.500

Participatory elaboration of integrated local development plan in each municipality and

aggregated regional development plans at the Unions of Municipalities or Caza level

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02

38
part time work area managers 11.0x
fund for field trips by NWG representatives and mission/travel 15.0x 10.000
project coordinator
yearly publication of the local development plans at workshops 32.0x 13.500
1500 each
sub total 23.500

Assistance to LWGs in advocating support from national and international institutions with
corresponding resources for the implementation of the development plans

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
part time work area managers 11.0x
6 local donor coordination meetings at 500 each workshops 32.0x 3.000
sub total 3.000

Assistance to local institutions, in collaboration with national government and universities,

to provide LWGs with appropriate instruments for the coordination of territorial planning,
such as GIS facilities or access to national training programmes. This to reduce
fragmentation of cooperation initiatives and make effective use of available national and
external resources in view of the sustainability of development actions

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
Part time work area managers 11.0x
national experts for 30 days each LWG at 150/day consultants 17.0x 13.500
3 training packages on the GIS at 2000 each Training 31.0x 6.000
GIS facilities and software for the 3 LWG at 4500 procurement 45.0x 13.500
each
sub total 33.000

Expected output 2:

A set of integrated instruments are set up at the regional (Caza) level in view of a balanced and
inclusive local economic development as a means for reducing unemployment and poverty.
These instruments will be implemented through the adoption of specific and worldwide
experimented participatory and concerted public/private mechanisms that, adapted to the local
context, allow for maximising the endogenous resources and regional competitiveness, with a
special focus on the SMEs.

Activities:

Participatory production of Local economic development plans, in line with the local
development plans elaborated by the LWG, to identify the competitive advantages of each
area and build up the chains of value between small or micro enterprises, cooperatives and
including individual business of the same productive cluster in the most convenient
organisational form

39
 RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST
LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
part time work area managers 11.0x
90 days of national sectoral experts at 150/day consultants 17.0x 13.500
14 days international expert to conduct the mini consultants 17.0x 8.400
training courses at 600/day inc. dsa
fund for field trip and visits to cooperatives and mission/travel 15.0x 10.000
productive locations
1 international trip airfare at 1500 mission/travel 15.0x 1.500
3 mini training courses on Led and Ledas, one per training 31.0x 3.000
each project area at 1000 each
6 workshops in each project areas to establish workshops 32.0x 9.000
prioritisation of chains (2), financial services (2) and
non financial/strategic services (2), at 500 each

sub total 45.400

Territorial Compacts are agreed upon between the economic actors of the project areas:
public authorities, business sector, cooperatives, unions, financial institutions and civil
society. The territorial compacts are a modality for concerted investment programming,
where each party to the compact subscribes and commit to a joint investment plan,
economic governance mechanisms and a series of services to the SMEs

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
part time work area managers 11.0x
fund for field trips by NWG representatives, and mission/travel 15.0x 5.000
LWG visits to productive locations
3 sub-projects per year, 1 for each project area, as sub projects 22.0x 900.000
incentives to the implementation of the territorial
compacts, inserted in the local economic
development plans, co-financers being national
budget, private funds and decentralised
cooperation, at 100000 each (investment projects
different from business)

sub total 905.000

Local Economic Development Agencies are strengthened/created to provide overall

management of the economic development plans and territorial compacts, through an
integrated offer of financial and non financial services to the SMEs, such as:

− Innovative credit schemes to facilitate SMEs access in parallel or to complement traditional

micro-finance, revolving funds or guarantee funds schemes, currently in use

− Technical assistance, economic promotion, business tutoring to entrepreneurs beginners

and society at large

40
 − Advanced and basic educational programmes or professional training to reinforce
governance capacities of economic actors

− Additional services such as territorial marketing, certification guidance, transition from

school to work, job finding, information and communication systems

− Research and technological development services, as instruments for concentrating

resources and profit from scale economies in one or more priority productive sectors

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
part time work area managers 11.0x
3 months each director of each Leda under consultants 17.0x 22.500
establishment at 2500/month
3 sub project to the Leda for providing financial sub projects 22.0x 1.560.000
services (credit fund) and non financial services,
inc. financing the structure for 24 months at 520000
each
Publication of 3 Ledas brochures at 8000 each miscellaneous 53.0x 24.000
sub total 1.606.500

Public utilities management and social enterprises are experimented, where possible, as
instruments to achieve more sustainable social welfare systems through linking up to
production and job creation for the disadvantaged

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
part time work area managers 11.0x
60 days dsa (30 at 200/day and 30 at 250/day) for mission/travel 15.0x 13.500
mission exchange regarding public utilities
companies and social entreprises in Italy and
Lebanon
2 mational workshop at 2000 each (inc. workshops 32.0x 4.000
reimbursement to participants)
sub total 17.500

Expected output 3:

Improved coverage of public services and utilities in the fields of health, education, culture, the
environment and basic infrastructure through experimenting innovative organisational models, in
view of better quality and sustainability. The Art Gold Lebanon will have a special focus for the
most excluded areas and persons, for which purpose the programme will leverage the social action
carried out by municipalities and youth centres in the target regions to contribute to the
development of their communities and promote social cohesion among different communities with
different political, social and religious groups.

