Sustainable Social Protection and Livelihood Solutions for Severely Vulnerable Households in Lebanon SUMMARY
The INMA’A Consortium, comprising of Save the Children (SC) as lead, Plan International, and two co-applicant local organizations Akkarouna and LOST, implement a 3-year sustainable livelihood program (2020-2023) that builds on existing social protection programs for both Lebanese and Syrian refugee communities. The project is being implemented in Akkar and Baalbek-Hermel, Lebanon. This projects supports Lebanese to “graduate” off reliance on social assistance, and supports Syrian refugees in their material safety as a preparedness measure. Since the start of the Syrian crisis, the Lebanese government has not developed a coherent framework which both recognizes the presence of Syrian refugees and identifies local governments’ responsibilities nor a legal framework for refugees’ residency and labor status.
Poverty levels in Lebanon are high for both Lebanese and Syrians, and long-term resilience is eroding as households exhaust savings and struggle to generate income. According to the World Bank, presently 1.5 million Lebanese (and 470,000 Lebanese children) are estimated to live below the poverty line. Unemployment is 51% among the heads of vulnerable Lebanese households. The youth unemployment rate in Lebanon is estimated to be over three times the national unemployment rate, while women are twice as likely to be unemployed as men. In the current economic crisis, needs of the target group are likely to increase significantly. Amidst heightening anxieties surrounding economic austerity, overstretched resources and high unemployment, Syrian refugees are increasingly being associated, in the public perception, with economic issues in Lebanon. The Overall Objective of this action is “Severely vulnerable households in Lebanon are more self-reliant and less dependent on social assistance”.
The Specific Objectives (SO) are: Strengthened ability of severely vulnerable Lebanese and Syrian refugee households to meet their children’s basic needs; Improved economic self-reliance of selected households; Increased ability of households to manage financial resources, accrue savings, and increase productive assets; Adolescent boys and girls, youth and women are empowered to protect themselves and claim their rights.
The theory of change for this Action is if severely vulnerable households receive comprehensive social protection measures prior to engagement in a phased and integrated livelihood program, then they will be more likely to maintain sustainable livelihood activities after the end of the program, because their basic needs will be covered and they will have sufficient resources to invest time and capital in their future. The objective of the program is that participating families become self-reliant, less dependent on social assistance, and active contributors to local economies. This is supported by extensive evidence and learning from Save the Children International, its consortium partners, and other graduation approach actors globally.  Drawing on the strengths of systems and structures that already exist in Lebanon, the INMA’A Consortium tests this graduation approach in the Lebanon context and generate learning and evidence to share with relevant stakeholders.  
Participants in the first stage of the program will be targeted based on their inclusion in existing social safety net and basic assistance programs, including for Lebanese the consumption support provided under the NPTP by the government, and for Syrians the cash-for-food assistance provided by WFP. The program activities are be delivered in Baalbek-Hermel and Akkar, given the high levels of economic vulnerability in these governorates, the pressure on community resources, and the high concentration of beneficiaries in the WFP and NPTP programs. A total of 2,125 households, approximately 10,625 beneficiaries (5,312 Lebanese, 5,312 Syrian). These targets are evenly split between Baalbek-Hermel and Akkar (5,312 in each location). The program aims that 600 households from each nationality achieve the overall self-reliance , targeting women and men adult caregivers, and girls and boys from age 14-24. Both Lebanese and refugee communities living in Lebanon face severe lack of social protection coverage. This prevents the most vulnerable from accessing opportunities to transition off aid-dependency and maintains intergenerational poverty traps. 
To address this need, the INMA’A Consortium,  comprising of Save the Children (SC), Plan International, and two co-applicant local organizations Akkarouna and LOST, implements a 3-year sustainable livelihood program that builds on existing social protection programs for both Lebanese and Syrian refugee communities. It support Lebanese to “graduate” off reliance on social assistance, and support Syrian refugees in their material safety as a preparedness measure. The intervention links beneficiaries of the Ministry of Social Affairs’ (MOSA) National Poverty Targeting Program (NPTP) and World Food Program’s (WFP) food assistance to additional and specialized social assistance through cash transfers “plus” targeted behavioral support. Beneficiaries will then be re-assessed against socio-economic vulnerability thresholds in line with the Refugee Assistance Information System (RAIS) categorizations and Household Economy Analysis (HEA) categories, and selected beneficiaries transition to livelihood activities following the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee/Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (BRAC/CGAP) “graduation approach”.  
Through the graduation approach, a uniquely targeted, time-bound, and holistic approach, the INMA’A Consortium aims to reach the poorest and support them on to sustainable pathways out of extreme poverty. In the context of Lebanon, the proposed “twin-track” approach will build on those social safety nets already in place for vulnerable households. For Lebanese, the “graduation” component specifically targets the subset of NPTP beneficiaries with the capacity for economic self-sufficiency. For Syrian refugees, the activities represent a sustainable approach aiming to reduce their reliance on WFP aid and the development of their material safety as a preparedness measure.  Households among the target group who do not or cannot meet necessary selection requirements can be provided with alternative human capital development activities.
The unique approach of the INMA’A Consortium to graduation programming focuses on reduction of child poverty and addressing the multidimensional impact of poverty on children in the household. As children are dependents, they are more vulnerable to malnutrition, disease, and abuse. Social protection and livelihoods programs which are not child sensitive can have unintended negative consequences, including failure to address the inter-generational transmission of poverty. By integrating child-centered outcomes and prioritizing youth engagement alongside the caregiver or head of household, we invest in their future and ensure that no generation is lost due to poverty or displacement. A child sensitive approach to graduation in particular therefore represents a higher return on investment in the long term. At economic level, 1100 households will participate in the graduation approach, improving their chances of realizing their full potential, by gaining vocational and/or entrepreneurship skills. The establishment of stronger linkages between the private sector, community actors and institutes involved in vocational training will strengthen market driven training.
On legal/social level, strengthening linkage with legal referral systems and improved awareness on rights will contribute to better protection of the target group. Additionally, emphasis is being put on social stability between refugee and host communities. 
The project aims to change discriminating gender norms and values. Through interventions on the importance of women and youth engagement,  the action is strengthening the empowerment and self-reliance of this specific target group and provides them with an opportunity to contribute to the community and engage in household decision making.
At policy level, the action will increase the context specific knowledge, understanding and sufficient buy-in from key government counterparts on the potential impact, characteristics and needs regarding the economic development and social stability in Lebanon.