ToR: Consultancy Services for Business Development Services (BDS) and Leadership/Managerial Skills Training

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Consultancy Services for

Business Development Services (BDS) and Leadership/Managerial Skills Training

1.  Introduction and Background

1.1  About CAWEE

The Center for Accelerated Women’s Economic Empowerment (CAWEE), established in 2004, is a pioneering Ethiopian organization dedicated to empowering women engaged in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), with a particular focus on export-oriented businesses. With over two decades of experience, CAWEE supports women-owned and women-managed enterprises, guided by a vision of fostering globally competitive Ethiopian women entrepreneurs.

To strengthen the competitiveness of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) under the Mabqat Program, CAWEE recognizes the need to build the leadership, managerial and business-management capacity of MSME owners and staff. Sound management practices are essential to improving productivity, sustaining growth and creating dignified employment.

1.2  The Mabqat Program

CAWEE is implementing the Mabqat Program as part of a consortium in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and Ethiopian Enterprise Development (EED), led by PETCO Ethiopia. “Mabqat” (ማብቃት) translates to “empowerment,” reflecting the program’s mission to support young women and men in securing dignified and meaningful employment across key manufacturing sectors, including leather, textile, handicrafts, agriculture and solid waste management.

Program Targets

• 240,000 youth engaged in work, 80% of whom are young women.
• 6,355 SMEs supported, 40% of which will gain access to finance.

Geographic Coverage of the Program

• Addis Ababa City Administration
• Oromia Regional State
• Amhara Regional State
• Tigray Regional State
• Sidama Regional State
• Central Ethiopia Regional State
• South Ethiopia Regional State
• Dire Dawa City Administration

Implementation Period of the program

The Mabqat Program runs from June 2024 to May 2029.

1.3.  Program Objectives

• Enhance youth skills, particularly for young women, in alignment with market demand in the manufacturing sector.
• Increase MSME productivity and competitiveness to promote job creation.
• Strengthen the financial ecosystem to improve MSME access to innovative and affordable financial services.
• Improve the enabling environment through strengthened collaboration among stakeholders.

2.  Rationale for the Assignment

CAWEE seeks to provide tailored Business Development Services (BDS) and sustainable business-management training to improve the leadership and managerial skills of MSME owners and staff. Strengthening these capabilities enables MSMEs to manage their operations more effectively, respond to market demands and sustain the jobs they create. This assignment combines tailored training, post-training coaching and continuous remote support to ensure that learning is applied in practice.

3.  Objectives of the Assignment

3.1  General Objective

To improve the leadership, managerial, and sustainable business-management capacity of MSME owners and staff.

3.2.  Specific Objectives

• Develop tailored BDS and leadership/managerial-skills training modules.
• Deliver training workshops with post-training coaching clinics.
• Set up a lightweight BDS helpdesk/hotline and short learning-reinforcement content between sessions.

4.  Scope of Work

The selected consultant/firm will be responsible for the following tasks:

4.1  Training Module Development

• Develop tailored BDS and leadership/managerial-skills training modules and supporting materials.
• Ensure that training content is practical, sector-relevant and responsive to the needs of MSME owners, managers and staff.

4.2  Training Delivery and Coaching Clinics

• Deliver training workshops to the 615 targeted participants across the hub cities listed in Section 8.
• Combine each workshop with post-training coaching clinics to support practical application of the skills learned.

4.3  BDS Helpdesk and Learning Reinforcement

• Establish a BDS helpdesk/hotline for ongoing query support.
• Deliver short, mobile-friendly learning bites (e.g., via WhatsApp) to sustain momentum between sessions.

4.4  Pre- and Post-Training Assessment

• Conduct pre- and post-training assessments to measure participants’ learning gains.
• Report assessment results as part of the training delivery reports.

5.  Expected Deliverables

• Training modules and materials — tailored BDS and leadership/managerial-skills modules and supporting materials
• Training delivery reports — documenting workshops delivered, participant attendance and pre- and post-training assessment results.
• Coaching clinic reports — documenting post-training coaching clinics conducted and the support provided to participants.
• BDS helpdesk set-up documentation — describing the helpdesk/hotline and the learning-reinforcement channel established.
• End-of-assignment report — summarizing key achievements, challenges encountered and recommendations for future support.

6.  Expected Outcomes

• Improved leadership and managerial skills among participating MSME owners and staff.
• Strengthened sustainable business-management practices within participating MSMEs.
• Continued access to BDS support and learning reinforcement beyond the training sessions.

7.  Target Audience

• 615 MSME owners, managers, and staff under the Mabqat Program.

8.  Location and Coverage

Engagement will be coordinated through the following hub cities, with support extended to MSMEs across the broader geographic areas within each respective region:

• Addis Ababa
• Hawassa
• Bahir Dar
• Dire Dawa
• Mekelle
• Jimma

The financial proposal must include all associated costs — including travel, accommodation, per diem, and a detailed cost breakdown per deliverable and per location, as applicable.

Required Qualifications

The consultant/firm must demonstrate the following:

• Proven expertise in Business Development Services and leadership/managerial-skills training.
• Experience designing tailored, sector-relevant training content for SMEs.
• Demonstrated coaching and facilitation track record.
• A proven track record of delivering similar assignments.

Submission of CVs for all proposed key personnel is mandatory.