Activities:

41
Support to the LWG for the production of sectoral maps of risks and potentials for each of
the sectors (health, education, culture, welfare, the environment, public utilities/services)

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work area managers 11.0x
part time work consultants 17.0x
fund for field trip for the participatory excercises of mission/travel 15.0x 4.500
the maps
participatory excercises to produce the maps (4 per sub contracts 21.0x 60.000
project areas) at 5000 each
12 local workshops at 500 each workshops 32.0x 6.000
sub total 70.500

Support to the LWG for the participatory elaboration of sectoral strategy, within the
framework of the priorities set up by the local development plans and in close connection
with the national ministerial strategies and resources available, included those of the
decentralised cooperation

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work area managers 11.0x
90 days dsa per year at 200/day for the mission/travel 15.0x 54.000
participation of decentralised cooperation actors to
be involved in the sectoral planning
sub total 54.000

Support to local authorities (municipalities, Unions and Cazas) to materialise strategies into
projects and manage the entire project cycle in a transparent, effective and accountable
way

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
Part time work area managers 11.0x
120 days dsa (at 200/day) for co-funding the mission/travel 15.0x 36.000
participation of decentralised cooperation actors to
jointly formulate the projects, inc. 8 international
travel airfare at 1500 each
6 mini courses to instruct in project cycle training 31.0x 48.000
management (2 per project areas) at 8000 each
sub total 84.000

Cofinancing for executing projects according to the strategies that were defined, in the field
of basic small infrastructure, service organisation, training and technical exchanges of
good practices and methodologies at the national and international level, with the support
of decentralised cooperation

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES

42
part time work coordinator 11.02
part time work area managers 11.0x
90 days dsa for co-financing project monitoring by mission/travel 15.0x
decentralised cooperation
fund to sub contract the implementation of local sub contracts 21.0x 225.000
projects focussing on youth initiatives (75000 per
project area)
fund to co-finance local projects focussing on sub projects 22.0x 1.050.000
public services at municipality and caza level
(approx 350000 per project areas), to match
decentralised cooperation funds
fund to co-finance local projects focussing on sub projects 22.0x 1.080.000
public services at municipality and caza level
(approx 360000 per project areas), to match
decentralised cooperation funds for disadvantaged
people and areas
fund for visibility and dissemination publications miscellaneous 53.0x 20.000
sub total 2.375.000

Support to the LWG for setting up parameters and instruments for community audit for the
projects under execution and in view of evaluation and annual reprogramming

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
part time work area managers 11.0x
90 days local experts at 150/day consultants 17.0x 13.500
sub total 13.500

Related to Specific Objective 3:

The internationalisation of the Lebanese institutional, economic and cultural reality, with the
support of the international components of Art, with a special view to the specific Euro-
Mediterranean context and to the dialogue between cultures.

Expected Output 1: Territorial Partnership of Decentralised Cooperation

Decentralised cooperation partnerships are established in support of the implementation of local

development plans in target areas, under the leadership of the national and local Working Groups.

Decentralised Co-operation is now widely diffused and proved to be one of the most effective
instruments for co-development, which makes it possible to build long term linkages between local
communities of northern and southern countries. The linkages, leaded by local authorities, take the
form of wide-ranging partnerships between these and public institutions, civil society organisations,
universities, unions and the private sector of targeted territories. The added value of decentralised
cooperation with regard to the regular ODA modalities is the low-cost of technical assistance,
which is entirely funded by the decentralised cooperation partners and thus sustainable, and the
high level quality of that assistance, since it is provided by leading centres of excellence.

The Art system in cooperation with the UNDP Country Office will then support Lebanese and
foreign local communities, in consultation with central governments, in the process of building

43
decentralised cooperation partnerships in an ordered and results-oriented manner, within the
framework of the Art Gold Lebanon programme. In particular, the Art will help:
− Mobilise the interest and resources of Italian and other decentralised cooperation actors
mainly through support to missions, events and promotional materials.
− Follow up on the partnerships to insure that projects that come out of decentralised co-
operation partnerships are carried out according to national strategies, laws and regulations
− Monitor the partnerships to ensure that the entire process is participatory, transparent and
accountable to Lebanese authorities and people
− Promote coordination with European funds and initiatives accessible to regions and local
authorities.

