Private Sector Engagement Consultant – USAID Timor-Leste NGO Advocacy for Good Governance

Job Description

Position Mandate:

Resonance seeks a short-term Private Sector Engagement (PSE) Consultant (referred to hereafter as “the Consultant”) based in Timor-Leste with strong familiarity with the local private sector landscape as well as experience identifying and developing multi-stakeholder partnerships in support of social, political, and economic development goals. The PSE Consultant will provide support for a Rapid Partnership Appraisal (RPA) as part of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Timor-Leste NGO Advocacy for Good Governance Activity. The purpose of the RPA is to gain insights from local stakeholder groups (e.g. private sector, government, NGOs and civil society organizations, universities, and others) to identify areas of alignment with the project. To this end, a small Resonance team consisting of U.S. based staff and Timor-Leste based consultants (including the Consultant) will conduct desk research as well as interview dozens of stakeholders across sectors, analyze information gained, and generate hypothetical opportunities for collaboration with the project. The team will identify innovative fundraising/resourcing models (beyond traditional donor funding – such as private sector partnership, social enterprise or fee-for-service models, foundation/philanthropy funding, partnership with universities or think tanks, etc.) for nine project grantee NGOs to consider as they look to diversify their funding/resourcing base.

The Consultant will provide contextual knowledge and information to ensure Resonance’s approach and methodology are adapted to be relevant to the Timor-Leste context. They will apply experience and expertise in the private sector landscape (local and international private sector with operations in Timor-Leste); identify opportunities to forge strategic partnerships (shared value or corporate social responsibility [CSR] focused) between private sector in Timor-Leste and the nine project grantee NGOs; help lead qualitative interviews with businesses, NGOs, and other stakeholders in either English or Tetum; and learn about interviewee interests/priorities, challenges, opportunities and other important information. They will help the team analyze data and information gathered and draw insights to inform project deliverables.

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Collaborate closely with the RPA team (Resonance home office staff based in the U.S., a local NGO Research Consultant based in Timor-Leste, and any other local consultants);
• Contribute to the design of RPA interview protocol and questions, particularly in adapting Resonance methods to the Timor-Leste context (this may require some translation support);
• Conduct desk research on topics such as CSR and social enterprise development in Timor-Leste, using Resonance methods and tools (primarily Microsoft Office-based);
• Save working documents on Resonance’s Sharepoint file system;
• Advise the team on the private sector landscape, particularly in terms of shared value or CSR partnership opportunities relevant for the nine project grantee NGOs;
• Propose creative ideas and approaches for project NGO grantees to pursue non-traditional funding/resourcing models through the project;
• As relevant, facilitate connections to network of local multi-stakeholder actors such as representatives from private sector, NGOs, government, universities, social enterprises, industry groups, cooperatives, chambers of commerce, etc.;
• As relevant, support scheduling of meetings and interviews with local stakeholders;
• Lead qualitative KIIs with multi-stakeholder representatives with the goal to identify strategic opportunities to collaborate with project subgrantee NGOs;
• Collaborate with research team on analysis of interview data and provide guidance on data analysis efforts;
• Assist as requested in development of RPA report and other deliverables.

Illustrative Deliverables:

• Desk research compiled using Resonance research tools (Microsoft Excel and Word)
• Advice provided during team meetings and via email, as well as technical ideas, findings and recommendations included in Resonance research tools (contact lists, research matrices, annotated bibliographies, etc.)
• Interview question guide (drafted in collaboration with other Resonance team members)
• Comprehensive, clear notes from interviews
• Qualitative data analysis notes/take-aways
• Inputs into the RPA report, as requested

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in related field;
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience, including experience working with businesses in Timor-Leste and experience conducting qualitative interviews;
• Strong familiarity with Timor-Leste’s private sector landscape, with particular knowledge about strategic partnership development between private sector and NGOs;
• Proven ability to design and lead qualitative interviews that explore motivations and challenges beyond the surface level;
• Experience analyzing and reporting on qualitative data and information, particularly in a development context;
• Prior experience working on USAID or other donor funded projects is beneficial;
• Familiarity with other stakeholder groups including NGOs, foundations, universities/think tanks, and government in Timor-Leste and in the region is beneficial;
• Excellent organization and time management skills with proven ability to work independently and in coordination with local and remote partners under tight deadlines;
• Experience developing high quality written deliverables and good attention to detail;
• Experience using Microsoft Office applications such as Excel, Word and PowerPoint; Zoom and Skype; and Sharepoint is beneficial;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Tetum are required.

About the Organization

Resonance is an award-winning frontier market solutions firm based in Burlington, Vermont that helps a variety of donor, commercial, and investor clients around the world to catalyze lasting impact. We envision a prosperous and just world of thriving markets, healthy ecosystems, and vibrant communities where business, governments and citizens work together creating a better world for all.

Resonance seeks to catalyze large-scale social, environmental, and economic change by fostering new and dynamic forms of collaboration. We do this by fostering public-private partnerships, facilitating sustainable investment, and providing deep analytical insights in frontier markets. We strive to merge strategic insight with practical on-the-ground knowledge into an integrated approach that emphasizes results.

Resonance was recently named one of Inc. 5000’s fastest growing privately-held companies. We seek candidates who are ready to apply their analytical and problem-solving skills to some of our planet’s greatest challenges in an entrepreneurial, fun, and fast-paced environment. We are looking for passionate and committed people who can work in a highly collaborative environment to deliver results for our clients and stakeholders around the world.