Maestral Middle East and North Africa

Located in Amman, Jordan, Maestral MENA reinforces our commitment to locally grounded, regionally informed technical expertise.

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Maestral MENA

Maestral MENA builds on Maestral’s long-standing work across the region, supporting governments and partners in development and humanitarian contexts, as well as the nexus between the two. Maestral’s work in MENA reflects the same systems-focused approach that underpins our global portfolio. We support reform and strengthening across care systems, child and adolescent wellbeing, and social policy. We work at the intersection of policy, financing, workforce development, and service delivery. Our role is advisory and technical: we support governments and partners through assessments, strategies, costed plans, capacity strengthening, and monitoring and learning.

Maestral MENA operates in close collaboration with national actors, regional institutions, and global partners. Drawing on expertise from across the region and beyond, the office enables flexible, high-quality technical support tailored to diverse country contexts, including fragile and crisis-affected settings.

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MENA Projects

Below are selected examples of Maestral’s work across the Middle East and North Africa, illustrating the breadth of our regional engagement and the cross-cutting nature of our technical support.

Supporting social service workforce preparedness and strengthening in MENA

Client: UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Office
Countries: Iran, Jordan, Qatar, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen
2024 – Present

Since 2024, Maestral is leading a multi-country initiative across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), in collaboration with the UNICEF MENA Regional Office and Country Offices, to strengthen and professionalize the social service workforce across development and humanitarian contexts. The work advances national strategies, policy frameworks, training systems, and practice standards while supporting regional learning through a Community of Practice. Tailored technical assistance is underway in Iran, Jordan, Qatar, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, focusing on workforce planning, accredited training, disability inclusion, intersectoral coordination, and sustainable financing.

Review of the Lebanese Ministry of Social Affairs’ National Plan for Safeguarding Children and Women of Lebanon

Client: UNICEF
Country: Lebanon
2017

Maestral reviewed the Lebanese Ministry of Social Affairs’ National Plan for Safeguarding Children and Women by assessing the first National Plan and conducting a capacity assessment at central and local levels. Findings informed MOSA’s capacity-strengthening needs in child protection and GBV prevention and response. Maestral also supported the government in drafting National Plan 2, including situational analysis, outputs, coordination mechanisms, and an M&E framework, contributing to the 2020–2027 Strategic Plan which launched in June 2020.

Development of a Multi-Sectoral and Costed National Action Plan for Prevention and Response to Child Protection issues, Gender-based Violence, and Domestic Violence in Jordan 2025-2030

Client: UNICEF
Country Jordan
2024-2025

The Maestral team supported the Jordan National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA) and the National Team for Protection in developing a five-year, costed, multi-sectoral, gender-responsive, and disability-inclusive National Plan of Action to prevent and respond to child protection issues, gender-based violence, and family violence in Jordan. Building on lessons from the 2021–2023 Executive Plans, the work included a desk review, drafting the NPA, developing a monitoring and evaluation framework, and preparing the NPA budget.

Training in Safeguarding on Childcare Provision

Client: The World Bank
Countries: Jordan, Lebanon
2024-2025

The Maestral team worked with IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, to develop two practical training sessions on child safeguarding – one for childcare providers, and one for employers engaging third-party childcare providers to provide childcare services for employees. The training design is meant to be tailored and delivered in different markets to promote and support implementation of internationally recognized good practice. Initial trainings were delivered in Jordan and Lebanon, tailored for specific country needs, for employers and childcare providers engaged in IFC projects and peer-learning activities.

Multi-country Review of the State of the Social Service Workforce in the Middle East and North Africa

Client: UNICEF
Countries: Djibouti, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, and Tunisia
2018-2019

Together with the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance and UNICEF MENARO, Maestral reviewed the social service workforce in eight MENA countries and produced a regional report with findings and recommendations. The work included desk reviews, contextualized tools, and collaboration with UNICEF Country Offices and government counterparts to collect and validate data. Maestral established workforce baselines in Djibouti, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, and Tunisia, and supported the development of national action plans for workforce strengthening.

Design and Piloting of a Cross-Sectoral Case Management System for Child Protection, Early Childhood Development, and Disability Inclusion in Oman

Client: UNICEF
Country: Oman
2017-2021

Maestral worked with UNICEF and the Government of Oman’s Ministries of Social Development, Health, and Education to design, pilot, and refine a contextually appropriate cross-sectoral case management system for children. The work began with an assessment of existing referral pathways and access to early childhood development, child protection, and disability services, leading to the design of cross-sectoral platforms, standard operating procedures, and tools. Maestral then supported piloting of the system in two governorates, including training and coaching of stakeholders, refinement of workflows, protocols, job aids, and tools, and preparation for national scale-up. The system was adapted for potential automation, and COVID-19 tip sheets were developed to support continuity of case management during restricted mobility.