Business Development Workshop Beirut, Lebanon November 11 John Harris

Our Program Part 1: Experiences and Expectations Part 1: Experiences and Expectations Part 2:Your Role in BD Part 2:Your Role in BD Part 3:Seizing Opportunities Part 3:Seizing Opportunities Part 4:Elements of a proposal Part 4:Elements of a proposal

Discussion Experiences and Expectations

Your Role in Business Development Are you involved? Do you have ideas? What tools do you need?

You are the key to growth

Identifying and Seizing Opportunities

Ideas are everywhere Do you interact with clients, students, beneficiaries? Do you interact with clients, students, beneficiaries? Do they give you ideas? Do they give you ideas? Do you see a need for an activity that we are not doing but you think we should be? Do you see a need for an activity that we are not doing but you think we should be?

What Does IJMA3 Do anyway… Professional Training Professional Training Incubator services Incubator services Civil society building Civil society building Women in development Women in development Youth skills development Youth skills development Education/school reform Education/school reform Employment/vocational skills Employment/vocational skills

What else? Your ideas for what we can do in a particular country or across the region

What comes after the idea? Discuss it with other colleagues, refine and hone your idea Discuss it with other colleagues, refine and hone your idea Write it down in an to Nizar or John Write it down in an to Nizar or John Involve others: benefit from others’ perspectives Involve others: benefit from others’ perspectives

Then what? Identify your client or funder Identify your client or funder Talk to the client/funder about your idea, refine it further. Talk to the client/funder about your idea, refine it further. Develop the concept in writing: this could be a proposal or a presentation Develop the concept in writing: this could be a proposal or a presentation Develop the budget Develop the budget Submit or present Submit or present Follow-up and keep working on it Follow-up and keep working on it

Follow-up And follow-up And follow-up And follow-up some more And follow-up some more

Putting together a proposal Solicited Solicited Unsolicited Unsolicited Corporate Fundraising Corporate Fundraising Presentation Presentation

Tracking opportunities Need to systematize the process for tracking opportunities from major donors, especially USAID and its sub- grantees Need to systematize the process for tracking opportunities from major donors, especially USAID and its sub- grantees Work your contacts to broaden our client base Work your contacts to broaden our client base

Stop! Don’t Reinvent the Wheel Institutional memory: Nizar, John, etc. Institutional memory: Nizar, John, etc. Move toward online shared resource/portal for business development: Move toward online shared resource/portal for business development: –Previous proposals –Bio blurbs –Organizational qualifications –Old proposals

The ultimate resource: Business Development Portal Online collaboration tool for larger proposals between HQ and the field Online collaboration tool for larger proposals between HQ and the field A place for document sharing A place for document sharing Online discussion feature Online discussion feature Linked to MS Outlook for deadlines and updates Linked to MS Outlook for deadlines and updates What can we do to create the most useful possible tool? What can we do to create the most useful possible tool?

In the meantime: Informal network of information and ideas: check around for what colleagues have done Informal network of information and ideas: check around for what colleagues have done Someone to serve as a central information resource Someone to serve as a central information resource Organizational qualifications: need to compile these. Organizational qualifications: need to compile these.

Ingredients of a technical proposal 1. Tell them who you are – Organizational Qualifications 2. Tell them why you can help them – Understanding the Needs 3. Tell them how you will do it – Approach 4. Tell them when you’ll do it – Workplan 5. Tell them who will do it – Personnel Experience and Qualifications 6. Tell them how much it will cost – Budget

Evaluation Criteria Technical Approach 40% Technical Approach 40% Personnel 30% Personnel 30% Evaluation and Monitoring or Management Plan 10% Evaluation and Monitoring or Management Plan 10% Organizational Capabilities 20% Organizational Capabilities 20%

Organizational Qualifications A statement that sells IJMA3 based on its experience and capabilities: –How long you have been in country –How many clients you have served –Achievements –Outcomes based on projects we’ve implemented –Quotes from students and clients –Our competitive advantage

Understanding the Needs Let the client know that you understand their unique organizational needs. Do your homework and research who they are. Describe the context of the project Describe the context of the project Describe what the company wants to achieve through this project Describe what the company wants to achieve through this project Demonstrate that you know the situation and understand the challenges Demonstrate that you know the situation and understand the challenges

Approach This is the heart of the proposal It should always be RESULTS focused It should always be RESULTS focused Develop a logical framework that takes the reader through the tasks, activities, objectives and results Develop a logical framework that takes the reader through the tasks, activities, objectives and results Start with the objectives, describe the tasks and activities and conclude with the results Start with the objectives, describe the tasks and activities and conclude with the results A table helps A table helps

Workplan This section describes the timing of events and relates them to the expected outcomes A brief narrative A brief narrative A Gantt Chart A Gantt Chart A table A table Reporting Schedule (if necessary) Reporting Schedule (if necessary)

Personnel Experience and Qualifications Staffing Approach Staffing Approach Position within the team (lead instructor, team leader, NGO specialist, etc) Position within the team (lead instructor, team leader, NGO specialist, etc) Relevant Experience Relevant Experience Summary of background (education, clients, experience etc.) Summary of background (education, clients, experience etc.)

Spice it Up! Box texts Box texts Quotations Quotations “Because of the skills I attained through IJMA3’s programs, I now run a business that provides employment to 30 people” Pictures Pictures IJMA3 has been providing ICT skills training for over 5 years. To date, we have trained over 5,000 people throughout 10 countries.

Document standards Quality over quantity: make things clear, concise, and to the point Quality over quantity: make things clear, concise, and to the point Reviewers and proofreading: can someone else understand it? Reviewers and proofreading: can someone else understand it? Consistent formatting Consistent formatting Binding and packaging (if appropriate) Binding and packaging (if appropriate)

Thank you!