81315900-Advisory Support for Key Reform Actors on Anti-Corruption and Transparency

Context Lebanon is facing an unprecedented crisis characterized by political stagnation, economic collapse, and social tensions. Corruption is deeply entrenched at all levels of governance, eroding public trust and undermining institutional efficiency. International organizations, such as the International Monetary Fund, have tied their support programs to long-overdue reforms in governance and Anti-Corruption. The recent "grey listing" by the Financial Action Task Force adds another layer of pressure for reform. The new government has prominently mentioned the reform of the public sector and to tackle the corruption issue seriously. Lebanon had already adopted a number of crucial reform plans and strategies, and subsequent new Anti-Corruption institutions have been established, including the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and the Public Procurement Authority (PPA). However, both the NACC and the PPA have experienced significant challenges and, as of March 2025, only limited functions of their mandate are fully operational, due to shortages in staff and resources. Along with well-established oversight bodies such as the Court of Accounts, the Central Inspection but also the Office of the Minister for State and Administrative Reform (OMSAR), these institutions have the potential to address systemic corruption and safeguard reconstruction processes. However, poor coordination among these institutions, political interference, and a lack of financial resources and staff, have so far limited their effectiveness. In response, the project "Supporting Inclusive Governance and Reform Processes in Lebanon" aims to strengthen governance by enhancing accountability, transparency, participatory decision-making, municipal performance management, and the role of civil society. It focuses on building the capacities of key governmental bodies at the national level, such as the NACC and the PPA, as well as at the local level by promoting participatory governance in selected municipalities. Civil society actors and journalists are empowered in their oversight role and ability to hold the government accountable. It is within the scope of this project that GIZ seeks a contractor to carry out change processes with selected Lebanese governmental institutions, in order to build their systems, processes and capacities to strengthen for greater transparency and to mitigate corruption risks. Overall GIZ project objective: Governance in Lebanon has improved in terms of accountability, transparency, participation orientation and performance management. Objectives to be achieved through the provision of services by the contractor: 5 sectoral corruption risk analyses implemented within the framework of a task force consisting of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and corresponding sectoral actors have been conducted. 50% of public procurement processes have been carried out under the supervisory mandate of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) with information on the beneficial owners provided by the bidder. 4 Measures of the NACC"s Action Plan 2025-2026 to increase capacity have been successfully implemented. 4 measures of the PPA"s multiannual action plan to strengthen the beneficial ownership transparency system have been implemented. 4 measures of the PPA"s communication strategy have been implemented.