Procurement Notice

CONSULTANCY FOR THE UPDATE AND FINALISATION OF A MULTI-HAZARD RISK MANAGEMENT GUIDE FOR THE CARIBBEAN TOURISM SECTOR

1. BACKGROUND

1.01      For the Caribbean Region, tourism is an important activity which generates significant employment, foreign direct investment and foreign exchange.  Additionally, its multi-sectoral nature makes it highly effective as a tool for sustainable development and poverty reduction in developing countries.  Tourism has an enormous contribution to the socio-economic development of the Caribbean region due to a direct positive economic impact on commodities (accommodation, transportation, entertainment and attractions) and industries (services for accommodation, food and beverage, retail trade, transportation, cultural, sport and recreational services) as well as significant indirect and induced impacts.  For many countries in the Region, tourism has become one of the most important industries, as persistent turbulence in other economic sectors has served to enhance the relative importance of tourism as an economic development strategy, making the industry increasingly crucial for the survival of local economies.

1.02      The Caribbean Tourism product is inextricably linked to the natural environment, however the region is faced with significant challenges, foremost of which are natural hazards and extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent and severe, as a result of climate variability and climate change (CVC).  CVC exacerbate the degradation of natural resources and pose significant challenges to the viability and sustainability of the tourism industry. CVC impacts negatively on water resources availability, agricultural productivity, forestry, coastal ecosystems and fisheries, which are at greatest risk from the deleterious impacts of extreme weather events.  Other related impacts include threats to human life and well-being, damage to infrastructure and disruption of business and economic activity. These are all factors, which contribute significantly to the tourism product and experience. At the international level impacts include, reduced competitiveness and loss of appeal of the countries of the region as being safe, to live, visit and invest in. This ultimately result in reduced earnings from tourism and the loss of livelihoods, which has further repercussions for migration of the regions human resources and brain drain. Consequently, enduring that there are measures, protocols and procedures to mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from CVC and related impacts is critical to the continued growth of tourism and by extension the social and economic development of the Caribbean region and its people.

1.03      Against this background, the CTO with cooperation and technical assistance from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is in the process of implementing the Supporting a Climate Smart and Sustainable Caribbean Tourism Industry project (CSSCTI), through the African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) and European Union (EU) funded Natural Disaster Risk Management (NDRM) in the CARIFORUM Countries Programme. This project seeks to reduce the vulnerability and increase the resilience of the tourism sector in CTO and CDB’s mutual member countries, to the impacts of climate change. The aim is to develop an integrated approach to risk management, linked to managing climate variability and climate change impacts, to reduce vulnerabilities and enhance tourism sector resiliency to natural and other hazards.

1.04      The consultancy for the update and finalisation of a Multi-Hazard Risk Management Guide for the Caribbean Tourism Sector and supporting raining and training of trainers materials is one component of this project. The purpose of the consultancy is to revise/update and finalise an existing draft, ensuring that the guide is technically sound, well-articulated and user-friendly. The Guide will serve as a practical tool, addressing all phases of the Disaster Management cycle, with a comprehensive and well-articulated treatment of the range of natural and other hazards, which can affect the Caribbean tourism industry. The Guide will incorporate disaster risk mitigation and adaptation strategies, gender-sensitivity and be the basis for the development/update of training materials to facilitate training and sensitization workshops.

1.05   The consultancy will be implemented with oversight from regional partners, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) and the donor, the Caribbean Development Bank, whose representatives will comprise the Technical Review Committee.

2. ABOUT THE CARIBBEAN TOURISM ORGANIZATION

2.01      The CTO officially established in 1989, is an inter-governmental development agency specialising in tourism for the Caribbean region.  Headquartered in Barbados, the primary objective of the CTO is to provide to and through its members, the services and information necessary for the development of sustainable tourism for the economic and social benefit of the Caribbean people.  The CTO’s membership reflects the diversity of the Region, with Government membership extending 24 Dutch, English, French and Spanish speaking countries and territories, as well as a myriad of private sector allied members in tourism related and ancillary sectors.

2.02      The scope and reach of the CTO covers various activities at the regional and international levels, to support and promote tourism in the Caribbean.  The main areas of focus include: Sustainable Tourism Product Development; Regional Destination Marketing; Communication; Advocacy and Promotion; Human Resource Development; Research and Information Technology, all essential areas in which the CTO has implemented programmes since its inception.  The concept of the Caribbean as One United Region is at the core of all CTO’s efforts, and a key criterion in this regard is to foster the holistic, integrated growth and enduring sustainability of tourism in the Caribbean.

3. OBJECTIVES

3.01      The primary objective of this consultancy is to undertake a comprehensive technical review and to update, finalise and produce a Multi-Hazard Risk Management Guide for the Caribbean Tourism Sector and supporting Training and Training of Trainers materials. The Guide is expected to be as a practical tool to guide tourism sector mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery to various types of hazards. The training materials will accompany the guide and is intended to facilitate disaster risk management capacity building among diverse tourism sector stakeholders. The structure of the guide should allow easy “pull-out sections” for preparedness, mitigation, emergency response and recovery. Additionally, the Consultant will review, update and produce accompanying training materials, and deliver one Training and Training of Trainers workshop utilising the guide and updated training materials.