Activities:

Participatory production, under the leadership of the LWG, of promotional material, known
as territorial marketing documents, containing national framework for local development as
well as the regional profiles with the potential for cooperation and investments

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
part time work Area managers 11.0x
publication of 6 territorial marketing brochures at miscellaneous 53.0x 48.000
8000 each
sub total 48.000

Production of the Map of Decentralised Cooperation in Lebanon, as an informative tool for

better targeting potential partners. The map will be elaborated and validated in close
collaboration with embassies, technical cooperation institutions and UN agencies

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
part time work consultants 17.0x 13.500
publication on CD (3000) and web formats (3000) miscellaneous 53.0x 6.000
of the decentralised cooperation map
sub total 19.500

Dissemination of the territorial marketing documents through UNDP Art international

networks and other international cooperation partners. These documents will constitute the
basis for setting up new partnerships and resources mobilization of those Italian and
European regions who intend internationalise their own development

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
2 months per year of the Art Patrtnership consultants 17.0x 72.000
coordinator at 12000/month for decentralised
cooperation partnership building and international
resources mobilisation
sub total 72.000

44
Organisation of exchanges of missions to and from Lebanon with Italian and European
partners mainly with the aim to establish political and institutional commitment (in the form
of agreements or memorandum of understanding) to engage in mutual development
partnerships

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
sub project for the management, through Art sub projects 22.0x 150.000
Services, of the exchange of visits and support to
Lebanese and European decentralised cooperation
actors, inc expenditures of the Lebanese
delegations in Europe
sub total 150.000

Organisation of international seminars in Lebanon, Italy and Europe aimed at constituting

an international committee for decentralised cooperation with Lebanon which will help
materialising into common development projects the institutional commitments and
declaration of interest

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work programme off. 11.01
part time work coordinator 11.02
2 international seminars in Europe at 25000 each workshops 32.0x 50.000
including reimbursement for the participation of
international personalities and Lebanese
delegations
sub total 50.000

Expected Output 2: Innovations and South-South Cooperation

The Lebanese experiences are linked with those of the other countries committed to the
implementation of the Copenhagen Platform of Action, particularly through mutual transfer of
innovative know-how in the field of Local Human Development. The transfer, realized through
specific south-south cooperation projects and preceded by preparatory activities at the national
and international level, will bring concrete benefits to actors engaged in the conception and
implementation of innovations in local development processes.

The Art system, through the Ideass programme (Innovations for Development and South-South
Cooperation), in cooperation with the UNDP Country Office, will then support Lebanese and
foreign local communities, in consultation with national institutions concerned, in the process of
identification of innovations, their international diffusion and the promotion of south-south projects
for innovation exchange.

Activities:

Identification of the most appropriate scientific counterpart to the Ideass initiative, such as
the Academy of Science or similar institution with which to share the entire rationale and
criteria of this activity

45
 RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST
LINES
part time work programme off. 11.01
part time work coordinator 11.02
30 days dsa reimbursement for mission exchange mission/travel 15.0x 6.000
with Art Ideass international junior experts at
200/day
sub total 6.000

In collaboration with the counterpart and within the framework of the programme activities
constitution of an offer of innovations in Lebanon, through a public contest that aims at
acknowledging the best innovation with a financial incentive to consolidate the innovation
and international visibility

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work programme off. 11.01
part time work coordinator 11.02
sub contract for the implementation of 1 national sub contracts 21.0x 50.000
contest, including management, advertising, prize
awards cerimony and prizes
sub total 50.000

Support to the inventors and to the institutions concerned to elaborate brochures on the
innovation based on the Ideass format

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
part time work area managers 11.0x
72 days local experts at 150/day consultants 17.0x 10.800
sub total 10.800

Promotion in Lebanon of the catalogue of innovations developed in different countries in

order to find potential partners for their implementation, primarily in project areas but open
at the national level

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
part time work coordinator 11.02
part time work area managers 11.0x
1 national Ideass event at 10000 inc. workshops 32.0x 10.000
reimbursement for participation from the field
sub total 10.000

Promotion of the Lebanese innovations worldwide, through the Ideass instruments, namely
the Catalogue, the Website, specific events, the Newsletter, study tours, technical
exchanges and direct promotion through the network of programmes

46
 RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST
LINES
sub project for the management, through Art Ideass sub projects 22.0x 50.000
of promotion worldwide of Lebanese innovations
and South-South cooperation partnership building

sub total 50.000

Co-financing to formulation and set up of South-South cooperation project for innovation

transfer and support to resources mobilisation in view of sustainability of the projects

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
6 international travel airfare at 1500 each plus 72 mission/travel 15.0x 27.000
dsa at 250/day
3 co-financing allocations for south-south sub contracts 21.0x 24.000
cooperation projects at 8000 each
sub total 51.000

Expected Output 3: Thematic Partnerships

The Art Gold Lebanon is systematically linked to the other programmes of the Art network through
the support of thematic international activities in the fields of local economies, advanced education
and welfare. Being so inserted in the Art Network, Lebanon will participate in the International
Laboratory of Innovative Policies and Practices of Local Human Development, thus profiting from
and contributing to the best experiences worldwide through concrete activities, such as a Web
Portal, periodic reports, think tanks and special events.

