Business Start-Up Evaluation Consultant

Anera Background:
Since 1968, Anera has helped refugees and others hurt by conflicts in Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan live
with purpose and hope.
Anera, which has no political or religious affiliation, works on the ground with partners in Palestine (West
Bank and Gaza), Lebanon, and Jordan. We mobilize resources for immediate emergency relief and for
sustainable, long-term health, education, and economic development. Our staff serve in their
communities, navigating the politics that constrict progress to get help where it’s needed most.

Objective of the Service
The Business Start-up Consultant role is to evaluate Anera’s business start-ups that received training and
seed funding in 2025, assess their operational performance and impact, identify gaps and opportunities
within the start-up support component, and provide strategic, evidence-based recommendations to
strengthen program effectiveness and guide future improvements.

Scope of Service
The consultant will conduct field assessments of around 80 start-ups, analyse business performance and
challenges, facilitate interviews and focus groups with beneficiaries and stakeholders, and produce a
comprehensive evaluation report with lessons learnt and actionable recommendations. This service
covers evaluation, data collection, analysis, and reporting, but does not include direct implementation of
business start-up support or financial assistance to entrepreneurs.

High-Level Evaluation Questions

1. Effectiveness of the Support Package
● How effective was the start-up support package (training, mentoring, seed funding, market
linkages) in improving business performance?
● How effective were the mentoring and coaching components in improving business
decision-making and growth?

● What gaps exist in the current mentoring/coaching model?
● What new capacity-building needs did entrepreneurs identify?

2. Business Performance, Outcomes, and Challenges
● What outcomes, intended or unintended, emerged for the 2025 start-up cohort?
● What factors contributed most to successes or challenges among the supported businesses?
● What factors differentiated high-performing start-ups from those struggling or stagnating?

3. Sustainability and Risk
● How sustainable are the supported businesses?
● What internal or external risks threaten the sustainability of the supported businesses?
● Which types of businesses show the highest or lowest long-term sustainability potential, and
why?

4. Equity and Inclusion
● Did all target groups (e.g., women, youth, specific regions) benefit equally?
● Were there barriers for certain groups to fully participate or succeed?

5. Market and Ecosystem Engagement
● What external market or ecosystem constraints affected the growth and performance of the
start-ups?

6. MEAL Systems and Data Quality
● How effective are Anera’s current monitoring tools and data collection systems in capturing
business performance, income changes, and overall program results?
● What weaknesses exist in the current MEAL processes, indicators, or available data sets?

7. Efficiency of Program Delivery
● Was the program delivered in a timely, coordinated manner across regions?
● Were resources used efficiently to achieve intended outcomes?

8. Recommendations for Improvement
● What actionable, evidence-based recommendations can strengthen future start-up
programming, improve support services, and maximize impact?
● What improvements can be made to program design and delivery in future cycles?

Key Deliverables

● Field assessment reports of supported businesses, including evaluation of progress,
performance, income statements, risks, lessons learned and challenges.
● Analysis report of the business start-up support component, covering training, mentoring,
financial assistance, and market linkages, in addition to identification of gaps, weaknesses, and
opportunities for improvement.
● Documentation of qualitative insights from beneficiaries and stakeholders gathered through field
visits, interviews, and focus group discussions.
● Assessment of program data to measure outcomes and impact across the 2025 start-up cohort.
● Development and application of tailored evaluation tools and methodologies suited to the
program context , aligned with high-level evaluation questions.
● Draft and final evaluation report presenting clear, actionable findings and recommendations, and
presentation of key insights to Anera’s program team and relevant stakeholders.

Timeframe and Reporting
Duration: February-March 2026
Proposed Schedule:
● February 2026
o Inception phase: review program documents, develop evaluation methodology, tools,
and work plan.
o Initial meetings with the program, MEAL and field teams.
o Conduct field visits to around 80 start-ups in the North, Akkar, Bekaa, BML, and South.
o Facilitate interviews and focus group discussions with beneficiaries and stakeholders.
o Begin data collection and analysis.
● March 2026
o Complete data collection and in-depth analysis.
o Identify gaps, successes, and opportunities for improvement.
o Prepare and finalize the evaluation report with findings and recommendations.
o Present key findings and recommendations to Anera’s program team and stakeholders.
o Submit all documentation, field notes, and supporting materials.

Reporting:
● The consultant will report directly to the Workforce Development Program Manager.
● Deliverables, including the inception report, draft and final evaluation reports, and presentation
materials, will be submitted to the program, field, and MEAL team for review and feedback.

Payment Terms and Taxation
● Applicants are required to submit a detailed financial proposal, including a breakdown of costs aligned
with their proposed LOE and methodology.
● Payments will be made upon submission and approval of deliverables, as outlined in the final contract.
● All payments are subject to applicable taxation in accordance with Lebanese law.

Qualifications and Competencies
● Master's Degree in Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, Economics, Development
Studies, or a related field.
● A minimum of 7 years of professional experience in business start-up programming,
entrepreneurship development, MSME/SME support, or livelihood interventions is required.
● Proven experience conducting evaluations, assessments, or research in enterprise development
or similar programming.
● Strong understanding of business incubation models, access-to-finance mechanisms, and market
systems approaches.
● Demonstrated ability to analyse business performance, identify gaps, and provide practical,
evidence-based recommendations.
● Excellent facilitation skills for conducting field assessments, interviews, and focus group
discussions with diverse stakeholders.
● The candidate should possess strong analytical, data interpretation, and report-writing skills.
● Familiarity with the Lebanese economic context and the challenges entrepreneurs face is highly
desirable.
● Proficiency in Microsoft Office and data analysis tools; experience with qualitative analysis
software is an asset.

Equal Employment Opportunity
Anera strives to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in employment on the
basis of race, color, creed, political or national views or background, ethnicity, religion, age, handicap,
sex, or any other factor unrelated to ability to perform the required work. Anera does give strong
preference in employing Lebanese, Palestinian, or other resident Arab nationals (other than for the
country director position and internships). In all cases, recruitment decisions are first and foremost
based on merit and qualifications. Anera holds local project institutions to the same standards.

Code of Conduct
Anera is committed to conducting its operations with the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and
professionalism across all contexts in which we work. We strive to deliver high-quality services and
maintain a reputation built on fairness, respect, responsibility, and sound judgment. All employees,

managers, officers, and representatives are expected to uphold these standards at all times and act per
their duty of loyalty to Anera. No individual may misrepresent the organization or speak on its behalf
without proper authorization. Confidential and sensitive information—including financial data, strategic
plans, or information related to partners and beneficiaries—must be handled with the utmost discretion
and only shared on a need-to-know basis, in line with Anera’s confidentiality and privacy policies. Any
violation of the Code of Conduct may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination. The
level of disciplinary response may take into account whether the violation was self-reported and whether
the individual cooperated in the investigation process.

Our values:
We are inspired: We are committed to energize, engage, and motivate others to forge the best outcomes
for the diverse communities we serve.
We are people-centric: We are respectful and empathetic. We believe that each person, no matter their
circumstances, embodies promise and has the power to shape the lives of their community and world.
We are collaborative: Teamwork and collaborative action are at the heart of how we do our work and
deliver results.
We are versatile: In a region burdened by obstacles, we make the right connections to find a way and
bring can-do, innovative approaches to everything we do.
We are impactful: We make a lasting difference in the lives of those we serve by delivering impactful
solutions at the local community level.
We are accountable: Our words, actions and results stay true to our mission and values.