Appel à candidature de consultation du projet MEDUSA-WWF Retour vers les opportunités

PROJECT AIM

The Barcelona Official Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Services and Navigation (hereinafter, the Chamber) is the lead beneficiary of the Development and promotion of Mediterranean Sustainable Adventure Tourism “MEDUSA” project (hereinafter, the Project). The project is co-financed by the European Union under the European Neighbourhood Instrument cross-border cooperation program “Mediterranean Sea Basin” 2014-2020 (ENI CBC MED). It started on 1st September 2019 and has a duration of 36 months, with the possibility of extension. It counts on an overall budget of 3,317,314 EUR, which are co-financed at a 90% rate by the ENI CBC Med program. The partnership includes the following entities: 

• Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Services and Navigation (Spain) – Lead Beneficiary
• Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Spain)
• Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association – JITOA (Jordan)
• Rene Moawad Foundation (Lebanon)
• Puglia Region – Department of tourism, economy of culture and valorisation of territory (Italy)
• Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature – RSCN (Jordan)
• World Wildlife Fund North Africa (Tunisia)

The Project is intended to develop a sustainable adventure tourism model in the Mediterranean. The Mediterranean region is one of the world’s leading tourist destinations, which makes tourism a key driver for socio-economic progress and a key income source for many of its countries. Faced by growing competition and a deterioration of the political and security situation in the region, the destination has demonstrated symptoms of a slowdown, which makes the recovery of the sector an economic priority. This downturn may also present an opportunity to transform the tourism model into a sustainable and competitive one, addressing current sectorial challenges as the predominance of mass seaside tourism, dependence on the European market and territorial imbalances.

The MEDUSA project tackles these challenges via targeted and inter-related capacity building and cross-border interventions to develop and promote Adventure Tourism in the region. The main results of the project are cross-border routes and itineraries, in the form of new and/or improved Adventure Tourism products, revealing lesser-known destinations and attracting tourists throughout the year. A long-term strategy is envisaged for the promotion and management of these destinations in a sustainable way with the participation of a wide array of stakeholders. The main beneficiaries are SMEs (Tourism Service Providers, Tour Operators, Travel Agencies, etc.), public authorities and local communities.

More information is available at: 

http://www.enicbcmed.eu/projects/medusa

OBJECTIVE OF THE SUBCONTRACTING SERVICES

• First Part (1): Mediterranean Sub-grant Adventure Tourism Competition – MEDUSA Project

• Objective

The objective of this assignment is to hire a local expert that shall provide coaching and mentoring services to tourism providers who have been awarded the sub-grants of MEDUSA project. Support shall be required to advise on adventure tourism product development and commercialisation as well as supporting administrative management of sub grants.

The expert shall mentor awarded subgrantees on the following areas: 

1. Adventure Tourism Product development 
2. Tourism Product commercialisation
3. Grant implementation and management 

Expected results: 

• Result (1): continuous mentoring services for 39 subgrantees for period of 6-9 months 
• Result (2): Prepare and deliver subgrants progress reports (monthly, interim reports) covering a detailed progress of project beneficiaries.

• Description of the assignment:

The selected expert is expected to provide a detailed monthly report with up-to-date information in regards to grants implementation and any other relevant reports. Alongside this technical role, the MEDUSA project will provide guidance and advice to technical reports preparation, ensuring that aftercare is progressing as planned and is addressing its objectives, and support aftercare tasks development and operation.

Specific work:

The expert shall be required to coach 3 to 9 Subgrantees over a period of 6-9 months as follows: 

Technical support

• Develop project detailed workplans and project milestones.
• Mentor business owners and provide advice on product development with consideration to the following:
  • Tourism product sustainability with consideration to the planet, people, and profit.
  • Safety procedures and certifications.
  • Seasonality and mechanisms to expand product offering during the low season.
  • Tourist experience enhancement.
• Advise on mechanisms to build long term relations with tour operators and outbound markets.
• Conduct at least 3 monitoring visits to each subgrantee to ensure smooth implementation (visit 1: within one month of subgrants signing, visit 2: following the submission of mid-term report to confirm implementation progress, and visit 3 by the end of the grant to confirm project completion).

Administrative support 

• Advise subgrantees on procurement procedures and subgrants management.
• Provide continuous support and respond to inquiries concerning procurement procedures (hiring consultants, procuring equipment, reporting HR costs, etc.).
• Monitor project implementation against approved workplan and report to WWF NA any anticipated delays.
• Provide advice on reporting requirements for subgrants.
• Conduct the initial report review (narrative and financial) on behalf of the (partner) and seek any missing information/ documentation.

Note: In undertaking the tasks described under this section, the selected consultant must comply with the latest Communication and Visibility Manual for EU External Actions concerning acknowledgement of EU financing of the project. See https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/communication-and-visibility-manual-eu-external-actions_en.

