Business Plan Consultant

SCOPE OF WORK

POSITION: Business Plan Consultant

TYPE OF EMPLOYMENT: Short Term Technical Assistance (STTA) 

LEVEL OF EFFORT: 106 days, inclusive of travel

BASE OF OPERATIONS: Surkhet office with travel to different watersheds

1. Background

The USAID- Nepal Karnali Water Activity will create healthy, resilient, and water secure communities at the watershed level through strengthened water and sanitation governance that improves water resource management (including water for more resilient and biodiverse ecosystems), enhances sustainable access to drinking water, improves agriculture water management, and reduces the fecal pathogen burden in the environment from poorly managed non-sewered sanitation through fecal sludge management. The program team will methodically integrate WRM, watershed biodiversity conservation, and water and sanitation service delivery by mapping and strengthening the roles, connections, and capacities of key actors and stakeholders system-wide.

In accordance with Section F.6.2.1 of the contract “Component-based Tasks and Key Deliverables or Milestones”, the project will develop 10 business plans for agricultural Value Chains for 10 Multiple Use Systems (MUS). Each plan will identify viable business opportunities unique to each community’s context and existing resources (including existing market outlets for agriculture production). Moreover, there’s a need to effectively monitor and manage the demand-side of the MUSs and ensure they are effectively linked to improving market positioning (to be able to maintain the MUSs viably).

To do so effectively with the participation and ownership of community leadership, the assessment will establish site selection criteria, prioritizing sites that lend themselves to fee collection and management, such as productive areas for large water service providers, and work with selected 10 communities to develop a business plan. The Activity will draft business plans for 10 communities; based on community participation and ownership, the Activity may use the plans to determine levels of engagement for the following project year. In addition to identifying sustainable financing sources, the plans will establish processes for financial management and oversight. These business plans will be frameworks for financial management to support sustainable livelihood and natural resource management practices in upstream communities.

2. Purpose

The development of 10 community business plans will be guided by initial community-level assessments, using a team of two consultants—a Lead Assessment and Value Chain (VC) Advisor and a Business Plan Consultant—who will work with periodic guidance from the Karnali Water team. Together, the two consultants will develop an assessment methodology (including a timeline) for producing the 10 VC business plans premised on the timeline and deliverables identified below.  As community participation and ownership in the development of a viable business plan is imperative to its ultimate utility, the team will engage each MUS community on this process—exploring the opportunity to use these business plans and their implementation as an opportunity to bring together the communities regularly to discuss their management of the MUS and share learnings, improving the viability and community management of each MUS.

3. Tasks

The Business Plan Consultant will work with the Lead Assessment and Value Chain Advisor and will be responsible for the following tasks:

Overview: 

1) In coordination and with guidance from the Lead Assessment and Value Chain Advisor, the Business Plan Consultant will contribute in the collection of information for the following:

• Identify and record variable and fixed costs for MUS, on average, across the project’s pre-selected 10 communities.
• Identify the collective uses of MUS and opportunities to generate revenue through their use in each community, approximating a percentage (of water usage) to each utility (e.g. 10% used for growing rice; 25% HH; etc.). This will also enable estimates for water demanded. Use data collected to identify Value Chain opportunities and to explore further under the coordination and guidance.
• Based on A and B, under the guidance and in coordination with the Lead Assessment and Value Chain Advisor, the Business Plan Consultant will draft business plans for each community, identifying the top two opportunities for revenue generation based on agreed upon criteria, to manage the variable costs for each MUS using revenue generated from opportunities identified in B above.  This task will also identify initial steps for select communities to begin adopting agreed upon business plans.

Detail tasks:

A. Work with the Lead Assessment and VC Advisor to develop a written Business Plan (BP) framework for each Community based on selected Value Chains (VC).

1. Framework agreed upon—under the guidance of and in cooperation with the Lead Assessment and VC Advisor, draft a framework and methodology for identifying average variable and fixed costs across 10 community multiple use systems. 
2. Methodology—work with the Lead Assessment and VC Advisor to create a list of interviewees, timeline, and travel plan for interviews, and develop a questionnaire to collect the range of information for each MUS and possible value chain(s). Note: one questionnaire should be relevant for all MUS. 
3. Data Collection—coordinate the collection of data needed for each business plan.
4. Review, adapt and finalize data—based on the framework drafted earlier, work under the guidance of the Lead Assessment and VC advisor to draft each framework, complete with data collated. Findings will indicate the amount of revenue needed to manage community-level MUS

B. Identify MUS usage and VC opportunities for each community

1. Methodology—develop a process for collecting qualitative and quantifiable data to be measured in each questionnaire. Review this methodology and questionnaire with select Activity Leadership and technical team members in coordination with, and under the guidance of, the Lead Assessment and VC Advisor, and adapt and adjust the methodology based on feedback received. 
2. Collection of data—work with the Lead Assessment and VC Advisor, as well as Activity team members,to collect and record data identified during the methodology.
3. Data presentation—once data is collated, review the data for accuracy. Assist the Lead Assessment and VD Advisor to analyze the data, synthesizing findings in a written report and PowerPoint presentation to visually present findings.

C. Combine findings from Tasks A and B into a Business Plan (format to be determined during Task A) to be reviewed with Activity stakeholders.

1. Based on final synthesis, the community-level MUS business plans will be internally ranked (based on criteria to be agreed upon), and top three business plans actively engaged in the following Activities project year.

D. Based on the plans developed under Task D, there will be opportunities for cross-community sharing of lessons learned during the operations of MUS management. If deemed useful, include draft/design SOW with recommendations.

4. Level of Effort/Timeline/Reporting

DELIVERABLES

5. Travel and Logistic 

USAID Karnali Water activity will provide the logistics (Travel and Accommodation) and  M&IE to the consultant as per the organization’s policy during the official movement out of the base station and for other local travel reimbursement will be made at the actual cost upon the submission of invoices.

6. Qualifications

• A master’s degree in business administration, operations, finance, or related field
• At least 8 years of experience with assessments, value-chains, community-level engagement, and private sector assessments/audits
• An energetic, forward-thinking and creative individual with high ethical standards and appropriate professional image
• An extremely well organized and self-directed individual with sound technical skills, analytical ability, good judgment, and strong operational focus
• Experience and ability to collect and estimate financial costs and data in rural areas
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, and fluency in English and Nepali

7. Reporting

The Business Plan Consultant will directly report to the WSS and Private Sector Development Specialist with close collaboration with the Lead Assessment and Value Chain Advisor and Deputy Chief of Party.

Application Instructions:

Interested and qualified candidates should email their CV to karnaliwater_recruitment@dai.com with “Business Plan Consultant” in the subject line by February 4, 2023. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Applicants are requested to include their proposed daily rate, and applicants should be registered in VAT.