Consultant – Pacific Tourism Statistics Strategy

Consultant

Overview

Develop the Pacific Tourism Statistics Strategy

You have:

• Minimum qualification is a Post Graduate Degree in Statistics, Economics, Tourism or a relevant field.
• More than 15 years progressive work experience in Statistics policy development at either national, regional or international level and in the Pacific region is required.
• Extensive experience of statistical systems including software and digital applications, capacity development programmes and practical application to the context of Pacific island countries is required.
• Fluency of English language is required.
• Knowledge of French would be an asset.

Contract

This is a International Consultant contract. More about International Consultant contracts.

Background

Consultancy for the development of the Pacific Tourism Statistics Strategy (PTSS)

This Terms of Reference outlines the proposed support for the development of the Pacific Tourism Statistics Strategy through the Inclusive Growth Regional Programme implemented via a joint partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO). Tourism plays a critical role in the economic development of Pacific Island countries in that it is the major driver of economic growth, foreign exchange earnings and employment. Tourism arrivals reached 2.2 million in 2019, generated total receipts of USD 4 billion, contributed about 7.8 percent to regional GDP and employed over 90,000 people. As the SPTO and its Member Countries transition into the next five years with a vision of ‘Pacific Islands’ empowered and benefiting from Sustainable Tourism’, defining the pathways, goals and actions which will bring this vision into fruition is crucial. This is especially important when the work is underway to develop the overarching Pacific Sustainable Tourism Policy Framework.

At the global level, it has been noted that while there have been significant advances in tourism statistical frameworks in recent years, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) identified a significant gap from an official statistics perspective in defining standards with respect to tourism activity that considers economic, environmental and social aspects as well as differentiations at spatial levels. With the aim of closing this statistical gap the UNWTO commenced the Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (MST) Project in 2015. This draft statistical framework was used as the basis to assess the Pacific region’s tourism statistical systems, a joint initiative which was completed in April 2020 through a collaboration between the PARIS21 and SPTO.

In this context, PARIS21, under its program on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), provides support to the Pacific region through technical assistance to the SPTO, to facilitate partnership and cooperation among key players in the development of tourism statistics in the region. The support will involve the design and formulation of the Pacific Tourism Statistics Strategy for the development and strengthening of tourism statistics in the Pacific. The strategy will align with the development priorities on tourism in the region as articulated in the SPTO Strategic Plan 2020-2024 and will support the data needs of the strategy, including those of the Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development, the SAMOA Pathway, regional policy frameworks and the proposed Pacific Sustainable Tourism Policy Framework (PSTPF) amongst others. Specifically, the Research and Statistics priority of the SPTO Strategic Plan 2020-2024 outlines the need for robust information and research data to drive sustainable tourism growth at all levels. To realize this, monitoring overall sectoral performance and driving progress in tracking sustainability performance through short to medium term tourism forecasts and impact analysis that support sustainable tourism growth, policy development and planning is key. Equally important is the need for a robust monitoring framework that will capture successes and learnings for continuous improvement.

Importantly, tourism statistics in the Pacific region is beset with challenges related to data quality, consistency and limited data coverage. It is also difficult to develop a set of recommendations around sustainable tourism statistics that can be applied across all countries in the Pacific Region as statistical systems, policy priorities, financial resources and technical capabilities are vastly different. To address this, SPTO and its members have recognized the need to develop a strategy to improve the tourism statistical systems in the Pacific both at regional and country level. The PTSS will therefore aim to define key actions to increase the production of new and wider use of tourism and related data to inform decision making by all tourism stakeholders. The strategic focus of interventions will be on improvements in data collection and compilation, management, analysis, dissemination and use by stakeholders. By doing this, it will lead to building robust tourism statistical systems at national and regional levels to address the data needs in the region.

The Pacific Tourism Statistics Strategy will address these challenges including but not limited to the following areas:

1. Development of consistent methodologies

2. Use of standard frameworks and classifications

3. Documentation

4. Collaboration and engagement, and

5. Making better use of existing data sources

Objectives of the initiative:

The overall objectives of the initiative are to:

• Provide an overarching strategic direction for the development and management of tourism statistics in the Pacific to aid planning, governance and decision making;
• Provide a platform for stronger stakeholder engagement for the collection, analysis, compilation and production of tourism statistics;
• Strengthen the capacity of regional and national stakeholders in monitoring and managing the impacts of tourism development and;
• Mobilise resources and partnerships required for strengthening tourism statistical systems and human resource capacity

The Consultant will be required to work as part of a team of two to develop the PTSS which comprises of an Implementation Plan and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Framework (MELF) ensuring there is strong alignment between the PTSS and the PSTPF. The Consultant will be working with but not limited to the National Tourism Organisation (NTOs), who are the focal points for tourism, the National Statistics Offices (NSOs) and relevant line Ministries and Corporations such as Environment, Finance and Planning, Fisheries, Culture, Energy, Infrastructure, Reserve or Central Banks, Tourism Private Sector, Development Partners, CROP Agencies, International Finance Institutions, Civil Society Organisations, Academia and educational institutions.