Activities:

Economic partnerships are established between SMEs, cooperatives, LEDAs and territorial
compacts of Lebanese and Italian or European local systems, through the support of
specialised centres of excellence that are involved in the Art system

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

LINES
sub project for the management, through Art Led of sub projects 22.0x 60.000
the exchange of visits and support to Lebanese
and European economic actors, inc expenditures of
the Lebanese delegations in Europe and for joining
European funds
sub total 60.000

Partnerships are established between Lebanese and European experiences for the
exchange of innovative policies and services organisation in welfare for the most excluded
persons and groups, such as psychiatric patients, institutionalised minor, the elderly and
the disabled

RESOURCES INPUTS BUDGET COST

47
 LINES
sub project for the management, through Art Win of sub projects 22.0x 60.000
the exchange of visits and support to Lebanese
and European welfare actors, inc expenditures of
the Lebanese delegations in Europe and for joining
European funds
sub total 60.000

48
4. External Factors

4.1 Pre - Conditions

The main condition for the success of the project is definitely the commitment by national
authorities in the way toward decentralisation and local development open to the contribution of
international partners, particularly of the Mediterranean sub-Region. In this respect, the
collaboration between Lebanese Government and the UNDP and UN in general has been solidly
built across recent years.

The openness of Lebanese reality and culture, which is notorious, is the second pre condition for
success, particularly for decentralised cooperation, and this will make of this project in Lebanon a
trigger for wider processes in the Middle East Region in terms of using local development to
promoting a culture of peace. The local level, in fact, is where the cultural identities are more
evident and defined, thus becoming the key factor for productivity and social dialogue. The
articulation of local, national and international levels therefore would mean that culture is a vehicle
for integration, as well stated in the 2004 Global Human Development Report.

An additional pre conditions lies in the existence of national and local mechanisms for the
coordination of donor’s support to local development specifically. Should these mechanism be
lacking, the project should put them in place in the widest ranging consultation way.

Given the specific approach and international perspective of the programme, the backstopping
from the Art system is, from an organisational and substantive standpoint, a conditio sine qua non
for mobilising the interest and resources of the European partners at both decentralised and
central level and for capitalising practice in a cooperation policy perspective.

4.2 Main Risks

The discontinuity of the positive trend of social dialogue spirit could be the worst risk for the project
actions, particularly where the sectarian fragmentation is higher. In this case, the project could in
any case be used as a tool for reducing levels of social conflict by encouraging concerted decision
making for solving concrete need of communities.

The lack of manageability of the “meso” political and administrative dimension could also put at risk
the effectiveness of the actions. For this reason, either at the Caza level or at the Union of
municipalities level, the programme should pro-actively promote greater integration and planning
instruments.

As far as local economic development is concerned, the financial system plays a major role. In this
respect, notwithstanding the impressive development of the Lebanese financial markets, should
not banks be available to get involved in local compacts and in economic partnerships with the
Local Economic Development Agencies, the viability of the economic actions specially with
cooperatives could be jeopardised.

Concerning the sectoral project for the most disadvantaged, should flexibility lack in bureaucratic
organisation of social services (for example in mental health or integration at school) the actions
would be deeply delayed, although this could be the opportunity to carry out a deeper capacity
building, in parallel with concrete actions.

4.3 Flexibility of the Project to Adapt to External Factors

49
It is worth saying that the entire programme, as it is normally the case for the Art system, is
specially designed to adapt to changing conditions. In fact, the programme foresees the
establishment of participated mechanisms for decision making, rather that defining the activities
since the beginning.

Moreover, the connections between the local, national and international levels, allow for shaping
and framing activities based on the national and international contexts that could be changing and
thus affect viability of project actions.

In addition to this, the Project Manager/CTA will work closely with the CO and with the SURF in
order to ensure synergy with other resources and initiatives in the Country and the Region.

50
V. Managerial Arrangments

5.1 Programme Methodologies

• The methodologies that will be used in the programme are based on the following pre-
requisites:

• A multi-sector approach at the local level, linked in a comprehensive way to national policy
making and national priorities as well as to the international scenario and opportunities;

• The promotion of democracy, social cohesion and interaction between all development
partners: public administration, civil society and the private sector; and employing participatory
approaches;

• The participation in the decision making process, through a stronger collaboration among
public authorities, private sector and civil society.

• The production of human development local plans, through participatory and multisectorial
approach which integrates economic aspects to social and environmental ones.

• The integration of vulnerable groups in the dynamics of local development, through the support
to best practices in fighting social exclusion from educational and productive systems.

