Consultancy - Micromentor / Yft

Scope of Work:  Consultancy for development of a coaching curriculum and methodology for business mentorship and soft skills development to support vocational training graduates into the workforce Summary of the Position: Financed by:                  UNICEF Type of Position:          Consultancy Main Location:              Beirut, with travel to Tripoli and Saida Duration:                         Up to 31 days Dates Anticipated:       October - November 2017, and January/February 2018 How to apply:                Send a technical and financial proposal and CVs of proposed consultant Program Summary: Working in Lebanon since 1993, Mercy Corps is committed to generating positive opportunities for women, men, boys and girls from Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian communities, with a strong focus on engaging youth. Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping build secure, productive and just communities. We do this through: Addressing the humanitarian and protection needs resulting from crisis situations for the most vulnerable communities Enabling local communities, civil society and government to better prevent and respond to conflict, address needs and deliver sustainable development solutions Promoting economic growth and catalyzing economic opportunities for vulnerable, under-employed groups in Lebanon The Mercy Corps Lebanon team consists of over 180 staff working across five offices throughout Mount Lebanon, South Lebanon, Tripoli and the Bekaa Valley. Funded by UNICEF between September 2017 and April 2018, Mercy Corps will pilot the MicroMentor program in Lebanon, aiming to create a mentorship model that is locally relevant and scalable, at the same time as increasing awareness of mentoring among young entrepreneurs from diverse regions across the country.   As part of this program, Mercy Corps will implement a 2-month business coaching and mentorship programme for vocational training program graduates aged 15-24.  The aim of this will be to increase the knowledge of these youth on key business concepts and to increase their confidence to engage in the workforce or start their business. This will be done by a mix of training (12 hours delivered over 2 months), ongoing coaching from a dedicated coach, peer-to- peer support, and access to networking and speed- mentoring opportunities which respond to their needs.   Youth targeted under this activity will have received vocational training, as well as a vocational toolkit, provided by other UNICEF partners, and will be located in Tripoli and Saida.  This activity will be implemented in two cycles – the initial cycle between November and December 2017, and the second cycle between February and March, with an opportunity to collect lessons learned and adapt the approach between the two cycles.  Mercy Corps will recruit 15 coaches who will be responsible for ongoingcoaching and coordination of mentoring and training for a group of 20 youth over these two two-month periods.  Once trained in the methodology, these coaches will play a key role in ensuring that the youth under their supervision are able to access appropriate training, as well as networking and mentoring, to enable them to either start or grow their businesses, or to enter the workforce. Each vocational training graduate selected to participate in the program will receive 10-hours of training to increase understanding of business concepts and business planning, and 2 hours training on soft-skills, personal goals and strengths. In addition, they will have the chance to attend at least one networking, speed-mentoring or one-to- many mentoring event, linked to the training topics and bringing in industry experts and entrepreneurs. Objective of the Consultancy: The aim of this consultancy is to develop a coaching curriculum and methodology, which will enable Mercy Corps staff and coaches to identify initial needs and career goals of the selected participants, as well as enable coaches to follow up with trainee progress towards these. This would focus both on areas of support required to enable them to successfully start their economic activities, as well as personal support required to ensure the trainee can achieve employment outcomes, such as outreach to family members, confidence building, increasing their network etc. Recognizing that needs may be different for male and female youth, particular attention will be paid to gender dynamics and barriers youth entrepreneurs may face.   In addition, the consultant would be responsible for training the coaches on the coaching methodology, and supporting Mercy Corps staff to create a community of practice for sharing lessons learned and advice between coaches. The community of practice will concentrate on regular meetings between coaches in their centres, and also exchange via platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook. Planning and Logistics: A maximum of 31 days, according to the following estimated breakdown of activities: Activities Workdays Familiarisation with the project (document review, meetings with team members etc, review of existing MC coaching and training methodologies) 2 Design of tools to collect information on vocational training graduate needs in terms of business training and mentoring (such as:  application form for vocational training graduates wishing to participate in the program, key informant interview / focus group discussion guides for use with graduates, training providers, local business service providers) 3 Data collection and analysis, to inform the eventual design of the coaching and training curriculum, and development of a report on analysis of business and personal support needs for vocational training graduates to enable them to start businesses or gain employment 5 Presentation of initial findings and recommendations to the MC team 1 Development of the coaching methodology and supporting toolkit 7 Preparation and implementation of a training workshop for coaches on the methodology and tools developed, including pre and post tests and feedback from the participants on the training 7 Development of a report on the consultancy, including feedback on the training of coaches and individual reports on each of the coaches and their potential support needs, recommendations on best methodology for ongoing support and development of a community of practice for the coaches,  and recommendations on areas to focus on in terms of business training and mentoring activities. 2 Co-facilitation of lessons learned session and refresher training between training cycles, and development of a report with key recommendations 6 Deliverables: Validated tools for data collection Powerpoint presentation of initial findings and recommendations Report on analysis of business and personal support needs for vocational training graduates to enable them to start businesses or gain employment Validated coaching methodology and toolkit Training workshop for coaches completed Report on the consultancy, including: evaluation of the training of coaches; reports on each of the coaches and their potential support needs; recommendations on best methodology for ongoing support and development of a community of practice for the coaches; recommendations on areas to focus on in terms of business training and mentoring activities. Report on lessons learned evaluation with recommendations Refresher training for coaches between two cycles completed Qualifications: Proven expertise in the entrepreneurship and employability sector, with extensive experience in providing training and coaching to young entrepreneurs and job-seekers from disadvantaged areas.  Experience with a diverse range of approaches is an advantage Experience in analyzing training needs Experience in developing training materials, delivering trainings and providing coaching Excellent understanding of interactive adult-training approaches Excellent understanding of business support services in Lebanon is an advantage Experience working in Tripoli and/or Saida is an advantage All team members should have the following personal attributes: ·  Self-motivated and able to work independently ·  Excellent organization and planning skills; detail oriented ·  Flexibility to adapt to changing conditions and requirements Supervision: The Consultant(s) will report to the Livelihoods Coordinator for Youth for Tomorrow The Consultant(s) will work closely with:  MicroMentor Project Manager, Project Coordinator and MEL officers, Youth for Tomorrow Program Manager, Director of Programs and Performance and Quality Manager