Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Business management Expert

The Rene Moawad Foundation (RMF)  is currently recruiting experienced  Business management Expert   with expertise in agricultural businesses for a total of 12 Agricultural MSMEs (see below). The series of coaching and training sessions will take place as part of Shabake 2 project in North Lebanon. 

The project aims to enhance economic development (medium-term), and food security (long-term), by engaging 75 farmers, and 12 MSMEs, in the North-Lebanon region, currently working on promising, food security enhancing agricultural value chains, with capacity building, in-kind support, as well as enhanced access to markets. Additionally, the project aims to fill in a market gap of essential crops, as the targeted value chains are considered one of the most essential nutritious crops for the human being planted in farmers’ lands in the area.

The targeted MSMEs will be supported through:

• Assessment of needs and opportunities, to generate tailored solutions resulting in greater impact
• Conducting general business and technical trainings, to ensure beneficiaries have increased qualitative and quantitative production, sales, growth, jobs and resilience
• Providing in-kind assistance, to ensure that farmers and MSMEs are more stable through increased investment in inputs, and equipment, contributing to productivity, better quality products, growth, economic diversification, job creation, reduced costs, and increased competitiveness in local markets
• Ensuring business linkages and contract farming, so that a window to local markets is created, enhancing local products and services to replace imported ones, increasing jobs, translated to sustainable sources of income.

Job Description:

Activity 1- Assess needs and identify training and support packages

The expert is required to ensure the impact of a tailored approach to identifying needs of MSEMs, the expert will conduct: One-on-one meetings: with each MSME to identify the existing gaps and needed in-kind support and competency levels of knowledge, skills and capacities.

This will be done through a one-day, one-on-one coaching session per MSME comprising:

• The expert will conduct a detailed business assessment of each selected business that will complement the   initial standard outreach form. The assessment will be in the form of a digitized questionnaire. The in-depth business analysis of the technical capacities of each benefiting MSME will be conducted in close coordination with the technical expert assigned.
• Following the assessment each benefiting MSME will have a comprehensive general report developed. Each report will include the current status and intervention area of the MSME, as well as desired outputs after project intervention.
• As part of the assessment, a list of inputs and equipment will be identified and listed by priority for each MSME. The most important inputs and equipment will be selected based on budget allocation and impact in collaboration with the technical expert. A bill of quantity and technical specification will be developed by the expert in collaboration with RMF management.

Activity 2-  Develop and implement a training package

• A specialized training has to be prepared and conducted that support both short and long-term needs for the selected MSMEs.
• The General business training curriculum: consisting of 6 days’ trainings implemented for 3 groups of 4 MSMEs each, while respecting Covid-19 safety measures in locations identified being close to the targeted MSMEs. The trainings will be conducted by the expert in collaboration with the technical expert/ business consultants (technical in HACCP, food safety, etc.). The training will be a mixture of both theoretical sessions and practical exercises to make sure participants implement what they have learned. The training topics might include, but are not limited to:
• Business accounting, bookkeeping, and inventory management: The training will support beneficiaries to properly prepare financial statements, enhance their financial management that provides a better picture about the company and support forecasting financial requirements, ensuring adequate recording of business transitions, price fixation especially in a volatile environment as is the current case fulfill tax obligations and documentation.
• Marketing and social media: the objective is to sharpen or introduce beneficiaries to e-marketing skills for communication, sales and marketing of the business. The training will include the following topics: introduction to digital marketing (marketing concepts, traditional and digital marketing benefits, e-marketing channels), website development and online payment tools, search engine optimization, social media usage and marketing using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others, Content creation through technical and blog writing.
• Gender integration: the training will aim at presenting the importance of gender integration into economic development, development of gender equality policy within MSMEs and protection and referral systems within the business. General templates will be developed by the expert and provided to the beneficiaries where they will be supported to fill them with the objective of adopting and implementing them.
• Creation of a business plan: the training will allow for an interactive approach between MSME representatives and the trainer to develop a business plan per SME, ensuring that MSMEs are aware of their baseline business status, as well as set goals and a roadmap for proper business development.

Activity 3 - Design and implement a market networking event

Assist RMF in Mapping of existing markets at the local level including farmers market at community or municipal levels, and support in their promotion by conducting linkages between them, the farmers, and MSMEs, as well as and coordinating with local municipalities for promoting these markets.

Main duties of the expert:

• Assess needs and identify training and support packages for 12 MSMEs in North Lebanon (One-on-one meetings and Cluster group assessments)
• Provide a general report for each MSME that will include the status and intervention area both in terms of in-kind support and capacities requirements, as well as desired outputs after project intervention.
• Develop the training package based on general project and MSMEs tailored assessment reports
• Conduct the training sessions for the 12 MSMEs: Farmers will be divided into groups of 4, as such, 3 groups will be engaged for a period of 6 days/group. At the end of the sessions, the expert will present a report about the coaching and evaluation by assessing the material and the participants progress
• Provide a bill of quantity and technical specification for needed equipment: Identify and provide a list of inputs and equipment and list by priority for each MSME. The most important inputs and equipment will be selected based on budget allocation and impact.
• Draft a one MSMEs cluster, showcasing the will and ability to cooperate and pool resources, in coordination with RMF management and assess the needed equipment.
• Assist in conducting linkages to support access to markets of the targeted value chain products by mapping of existing markets at the local level including farmers market at community or municipal levels, and assisting in supporting in their promotion by conducting linkages between them, the farmers, and MSMEs, as well as and coordinating with local municipalities for promoting these markets.
• Cooperate with project manager and field coordinator as required

Required competencies:

The expert is expected to have the following skills:

• At least 7 years of experience in the field of Business accounting, bookkeeping, and inventory management, Creation of a business plan, marketing and social media and gender integration. Experience with agricultural MSMEs is an added value.
• Competency in advising and delivering hands-on-support and trainings for MSME
• Experience in coaching, training, assessing and reporting
• Positive attitude, energetic and very strong communication skills
• Excellent presentation skills
• Holds a Masters in Agricultural Sciences, Food Sciences or related fields

In addition, we expect from expert a strong commitment to advancing the overall goals of the entire project and ensuring that the particular sessions are given as a coherent part of the entire program.