• The articulation between local development dynamics and national development policies,
trough the support to more effective mechanisms of consultation and coordination.

• The coordination of international cooperation to support local development strategy, through

strengthening local capacities in identifying the strategic sectors of intervention and assuring
the coherence of the different actions to guarantee a real impact on territorial development.

• The promotion of decentralised and South to South cooperation, through the support to
exchanges of good experiences, know-how and expertise among local authorities and their
territories.

• Sustainability is a pre-requisite in all initiatives. No initiative will be implemented unless the

practices for sustaining it are in place.

• Donor’s visibility;

• Integration of activities with other projects carried out by UNDP and by the Donors of the
project;

• Strengthening governance institutions at all levels;

• Promoting the supply of resources necessary for boosting the local economy through a
sustainable development programme that would concentrate on the development of human
resources and local communities of the regions;

• Empowering local communities to assume full ownership of initiatives and to enhance their full
participation in the development process at all stages of the project cycle including involving
them in the development process at all Project stages including planning identification of
needs, selection of priorities,decision-making implementation and follow-up.

51
• Promoting and stimulating initiative and entrepreneurial spirit for generating sustainable
employment and income. Strengthening of gLocal community representatives will play an
essential role in planning and implementing Project activities and will eventually, in the medium
and longer terms, assume full responsibility for itrass-roots community organizations, local
institutions and non-governmental organizations to draw local communities out of their isolation
and the region out of its deprived situation. Towards this end, communities will take part in the
process of development as a full partner and will be made responsible for organizing and
managing local development activities.Local communities will play a primary role in identifying
needs, selecting priorities and assigning services and assistance.

• A bridge between poverty and governance interventions: the development of human resources
and the institutional capacity of local community stakeholders will be the fundamental concepts
underpinning the activities planned in connection with the Programme;

• A comprehensive monitoring and reporting system put in place using base-line data;

• Replicable interventions that promote the mobilization of resources from other donors and
partners;

• Cross cutting pre requisites of each action is to be environment-friendly, gender-sensitive and

situation-specific.

5.2 Execution and Operational Modalities

The Art Gold Lebanon will be managed by UNDP as a module of its ART initiative, realized in
collaboration with UNESCO, UNOPS, UNIFEM, WHO and other UN agencies. The UNDP Art
Management Unit will therefore hold overall financial responsibility for expenditures and reporting
as well as accountability for the execution of the project vis-à-vis the donor.

Whilst the Art Management Unit will directly coordinate the support from the Art international
initiatives, the activities at the country level may use different execution modalities, selected on a
case-by-case approach jointly by the Government of Lebanon, Italy and UNDP. Selection of the
optimal implementation partner(s) will be done for each of the sub-projects taking into
consideration the available local institutional framework and its effectiveness, previous experience,
existing capacity, donor requirements, and capacity building requirements. Partners include NGOs,
CBOs, municipalities, cooperatives, syndicates, etc. Particularly in procurement of goods and
services, priority is given to local market.

For the activities at the Country Level, the UNDP Art Management Unit will therefore release funds
to executing agents, upon presentation of detailed annual work-plans by Country Office, indicating
actions, funding and execution responsibilities, provided the approval by the Review Meeting
composed by UNDP, Italy and Lebanon counterparts.

In case the workplans are detailed only for a shorter period, the annual funds will be released by
the Art Management Unit in instalments accordingly.

For the Activities at the country level, the execution modality that will prevail is the so called “UNDP
National Execution modality with the support of the UNDP country office”, for which the Council for
Development and Reconstruction (CDR) is designated as the National Executing Agency for the
Art Gold Lebanon, on behalf of the Government of Lebanon. This modality implies that in addition
to regular technical backstopping and monitoring activities regularly provided, the UNDP Country
Office shall provide the Executing Agency with support services for the execution of the
programme. This will ensure that technical and substantive expertise is available to the

52
Programme for coordination, recruitment, procurement and contracting. Thus, UNDP Country
Office will provide the following services:

• Administrative services including the identification and recruitment of programme personnel

(BL 11, 13 and BL 17), and official travel (BL 15),
• Identification and facilitation of training (BL 31-33)
• Procurement of goods and services (BL. 20 - 23 and BL 45) and
• the provision of miscellaneous expenses (BL 53)

The Executing Agency will be responsible for managing the programme and will provide overall
support to enable it to achieve its intended outputs and results. The Executing Agency will be
accountable to UNDP for all resources allocated by the latter, whether their source is UNDP or cost
sharing. This accountability calls for very concrete capacities in the administrative, technical and
financial spheres.

The modality of Direct Payment Orders made by the Executing Agency will be used. All services
shall be provided in accordance with UNDP procedures, rules and regulations. The Government,
through its designated executing agency, shall retain overall responsibility for the execution of the
programme and shall be responsible for and bound by any contracts signed by the UNDP Resident
Representative, on behalf of the Executing Agency and upon its request, for the procurement of
goods and services and /or recruitment of personnel for the programme. Costs incurred by UNDP
Country Office for providing the above described support services will be partly recovered from the
Programme budget (under BL 158).

