Call for tenders for the training of trainers on sustainability in adventure tourism for local guides-WWF Retour vers les opportunités

INFORMATION FOR THE TENDERER

Subject of the contract:
The subject of this tender is:
Provision of services, as indicated in the technical information in point 2 of this section

• Deadline for submission of the tenders:
• The deadline for submission of tenders is  19^st of September, 2022 until 17h00 GMT. Any tender received after this deadline will be automatically rejected.
• Address and means of submission of the tenders:

The tenderers will submit their tenders using the standard submission form available in Part B of this tender dossier. The tender will be submitted in 1 (one) original. In case of e-mail submission, the tenderer may provide a scanned original. Any tenders not using the prescribed form shall be rejected by the contracting authority.
All tenders should be sent to:

1. TECHNICAL INFORMATION

The tenderers are required to provide services as indicated below. In the technical offer, the tenderers will indicate more details on the deliveries, referring back to the below terms of reference

1. Background:

The Mediterranean (MED) region is one of the world’s leading tourist destinations, which makes tourism a key driver for socio-economic progress & a key income source for many of its countries. Faced by growing competition & a deterioration of the political & 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 & competitive one, addressing current sectorial challenges as the predominance of mass seaside tourism, dependence on the European market & territorial imbalances.
The hereby proposed initiative (MEDUSA project) is led by a mix of public/private/non-governmental organizations across the region with proven track record in the tourism & business development field. MEDUSA will tackle these joint challenges via targeted & inter-related capacity building & cross-border interventions to develop & promote Adventure Tourism (AT) in the region. Between 2010 & 2014, this tourism niche grew by 195%. The MED has every opportunity to become part of this international trend, which properly managed can make tourism more sustainable, providing a strong incentive for conservation, while creating jobs & more income for local communities. These major expected changes will occur in the medium/long-term. Also, the multiplier effect will be higher in comparison to other forms of tourism. The main results of the project are cross-border routes & itineraries, in the form of new and/or improved AT products, revealing lesser-known destinations & attracting tourists throughout the year. A long-term (LT) strategy is envisaged for the promotion & 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 (TOs), Travel Agencies, etc.), public authorities & the communities.
MEDUSA project is co-financed by the European Union under the European Neighborhood Instrument cross-border cooperation program “Mediterranean Sea Basin” 2014-2020 (ENI CBC MED). It started on 1st September 2019 and has duration of 36 months (until 31st August 2022). 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.
It includes the following project partners:

1. Barcelona Chamber of Commerce (Spain) – Lead Beneficiary
2. Rene Moawad Foundation (Lebanon)
3. Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Spain)
4. Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association – JITOA (Jordan)
5. Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature – RSCN (Jordan)
6. Puglia Region – Department of tourism, economy of culture and valorization of territory (Italy)
7. WWF Mediterranean North Africa (Tunisia)

More information is available at: http://www.enicbcmed.eu/projects/medusa.

Objective, purpose and expected results

The main objective of this assignment is to attend an online ToT and after that deliver a training on local level on the topic of “Sustainable practices in adventure tourism for local guides”. In specific, this consultancy will include the adaptation of existing training content and materials for local trainings in Tunisia.

The local trainings will aim at ensuring that local guides who have previous experience in adventure tourism, adopt new and higher ethics in adventure guiding following the highest possible standards of sustainable practices and leave no trace principles incorporating both practical & knowledge-based components such as, regional culture, environmental awareness, communication and interpretation, etc. It follows a train-the-trainer approach where the local trainer will undergo a training by an international consultant who will be recruited by the project for this purpose and would have developed the necessary material.

The trainer will have to attend to an obligatory training (TOT) that would cover:

The main topics of the training (non-exhaustive list) are:

1. Local guides in the context of Adventure Travel

• Adventure Travel definition and its Global Market Value
• The Role of Adventure Guides (Customer Service in Adventure Travel, Leadership, Planning in Adventure Travel, Managing group challenges and conflicts, Meeting and exceeding expectations, etc.)
• Core Competencies of Adventure Guides

2. Sustainability Concept and Relevance

• Concept of sustainability and its relevance
• Tour guide ethics and Role (including Tour Guides Code of Ethics)
• Perception of different customers towards sustainability

3. Environment, Nature and Animals

• Waste management reduction and management
• Climate change (Energy use and transportation)
• Animal Welfare
• Souvenirs

4. Leave no Trace – 7 Principles
5. Local culture and human Rights

• Interacting with local culture and values

• Build local Heritage
• Promoting local economy
• Voluntourism, children rights and exploitation

6. Communication and interpretation 

• Intercultural Communication
• Communicating with visitors
• Communicating with local providers

Final beneficiaries / target groups:

The training will be offered in the territories of MEDUSA, namely Catalonia, Jordan, Lebanon, Puglia and Tunisia to stakeholders of municipalities and other governmental officials, bodies in charge of the management of protected areas, outdoor adventure tourism and sports individuals, companies, associations, and community groups.

