Collective Site Management and Coordination - A Case Study of Solidarites International in North Lebanon Governorate

Since 2013, SOLIDARITES INTERNATIONAL (SI) provides humanitarian aid to Syrian refugees in North Lebanon governorate in the sectors of WASH, shelter, livelihood and outreach. As the needs of Syrian refugees increase while humanitarian funding decreases with the end of the war in Syria seeming far from a resolution, it has become evident that more attention should be placed on sustainable solutions. In 2014, SI consequently started to implement community mobilization activities and established the Collective Site Management and Coordination (CSMC) program in 50 sites in 2015. This program aimed at re-empowering the Syrian refugee community by creating camp management committees and raising awareness on their rights and legal status. It also provided the community with lists of service providers and proper referrals and complaints mechanisms in order to ensure their needs would be referred to the appropriate stakeholders and assistance would be provided with the desired quality according to specific standards. Ultimately, the program aimed to increase Syrian refugees’ autonomy and to mitigate the risks of tensions with host communities and local authorities.

This document presents the program and the research that was undertaken to identify and explain the successes and failures of CSMC. It also provides learning for programmatic improvement.