Senior Business Advisor and Trainer

Project Background:

The purpose of the Iraq Governance and Performance Accountability (IGPA) project is to advance effective, accountable, and transparent governance in Iraq. This USAID effort, implemented by DAI, works with the Government of Iraq (GOI) at all levels to better respond to citizen needs by supporting reform initiatives and Iraqi change agents on inclusive governance and public sector transparency, accountability, and economy. “Reform initiatives” include support to improve service delivery functions, public financial management, and open government initiatives. IGPA will support the GOI and the citizens of Iraq in forming partnerships and collaborative efforts to solve problems jointly. IGPA has four (4) objectives:

1. Enhance GOI service delivery capacity

2. Improve public financial management

3. Strengthen monitoring and oversight of service delivery and public expenditure

4. Support Iraqi change agents (cross-cutting objective)

Under a separate Task Order 4, the Ninewa Investment Facilitation Initiative (NIFI), IGPA aims to increase employment and economic opportunities by helping the private sector, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and, as appropriate, larger, developed businesses located in and near Ninewa province, (hereafter,

Ninewa) build business management capacity, increase competitiveness, and access financing.

SMEs in Iraq must adopt best business practices to effectively compete in increasingly competitive domestic and international markets. Adopting modern business practices is essential for organic growth as well as becoming bankable or investment ready. i.e. able to access financing and absorb additional capital to support expansion and growth.

To this end, IGPA/NIFI is implementing a firm-level technical assistance and financial facilitation program for a select group of SMEs with potential for growth. IGPA/NIFI will seek to support business owners that are willing to share information, embrace change, and cope with the challenges of operating in a severely impaired business enabling environment.

In addition, IGPANIFI delivers training workshops to help business owners and entrepreneurs acquire the knowledge and skills needed to launch and manage their businesses successfully. IGPA/NIFI training workshops use clear objectives and incorporate exercises and case studies for hands-on experiential learning.

Purpose:

The Senior Business Advisor will conduct business diagnostic assessments for select SMEs. This will require in-depth interviews and sessions with the business owner and other principles, if needed. Due to the fact that many SMEs never kept adequate business records, or their records were destroyed during the ISIS occupation, the Senior Business Advisor will not depend on business records, but will use them when available.

In addition, in cases where SMEs that have clearly defined growth opportunities and require financing to realize the growth opportunities, the Senior Business Advisor and Trainer will prepare a business plan and prospectus that can be shared with potential sources of financing and investment commissions. Finally, the Senior Business Advisor will development and conduct training workshops aimed at building the capacity and competitiveness of entrepreneurs and SMEs. Topics may include, but not limited to, entrepreneurship, financial management, financial literacy, business planning, and business performance

improvement, and SME credit analysis.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Senior Business Advisor will be responsible for carry out the following tasks and responsibilities:

Task1: Perform Business Diagnostic Assessments

 Conduct assessment of SME’s historical performance.

 Identify key gaps in major business functions against best business practices.

 Determine types of technical assistance for closing gaps.

 Conduct SWOT analysis.

 Identify most promising growth opportunity, if any.

 Develop Lean Canvas business model.

 Estimate the financing needs, if any, needed to realize growth opportunities.

 Compile other information needed to produce a business plan and prospectus.

 Produce business diagnostic assessment report.

Task 2: Develop Business Plan and Prospectus

Prepare business plans and prospectuses in English and Arabic. Illustrative content includes:

 Executive Summary

 Company Description

 Products & Services

 Growth Opportunity

 Marketing Plan

 Competition Analysis

 SWOT Analysis

 Marketing Strategy

 Pricing Strategy

 Distribution

 Management and Organization

 Historical Financials, if available.

 Financial Plan and Projections

Task 3: Develop and conduct business training workshops

 Develop training workshop slides.

 Develop training workshop exercises.

 Develop training workshop case studies.

 Conduct training workshop.

 Write post training workshop brief.

Qualifications and Experience

 An MBA or master’s degree in a related field.

 Minimum of 15 years of business advisory experience in the MENA region.

 At least 10 years of experience on USAID private sector-oriented projects.

 Demonstrated experience conducting business diagnostic gap analyses and business performance improvement engagements for SMEs in the MENA region.

 Demonstrated experience developing business plans and feasibility studies for SMEs in the MENA region.

 Demonstrated experience developing conducting training programs in financial management, financial literacy, business performance improvement, and SME credit analysis in the MENA region.

 Demonstrated experience developing and conducting entrepreneurship programs in the MENA region.

 Languages: Native Arabic, Fluency in English (speaking, reading and writing).

Conditions of Work Requirements:

Work and living facilities are in high security zones with frequent security drills and protocols and limited access to

medical facilities. General work environment and living quarters requires ability to walk numerous flights of stairs

on a daily basis. Security protocols require the individual in this position to be able to quickly climb multiple flights

of stairs while wearing 30 lbs. of personal protective equipment, walk swiftly or run across uneven terrain without

assistance, and enter and exit project vehicles without assistance