Specifically for the activities at the local level, in close consultation with the Government and Italy,
other UN Agencies might be requested to implement specific activities, particularly UNOPS, given
its long lasting experience in implementing such programmes under Italian funding. In such case, a
formal letter of agreement between the concerned agency and the implementing agency or official
counterpart will be elaborated and subscribed.

Designated UNDP international CTA/Programme Manager and area managers will be selected in
agreement with Italy

Reporting will be carried out following the formats that will be agreed upon with Italy, whilst
monitoring and internal evaluation will be conducted through joint missions in preparation of
tripartite review meetings

Since its onset the programme will formulate a clear exit strategy. All equipment/assets acquired by
the programme during its life will be disposed in agreement between CDR and Italy upon
programme closure.

Organisational Flowchart and Responsibilities

Review Meetings: overall institutional orientation, approves work-plans and evaluates progress
reports. It is composed by the Government of Lebanon, Italy, UNDP, other UN executing agencies
and open to the participation of additional donors

UNDP/BRSP Art Management Unit: overall managerial and financial responsibility. Manages
resources and reports to both the Review Meetings and the donor for the use of the resources.
Supervise executing agencies, under any execution modality.

UNDP CO-CDR: (view above)

53
International Project Manager / Chief Technical Advisor: day-to day execution responsibility,
under any execution modality. Supports CO, Lebanese counterparts and the Art Management Unit
in preparing the work-plans and reports, performs financial previsions and seeks for the approval of
expenditures. Supervises the work of project personnel and directly performs technical assistance
to the NWG. The Manager will ensure that the project execution is in line with UNDP’s regulations
for project monitoring, reporting and evaluation.

National Working Group: in charge of the substantive coordination and national planning, serves
as main national interlocutor for donors and decentralised cooperation, ensures multi-sectoral
approach, alignment between local development plans and national priorities and coordination
among donors towards the same development objectives

Local Working Groups: chaired by the local authority and comprised of the main public, private
and social actors of the areas. In charge of strategic planning and executing the development
actions in all fields of intervention. They ensure geographical and sectoral coordination among
different donors to maximise impact, reduce fragmentation and coordinate national and external
resources.

Area Managers: serve as the executive secretaries of the LWG, report to project manager/CTA
and support LWG in planning, executing and monitoring project activities.

Legal Context

This programme document shall be the instrument referred to as “Project Documents or other
instruments” in Article 1 of the Standard Basic Assistance Agreement between the Government of
Lebanon and the United Nations Development Programme, signed by the parties on 26 February
1981. The host-country executing agency shall, for the purpose of the Standard Basic Assistance
Agreement, refer to the Government cooperating agency described in that Agreement.
The following types of revisions may be made to this programme document with the signature of
the UNDP Resident Representative only, provided he or she is assured that the other signatories
of the project document, including the donor, have no objection to the proposed changes:

• Revisions in, or addition of, any of the annexes of the programme document;
• Revisions which do not involve significant changes in the immediate objectives, outputs or
activities of the programme, but are caused by the rearrangement of inputs already agreed to
or by cost increases due to inflation; and
• Mandatory annual revisions, which re-phase the delivery of agreed programme inputs or reflect
increased expert or other costs due to inflation, or take into account cooperating agency
expenditure flexibility.

5.3 Managerial Resources and Cost Estimates

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INPUTS BUDGET COSTS

LINES
international project manager/CTA 36 months at Coordinator 11.02 432.000
12000/month
1 international area manager, 36 months at area managers 11.0x 252.000
7000 month
2 national area managers, 36 months at 2500 area managers 11.0x 180.000
month

54
1 national admin assistant, 36 months at 1000 area managers 11.0x 36.000
month
national support personnel, 3 secretaries and 3 admin support 13.0x 129.600
drivers 36 months each (600/month)
fund for national and international official mission/travel 15.0x 75.000
missions at 25000 year
office equipment (4 computers, 2 printers, fax, Procurement 45.0x 17.000
telephones, forniture and other minor
equipments
4 vehicles, inc shipping, insurances and Procurement 45.0x 150.000
maintenance for the project duration (at 50 of
vehicle cost)
fund for miscellaneous expenditures and miscellaneous 53.0x 96.000
running costs
Sub total 1.367.600
% on total 15,51%

5.4 Timeframes
PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT Y1 Y1 Y2 Y2 Y3 Y3
S S S S S SemB
emA emB emA emB emA
objective 1:
Expected output 1:
National Working Group (NWG)

Activities:
Consultations
National workshop
Periodic meetings of the NWG
Sectoral support
Coordination and resources mobilisation
Information and communication

