UNDP Lebanon Accelerator Lab

In a continuously changing environment, we function as a learning unit that bridges people’s lived realities with development interventions around gender, COVID and vulnerability.

The UNDP Lebanon Accelerator Lab's behaviorally-informed work creates a comprehensive and contextual learning library on key development areas for the country. Our work on gender, for example, utilizes different behavioural science frameworks to capture the most actionable insights that can influence social norms around care duty for men in Lebanon. Other gender interventions tackle how women entrepreneurs can lead businesses successfully during multifaceted crises.

The Lab’s work has become increasingly focused on data-driven approaches to complex problems. Following the August 4th Beirut explosion, the Lab became a clearinghouse for valuable data about vulnerability and COVID-19 in an effort to inform both UNDP programming and external partners. These efforts take place within our Leave-No-One-Behind framework.

The Lab continues to prioritize participatory approaches that foreground the experiences of our users through micro experiments. Our work with “The Healthy Internet Project” incubated at TED is one example. We have also led a codesign process for the new UNDP Lebanon country office that responds to staff wellbeing and takes into account new work modalities.