CONSULTANCY TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF BUSINESS PLANS FOR VSLA MEMBERS

Position Title: Business Development Consultant

Duty Station: Monrovia with travel to Grand Gedeh, River Gee & Sinoe Counties

Position Status/Duration: 6–8 weeks

Reports to: Head of Programs

1. Background

medica Liberia (mL), formerly medica mondiale Liberia, is a non-governmental women’s rights organization providing response and prevention services for Sexual and Gender-Based Violence survivors since 2006. We support survivors through a holistic, stress- and trauma-sensitive approach that integrates health, legal, psychosocial, and advocacy services, all grounded in feminist principles.

Rural communities in Grand Gedeh, River Gee, and Sinoe Counties are faced with high levels of SGBV, including limited access to SRHR services and constrained economic opportunities for women and girls. Economic dependency remains a key driver of vulnerability to violence, limiting survivors’ ability to recover and rebuild their lives.

Under the project “Strengthening Action, Response and Service for SGBV in South-eastern Liberia (STARS 4 SGBV)”, mL is implementing a multi-level intervention (micro, meso, macro) to strengthen SGBV prevention and response systems while promoting women’s empowerment.

At the micro level, the project supports women and girls, including survivors of SGBV, through Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), livelihood initiatives, and value chain development. While VSLAs have improved access to savings and credit, many members lack the technical capacity to translate these resources into viable and sustainable businesses.

To address this gap, mL seeks to engage a qualified consultant to design and develop gender-responsive, trauma-sensitive, and market-driven business plans for VSLA members, with the aim of enabling them to establish, strengthen, and enhance skills for sustainable income-generating activities that will improve their economic resilience.

1. Key Objectives of the Consultancy

The consultant will work in close coordination with the project team, including field officers, implementing partners, and community-based structures, to support VSLA members across the target counties.

The primary objectives of the consultancy are to:

• Develop Business Plans: Support VSLA members to develop economically viable and feasible, context-specific individual and group business plans
• Strengthen Economic Empowerment: Enhance income-generating opportunities for women, especially SGBV survivors and marginalized groups
• Conduct Market Assessment: Identify viable value chains and market opportunities within target communities
• Build Capacity: Strengthen VSLA members’ skills in entrepreneurship, including social entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and business management (money management)
• Promote Safe and Inclusive Livelihoods: Ensure business models are gender-responsive, trauma-sensitive, and aligned with protection principles

III. Scope of Work and Deliverables

The consultant will lead the following tasks in collaboration with mL programme and field teams:

• Conduct a desk review of project documents, VSLA data, and relevant economic and SGBV context
• Design tools and methodology for business assessment and planning (to be submitted as part of the inception report)
• Submit a draft inception report including methodology, tools, and workplan for feedback
• Conduct needs assessment of VSLA members, including:
  • Existing businesses and skills
  • Access to finance and assets
  • Barriers to economic participation
• Conduct market and value chain analysis to identify viable sectors
• Facilitate participatory sessions with VSLA members to:
  • Identify business opportunities
  • Develop individual and/or group business plans
• Develop training manual (that addresses capacity gap) for business plan development and conduct training sessions with targeted beneficiaries
  • Ensure integration of trauma-sensitive and gender-responsive approaches
• Facilitate the development of targeted VSLA business plans with the participation and acquiescence of targeted beneficiaries, which is feasible, viable and sustainable highlighting the following:
  • Business description
  • Market analysis
  • Operational plan
  • Financial projections
  • Risk and sustainability analysis
• Ensure that all intellectual property rights of this consultancy is reserved with mL including exclusive ownership to every deliverable
• Submit draft consultancy report for feedback
• Submit final report, including:
  • Business plans
  • Training outcomes
  • Key findings and recommendations

1. Approach and Methodology

The consultant is expected to apply a participatory, gender-responsive, and trauma-sensitive methodology, including:

• Desk Review: Analysis of project documents and economic context
• Market Assessment: Identification of viable sectors and value chains
• Participatory Training: Engagement of VSLA members through group sessions
• Capacity Building: Practical, low-literacy-friendly training approaches
• Business Development Approach: Development of bankable and realistic business plans
• Validation: Stakeholder review and feedback sessions

All processes must ensure:

• Confidentiality and informed consent
• Respect for survivors
• Do No Harm principles

The final methodology will be developed by the consultant and validated by mL.

1. Project Communities

The consultancy will target VSLA members and stakeholders across intervention areas:

• Counties: Grand Gedeh, River Gee, and Sinoe
• Participants:
  • VSLA members (women, adolescent girls, marginalized groups)
  • SGBV survivors
  • Community-Based Protection Networks
  • CBOs and local stakeholders

(Exact number of VSLA groups and participants to be confirmed by mL at inception stage)

1. Timeline for Deliverables

The consultancy is expected to be completed within 6–8 weeks.

VII. Expertise and Experience

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Gender and Development Studies, Business Administration, or a related field.

Professional Experience

• At least 5 years of relevant experience in business development, enterprise support, and livelihood programming.
• Demonstrated experience in Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) or broader financial inclusion programming.
• Proven track record in developing business plans, conducting market assessments, and value chain analysis.
• Experience working with women’s groups, including marginalized and vulnerable

Populations.

• Experience in gender programming, including Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) prevention and response
• Strong skills in facilitation, training, and capacity building, particularly using participatory and adult-learning methodologies.
• Ability to design and deliver entrepreneurship and financial literacy training tailored to diverse groups.
• Knowledge and experience in trauma-sensitive and survivor-centered programming approaches (highly desirable).
• Familiarity with the SASA! Together Approach or similar community-based social norm change methodologies (added advantage).

VIII. Application Process

Interested applicants should submit:

• Cover Letter
• CV(s) with references
• Technical proposal (methodology, workplan)
• Financial proposal
• Sample of previous similar work (business plans, enterprise development, etc.)
• Roles and responsibilities (if applying as a team)

Application Deadline: June 17, 2026

All interested applicants should submit their application and documents via (recruit@medicaliberia.org) and copy theresa.martin@medicaliberia.org with reference “Business Plan Consultant – STARS 4 SGBV Project.” as the subject of their mail.

Female consultants are encouraged to apply.