Expected output 2:
More regions adopt the instruments

Activities:
Systematise practices
Production of documental material
Creation of national thematic networks
Links to international networks
Exchanges of visits
Resources mobilisation

Expected output 3:
national training plan

Activities:
network of universities
Curricula and learning courses
learning visits and internships
professional development courses

55
 PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT Y1 Y1 Y2 Y2 Y3 Y3
S S S S S SemB
emA emB emA emB emA
Objective 2:

Expected output 1:
Local capacities strengthened

Activities:
Local Working Groups (LWG)
sectoral development plan
integrated local development plan
advocating resources
GIS facilities

Expected output 2:
instruments are set up in view of local economic
development

Activities:
Local economic development plans
Territorial Compacts
Local Economic Development Agencies
Public utilities management and social enterprises

Expected output 3:
Coverage of public services and utilities

Activities:
maps of risks and potentials
sectoral strategy within the framework of national
priorities
materialise strategies into projects
Co-financing for projects with the support of
decentralised cooperation
community audit

Related to Specific Objective 3:

Internationalisation of the Lebanese reality, with the support
of the international components of Art

Expected Output 1:
Territorial Partnership of Decentralised Cooperation

Activities:
territorial marketing documents
Map of Decentralised Cooperation in Lebanon
resources mobilization
International exchanges of missions
International seminars in Lebanon, Italy and Europe

Expected Output 2:
Innovations and South-South Cooperation

Activities:
Identification of scientific counterpart
public contest for the best innovations
brochures on the innovations
catalogue of innovations

56
 PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT Y1 Y1 Y2 Y2 Y3 Y3
S S S S S SemB
emA emB emA emB emA
Promotion of the Lebanese innovations worldwide
Co-financing to South-South cooperation projects

Expected Output 3:
Thematic Partnerships

Activities:
Economic partnerships
Partnerships in welfare

5.5 Financial Plan (in US$ at the exchange rate 1 Euro=1,32 US$)

Budget per Level of Intervention

INPUT BUDGET LOCAL NAT. INTERN. Technical TOTAL
LINE LEVEL LEVEL LEVEL Assistance (US$)

Coordinator 11.02 0 0 0 432.000 432.000

Area managers/admin. Assistano 11.0x 0 55.200 0 468.000 523.200
National support staff 13.0X 0 0 0 129.600 129.600
Consultants 17.0x 71.400 225.900 96.300 0 393.600
Mission/travel 15.0x 134.500 145.300 33.000 75.000 387.800
Sub contracts 21.0x 285.000 25.600 74.000 0 384.600
Sub projects 22.0x 4.590.000 250.800 320.000 0 5.160.800
Training 31.0x 57.000 48.000 0 0 105.000
Workshops 32.0x 58.000 43.500 60.000 0 161.500
Internships 33.0x 0 0 0 0 -
Procurement 45.0x 45.000 0 0 167.000 212.000
Miscellaneous 53.0x 71.000 36.200 54.000 96.000 257.200
Programme Expenditures Sub total 5.311.900 830.500 637.300 1.367.600 8.147.300
GMS (8,25% of actual expenditures) 438.232 68.516 52.577 112.827 672.152
TOTAL EXPENDITURES 5.750.132 899.016 689.877 1.480.427 8.819.452

Budget per Year of Execution

INPUT BUDGET TOTAL YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3
LINE BUDGET

Coordinator 11.02 432.000 144.000 144.000 144.000

Area managers/admin assistant 11.0x 523.200 174.400 174.400 174.400
National support staff 13.0X 129.600 43.200 43.200 43.200
Consultants 17.0x 393.600 123.000 140.600 130.000
Mission/travel 15.0x 387.800 107.300 150.800 129.700
Sub contracts 21.0x 384.600 168.200 108.200 108.200
Sub projects 22.0x 5.160.800 1.720.267 1.720.267 1.720.267
Training 31.0x 105.000 30.000 60.000 15.000
Workshops 32.0x 161.500 53.833 53.833 53.833
Internships 33.0x -
Procurement 45.0x 212.000 160.000 26.000 26.000

57
Miscellaneous 53.0x 257.200 80.200 97.000 80.000
Programme Expenditures Sub total 8.147.300 2.804.400 2.718.300 2.624.600
GMS (8,25% of actual expenditures) 672.152 231.363 224.260 216.530
TOTAL EXPENDITURES 8.819.452 3.035.763 2.942.560 2.841.130

5.6 Co-Financing Resources

The Budget of the programme will be increased through an allocation from CDR/UNDP (through
LEB/96/004 and LEB/00/006), in addition to the grant from the Italian Government as main donor
that sums up to 6,681,403 million Euros, equivalent to US$8,819,452.oo, at the exchange rate 1,00
Euro = US$ 1,32, for a period of three years.