As a result of the training, the trainees should be able to:

• Identify sustainability challenges in adventure tourism and suggest how they can play a role in encouraging travel agents, Communities and tourists in adopting a positive attitude towards the three elements of sustainability
• Define their role in the sustainable tourism framework and draft a code of ethics for guides towards sustainability
• Be encouraged to apply for sustainability certifications on their own and continue this journey in their communities.

Local territories:

The governorates targeted by this project are:

• Ben Arous
• Gabes
• Mednine

Objective, purpose and expected results

The main objective of this assignment is to attend (online) and then, deliver ’Training on sustainability in adventure tourism for local guides” in national and local scale in Tunisia. In specific, this consultancy will include the adaptation of training content to local context and preparation of the materials in the required language, as well as the implementation in one of the national territories as indicated above. The trainer should commit to actively participate in the ONLINE TOT and transfer new gained skills to local guides.

The training aims at enhancing capacities, knowledge and skills of local guides in project territories in adapting sustainability and leave no trace practices.

According to the TOT program, the trainer should prepare/ adapt content for the local context and specifically on any theoretical or practical material mentioned above.
The results to be achieved by the Consultant are:

• Result n°1: Active participation during the TOT ONLINE

Result n°2: Prepare and deliver a detailed training programme specific for each country for the local guides to ensure that local guides adopt sustainability and leave no trace practices that are applied during the adventure tours that they lead, at the highest possible standards, incorporating both practical & knowledge-based components.

Description of the assignment
The consultant/trainer must provide detailed content with up-to-date information (inspired by various international standards in adventure tour guiding including ATTA, ISO, Travelife, etc.) related to the provision of guiding services and experiences for sustainable adventure tourism in partner destinations with focus on, leisure cycling, mountain biking, diving and multi activities (including rock climbing, bird watching, canoeing/kayaking, snow activities and horseback riding)… Content should be well structured, clearly presented with visually appealing design and formatting. In terms of practical aspects, the training should include practical and interactive exercises and case studies. The approach followed is based on interactive animation and communication between the trainer and the trainees. The training shall be focused on classroom online delivery and will be supported by a list of additional practical training requirements that need to be sought on local levels, the steps for which should be clearly identified in the educational material. In addition, the training material should include and end of course exam that will support the qualification of the trained individuals to obtain a project training certificate, with minimum requirements for attendance.
The project partners will support the consultant/trainer by revising and agreeing on proposed standards and good practices by the trainer.
The trained trainers will use the training materials and apply the knowledge and skills acquired through the TOT in the project territories: Catalonia, Puglia, Lebanon, Tunisia and Jordan (in the project sites).
It is very important to consider these key elements for the expected results:
– The technical content of the training: presentations, references, videos, etc.
– A training kit including documents on design techniques, guidance and assistance in adventure tourism services available and made available to tour guides.
– Guidelines for selection process of potential guides on local levels to undergo this proposed training through a physical test and professional interview.
– Exam for local trainees/guides to obtain project certificate.

Specific work

The trainee will include but not necessarily be limited to the following for the multiplier effect locally in Tunisia:

1. Present the full content of the detailed proposal of the TOT program including methodology, pedagogic materials, practical cases and exercises, and technical content of the TOT;
2. Coordinate with WWF to prepare and finalize the content (materials to be validated by technical assistance team and project partners);
3. Grasp all the TOT content and replicate the modal locally and Deliver the TOT material and testing guidelines.

Start date and period of implementation of the tasks

The intended start date is  19^st of September, 2022 until 17:00h, 2022 until 17:00h, and the period of implementation of the contract will be maximum 3 months from this date. During this period of implementation of the tasks, the Consultant has to:

• Attend the TOT with expected duration of 16-18 hours. It will be carried out online.
• Review of training content and materials if necessary, according to discussions with and inputs from the participants, and transfer of training content and materials to the project partners and participants, including feedback on potential doubts and queries.
• The calendar for the implementation of the TOT will be agreed between the consultant selected and the MEDUSA partnership.
• Implement locally the training of local guides in adventure tourism on local levels, over 3 sessions in 3 days (in Tunisia).

Reporting requirements

The contractor will submit the following reports in English in Electronic format:

• All training content and material developed for each session must be delivered on soft copies (Mail transfer and USB);
• Draft material shall be discussed and communicated sufficiently before the training;
• Final completion report includes participants’ evaluation through a written exam

Special requirements

The Contractor must ensure that adequate visibility of the EU under the programme of which the project is part through its implementation.
Profile of the Trainers:

The Trainers/Consultants should meet and demonstrate the following requirements:

• At least 4 years of professional experience in the tourism sector – experience in the Adventure tourism segment and in sustainable tourism development is highly valued;
• Graduated Studies in Tourism & Hospitality, Economics or similar;
• Certification as a trainer from a recognized institution is highly appreciated, and/or demonstrated experience in undertaking similar training courses in sustainable tourism development;
• Excellent communication skills in the local language where the training will take place and in English.

COPYRIGHT
All rights of copyright concerning the material produced by consultant will remain the property of WWF and can only be used by the expert with appropriate attribution by WWF.
PAYMENT TERMS:
Payments are based upon output, i.e., upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR. Payments will be issued upon certification of WWF. It is foreseen that the contract value will be paid upon submission and approval of final training report and all required training materials.