SABIR Final Evaluation and impact case study

Context

The Syrian conflict is having a devastating and lasting impact on Syria and across the region. With the conflict almost entering its ninth year, the needs of the affected populations for assistance, including 13.1 million people inside the country and more than 5.6 million refugees plus their overstretched host communities in neighboring countries, are of an unprecedented scale. In 2013, the Syria crisis has transformed itself from a humanitarian emergency to a multidimensional and protracted crisis directly affecting several countries in the region – mainly Lebanon and Jordan, but also Iraq, Turkey and Egypt – whose social and economic capacity to deal with the ever-growing influx of refugees is all but exhausted. All actors involved in the response agree that this massive challenge requires a comprehensive regional response not only including humanitarian aid but also longer-term structural support to host countries and communities, especially as no political solution to the crisis is in sight in the short-term.

Many communities inside Syria are facing disrupted humanitarian support and quickly deteriorating public services and infrastructure. In that context, and since 2013, Expertise France has developed and manages direct stabilization projects to conflict-affected communities in Syria, in particular through support to civil society organizations.

Project Profile:

Supported by the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Expertise France has launched the second phase of the Syria Area-Based Integrated Recovery (SABIR) project in order to respond to the protracted crisis in NES following the same integrated area-based approach, targeting a cluster of communities in specific geographic areas in the south of Al Hasskah and Ar-raqqa provinces, and taking into account the links and exchanges between sectors, local regions and stakeholders to maximize impact.

The SABIR II project was built on lessons learned from SABIR I, maintaining and expanding good practices, especially the successful area-based and holistic approach to respond to the inter-related and multi-sectoral needs as a mean for stabilization, while adopting a more active community engagement and localized approach under SABIR II through forming community-based committees who would represent the targeted communities and their interests. Particular attention is devoted to mitigating climate change, prevailing environmental degradation, and water scarcity in the NES.

SABIR project’s overall intended impact is to contribute to addressing the post-crisis recovery challenges to pave the path towards sustainable development. The sub-objective of SABIR II is to build more resilient local communities towards greater stabilization in the northeast of Syria.

SABIR II focus areas:

1) Support the recovery of essential services through the rehabilitation of public infrastructures.

2) Promote access to livelihoods and empower the local economy through agriculture, livestock, TVET, entrepreneurship, micro-grants, and other income-generating activities.

3) Reinforce the capacity of social capital through capacity development to partnered organizations and the Community-Based Committees.

The main activities of the project that will be supported within the first and second focus areas:

A. Rehabilitation of public infrastructure:

Activities that could improve access to essential services such as: (i) water supply for domestic and irrigation purposes complemented by climate smart techniques; (ii) electricity; and (iii) education infrastructures:

• Rehabilitation of water stations.

• Rehabilitation of irrigation networks and canals.

• Rehabilitation of small groundwater wells/equipping wells with solar energy systems.

• Rehabilitation of electricity networks/installation of new lines and transformers.

• Rehabilitation of schools to provide a better and safer learning environment.

B. Livelihoods and Economic Recovery:

Activities that could improve access to livelihoods and income generation for local households, including sustainable agricultural and non-agricultural livelihoods through input materials, cash-for-work opportunities, climate-smart techniques, extension, and training to create an enabling environment for efficiency and sustainability of interventions:

• Provision of agricultural inputs.

• Supporting the agriculture of fodder crops for piloting to cope with the water scarcity and climate change.

• Training for farmers on innovative agriculture techniques.

• Supporting environmental principles; household composting, organic farming, intercropping, crop rotation, etc.

• Provision of vaccines, veterinary care, fodder and training to livestock farmers.

• Provision of technical and vocational training/apprenticeship to increase the employability of local youth.

• Provision of small grants (in-kind) to expand startups.

• Supporting Cash for Work (CfW) activities.

C. Strengthening local capacity:

• Establishing Community Based Committees (CBCs) through SABIR II to build stronger links with local communities where the activities are to be implemented. These CBCs would ensure good coordination, outreach and communications with communities, conflict resolution during all project cycle from beneficiary selection to hand over of the implemented activity.

• Provide training to CBCs on coordination mechanisms, community dialogue, conflict management and resolution, and accountability.

• Conduct organizational capacity assessment for the eight implementing partners contracted under SABIR II to develop a tailored capacity building strategy and plan to be implemented.

Provide Capacity building activities and support to CSO partners to enhance their capacity at organizational level.

The full ToR can be accessed in the following link:

https://1drv.ms/b/s!At7D7EJJNlSImBMMKkcmGcB-dvA1?e=tc0Xt8