Other donors to the programme, through the above mentioned LEB/96/004 and LEB/00/006
projects, include the following:
- Government of Netherlands- US$ 300,000
- Government of Great Britain- US$ 86,180
- AGFUND- US$ 300,000
- UNMAS- US$ 529,000
- Swedish International Development Agency- US$ 160,000
- Others- US$ 25,000

58
6. Sustainability:
As mentioned above, the Art strategy is specially designed to face the tangible manifestations of
underdevelopment, together with its structural causes, which are rooted in discriminatory
development models. For this reason, this and all Art initiatives foresee some elements in the
formulation phase in view of sustainability of the benefits for communities. the main elements for
the Art Gold Lebanon are listed below:

− Local development activities in project areas are linked from the beginning to
sectoral and developmental national policies, specifically on decentralisation of
power, functions and responsibilities. Therefore each strategy or activity
implemented at the local level will be based in a national political support;

− The project will leverage ongoing methodologies utilised by both national/local

counterparts and the UNDP, which were specially shaped on the cultural and social
fabrics of each area (see Chapter 2 for a recall on the cultural and socio-economic
differences between the Northern and Southern Lebanon. The dialogue between
cultures, not only in Lebanon, but also at the international level is at the core of the
programme approach;

− The executing partners, CDR and UNDP, are among the most trusted cooperation
agencies and will ensure the most correct institutional framework, managerial
capacities and transparent accountability for the activities realised and funds
implemented;

− Finally, the multi-sectoral approach will ensure that the economic, social and
environmental components of development actions will be duly considered and
balanced in view of sustainability.

59
7. Monitoring and Evaluation

7.1 Indicators and Means of Verification

PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS MEANS OF ASSUMPTIONS

VERIFICATION
Objective 1: National Level
The creation of an enabling commitment by
environment for policies and national authorities
strategies in the field of local
development. Geographical
coordination of international
cooperation activities in the field of
local human development

Expected output 1:
National Working Group (NWG) Number and Minutes of
diversification of meetings
NWG composition

Technical and
financial Co-financing tables
participation by in periodical
other state reports
departments

Expected output 2:
More regions adopt the instruments Number of Reports
Municipalities,
Cazas or Unions Minutes of national
using same meetings
instruments

Expected output 3:
national training plan Number of Reports
universities
involved
University
Number of registries
students attending

Curricula modified University study

plans
Integration Reports of stages
between academic and interns
knowledge and
political practices

Objective 2: Local Level

Widening the opportunities of Existence of
populations to access to better national and local
living conditions in terms of income, mechanisms for
education, health, social integration the coordination of

60
 PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS MEANS OF ASSUMPTIONS
VERIFICATION
and the environment, with a special donor’s support to
focus on most vulnerable local development
population.

Expected output 1:
Local capacities strengthened Number of Reports
development plans
implemented

Number and Minutes of

composition of meetings
LWG

Sectoral Reports
strategies/plan
implemented

Co-financing Financial
obtained programming of
each institution

Expected output 2:
instruments are set up in view of Local economic Reports
local economic development development plans
formulated

Local Compacts Reports

signed

Ledas established Membership

registries of Ledas
Jobs created Ledas reports

Regional National surveys

competitiveness

Disadvantaged Reports
inserted at work

Expected output 3:
Coverage of public services and Sectoral Ministerial reports
utilities organisation of
local services
Reports
Number of projets
brokered by LWG
and NWG
Survey
Community
satisfaction

Objective 3: International level

Internationalisation of the Lebanese Openness of

61
 PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS MEANS OF ASSUMPTIONS
VERIFICATION
reality, with the support of the Lebanese reality
international components of Art and culture

Expected Output 1:
Territorial Partnership of Number of Art Services
Decentralised Cooperation contacts in Europe reports
and the
Mediterranean

Participation of Reports
decentralised
cooperation

Technical and Reports

financial resources
mobilised

Expected Output 2:
Innovations and South-South Number and Reports
Cooperation quality of
innovations
Art Ideass report
Number of south-
south project
started, Lebanon
being both
demander or Reports and field
supplier visits

Number of external
innovations
incorporated in the
programme

Expected Output 3:
Thematic Partnerships Number of sectoral Reports
partnerships
established

Technical and Reports

financial resources
mobilised

7.2 Monitoring Organisation

The main modality of the monitoring will be the internal evaluation, through the periodical
meetings of the NWG as well as the tripartite review meetings. On purpose the parties
may also agree to field joint field evaluation missions and, in any case, these will be
organised previous to the review meetings.

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At the end of the project, at the demand of the parties, the project may be subject to
external evaluation, in strict accordance with UN rules and regulations.

7.3 Feedback

Thanks to the mechanism of the annual work-plans, the recommendations of the

evaluations and monitoring exercises can be incorporated form the subsequent period
onward.

63