08 December 2023

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS BUSINESS CONSULTANTS TRAINING

IN Motion Programme UNDP Kosovo

Kosovo's1private sector, particularly its Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), plays a vital role in the economic landscape. The economy is dominated by SMEs, particularly micro enterprises, while most value is added by a small number of medium-sized companies. SMEs account for 99.9 per cent of businesses in Kosovo, 76 per cent of total business-sector employment and 81 per cent of value added. The vast majority (93 per cent) of SMEs are family-owned micro-enterprises with fewer than 10 employees, which contribute only 13 per cent to value creation. The biggest contribution to value creation (48 per cent) comes from medium-sized enterprises, accounting for less than 1 per cent of the business population and less than one-fifth of the total business-sector employment. Large companies in Kosovo contribute significantly less to total value added (19 per cent) than large companies in any other Western Balkans country (37 per cent on average), despite a similar share of employment (around 25 per cent).2

The private sector faces multiple challenges in the business environment. These obstacles encompass limited access to finance, stemming from difficulties in securing funding for growth, particularly for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Navigating a complex regulatory landscape adds another layer of complexity, potentially impeding operational efficiency and hindering expansion plans. Market access barriers pose a significant challenge, restricting businesses from reaching broader markets and limiting their growth potential. The digital gap is evident, with businesses facing challenges in adopting and integrating technology effectively. A persistent skills gap in the workforce further exacerbates these challenges, hindering innovation and overall competitiveness. Addressing these multifaceted challenges necessitates a comprehensive strategy involving collaborative efforts from the government, businesses, and other stakeholders.

The SDG Value Chains Programme is a programme articulated around several business-support methodologies that seek to strengthen value chains with the objective of increasing productivity and competitiveness. For sustainable and inclusive growth, through actions that can strengthen the capacities of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their ecosystem, expanding their access to finance, incorporating innovation in business models, strengthening local productive chains, and supporting the internationalization of enterprises.

As a result of these experiences and the adaptation of the SDG Value Chains Programme to various contexts, the program has developed multiple methodologies, each serving distinct economic purposes. These methodologies have garnered significant appreciation from the private sector. They perceive the SDG Value Chains Programme not only as an opportunity to enhance value chain productivity but also to develop capacities for adopting improved business practices that can be optimized for future benefits.

The five business-support methodologies include:

1. Starting Your Business – An intervention that provides holistic and dedicated support to entrepreneurs, micro businesses, and small-scale family businesses, to develop their business ideas, from an early stage.
2. In Motion – A methodology that focuses mainly on urban, micro and small enterprises, supporting them to upgrade their business models through personalized technical assistance and grants to upgrade their equipment and commercial image.
3. Digital In Motion – An intervention that provides micro enterprises with a step-by-step guide and practical, useful tools to enhance management skills and discover new ways to reach the customer.
4. The Supplier’s Development Methodology – An in-depth, holistic intervention that focuses on strengthening value chains, encompassing a client company (usually a medium-sized or large enterprise) and its chain of strategic suppliers (usually micro or small producers of goods and services). It aims to upgrade local suppliers’ capacities, so that they respond better to market requirements, strengthening them thus to perform more efficiently in local, national and international value chains.
5. Growing with Your Business - It is a business support programme focusing mainly on small and medium-sized enterprises that aims to improve their business management skills, upgrading their capacities to expand their market and integrate more effectively in local value chains. Support is provided through personalized technical assistance and grants to upgrade equipment and commercial image.

In Motion training

UNDP Kosovo is looking for business consultants to participate in a dedicated training leading up to the inclusion in the “In Motion” Roster of Consultants.

The course objective is to train consultants in the IN-MOTION Methodology to provide business assistance to micro-business owners to improve their commercial conditions, broaden their market, and improve their productive capacity. Upon completing the course, the participants:

• Will have gained broad knowledge of the UNDP - IN MOTION Program methodology at all its stages and activities and will have practical knowledge of the instruments and tools required to apply it.
• Will have learned a methodology that helps businesses to set up their own basic improvement process and document it.
• Will be able to integrate digital tools in their technical assistance to micro businesses for being more competitive and flexible.

The Process

• Applicants that fulfil the criteria and are qualified to participate will attend the training.
• The training will last 3 days over two weeks period in January 2024. The training will be held in English language. At the end of the training, participants must also pass a test on basic concepts of marketing, strategic planning, productivity, quality, finance, and accounting.
• All training expenses are covered by UNDP and full participation is required to qualify for the final test.
• Those who pass successfully the test will be included in the In Motion” Roster of Consultants, which will give them the opportunity, upon request, availability and financial offer to be engaged in UNDP projects as Individual Consultants.

Required Skills and Experience

Candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Bachelor's degree, preferably in social sciences with a priority in business management or economic sciences or other related fields.
• At least 2 years of verifiable work experience, 1 of which must have been in companies, either as an employee or as a consultant.
• Full working knowledge of English and Albanian or Serbian is essential.
• Preferably, demonstrate experience and ability in implementing improvement projects in the business sector related to some or all the following areas: quality systems, competitiveness improvement strategies, productivity systems, strategic planning, financial planning, commercial intelligence, production organization, human resource, and logistics development, etc.

Apply here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/UNDPInMotion
Deadline for submission of applications 22.12.2023