Background

BBC Media Action is leading an international consortium to support media sustainability and media reform in three countries, Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone.  It is called the Protecting Independent Media for Effective Development Programme and is funded by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.

PRIMED brings together fresh, innovative approaches and, crucially, different combinations of approaches towards achieving its impact of healthier information ecosystems where a steady flow of trusted public interest media content is more freely and widely available in the three PRIMED countries. The Programme seeks to build the resilience of media to political and economic pressures which are undermining media viability and freedom in the three countries.  The countries represent different market sizes and face varying degrees of challenges around media restrictions and political will.

Requirements

PRIMED project will be working with a number of community radio stations during the implementation of the 3 years project to develop their capacity in term of both; public interest media production and business sustainability. As part of this it is imperative for these radio stations to develop business plans that will help them have an independent funding sources which cannot not only sustain them but ensure their independence.

Through the BUSINESS MENTOR, PRIMED intends to achieve the following: -

For two community radio stations we are wishing to conduct an in-depth SWOT analysis of current and future financial sustainability, and from this develop a business plan, revenue generation pipeline and training plan.

Stage 1: SWOT Analysis Conducted

To provide a baseline, and understand the internal current financial, operational, and managerial capacity of the station as well as external opportunities and threats to their sustainability, we wish to commission a detailed SWOT analysis. This should include but not be limited to:

• In-person visit to the station to meet with management and key internal stakeholders

• Assessment of financial and operational policies and practices

• Assessment of financial accounts and planning

• Assessment of current business plan and income pipeline

• Assessment of offering, including capability statement / proposal documents.

• Market assessment, including analysis of any available audience data.

• Potential funding mapping, including a list of external sources of revenue and funding.

The output of stage 1 will be a written baseline report including an assessment of each area – identifying strength, weakness, opportunities and threats – and recommendations for further capacity and process strengthening.

Dates: Baseline completed by end of September 2021

Stage 2: Development of Business Plan, Revenue Generation Pipeline and Training Plan

With the base line established, the mentor will work with each station to develop and deliver capacity strengthening and own their various business and revenue generation plans. This should include but not be limited to:

• Hold a workshop with each station Senior Management Team to discuss findings from the baseline and agree on a scope of work. This will include the agreement of targets (e.g. funding / proposals / cost efficiencies)

• Work with management to develop and roll out a business development plans and help in its ownership and implementation of those business plans.

• Develop capacity building training for staff in the areas of proposal writing and revenue generation.

• Provide ongoing support as identified in stage 1 (est. 14 days per station)

Output for stage 2 will be in the form of business plan and revenue models developed and shared with prospective donors, project proposals written, and staff capacitated to manage budgets.

Person specification

The prospective consultant should be an experienced Business Mentor that has wealth of knowledge in business development in the media sector in Sierra Leone and understands the media marketplace and its dynamics.

Application process 

To apply, please send an up-to-date CV and a supporting letter to:

recruitment@sl.bbcmediaaction.org

or to the BBC Media Action office at 41i Derek Drive, off Spur Road, Freetown. Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Closing date for applications is on the 23 July 2021.