Consultancy: Business Development Support (BDS)

Background

With the support of the Humanitarian Coalition and Global Affairs Canada (GAC) through Oxfam Canada and Oxfam Quebec, Oxfam in Lebanon is implementing a business support project in the context of Oxfam’s Beirut Port Blast Emergency Response.

The project will contribute to a more resilient and sustainable micro, small and medium sized enterprises “MSMEs” and social business environment in the aftermath of the Beirut Port Blast. The project aims to contribute to the social and economic recovery effort in Beirut and surrounding areas through an integrated approach with three inter-related components:

1) directly support the MSMEs to economically recover, re-establish their presence in the market, and retain lost jobs;

2) support existing Social Enterprises (SEs) to respond to the social, economic, health, and environmental priority needs of the community; and

3) develop an MSME-SE business clustering approach that aims to strengthen the economic resilience and ensure the sustainability of support to MSMEs and SEs. The clustering approach is expected, specifically, to strengthen the social impact of MSMEs and provide a form of financial sustainability for the already-existing SEs.

In addition to the financial support, direct support to MSMEs includes a business development support service that will be provided by a pool of coaches who will be contracted to work closely with the business owners on developing their businesses over the period of six months.

The MSMEs are expected to be supported through the provision of tailored technical assistance, following a demand-driven and needs-based approach, at no cost to the enterprises. The technical assistance will be in the form of business coaching and follow up sessions provided online and/or on-site, that would address the MSMEs’ needs and challenges.

Objective

Oxfam is looking for qualified BDS organizations and/or individuals to provide technical assistance to the MSMEs that were affected by the Beirut Port Blast, via coaching and follow up sessions. An average of 6 coaching sessions (based on needs) are expected to be provided per enterprise over the course of 6 months whereby Oxfam will closely follow up with the consultants, evaluate, and keep track of consultants’ performance.

MSME’s coaching topics will be informed by the initial assessments that will be conducted with the enterprises and can include the specific themes in Annex 1.

Expected Deliverables and Deadlines

1. Business development plan/roadmap and financial plan for each enterprise detailing assessment findings, identified business development goals, the content to be covered during coaching sessions, as well as the delivery timeline;
2. BDS performance monitoring framework, forms, and tools with tailored indicators for each enterprise;
3. Delivery of an average of 6 coaching sessions (based on needs) per MSME on a one-on-one basis – and if the same need is common to multiple enterprises - in groups. The duration of the sessions is reliant on several factors such as the specific topic to be delivered, individual capacities of the MSME employees/owners receiving the coaching, etc. However, sessions may range between 1.5 hours to 3 hours.
4. Weekly schedules which include dates of the visits of the coaches;
5. As a final step, coaches will work collaboratively with each enterprise to update existing business plans or produce a business plan, as needed by each enterprise.
6. Final evaluation report detailing the progress of the enterprises, outlining steps for future improvement, and the products developed with the enterprises during consultancy (business plan)

Deliverable A: Business development/financial Plan

Description: A report which presents the business development and financial plan with the business owner based on the initial assessment, and using templates and guidelines provided by Oxfam

Tentative submission dates: A month into the assignment

Deliverable B:  Monthly reports

Description: Monthly narrative and financial reports describing the progress of each business and the milestones/deliverables they are achieving and the challenges they are facing

Tentative submission dates: Before the 5th day of every month

Deliverable C: Final evaluation report

Description: An overall narrative and financial report of the support accomplishment specifics, detailing the progress of the enterprises and outlining steps for future improvement with supporting documents

Tentative submission dates: 6 months into the assignment

Consultancy Duties and Responsibilities

1. On-site first assessment meeting with selected MSMEs.
2. Strict compliance with the WHO’s guidelines and health measures when conducting in person meetings and/or coaching/follow up sessions.
3. Regular coordination with the MSMEs (schedule meetings, sessions etc.).
4. Having tools, equipment, and capacities to provide coaching and follow up online whenever on-site visit is not possible or high risk.
5. Provision of material and/or tools needed for the delivery of coaching session.
6. Regular data entry and data sharing via Oxfam provided tools such as surveys/reports.

Qualifications and Required Expertise

• Agility (tools and materials revised in light of current economic context);
• Decent work knowledge;
• Gender-equality knowledge;
• Demonstrated experience in providing business development support to enterprises and social enterprises;
• Demonstrated experience in providing business training to enterprises and social enterprises on a wide array of topics;
• Proven ability to carry out wide-ranging operations;
• Proven facilitation and coaching skills (online and in person);
• Experience in working with enterprises in similar contexts.
• Flexibility in time and tasks delivery.
• Support in the identification and creation of clustering approach opportunities between MSMEs and SEs

Timeframe

Support to MSMEs will start in July 2021 and is anticipated to end in Decemvber 2021.

Annex 1:

Please check the topics to be provided:

Topic:

1       Accounting

2       Banking

3       Business models

4       Communication

5       Cost effectiveness

6       Customer service

7       Debt management

8       Decent Work

9       Digitization

10      Formal registration

11      Gender Equality

12      HR management

13      Internal systems

14      Labor Law

15      Leadership

16      Market access

17      Marketing

18      Planning and budgeting

19      Planning and management

20      Pricing

21      Quality of products or services

22      Risk Management

23      Sales

24      Saving skills

25      Time management

26      Social impact for SEs

27      Others (specify)