Due to the pandemic and restrictions on travel and group gatherings, the Consultant will be required to work in Suva if Fiji based and to be stationed at the SPTO Office according to an agreed schedule or remotely if outside of Fiji. The work will require a combination of face to face meetings (if based in Fiji), with a heavy research and remote planning and stakeholder consultations component. Should there be opportunity during the project for international travel (when the borders are open and it is safe to travel), arrangements will be made separately. Due to the diverse range of stakeholders and the challenges with internet connectivity in the Pacific, the Consultant is required to have extensive work experience in the field of statistics and policy development as well as with the practical application of such systems for monitoring sustainable development. He/she should also be able to facilitate the virtual consultation process with minimal support.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

The consultant working closely with SPTO, UNDP, key partners and the Regional Working Group who will oversee the initiative, will be required to:

• Develop the Methodology and Work Plan for the development of the Pacific Tourism Statistics Strategy
• Conduct an extensive desktop review to collect data and information to inform the development of the Strategy building on the work that has been completed through the Pacific Tourism Statistics Assessment and other initiatives;
• Conduct stakeholder consultations
• Draft the Pacific Tourism Statistics Strategy (inclusive of the Implementation Plan and MELF)
• Finalise the Pacific Tourism Statistics Strategy
• Provide a list of recommendations for and input to the Pacific Sustainable Tourism Policy Framework

The project will cover the following SPTO member countries which include: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Rapa Nui, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna. SPTO will provide access to the Regional Tourism Resource Center including all the relevant information available to inform the development of this activity.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

Project Milestones

Deliverables

Payment Schedule

Tentative Timeline

Situational Analysis and Formulation of Policy Components

1. Inception Report:

Outlines Key Findings and Recommendations for the Pacific Tourism Statistics Strategy Components

20%

4th December 2020

Stakeholder consultation and Drafting

1. Draft Pacific Tourism Statistics Strategy

30%

18th January 2021

Finalisation

1. Final Draft of the Pacific Tourism Statistics Strategy

30%

8th February 2021

Development of Draft Implementation Plan & Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Framework

1. Final Implementation Plan and MELF

15th March 2021

All deliverables are required to be available in MS Word and where relevant, MS PowerPoint for meetings. Recordings of virtual meetings are also required to be made available.

Institutional Arrangement

Technical Oversight:

A Regional Working Group (RWG) comprising of SPTO, UNDP, UNESCAP, SPC, 3 National representatives and relevant CROP Agencies and Development Partners will be established to provide technical oversight of the deliverables set out in this ToR. The RWG will provide technical input into the process, review deliverables and support the Secretariat in the presentation of updates and deliverables to the SPTO Board Sub Committees and/or SPTO Board of Directors.

Endorsement:

The final endorsement of the Pacific Tourism Statistics Strategy (final draft) will be provided by the SPTO Board of Directors. The normal SPTO Board processes will apply, where the relevant Board Sub Committees will assess deliverables based on updates from the RWG, prior to presenting to the Board of Directors for endorsement. To this end, the Sustainable Tourism and Statistics Board Sub Committee will be playing this role.

Day to Day Contract Management:

The Consultant will report directly to the Manager of the Sustainable Tourism and Research Division of SPTO. The Sustainable Tourism and Research Division of SPTO will provide the administrative and logistical support to the Consultant.

All financial and procurement related matters will be handled by the UNDP Inclusive Growth Team.

Duration of the Work

The assignment is expected to commence in November 2020 with an estimated completion date of April 2021. This will include a total of approximately 70 effective person-days. Ample time has been allocated for the review process of the First Draft, during which time, virtual meetings will be held to present the findings in order to provide context and assist stakeholders with the review in the absence of physical or face to face meetings. Considering the Christmas holidays in the Pacific and the availability of stakeholders, there is a gap in the contract with work to commence in the second week of January 2021 as reflected in the schedule.

Duty Station

• Since the work requires regional consultation and considering the travel restrictions, the duty station is home based but preferable to be within or close to the South Pacific region.If the Consultant is Fiji based, the duty station will be Suva, but on a flexible schedule.
• If the borders reopen during the assignment, due consideration will be given to attend a regional meeting in Fiji.
• Fortnightly meetings will be held with SPTO to update on project progress and where needed, weekly meetings can be arranged.

Competencies

• Comprehensive knowledge of Statistics (systems, frameworks, data issues) at global, regional and country level, tourism and sustainable development issues in the Pacific region
• Proficiency in the use of office IT applications (including zoom, skype, teamviewer, etc) and internet in conducting research and meetings;
• Outstanding project management and organizational skills;
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
• Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities skills;
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
• Ability to plan, organize, implement and report on work;
• Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines;
• Excellent presentation and facilitation skills.
• Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards;
• Positive, constructive attitude to work;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Required Skills and Experience

Educational Qualifications:

• Minimum qualification is a Post Graduate Degree in Statistics, Economics, Tourism or a relevant field

Experience

• More than 15 years progressive work experience in Statistics policy development at either national, regional or international level and in the Pacific region is required.International experience in economic, social or environmental statistical systems/accounting systems would be an asset.
• Extensive experience of statistical systems including software and digital applications, capacity development programmes and practical application to the context of Pacific island countries is required.
• Sound knowledge and understanding of the Tourism Sector in the Pacific is desirable.