4. SCOPE OF WORK

1. 1. A participatory and consultative approach is expected in the conduct of consultancy services, liaising with CTO and partner organizations that comprise the Technical Review Committee, as well as industry partner, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), to contribute to the efficient and satisfactory completion of the related tasks and deliverables.

0. 2. Specific duties and responsibilities of the Consultant(s) include but are not limited to the following:
1. Submitting an Implementation Plan for approval by CTO Secretariat;
2. Review, update and finalise a Multi-Hazard Risk Management Guide for the Caribbean Tourism Sector and supporting training and training of trainers materials, presenting a complete and well-articulated treatment of the range of natural and other hazards, which can affect the Caribbean tourism sector, addressing all phases of the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) cycle (mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery);
3. The Guide and supporting training and training of trainers materials should be crafted to encourage adaptation and use by tourism stakeholders within individual tourism organizations and business entities, providing structured guidance and templates that function as a Tourism Sector Disaster Risk Management Road-map that covers (i) mitigation (ii) preparedness; (iii) response; and (iv) recovery including business continuity;
4. The Guide and supporting training and training of trainers materials should consider implications and include corresponding actions across all phases of the DRM cycle, for the sub-sectors of Tourism at the national level (accommodation providers, food and beverage operations, transport services, recreation and entertainment entities (sites and attractions), event and conference facilities and tourism support services- Travel Trade and National Tourism Organisations);
5. The structure and contents of the Guide should comprise as follows:
   1. 1. Utilise user-friendly language;
      2. Include the presentation of information in various forms other than text, including but not limited to appropriate tables, charts, and pictorial representations of the concepts being advanced;
      3. Demonstrate gender sensitivity;
      4. Respond to the differing needs of both public and private sector tourism stakeholders, where appropriate;
      5. Facilitate pull out sections on mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery;
      6. Include a Template and ‘How to’ guide for the development of Tourism Emergency Management Plans.
6. Liaising with the selected publisher, to ensure that the design and layout of the manual adequately highlights relevant sections/content and maintains the integrity of the information being conveyed;
7. Review, update and produce training materials as an accompaniment to the Guide to facilitate subsequent training and enhance understanding of the key DRM and CVC terms and concepts contained in the Guide and the strategies, templates and related tools;  
8. Liaising with the CTO, to organise and deliver one (1) three day in-country training workshop (2 days training and 1 day Training of Trainers) in Dominica utilising the finalised Guide and training and training of trainers materials. This workshop targeted to tourism and related stakeholders will introduce and train participants on the use of the manual and accompanying templates, and facilitate adaptation by National Tourism Authorities and Businesses. The workshop should be interactive and hands-on, foster the active engagement of the participants and will be followed by an evaluations of participants to assess the effectiveness of training and impact;
1. Generating and delivering to CTO the afore-mentioned project deliverables and a final report which outlines the approach, methodology, activities, outcomes, any challenges and recommendations related to the consultancy;
10. Participating in relevant meetings to review deliverables and receive CTO and partners input as requested.

5. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

5.01      The Consultant is required to have recognised credentials (Master’s degree or higher) from an accredited academic institution in Disaster Risk Management or Climate related disciplines, with proven experience (at least height years) conducting work and studies in climate and/or disaster risk management and related fields.

5.02      The Consultant(s) must also have:

1. Substantive knowledge and professional experience implementing projects which includes conducting research and producing publications and training materials in climate and/or disaster risk management and related fields;
2. Substantive professional experience designing training workshops and delivering training to multiple groups including non-technical audiences;
3. Experience implementing regional projects of a similar nature particularly in the geographic Caribbean;
4. Excellent oral and written communication skills in English;
5. Excellent research skills both for qualitative and quantitative research purposes and proven ability to write and present complex policy-related issues;
6. Proven capacity to liaise and effectively work with international development organisations and government agencies; and
7. Knowledge of and experience related to tourism, considered an asset.

6. DELIVERABLES

6.01      The Consultant(s) will deliver the following:

1. Inception Report (inclusive of initial analysis and work plan);
2. Updated Multi-Hazard Risk Management Guide for the Caribbean Tourism Sector;
3. Training and Training of Trainers materials revised, updated and produced that integrate various forms of learning;
4. Comprehensive Report on the Training Workshop in Dominica, inclusive of workshop agenda, outcomes, list of participants and the evaluation/feedback on the quality and value of the training from workshop attendees;
5. Minutes/follow-up to meetings with CTO and project partners that comprise the technical review committee; and
6. Final Report, which outlines the approach, methodology, activities, outcomes, any challenges and recommendations, related to the consultancy.

7. DURATION

7.01      The consultancy is expected to last for 25 days and is expected to commence in January, 2020.