Entrepreneurship Trainer

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States and has been present in the Jerusalem, West Bank, and Gaza (JWBG) since 1961. The CRS JWBG country program currently supports development/relief programs and activities in the sectors of civil society, humanitarian assistance, youth empowerment, education, and peace & justice. For further information about CRS, please visit: www.crs.org. 

Through generous funding from Global Affairs Canada, CRS is working with partners to implement Salalem, an innovative, five-year project that focuses on improving the skills and professional networks of young women and youth with disabilities, enabling them to enter and remain in the labor market. This project further seeks to build support from key influencers in the home, workplace, and community, creating an enabling environment in which young women and youth with disabilities realize increased agency and self-reliance. Through Salalem, these marginalized individuals in Gaza and the West Bank will become better prepared for jobs, with opportunities to contribute to the well-being of their families and communities. As a part of the project, the Salalem Leadership Institute will provide young women and youth with disabilities with increased skills and the opportunity to apply these skills, while creating access to professional networks is intended to improve their sense of agency and thereby employability.

Purpose: This Terms of Reference (TOR) describes the tasks and responsibilities of the consultant services needed to deliver the Entrepreneurship training curricula of the Salalem Leadership Institute. CRS expects that the delivery be gender-responsive and accommodated to people with disabilities (e.g. in the method of training) in accordance with the Salalem Leadership Institute curricula. 

Under this consultancy: The Entrepreneurship Trainer (the ‘Consultant’) will primarily be responsible for the following activities:

1. Attend Training-of-Trainers (ToT): Salalem is in the process of developing a comprehensive Entrepreneurship training curriculum as part of the Salalem Leadership Institute. Salalem will organize a ToT for the Consultant to become familiar with the content and delivery of the course. The Consultant will participate in this training to ensure full understanding of the curricula, the project, and the specific approaches to ensure the responsiveness to the target populations, young women and youth with disabilities. 
2. Deliver the Entrepreneurship Training: The Entrepreneurship Module will consist of eight (8), day sessions over a period of eight (8) weeks. Participants will build skills in entrepreneurship and small business development and management through exposure to best practices in financing, starting, and managing micro- or small- businesses through a combination of training, accompaniment, exposure visits, field work, networking, business plan development, seed-funding, and other opportunities. Some of this learning may be completed during the daily session each week and some learning may include a ‘homework’ component completed during the other 3-4 days per week. Illustrative real-world assignments may include market-based assessments, consultations with local businesses, and professional networking. In accordance with the curricula, the Consultant is expected to deliver a training which meets the following expectations:

a. Be gender-responsive to the specific and unique needs of young women, ages 18-29, who have graduated from university or TVET trainings.

b. Be accessible to young women, ages 18-35, with various types and levels of disabilities: 

i.Training content (all activities, exercises, etc.) must consider appropriate accommodations for those with physical, sensory (seeing and hearing), and developmental disabilities. This may include activities which are fully accessible or identification of adaptations that can be made when needed. 

ii.Training material must be accessible. As an example, this may include the inclusion of audio or video files to ensure accessibility for those with sensory impairments. 

c.Be inclusive to participants’ households, particularly male co-decision makers as they will also engage in key sessions. 

d.Include real-world examples of successful businesses with analysis to success elements. The training will host successful business owners (coordinated by Salalem) to present and exchange on their experiences with participants. The Consultant should be able to support the identification of these real examples, do thorough analysis of why the business is successful, and discuss with participants during the training. 

e.Training materials will be delivered to participants both through physical organized sessions and through online sessions and recorded videos. The Consultant should be able to work in coordination with Salalem to support the transition of key content to be delivered through online means. 

3.Regular reporting to CRS and Partner(s): Communicate with CRS and the partner(s) on the progress and results of the implementation of the training at minimum on weekly basis and identify immediately any challenges or concerns with the curricula. CRS and/or partner staff will attend the trainings regularly for monitoring purposes. 

4.Contribute to Learning Event at Conclusion of Cohort 1: Following the completion of Cohort 1, CRS and partners will host a learning event to discuss the successes, challenges, and identify adaptations to the curricula to strengthen the approach for future cohorts. The Consultant is expected to participate in and contribute recommendations for strengthening the curricula in the future. 

5.Contribute to the technical assessment of competitive business plans submitted by participants at the end of the Cohort: The Consultant is expected to share his/her recommendations to the selection panel on each submitted business plan in terms of feasibility areas, viability opportunities, and others. 

6.COVID-19 Precautions and Adaptations: Due to the rapidly evolving context related to COVID-19, the Consultant will be expected to follow strict mitigation measures during delivery of the training and will work closely with CRS and partners to adapt the training delivery as needed to ensure the safety of the Consultant, staff, participants, and the community. Key mitigation measures for participants and the Consultant are listed below but are subject to change at any time during the training:

• Use hand sanitizers* before entering the training and regularly during the day;
• Take temperature* before entering the training; 
• Wear mask* during all times during the visits and interviews.
• Adhere to social distancing, (2 meters) at all times, with and between participants;

*Note, all supplies will be provided by the project, but it will be the Consultant’s responsibility to ensure the adherence to these measures.

Level of Effort and Timeline:

The following activities and timelines demonstrate the time expected for one group of Entrepreneur participants. Salalem expects there will be two groups of Entrepreneurship participants, one in Gaza City and one in Rafah. The Consultant may bid on one or both of the locations with the understanding that the level of effort will depend on which group(s) the Consultant is selected to facilitate. 

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Minimum Required Qualifications:

• Proven track record and experience in formal and small business management settings within Gaza for a period of no less than 4 years.
• Demonstrated facilitation skills and at least 3 years of experience delivering locally relevant entrepreneurship and/or small business development trainings in the Gaza context. 
• Experience delivering culturally appropriate, gender-responsive trainings.
• Experience delivering inclusive trainings that are adapted to and responsive to the specific needs of people with disabilities. 
• Consulting / training firms must be legally registered with the PA and with any other business regulators, with supporting documentation provided upon request; this does not apply to individual consultants applying for this opportunity.
• Have Arabic proficiency and working knowledge of English language.

General Rules:

• Under no circumstance can Consultant be current employees of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Hiring PA employees is prohibited.
• CRS has the right to request illustrations or modifications/negotiations after awarding decision.
• CRS is NOT committed to the least price offer and has the right to cancel or re-advertise this TOR without explicating the reasons.
• CRS may select more than one consultant(s) to complete the full scope of this ToR. If this is the case, the components for which each individual / firm is responsible will be made clear in each respective contract. 

Tentative Dates:*

• Submission deadline: 02 August 2020, 4:00 pm
• Selection decision: 12 August 2020 
• Participation in Training of Trainers: 16-20 August 2020 
• Delivery of Entrepreneurship Training: 13 September - 07 November 2020 
• Learning Event: 10 November 2020 

*Final dates are subject to change based on Consultant selection and start date of the project.