Business Development Services Coach

Basmeh & Zeitooneh is a registered Lebanese organization, committed to serving refugees and vulnerable communities in Lebanon, through four community centers across the country. The organization runs educational, relief, livelihoods, and protection programs, and aims to serve as an inclusive and supportive focal point for the entire community.

Basmeh & Zeitooneh has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual exploitation, abuse, and child abuse. Also, fraud, bribery, and corrupt activities.

Basmeh & Zeitooneh (B&Z) is committed to maintaining the security, confidentiality, and privacy of your personal information.

Basmeh & Zeitooneh is committed to safeguarding the well-being of children and upholding the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Basmeh & Zeitooneh maintains a zero-tolerance policy on child abuse.

Key Responsibilities

1.  Conduct a needs assessment of the three identified cooperatives: The consultant will be required to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment of the cooperatives, focusing on their organizational and management structure, marketing strategies, financial management, and production processes. The consultant will be expected to identify key strengths and weaknesses of the cooperatives, and provide specific recommendations for improvement in each area
2.  Develop tailored business development plans: Based on the findings of the needs assessment, the consultant will be responsible for developing tailored business development plans for each of the three cooperatives. The plans should include specific recommendations and timelines for implementation, and should address key areas such as organizational and management restructuring, marketing and branding, financial management, and production process improvement
3. Provide technical assistance to the cooperatives in the implementation of the business development plans, including support in organizational and management restructuring, marketing and branding, financial management, and production process improvement.
4. Provide training and mentoring to cooperative members: The consultant will be required to provide training and mentoring to the cooperative members on various business-related topics such as record-keeping, financial planning and management, market analysis, and branding. The consultant should ensure that the training and mentoring sessions are tailored to the specific needs of each cooperative
5. Monitor the progress of the cooperatives in the implementation of the business development plans and provide regular feedback and guidance.
6. Collaborate with other stakeholders involved in the project, including the project manager, and other consultants, to ensure the effective implementation of the project.

Deliverables

1. Needs assessment report for each of the three cooperatives, including recommendations for organizational and management restructuring, marketing and branding, financial management, and production process improvement.
2. Business development plans for each of the three cooperatives, including specific recommendations and timelines for implementation.
3. Training and mentoring sessions for cooperative members on various business-related topics.
4. Regular progress reports on the implementation of the business development plans.
5. Final project report summarizing the activities undertaken, outcomes achieved, and lessons learned during the project.

Qualifications

1. At least 8 years of experience in providing business development services to small or medium enterprises, preferably in the agricultural sector.
2. Strong understanding of the agricultural sector in Central and West Beqaa, including the challenges faced by women-led cooperatives in the region.
3. Knowledge of best practices in organizational and management restructuring, marketing and branding, financial management, and production process improvement for agricultural cooperatives.
4. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to develop and implement effective business development plans.
5. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse groups of stakeholders.

Specific Qualifications
Proven knowledge and experience in team building training, leadership and cooperative management.

Reporting
The external coach will report to Basmeh & Zeitooneh livelihoods project manager.