CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR CONSULTANTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGY TRAINING

The UNDP Zambia is inviting consultants and technical experts to express their interest in participating in the “Supplier Development Methodology” International Training Course.

Background

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are one of the key drivers for economic development, wealth and jobs creation and overall, for the improvement of the quality of life for households. The Government of Zambia has prioritised the MSME sector as a key driver of economic development and this is outlined in the Eighth National Development Plan (2022 – 2026) which has outlined the strategic focus areas that are to be pursued during this period with a focus on the key role that MSMEs will play in economic transformation. The importance of the MSME sector has further been emphasised by the establishment of the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development whose mandate is to promote the development of cooperatives, small and medium enterprises to create jobs and wealth across the country.

However, despite their importance, MSMEs face several challenges, including limited access to finance, lack of business management and technological resources, and/or have limited access to markets. These limitations significantly reduce their ability to grow, let alone their chances of participating in the existing sometimes lucrative value chains, such as the mining, transport and logistics, trade, and retail industries.  Zambia is one of the world’s most resource endowed countries with vast mineral resources, extensive arable land and more than 35 percent of the water resources of the Southern African region. Zambia’s economy is highly dependent on mining and agriculture, but despite its abundant resources, its economy remains undiversified, and growth has been insufficient to lift its young and growing population from poverty.

Overall, four sectors: mining, agriculture, trade, and construction contribute towards half of GDP and 56 percent of employment. The capital-intensive mining sector, the prime export earner (securing over 70 percent of export receipts) contributed 17.5 percent of GDP in 2021 but only 2 percent of employment. By contrast, agriculture is high in labor intensity (24 percent of total employment) but with low productivity (the contribution to GDP was 3.4 percent in 2021).

Improving the business climate remains the cornerstone of the government’s strategy to support a private sector-led growth that is job-friendly and spurs the participation of local enterprises in the value chains. Zambia intends to generate higher, better quality, and more inclusive and sustainable growth. To achieve these goals the Government is seeking to create a greater role for the private sector in driving the economy and financing growth. This raises key questions to consider as policies are developed to strengthen the role of the private sector.

UNDP is implementing a project aimed at building the competitiveness of MSMEs through business development services, including skills development whilst facilitating finance and market access.  The Strengthening Productive Capacities of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through the Supplier Development Programme is supporting the creation of market-driven opportunities for MSMEs through the UNDP’s innovative Suppliers Development Methodology (SDM) while connecting essential small-scale producers (suppliers) to larger local and regional markets. It is also enhancing the in-country entrepreneurial ecosystem, encouraging innovation and creating employment, in line with Zambia’s Economic Transformation and Job Creation Agenda. The programme is catalyzing trade facilitation, increasing investments, value addition, value chain development and supporting the diversification of goods and services.

The Supplier Development Methodology

The Supplier Development Programme is a methodology of productive chains with a business and social approach based on the demand for an inclusive value chain, which helps build and improve business relationships between the client companies and its suppliers. The SDP was developed by UNDP and has been successfully implemented in more than 16 countries over 16 years, in basic and advanced industrial sectors, from small companies to well-known brands.

The training will be offered on a competitive basis to consultants and experts who fulfill the required criteria listed below.

Required skills and experience

To be part of this program, candidates must demonstrate the following:

• University degree in business administration, management, engineering, economics, or agriculture economy. A Master’s degree would be an advantage.
• At least 5 years of verifiable work experience in the public and private sector, and preferably 2 years as a consultant.
• Applicants must pass a basic knowledge exam in finance, micro-economic concepts, competitiveness strategies, productivity, market, quality, administration, operations, trade and supply.
• Ability to interact positively with personnel of various levels in organizations.
• Full participation throughout the whole training is expected.
• Full working knowledge of English is essential.
• Advanced digital skills.

Registration and Selection Process

• The candidates must complete their resumes (personal information, education, experience and accomplishments) on the here by 18^th October 2024. Applications sent after this date will not be considered.
• The selection process to participate in the training will be done in 3 steps:
  1. Evaluation of the completed profiles of the applicants in the platform.
  2. The candidates with a completed profile will be invited to take a knowledge test in the areas of accounting-finance, marketing, productivity, quality, and consulting skills.
  3. Candidates with a test score above 70% shall be invited to participate in a virtual interview.

The evaluation of the applicants will be done by a selection committee, composed of an international expert on the Supplier Development Methodology, the Inclusive Growth Unit and UNDP international staff from Panama and Botswana.

• The training will consist of 3 in-person sessions of 3 and a half days each, and 1 weekly virtual mentoring meeting over a period of 5 months, starting in the first week of December 2024. At the end of the training, participants must also pass a final exam.
• Full participation is required to qualify for the final exam.
• Those who successfully pass the test will be included in the “Supplier Development Programme” Roster of Consultants, which will give them the opportunity, upon request, availability, and financial offer, to be engaged in the project implementation as Individual Consultants.

Objectives and Characteristics of the Training Course

The objective of the training course is to enable the Zambian consultants and technical experts to successfully apply the Supplier Development Methodology in approved value chains in the Zambian context.  The methodology is based on the international standards of general competences of labor for consultants, so that the participants can reinforce the structure of their current service provision by aligning their knowledge to these processes.

Course Structure

Methodology: The delivery of training shall be done through a blended methodology combining face-to-face and online training in a Moodle environment.

Duration: The training course will take place over 5 months with three training sessions planned (three days and a half for each session) from Wednesday to Saturday, under the guidance of an international UNDP team. The main objective of these sessions will be to strengthen the participating consultants’ capacities through previous field experiences, real situations, and experiences from other countries.

In addition, in between the training sessions, the trainers will maintain communication with the participants and will set up virtual meetings on specific dates and times for tutorials on the application of the methodological tools. Through these virtual sessions, technical support will be given to participants to clarify doubts about the application of the tools.

Pilot company: In addition to the use of the information contained in the manual and tools of the methodology and the interaction and advice with the leading instructor, participants must have access to a company that allows the application of the Supplier Development Methodology in its various stages. The main objective is to carry out a practical case of application, necessary to pass the corresponding learning units in a period not longer than 5 months.