Language requirements

• Fluency of English language is required;
• Knowledge of French would be an asset.

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

Consultant must send a financial proposal based on:

Lump Sum Amount. The total amount quoted shall be all-inclusive and include all costs components required to perform the deliverables identified in the TOR, including professional fee, travel costs, living allowance (if any work is to be done outside the IC´s duty station) and any other applicable cost to be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment. The contract price will fixed output-based price regardless of extension of the herein specified duration. Payments will be done upon completion of the deliverables/outputs and as per below percentages:

• Deliverable 1 Inception Report: 20% of total contract amount
• Deliverable 2 Draft Pacific Tourism Statistics Strategy: 30% of total contract amount
• Deliverable 3 Final Tourism Statistics Strategy: 30% of total contract amount
• Deliverable 4 Final Implementation Plan and MELF: 20% of total contract amount 20% of total contract amount

In general, UNDP shall not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources

In the event of unforeseeable travel not anticipated in this TOR, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and the Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Evaluation Method and Criteria

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Cumulative analysis

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as a) responsive/compliant/acceptable; and b) having received the highest score out of set of weighted technical criteria (70%). and financial criteria (30%). Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal received by UNDP for the assignment.

Technical Criteria for Evaluation (Maximum 70 points)

Criteria 1: Qualification – Max 10 Points

• Post Graduate Qualification in Tourism Development, Research, Statistics, Economic, Sustainable Development/ Strategy/ Management, Policy Planning, or related field will be desirable;
• More than 15 years progressive work experience in tourism related policy work would also be desirable

Criteria 2: Technical experience in Tourism Policy Development – Max 30 Points

• Extensive experience in the collation and compilation of National Accounts (Including Environment Statistics and Sustainable Tourism Development);
• Experience in Research for policy reform, strategic planning and decision-making at the National and Regional level (e.g. National Strategies and Policy Frameworks);
• Strong understanding of public and private sector issues relating to Data Collection, tourism development and sustainability in the Pacific, across Small Island Developing States, and the global tourism sector;
• Experience in Monitoring and Evaluation;
• Professional experience in Tourism and/or environment sector including demonstrated and hands-on experience in policy development or reform in the tourism sector;
• Computer proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office software packages;

Criteria 3 Experience in Key Areas – Max 10 Points

• Technical knowledge on the compilation of National Accounts (Including Environmental Accounts) with a focus on Tourism-related Statistics and its role in measuring Sustainable Tourism in the national, regional and/or global context;
• Strong understanding of National Accounts (Statistics) and Sustainable Tourism in both Developing and Developed Countries;
• Experience in working on Pacific Regional Tourism Research Projects and working with governments institutions on policy related matters
• Experience working with International Organizations (e.g. NGOs, UN Agencies, and other private sector organizations);
• Maturity and confidence in dealing with senior members of national institutions and private sector partners;
• Excellent coordination and communication skills, with analytical capacity and ability to synthesize collected data and present findings to stakeholders;
• Excellent coordination skills and result oriented collaboration with colleagues – particularly with the Regional Technical Working Group and key stakeholders.
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;

Criteria 4: Relevance of Approach/Methodology to assignment – Max 20 Points

• Develop and provide a methodology of how the assignment will be carried out with respect to timelines and deliverables.
• Relevance of approach in recommending the structure of the Pacific Tourism Statistics Strategy including in the development of the Implementation Plan and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Framework
• Candidates must include a planned consultation process for all stakeholders as well as key outputs

Financial Proposal (30%)

To be computed as a ratio of the Proposal’s offer to the lowest price among the proposals received by UNDP

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Documentation required

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document:

• Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided in Annex II.
• Personal CV, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.
• Technical proposal, including a) a brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment; and b) a methodology, on how they will approach and complete the assignment. A Methodology is required.
• Financial proposal, as per template provided in Annex II. Note: National consultants must quote prices in United States Dollars (USD).

Note: Successful individual will be required to provide proof of medical insurance coverage before commencement of contract for the duration of the assignment.

Incomplete, joint proposals and proposals sent to the wrong mailing address will not be accepted and only candidates for whom there is further interest will be contacted.

Consultants with whom there is further interest will be contacted. The successful consultant shall opt to sign an Individual Contract or a Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA) through its company/employer with UNDP.

Annexes

• Annex I - Individual IC General Terms and Conditions
• Annex II – Offeror’s Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability for the Individual IC, including Financial Proposal Template

Proposal Submission

• All applications must be clearly marked with the title of the consultancy (Consultant – Pacific Tourism Statistics Strategy) with reference (PN/FJ/106/20) and submitted via UN Job shop by 1 November 2020.
• Note: UNDP Jobs only supports single document upload hence ensure that the proposal consolidated and submitted as one single document
• For further information concerning this Terms of Reference, please contact UNDP Pacific Office by email: procurement.fj@undp.org

Women applicants are encouraged to apply.

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Potential interview questions

Added 5 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: jobs.undp.org