Business Development Master Trainer Consultant

Terms of Reference

About NEF:

For over 100 years, NEF has worked to build more sustainable, prosperous, and inclusive communities in the Middle East and Africa through education, governance, and economic development initiatives. Working through a network of country offices and local partners, NEF currently operates in nine countries: Armenia, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Mali, Morocco, Syria, South Sudan, Sudan. Its programs are organized around three themes: Inclusive Economic Development, Climate-resilient Development, and Stabilization and Peacebuilding.

Background

NEF offer services through livelihoods hubs operating under a NEF-supported Siraj Center model. The word Siraj is Arabic for lantern but is also used to describe a beacon of light or hope. Siraj Centers use a micro-franchise model at all of its locations, each with the shared Siraj brand, standardized operating procedures, and common themes of products and services. The Siraj Center hubs offer sustainable access to safe sources of training, information, guidance, capital, and referrals to support productive asset building and business creation. Services include, but are not limited to:

• Entrepreneurship and employment training: Training in business planning, marketing, branding, entrepreneurial skills, market opportunities for home-based production activities and small businesses, and employability skills and readiness with a focus on business management.
• Tailored resources for: Business planning and business management preparation, employment opportunities, employability skills development, and a platform for matching service providers with business opportunities.
• Information: Distribution of ‘Fact Sheets’ that provide timely and up-to-date information on markets and demand-driven employment opportunities (including risk and safety checklists linked to community tensions and competition over resources, employment and livelihoods), the work permit process, refugee rights, business formalization, and potential risks and protection strategies in informal work.
• Life skills: Training in financial literacy, Arabic and English literacy training, and life skills related to formal and informal sector income generation, problem solving, leadership and negotiation, and digital skills.
• Business acceleration: Acceleration services through mentorship structures, network building, coaching, and market facilitation and strengthening, and;
• Coordinated referrals: Referrals to other service providers like UNHCR community resource hubs, vocational training programs, continued business development training, NGO programs, microfinance resources, and psychosocial support for positive coping strategies, addressing feelings of isolation and depression, and social networking.

SERVICES DESCRIPTION

The Near East Foundation (NEF) is seeking individuals to provide services as Business Development Master Trainers in Anbar (Ramadi, Heet, Falluja) Iraq. Master Trainers will work closely with selected Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in abovementioned districts to deliver business development trainings and develop business growth plans for selected MSMEs.

NEF will provide training to selected Master Trainers to deliver the below mentioned services; Siraj Master Trainers (MTs) will be engaged on work charge bases and will be selected from the local communities.

Main responsibilities:

• With technical support from Senior business development specialist and Senior Market access specialist deliver Siraj services, including market assessments, outreach, selection of entrepreneurs, and structured training for soft skills, empowerment, and business strengthening for selected MSMEs.
• With technical support from Senior business development specialist and Senior Market access specialist develop business growth plans with selected MSMEs.
• With technical support from Senior business development specialist and Senior Market access specialist deliver tailored coaching, mentorship, and resources to selected entrepreneurs (selected from the participating MSMEs) who have finalized business growth plans.
• Assist Business Development and Market access specialists in review and adaptation of training materials from existing NEF business development training curriculums for micro and small business development.
• Assist Business Development and Market access Specialists to develop and design additional training materials.
• Conduct high quality one to one and small groups trainings for selected MSMEs.
• Support the development of business networks and mentorship circles.
• Conducting pre and post evaluation of each training session.

Please note this is a consultancy arrangement and benefits will not be provided.

Timeframe

The expected timeframe for this engagement is December 2022 through October 2023. The estimated LOE is 3-5 days a week.

Required Qualifications:

• University degree in relevant Fields.
• Arabic fluency, English literacy.
• Experience of supporting Micro and Small Enterprises, highly desirable
• Preferably two years of relevant experience in developing, organizing, and delivering training and capacity building activities.Longer experience will be considered as an advantage, through providing the needed documentation.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office package (Excel, Word, Outlook).
• Strong verbal and written communication, consultation, and interpersonal skills.
• Capacity to work independently, and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Experience of working with or as an entrepreneur will be highly preferred.

Experience working in an international environment and for a not-for-profit organization.