Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) technical Expert

The Rene Moawad Foundation (RMF) is currently recruiting an experienced technical and business expert with expertise in specific agricultural businesses for a total of 12 Agricultural MSMEs (see below). The series of coaching 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

In relation to MSMEs’ assessments, 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
• Cluster group assessments:  based on region and value chain so that the interventions are not sporadic yet complementary and achieve the desired effect.  In this assessment, focus will be made on value chain needs, complementarity between MSMEs and regions on diversified local production to meet needs and ensure local self-sufficiency that enhance resilience.

Following the assessment, each MSME will have a general report developed 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.

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 such as job creation. A bill of quantity and technical specification will be developed by the expert in collaboration with RMF management.

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 that will focus on a SWOT analysis for each business, in-kind needs that support immediate and short-term productivity increase and long term scaling up of business and growth. The in-depth business analysis of the technical capacities of each benefiting MSME will be conducted in close coordination with the non-technical expert (namely in non-technical business management skills such as accounting, marketing, price structuring, business planning and technical skills) such as export of agro-food product requirements or product structuring, and knowledge of proper production standards.

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.

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.

General business training curriculum: consisting of 5 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 non-technical expert/ business consultants. 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

Tailored business development support and technical assistance from the expert: based on the assessment report. The trainings will consist of specialized trainings in the production field coupled with actual coaching and mentoring from the expert. Training topics can include: export policies and procedures, HACCP training for hospitality, food safety certifications, products cost structure, and products diversification.

Activity 3.1.1 - 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 (HACCP, food safety, products costs, etc.) 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 5 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 agricultural business development for agricultural MSMEs with in-depth knowledge in export of agro-food product requirements or product structuring, and knowledge of proper production standards.
• 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.