Overview:
• Location: Beirut, Bekaa, Baalbak-Hermel, North Lebanon, Akkar, South Lebanon
• Objective: Empower the refugee community in Lebanon by enhancing their ability to lead and manage startups and local CSOs, enabling them to effectively address and solve community-specific problems.

Context:
The refugee community in Lebanon, while resourceful and resilient, often lacked structural support to lead and manage initiatives that could significantly improve their living conditions and societal integration. The Fostering Refugee Leadership Program aimed to provide essential support, giving the refugee community more agency in their lives and the ability to influence solutions that suited their needs.

Approach and Implementation by Salem Group:
1. Mapping Refugee-Led Initiatives: Salem Group conducted comprehensive mapping of refugee-led and co-led initiatives across various regions in Lebanon, selecting a total of 40 CSOs.
2. Capacity Assessment Tool Development: Salem Group developed an Organizational Capacity Assessment Tool (OCAT) in Arabic and English, aligned with project objectives, to assess the 40 refugee-led and co-led initiatives. The tool covered critical areas, including governance, organizational management, program management, human resources, financial management, community engagement capacity, legal status, monitoring and evaluation, protection and safeguarding, gender issues, and procurement.
3. Analysis of Capacity Needs: Salem Group analyzed the capacity needs of these organizations and tailored appropriate training methods for each initiative.
4. Recommendations and Performance Indicators: Salem Group prepared written recommendations and developed performance indicators to improve the functioning of these organizations and measure their progress in achieving their goals.