Business and Financial Management Trainer

Request for Consultancy Service

TITLE: Business and Financial Management Trainer

LOCATION: Kathmandu, Nepal

REPORTS TO: Business and Market Systems Director (BMSD)

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The seven-year USAID/Nepal Feed the Future KISAN II project works in Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpaschim provinces, focusing on eight districts (Kanchanpur, Kailali, Banke, Bardiya, Surkhet, Dang, Palpa and Kapilvastu). The purpose of the project is to increase resilience, inclusiveness, and sustainability of income growth. KISAN II helps private sector change agents to catalyze agricultural productivity, competitive market systems, and a stronger enabling environment for households in the Feed the Future zone of influence (ZOI). As part of a 24-month supplemental scope (extension), KISAN II is supporting the GON’s response to the impact of COVID-19 in agriculture and is promoting transformation in the fine rice and industrial maize sub-sectors. The project coordinates closely with the private sector and the federal, provincial, and local government.  

KISAN II follows a market systems development approach to strengthen and improve agriculture markets, improve value chain efficiency, and manage unexpected shocks. To ensure that, it is necessary to identify demands, opportunities, and constraints to understand the market and intervene to provide efficient market system for all the actors to benefit from.

DESCRIPTION

KISAN II is currently working in partnership with 26 private sector firms in to bring about transformational change in the fine rice and industrial maize sector. Many of the partners firms need to strengthen their business and managerial capacity to enable them to scale up their business operations. KISAN II seeks to develop targeted capacity strengthening plans with expected outcomes for individual partners. 

Most partners prioritize improving their financial analysis, production/manufacturing, marketing, and salesforce management skills. The combined impact of the COVID-19 crisis, crippled supply chains, rising fuel prices and overall inflation, and Nepal’s foreign exchange and liquidity crunch require partners to build strategic management skills to increase business efficiency, reduce costs, and improve firm profitability. Well-developed financial, operations and sales management skills improve the competitiveness of partner firms and their resilience to market shocks and stresses. This also enhances sustainable linkages between farmers and firms.

To this end, KISAN II is looking for Business and Financial Management Trainer to conduct short training to KISAN II staff on business and financial management, and support follow-up coaching and progress tracking.Anticipated areas of major support includes the following:

• Financial Management (financial analysis; cash flow and credit management)
• Operations Management (production/manufacturing management; quality control)
• Sales and Marketing Management (sales and marketing management; sales recovery)

DELIVERABLES

The primary purpose of this assignment is to provide an in-depth short-termTraining of Trainers (ToT) to key KISAN II staff members and build their capacity to diagnose gaps in business functions and recommend strategies accordingly. Over a 120-days period, the consultant must deliver the following:

1. Develop training material for ToT.
2. Conduct short-term ToT for KISAN II staff on diagnosing gaps in business and the respective strategies to overcome the identified gaps.
3. Develop and handover a simple diagnostic tool that can be used to assess business gaps.
4. Develop a companion manual on how to use the diagnostic tool and undertake the corresponding actions based on the result of the tool.
5. Provide technical support and coaching to KISAN II staff after the ToT, as required.

The consultant must clearly propose the methodology of the proposed task. The proposed methodology must take into account available best practices successfully applied to agribusiness development in Nepal and elsewhere.

The consultant(s) must be in regular contact with KISAN II team led by BMSD to ensure the quality deliverables.

LOCATION OF ASSIGNMENT/ FIELD TRAVEL

The assignment will be in Kathmandu with possible travel to the KISAN II project sites. KISAN II will provide costs (transportation, accommodation, DSA) incurred for travel as per the project's norms and standards.

QUERIES/RESPONSES

For queries and responses, please click on the link below:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NsJJwYGm9laSvm6GQbTocv0oJ9-6COCo/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=106755148129806025610&rtpof=true&sd=true

Response: No formal training will be organized in the field. The trainees (KISAN II) will provide one on one coaching and support to the private businesses.   The service provider must develop a diagnostic tool to help the KISAN II team members prescribe recommendations and provide suggestions to the business. the service provider will validate and provide inputs before final recommendations go out to the business.

QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE

To implement the task, KISAN II solicits to hire a consultant with deep experience in working with agribusinesses (rice mills, feed companies, grain trader/wholesales). The consultant must have specialized skills in working with agribusinesses, capacity assessment and providing consultation and advice. Given this, the consultant must meet the following criteria:

• Master's in business, finance or economics and other similar degrees.
• At least 5 years of work experience in provide business development services. 
• Extensive experience workingwith agri-businesses.
• Proven ability to developing high quality reports.
• Sound written and verbal communication skills in English and Nepali.

LEVEL OF EFFORT (LoE)

30 billable days over a120-day period. Consultant is allowed to bill for a 6-day workweek.

SELECTION CRITERIA AND WEIGHTAGE

For consultant(s) selection, the following weightage value will be used to evaluate the technical and financial proposal.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Consultant should submit:

• A letter of interest, stating why s/he is suitable for the assignment.
• Proposed daily gross rate along with copy of contract/agreement, or other proof of two latest assignments.  
• Updated CV. 
• PAN registration certificate (copy of VAT certificate is must if the total consultancy value exceeds or equal to NRs. 500,000).

DISCLAIMER

Issuance of this notice does not obligate Winrock International to award a Consultancy Service, nor will Winrock International pay any costs associated with the preparation or submission of application. Furthermore, Winrock International reserves the right to reject any or all applications, if such action is considered to be in the best interest of Winrock International. The consultancy service is contingent upon donor approval.