Background: Advice for Small Businesses (ASB) helps small and medium-sized businesses to grow and become genuine catalysts for their local economies. ASB provides access to teams of international experts. Through its work to improve the quality and availability of local consultancy services, ASB aims to leave behind a network of trained, experienced local advisers, and a thriving community of small and medium-sized businesses willing to pay for advice. Activities are delivered through two complementary products: Local Consultancy (LC), focused on narrowly-defined projects such as strategy and quality management carried out by local advisers, and International Advisory (Int. Adv.), which draws on the industry expertise of international advisers over a longer period to strengthen the overall management and operations of client businesses. Each ASB project is funded by donors, including around 20 countries, the European Union and the EBRD itself. ASB clients also make a contribution to the cost, ensuring their full commitment. For more information on ASB see the following link: www.ebrd.com/knowhow
This assignment relates to International Advisory operations. International Advisory provides medium-sized companies with comprehensive advisory services. International Advisory focuses on substantial managerial and structural changes within companies. International Advisory projects typically last between 12-18 months and bring in international advisers that are experts in their industries and have extensive senior management experience. The objective of International Advisory projects is to bring in international best practices across four categories (organisation and management, operations, sales and marketing, and finance, see table below) to help companies grow.
International Advisory aims to support local SMEs to grow in terms of turnover and employment, attract external financing, and align its technical operations with international best practices to make the more competitive their domestic markets as well as for exports. International Advisory projects are co-funded by the clients.
Assignment Description: EBRD is seeking to engage up to seven industry experts who will act as International Advisory Team Co-ordinators (the “Team Co-ordinators”) for International Advisory projects in the following sectors (the “Core Sectors”), covering various EBRD countries of operations, as required:
· Tourism: hotel management, hospitality
· Food processing: meat, dairy, vegetables
· Packaging: paper and cardboard
· Machine building: all sectors
· Creative industries: advertising, media, design, culture, crafts, fashion.
· Primary agriculture: animal husbandry, agricultural production
The Team Co-ordinators will be engaged via Framework Agreements (FAs), with individual assignments related to particular International Advisory projects contracted via Call-Off Notices to these FAs.
The Team Co-ordinators will facilitate expansion and increase in International Advisory project volumes in the Core Sectors. Working independently, or in collaboration with International Advisory Local Managers, the Team Co-ordinators will be responsible for identifying, monitoring and supporting the implementation of the donor-funded International Advisory operations in the corresponding regions.
In particular, the Team Co-ordinators will undertake following tasks:
1. Enterprise and adviser selection
· Developing criteria and searching for eligible enterprises, screening for potential International Advisory projects, together with the EBRD Resident Offices and International Advisory Local Managers, and the Heads of ASB Regional Programme;
· Carrying out the selection of the International Advisory Advisers and any Specialists for the International Advisory project, in accordance with the needs of International Advisory project beneficiaries (the “beneficiary enterprises”);
· Contribute to on-going engagement efforts to attract new International Advisory Advisers with specific industrial backgrounds.
2. Project monitoring and reporting
· Developing Terms of Reference for each International Advisory project;
· Administering a 'management questionnaire' at the start and end of each International Advisory project, to track changes in management performance;
· Monitoring the progress of individual International Advisory projects with regular visits to the beneficiary enterprises and associated reporting to the donor and a series of management reports to the Head of Regional ASB Programme and International Advisory headquarters in London;
· Reviewing and distributing of International Advisory Advisers’ visit reports/minutes, as well as the final project "handbook" to the beneficiary enterprises;
· Ensuring that the International Advisory projects are carried out in a timely manner, and where difficulties occur with Advisers/Specialists, ensure appropriate replacements;
· Monitoring financial performance of individual International Advisory projects and reporting on financing acquired.
3. Project administration
· Putting in place necessary logistical arrangements for visiting International Advisory Advisers, including flights, local travel, translators, etc;
· Responsible for the control, management and proper allocation of the approved budget per International Advisory project;
· Entering all relevant data in the International Advisory management information system at the all stages of the each International Advisory project's cycle;
· Reviewing International Advisory Advisers’ invoices.
4. Programme representation and liaison
· Introducing the International Advisory programme methodology to International Advisory Advisers and Specialists;
· Where the beneficiary enterprise requires financing, assist the management with investment planning and communicating financing needs to EBRD and/or local banks;
· Informing the EBRD ASB headquarters, the EBRD Resident Offices and other stakeholders of developments in the local SME sector;
· Liaising between beneficiary enterprises, International Advisory donors and EBRD Resident Offices as required;
· Organising relevant International Advisory sector dissemination seminars;
- Organising donor and programme visibility activities.
Assignment Duration: Each of the Team Co-ordinators will be engaged under a non-exclusive FA which will set out general contractual terms and conditions, with individual call-off notices to be issued for each International Advisory project. Each FA will have a duration of three years and extensions may be issued, subject to satisfactory performance of the Team Co-ordinators, business needs and availability of funding. EBRD uses a fixed fee rate of EUR 600 per day with the number of working days established in the individual call-off notice. Expenses will be reimbursed at cost.
