Consultant – Partnership Associate Training Academy Development (Strongim Bisnis)

Position: Consultant to Develop the Strongim Bisnis Partnership Associate Training Academy

Program: Strongim Bisnis

Location: Remote-Hybrid, and Honiara, Solomon Islands with provincial travel

Duration: 40 days

Line manager and directly report to: Team Leader, Strongim Bisnis

Works with: Leadership Team and Partnership Managers, Partnership Associates, and relevant management staff.

Background

Strongim Bisnis (SB) is an Australian Government-funded private sector development program in Solomon Islands. The program works with businesses and market actors to address constraints to private sector growth, increase employment and incomes, and support a more resilient, diversified and socially inclusive economy.

A core element of the Strongim Bisnis approach is developing partnerships with businesses and other market actors to address specific constraints and support commercially sustainable growth. The program’s Partnership Associates and Partnership Managers are responsible for identifying potential partners, understanding the constraints affecting businesses, designing appropriate interventions, undertaking due diligence, developing Partnership Agreements, and overseeing implementation.

Strongim Bisnis is establishing a Partnership Associate Training Academy, initially for a cohort of approximately five young people. The three-month Academy will provide practical experience in designing and managing private sector development interventions. Participants will work with businesses across different sectors and learn how to understand business constraints, identify appropriate interventions, and assess whether proposed interventions are commercially viable and sustainable.

Purpose of this consultancy

Strongim Bisnis seeks an experienced consultant to develop the curriculum, training materials, and practical tools for the Partnership Associate Training Academy and to support the first implementation of the Academy.

The training should be practical and based on the way Strongim Bisnis develops and manages partnerships. It should use relevant examples and existing Strongim Bisnis partnerships and enable new staff to apply the tools directly to their work. The training will include a mentoring component, including at least two meetings with trainees following completion of the initial training.

The consultant will work closely with Strongim Bisnis managers and experienced Partnership staff to ensure that the curriculum builds on existing systems and good practice.

Scope of work

The consultant will develop a practical curriculum covering the full partnership development process, from identifying a potential partner and understanding the underlying business or market constraint through to intervention design, business analysis, Partnership Agreement development, approval, and implementation.

The curriculum should help participants distinguish between a partner's request, the underlying constraint, and an appropriate intervention, and assess whether the proposed intervention is commercially viable, proportionate to the risk and likely to be sustainable after Strongim Bisnis support ends.

It should provide practical guidance for assessing potential activities, including infrastructure, equipment, and transport requirements; markets and market access; staffing and skills; finance and working capital; production and supply constraints; and other factors affecting business growth. For more complex, higher-value or higher-risk interventions, the training should provide a practical approach to determine the commercial viability of the business.

The consultant will also develop practical guidance for preparing Partnership Agreements, including objectives, activities, responsibilities, partner contributions, milestones, budgets, and risks.

A key output will be an SOP for partnership development setting out the required steps, responsibilities, documentation, decision points, and indicative timelines from initial partner identification through assessment, intervention design, business case development, due diligence, Partnership Agreement, approval, and implementation.

The training should be highly practical and use case studies, exercises, examples of good and poor interventions, existing Strongim Bisnis Partnership Agreements, templates, and checklists. The consultant will also provide coaching and feedback to the first cohort as they apply the training and tools and will work with Strongim Bisnis staff to identify who can deliver parts of the training. The consultant will be expected to meet with trainees at least twice, ideally at the three- and six-month point, but no later than a year, following the initial training. The post training mentorship may be done remotely and may be done in groups based on the location of the consultant.

Key Deliverables:

Deliverable 1 – Partnership Development Curriculum and Training Package

A complete curriculum and training package for the Partnership Associate Academy, including a trainer's guide, participant materials, presentation materials, practical exercises, case studies, assessment/check questions and supporting templates.

Deliverable 2 – Partnership Development Tools and SOP

A practical set of tools to support staff in applying the training. To be discussed with the team which tools to develop. A concise SOP setting out the partnership development process, including responsibilities, required documentation, review and approval points and indicative timelines.

Deliverable 3 – First Implementation of the Academy

Delivery of the first Partnership Associate Academy in collaboration with Strongim Bisnis staff. The consultant will facilitate the training, support practical exercises, and provide coaching as participants apply the tools to real or realistic partnership opportunities.

Deliverable 4 – Post Training Mentorship

Following the initial training, the consultant will meet with trainees at least twice within a year of completing the initial program, ideally at month three and six. Mentorship should ensure trainees are continuing to utilise and apply the skills learned during the training and where practical, provide complementary business development advice based on the needs of the mentees. The meetings may be done remotely and may be done in a group format based on mentee needs.

Payment will be linked to completion and acceptance of the key outputs rather than solely to days worked. The proposed payment structure is:

MilestonePaymentApproved curriculum, training package, and partnership development tools40%Approved Partnership Development SOP20%Completion of first Academy implementation, including training and coaching30%Final revision and handover of all materials following the pilot5%Completion of post training mentoring sessions5%Total100%

The assignment is expected to be undertaken over approximately 40 working days. The consultant will report to the Strongim Bisnis Team Leader and will work closely with Partnership Managers, Partnership Associates, and relevant management staff. The consultant should provide a proposed workplan as part of their technical proposal.

Safeguarding Considerations

This consultancy may involve engagement with program participants and community members, including provincial travel and filmed interviews. The consultant is expected to undertake all activities in a manner that is safe, respectful and inclusive, and consistent with Strongim Bisnis’ safeguarding approach and DFAT’s Safeguarding Framework. Particular care must be taken when engaging with women, youth, and other potentially vulnerable participants. Any safeguarding concerns identified during the assignment must be promptly raised with Strongim Bisnis management.