RT721 proposal Needs Assessment

Terms of Reference

Role:  Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) & CBOs Business Development Services (BDS) Needs Assessment Consultant

Supervisor: NAWAT consortuim manager 

Timeframe of the assignment: August 2021 (maximum XX working days )

Location:  T5 area

Date of ToR:  

Background

Ruwwad is a regional non-profit community development organisation that works with disenfranchised communities through education, youth volunteerism, and grassroots organizing. Our approach encompasses an array of programs and initiatives that deal with issues prioritized by the local community and strengthen agency among beneficiaries. Ruwwad improves resilience and access to livelihood programs in host communities that have shouldered the heaviest burden of the Syrian refugee crisis, whilst themselves being among the most disenfranchised and marginalised communities in Lebanon. Ruwwad Community Center is located between Bab al Tabbeneh and Jabal Mohsen, two neighbourhoods with a history of violent sectarian conflicts, with recent outbreaks of armed conflict related to the Syrian civil war, and among the most poverty stricken and marginalised communities in Lebanon.

The NAWAT consortium started in 2018 and consist of three main community-based organization ( Ruwwad AL Tanmeya, SHIFT, TEC ) that intend to improve economic outcomes for stakeholders through a holistic strategy that approaches challenges in the labour market.

The overall objective of the project is to strengthen local community, MSMEs, start-ups and entrepreneurs’ ability to grow, create jobs and wealth and contribute to the socio-economic inclusion of youth and women.

The project outcomes are:

Outcome 1: Improving access to the labor market among youth and women

Outcome 2: Engaging Businesses and Entrepreneurs

Outcome 3: Empowering the Sustainability of Impact of the NGOs within the Consortium.

Scope of the consultancy

The consultant is a national expert with a background in business development services for MSMEs, and small-scale entrepreneurship, CBOs, and cooperatives. They will be responsible for the identification of needs of the MSMEs and small-scale entrepreneurship, CBOs, and cooperatives in order to tailor training materials to equip the MSMEs owners with the individual and operational skills needed to increase their businesses viability and increase their profit. The consultant will rely on the existing toolkit of resources for the frontline implementers, updating documents or developing new tools as needed.

Objectives

Lead on identifying capacity gaps for selected MSMEs, and small-scale entrepreneurship, CBOs, and cooperatives – needs assessments.

Responsibilities:

Developing appropriate training materials:

1. Collect the data from the outreach- mapping for existing MSMEs, and small-scale entrepreneurship, CBOs, and cooperatives
2. Design needs assessment tools for the selected pool

Conduct Needs assessment & Tailored trainings

Task 1: Design needs assessment for the selected MSMEs

Ruwwad Al Tanmiya agrees to provide the consultant with all the necessary information on the project and on previous trainings and materials. They will design and conduct a situational analysis/needs assessment of the capacities and skills of the selected MSMEs. Then RT will use the findings to develop an appropriate training program/curriculum plan for the proposed training modules and key training material;

Conduct needs assessments in T5.

Specifically, the training needs assessment will serve the following objectives:

• Identification the training needs of the MSMEs, and small-scale entrepreneurship, CBOs, and cooperatives (from individual to organizational level) in order to help them perform effectively and compete in the market, as well as identification of the key constraints for these MSMEs;
• Provision of a set of practical tools and strategies to overcome these constraints;
• Identification of innovative and SME specific instruments to improve for MSMEs and recommendations on how to best use these instruments.
• Development of a set of recommendations about internal changes to be made by MSMEs, and small-scale entrepreneurship, CBOs, and cooperatives to take advantages of opportunities.

A timetable for all deliverables of the consultancy will be agreed with NAWAT consortium manager, and included in the inception report. This will include the design and conduction of needs assessment schedule, site visits, participation in specific market linkage events and opportunities, or other additional activities foreseen by the consultant in order that Ruwwad Al tanmiya can adequately plan and support the logistics of these activities.

Required competencies

Bachelor Degree with extensive trainings (e.g. Business Management, Business Administration, Economics, Education, Public Administration, Social Science and Entrepreneurship Development

The successful candidate will have the following required qualifications:

• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience providing business support and development training to MSMEs, and small-scale entrepreneurship, CBOs, and cooperatives.
• Extensive trainings in Business Management, Business Administration, Economics, Education, Public Administration, Social Science and Entrepreneurship Development
• Leading edge creativity in market-based livelihood solutions to low-income or otherwise vulnerable communities
• Demonstrable experience in development, design, and facilitation of training programs to frontline staff
• Demonstrable knowledge and experience in working with NGOs, including excellence in monitoring and reporting
• Experience with promoting participatory monitoring and evaluation techniques is highly desirable
• Strong written and oral communication skills, with demonstrated ability of making effective presentations to socially and economically diverse attendees; fluency in both English and Arabic
• Clear understanding of the political, geographical and economic dynamics of T5