VAT: Applicants must determine whether any VAT would be chargeable on the services and the basis for that determination, without taking into consideration the Bank's special status as an IFI and state this to the Bank in their response to the Invitation for Expressions of Interest. To the extent that a Team Co-ordinator incurs input VAT on goods and services purchased in connection with the provision of services (eg VAT on airline ticket) which is not otherwise recoverable by the Team Co-ordinator from the local tax authority, the gross cost to the Team Co-ordinator of such expenses shall be treated as a reimbursable expense.
Funding Source: It is expected that this assignment will be funded by the Technical Cooperation Programme managed by the EBRD. The selection, contracting and issuing call-off notices will be subject to the availability of funding.
Eligibility: There are no eligibility restrictions.
Submission Requirements: Interested individual experts or firms proposing an individual expert are hereby invited to submit Expressions of Interest. In order to determine the qualifications and competence of experts seeking to be appointed as Team Co-ordinators, experts or the firms proposing an expert must submit an Expression of Interest containing the following information:
· Cover letter including full contact details, inclusive of address of the individual (or company), phone and fax numbers, and email address;
· Detailed Curriculum Vitae;
· Details of the expert's detailing qualifications, experience in similar assignments, particularly assignments undertaken in the previous five years, including information on contracting entity/client, project location/country, duration (mm/yy to mm/yy), expert months provided, main activities, objectives;
· Completed Contact Sheet, the template for which is available from the following web-link:
http://www.ebrd.com/pages/workingwithus/procurement/notices/csu/contact_sheet.doc
Failure to provide the duly completed and signed Consultant Declaration may result in the applicant being disqualified from the selection process.
The Expression of Interest should not exceed 10 pages (excluding CVs, Consultant Declaration and Contact Sheet).
In case firms wish to submit more than one CV, they must register each CV with a unique e-mail address through e-Selection. Should this requirement not be met the EBRD reserves the right to consider any Expression of Interest containing more than one CV non-responsive.
Expressions of Interest should be submitted, in English, electronically through e-Selection, in PDF format or electronic formats compatible with Microsoft Office 2003 not later than the deadline mentioned above. DO NOT send Expressions of Interest to the EBRD's contact person below.
Applicants should indicate in their Expressions of Interest which Core Sector(s) they are applying for.
Experts should possess the following skills and experience:
a) Preferably not less than 15 years of experience in Core Sectors, including general and financial management, sales, marketing, technical and operational expertise;
b) Executive management, private-sector experience gained within business, consultancy or entrepreneurship, including overseeing corporate restructuring and performance result supervision;
c) Project management experience in the countries of the EBRD operations or similar business environments;
d) Computer skills (Microsoft Office), fluency in English (both written and oral). Knowledge of a language of an EBRD’s country of operations (for the list of these countries see http://www.ebrd.com/where-we-are.html) will be an advantage.
In addition, the following personal qualities and skills will be an advantage:
· Strong inter-personal skills and a track record of taking enterprises through a process based on a combination of relationship building and technical advice;
· Communication skills - the ability to communicate appropriate, concise and accurate information in written and verbal formats to the right audience in a timely manner;
· Attention to detail - the capacity to ensure and maintain a high degree of accuracy and quality in work under pressure;
· Problem solving – the ability and willingness to use judgement and initiative in decision making process. Ability to tackle issues and problems in a logical, step-by-step way and proposes practical and realistic solutions;
· Planning and organising - operating independently and taking responsibility for decisions within own field or activities, as well as the ability to autonomously manage a high volume of tasks;
· Team-working - building effective communication and relationships both within and outside the team. Willingness to sharing knowledge, information and best practices;
· Customer focus - the ability to listen to the views of all stakeholders, to be sensitive and understand cultural differences, transition success factors and the complexity of political constraints; provide optimal solutions and manage expectations;
· Results orientated - following up and following through to ensure goals are achieved and exceeded.
· Understanding of the EBRD mandate and a commitment to frequently travel to and/or to live in the EBRD countries of operations.
Notes: 1. Selection and contracting will normally be made from responses to this notification, subject to availability of funding from appropriate donors. Team Co-ordinators will be selected from a shortlist. EBRD may interview up to twelve shortlisted candidates. Administrative and logistical arrangements for the interviews will be communicated to the corresponding candidate(s) prior to the interviews. The EBRD will not cover the costs which may be incurred by the candidate(s) in relation to the interviews. The highest-ranked candidate(s) will be selected from a shortlist and invited to negotiate the FA(s), subject to availability of funding.
2.The following criteria will be used for the selection:
a) Experience in Core Sectors, including general and financial management, sales, marketing, technical and operational expertise -30%
b) Executive management, private-sector experience gained within business, consultancy or entrepreneurship, including overseeing corporate restructuring and performance result supervision-30%
c) Project management experience in the countries of the EBRD operations or similar business environments – 20%
d) Performance at interviews, including computer and language skills - 20%
EBRD's Contact Person:
Marina Matushina
Advisor, Technical Cooperation
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
One Exchange Square
London EC2A 2JN
Tel: + 44 20 7338 6557
E-mail: matushim@ebrd.com (Expressions of Interest should be sent through eSelection and NOT to this e-mail address)
