Intaj Market Research Consultant

Background: Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities. The agency pursues its mission through emergency relief services, sustainable community development, civil society and economic development initiatives. Mercy Corps has been present in the Middle East since the 1980s and currently has offices in Yemen, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Egypt and Libya. Working in Lebanon since 1993, Mercy Corps has implemented community development programs focused on promoting economic development and increased opportunity for disadvantaged communities, while responding to emergencies as they emerged in the country.  In 2012, the program portfolio shifted in response to the massive refugee influx from Syria and Mercy Corps in Lebanon has solidified its emergency response programming while integrating longer-term development programming by focusing on key sectors: Protection, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Governance and Conflict, and Livelihoods.    Purpose / Project Description: With funding from the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), Mercy Corps has initiated INTAJ (Improved Networks, Training and Jobs), a program to support vulnerable communities in the Beqaa and the North governorates in addressing their economic needs.    Mercy Corps has identified crosscutting constraints to jobs growth in Lebanon that affect market actors at the individual, business and market levels of economic production.  In order to stimulate sustainable jobs growth, INTAJ will address these constraints through a series of activities during a 6-month pilot phase to identify successful intervention strategies that are potentially scalable and transferrable.    Interventions at the business level will include a significant portfolio of sub-grants and technical assistance to an expected 20 small and medium enterprise (SME) business beneficiaries, in order to reduce risk and strengthen the ability of beneficiaries to grow their workforce.  Technical assistance will be geared towards improving management and operations, enhancing competitiveness and assisting companies to access new markets, and/or market segments, with the ultimate aim of creating more jobs.  INTAJ business beneficiaries are expected to vary in size and by industry, ranging from small service sector companies to larger industrial firms.   Mercy Corps has identified a lack of adequate market research and market knowledge as a major factor in SME performance in Lebanon.  Mercy Corps is seeking qualified professionals to assess market research practices of selected INTAJ business beneficiaries, and recommend specific improvements to existing practices where appropriate.   Consultant Objectives: The objective of the consultancy is to support the INTAJ program team in assessing the market research needs of relevant business beneficiaries, and developing an appropriate strategy to help beneficiaries adopt improved practices that can improve market research knowledge, marketing, and production.  The consultant will assess a range of businesses for up to 100 days Level of Effort between 1 November 2015 to 16 March 2016.  The consultant may be asked to travel throughout Lebanon, including but not limited to Beqaa, South, and/or North Lebanon.  The level of effort needed per business is expected to vary on a case by case basis, to be discussed and coordinated with the program team.   For each selected SME, the Consultant will:   Assess the SME market knowledge and its existing market research tools.  Recommend accordingly what kind of market research the SME needs. Where appropriate, conduct tailored business-specific market research to inform marketing and product development, including but not limited to: Potential unmet demand for the business beneficiary’s goods or services Customer needs and preferences Market segmentation, competitor profiles, and performance of competing products and services Relevant commercial regulation, standards, and trade procedures   Consultant Deliverables: The Consultant will complete: A brief report (a standard template will be provided) for each business beneficiary assessed, describing existing market knowledge and market research practices, identifying constraints and gaps, and including any detailed specifications required for subsequent procurement of goods and services. (If requested by Mercy Corps) a tailored market research report addressing identified information gaps and needs of selected business beneficiaries to inform marketing and product development   Qualifications: BA/BS (MBA preferred) in business, economics or related field Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in market research Strong conceptual and analytical skills Ability and willingness to travel to the field Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team Excellent verbal and written communication and presentational skills Fluent Arabic speaking and writing skills. Strong English writing skills preferred.   The consultant will provide/share all types of reports to the Technical Adviser(s) of INTAJ Project   The Consultant will work closely with: INTAJ Program Manager, project managers, field coordinators, and Economic and Market Development Sector Lead.   Submission guidelines: Applicants are requested to submit the following documents by email to reception@lb.mercycorps.org. Please mention the title “INTAJ Market Research Consultant” in the subject of the email.  1)      Consultant’s CV 2)      List of consultancies conducted in the last three years. Please include: Client name Brief description of services performed Client phone number and email Number of days worked Substantiated daily consulting rate A scan/copy of applicant’s registration at the Ministry of Finance. In case applicant cannot provide this document, and is selected for this consultancy, Mercy Corps will deduct the 7.5% services tax imposed by the Ministry from submitted invoices.   N.B:  Interested firms are also encouraged to apply. Applicants firms are requested to submit the following documents by email to reception@lb.mercycorps.org. Please mention the title " INTAJ Market Research Consultancy Firm” in the subject of the email.  2 References A scan/copy of the firm’s registration at the Ministry of Finance. In case the firm cannot provide this document, and is selected for this consultancy, Mercy Corps will deduct the 7.5% services tax imposed by the Ministry from submitted invoices.   Payment: In bank checks or wire transfer, after the successful delivery of the service based on monthly invoices and timesheets submitted (to include work days and hours. 8 hours = full day and 4 hours = half a day), with an approved consultant deliverable report.   Incidentals, including transportation, per diems and communications costs, will not be covered separately by Mercy Corps, as they should be included in the consultant’s daily rate.   Other Considerations: Mercy Corps reserves the right to hire multiple consultants under this scope of work, or none at all.  INTAJ will review applications on a rolling basis, so applicants are encouraged to submit applications at any time.  Only those applications found most promising will be contacted by INTAJ.  Target response time will be one week from the date of submission.