Location

Place of work for the assignment is Tunisia. Travels as may be necessitated by project requirements such as workshops, meetings and site visits may be added, based on the assignment upon approval of WWF NA  – MEDUSA project.

Tunisia Pilot areas: Gouvenorats of Ben Arous, Gabes and Medinie.

Reporting requirement

The contractor will submit the following reports in Tunisia, in electronic format: 

• Individual Product development and commercialization recommendations for each subgrant.
• Monthly progress reports on subgrants implementation.
• Final completion report, including administrative and technical information. 

Informative session

MEDUSA project will provide an informative session about the “the Mediterranean Sub-grant Adventure Tourism Competition”, objectives, partner countries and its pilot areas of sub-grant initiatives, previous and current project milestones.

Date to be announced at later stage.

• Second Part (2) Supporting and assisting the management activities MEDUSA project

• Objective

The second objective of this assignment is to hire a local expert with high-level experience in project management (especially EU projects), who will provide support in the implementation and follow-up of the MEDUSA project follow-up local guides training and sub-grant activities, in addition to advising on the development and marketing of adventure tourism products.

Expected results: 

• Result (1): Monitoring and ensuring the signing of agreements and protocols of collaboration/understanding will be established and validated by the members of the strategic council which is being drawn up by a consultant.
• Result (2): Ensure the launch, Manages organization and follow-up of the training of local guides Training component for local guides
• Result (3): Creation of Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Councils and development of action plans
• Result (4): Elaboration of content for the narrative part of interim and progress reports
• Result (5): Organization of FAM trips in Tunisia
• Result (6): Coordinate WWF NA leaded activities implementation in MEDUSA project by the rest of the partnership.
• Result (7): Organize and coordinate MEDUSA evaluation (methodology and implementation)

• Description of the assignment:

Details work

• Develop a detailed action plan
• Monitoring and ensuring the signing of agreements and protocols of collaboration/understanding will be established and validated by the members of the strategic council which is being drawn up by a consultant.
• Ensure the launch, Manages organization and follow-up of the training of local guides Training component for local guides
• Creation of Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Councils and development of action plans
• General supporting and assisting the management activities MEDUSA project 
• Conduct a monitoring filed visits to ensure smooth implementation activities  
• Attend MEDUSA meetings (monthly meeting, COPIL…) and events and undertakes travel and missions as required by the MEDUSA manager project in WWFNA

Location

Place of work for the assignment is Tunisia and additional travels as may be necessitated by project requirements such as workshops, meetings and site visits may be added, based on the assignment upon approval of WWF NA – MEDUSA project.

Tunisia Pilot areas: Gouvenorats of Ben Arous, Gabes and Medinie.

Reporting requirement

The contractor will submit the following reports in Tunisia, in electronic format: 

• Monthly progress reports implementation activities.
• Final completion report, including administrative and technical information. 

COPYRIGHT

The copyrights, graphic, software and all other rights whatsoever nature in any material produced under the provisions of this TOR will be vested exclusively in WWF NA – MEDUSA Project.

The Expert may retain a copy of such documents and software with written approval of the WWF NA.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

The minimum requirements to assess the candidates are:

• At least 5 years of professional experience in creating and developing adventure products in tourism sector. This should include an experience in adventure tourism segment, and creation of sustainable tourism development. Project experience management is highly valued.
• Graduated Studies in Tourism & Hospitality, Projects Management or any other relevant fields.
• Excellent ability to communicate in English and French and fluency in Arab.
• Excellent written communication and project management skills.
• Creativity in work, problem solving, and organizational thinking.
• Excellent organizational skills, time management, ability to determine, analyse, schedule, juggle multiple priorities, and attention to detail are critical.
• Ability to travel to the three field pilot areas in Tunisia, as needed. Have good knowledge of and practical experience in the pilot areas are highly valued.
• High-level of knowledge and practice with Word, Excel, Outlook, etc. required.

The candidates can prove their competences in the above-mentioned fields by presenting their Curriculum Vitae, examples of previous similar assignments, in addition to any other relevant document that the candidate considers adequate.

Candidates will be assessed according to the following chart:

*Language levels based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Note: The maximum score will be 100 points. In case two or more offers obtain the same score, it will be selected the one presenting a lower economical offer.

DURATION OF THE SUBCONTRACTING SERVICES

The intended start date is 15th February 2022, until 17:00h GMT.

The period of implementation of the contract will finish by the end of MEDUSA Project August 2022, although the period could be extended under circumstances of force majeure (COVID19…).

BUDGET

The total budget for the subcontracting services is 10 000 € (VAT not included).

The budget not included:

• Monitoring field visits.
• Related travel and accommodation costs and any other miscellaneous fees.