Eco-Tourism Consultant

Background

Due to significant cultural and geographical barriers separating the northern municipalities from Podgorica and the southern coast, the north does not have a strong entrepreneurial culture and farmers and small businesses remain largely isolated from those stronger markets, unaware of the opportunities they present and lacking the capacity and capital to pursue them. There are, however, significant opportunities for northerners to develop the business acumen and marketable skills necessary to tap into growing markets in Montenegro and the near abroad. Despite the recent economic downturn, opportunity abounds in the north. A growing tourism and food market, the implementation of GoM economic modernization plans, and the recent nomination of the country as a European Union candidate country are helping to build momentum for development.

The USAID/Economic Growth Project (EGP) is a 33-month, $5,255,300 project (now entering its second year) to increase economic opportunity in northern Montenegro. The project is raising competitiveness of the tourism and agribusiness sectors by strengthening and linking northern MSMEs to sustainable market opportunities and improving the business enabling environment in which they operate. In so doing, EGP is building the operational capacity of MSMEs and enabling capable entrepreneurs to capitalize on promising market trends by forging partnerships and attracting capital investment from private, public and donor sources. The EGP tourism objective is to “Improve the capacity of 300+ tourism MSMEs to attract and accommodate tourists through improved services, promotion, and coordination.” 

In Year 1, EGP’s Tourism Sector Strategy Brief outlined a preliminary plan for project activities that would address key sector constraints, including:

1)      A limited array of eco-tourism accommodation and services in the north;

2)      Limited available information on northern tourism services to local and international tourists;

3)      Limited human and financial resources to support business development;

4)      Lack of Business-to-Business (B2B) cooperation and joint marketing of products and services; and

5)      A lack of understanding by municipalities and institutions of private-sector needs.

Based on these findings, EGP has chosen to focus its Tourism Sector Assistance on: 

1)      Supporting the Development of Nature-Based Tourism Services and Activities

1. Lodging
2. Nature-based activities

2)      Facilitating Coordination and Linkages among Local and Regional Tourism Actors.

1. B2B coordination in the north
2. Establishing commercial relationships with coastal and Balkan tourism businesses

 LOE:  March 11-23, 2012 (13 days)

Scope of Work

Conduct primary and secondary research of tourism development needs and opportunities in the north through desk research, interaction with project staff and key implementing partners, and field visits to tourist businesses. 

Assist the EGP Tourism Team to draft an activity plan for the next 14 months, including an illustrative calendar of anticipated Calls for Proposals. As part of this activity plan, draft a concise and compelling vision of what major impacts can be expected as a result of these anticipated activities, with a focus on legacy organizations and capacity that will continue to help the tourism sector in the north to develop following the completion of EGP.   

Conduct a one-day training with EGP Tourism Team assistance for the project’s four new Key Implementing Partners to familiarize them with this Tourism Activity Plan and help them better understand and communicate to stakeholders the types of project activities that would be in line with this strategy.     

Based on the above efforts, facilitate a 1-2-day training and strategy workshop among members of the newly established Montenegro Outdoor Association. The end product will be an action plan developed in coordination with the MOA, addressing ongoing constraints, which will be the focal point of stakeholder activity and EGP support in the sector. The purpose is four-fold:

To develop a common agenda with strong stakeholder buy-in that will target key tourism services and service providers for development.

1. To identify and commit to B2B coordination initiatives among northern stakeholders.
2. To target potential commercial relationships external to the north
3. To strengthen the solidarity of a group of progressive tourism businesses to pave the way for later association development

Year 1 of EGP dealt largely with generating small-scale infrastructure projects. Starting in Year 2, EGP will increasingly focus on business development services which strengthen the human resource capacity to deliver and market their services. With 17 months remaining, EGP will attempt to program the majority of its projects in the next year. For tourism, this means roughly 40 projects worth $300,000 will be allocated to catalyze business development in the sector. With many ideas already generated, it will be the consultant’s task to incorporate direct input from the tourism business community and develop a detailed action plan that will guide joint EGP-stakeholder development activities in the sector.

Training topics will include:

1)      Review of key national level development initiatives and opportunities

2)      An international tourists’ perspective of northern Montenegro

3)      The importance of regional branding

4)      Identifying a common agenda

5)      Pros and Cons of establishing an association

The training agenda may be preceded by one or more days of site visits to critically assess tourism sites. Thereafter, findings will be used to inform the training and its discussion of sector priorities, identification of key players meriting technical assistance, laying out an action plan and delegating responsibilities. EGP will commit to development initiatives leading up to the 2012 tourism season under the condition that participants or the group as a whole meets its promised obligations.

Deliverables:

The consultant’s final report will outline specific tasks, interventions and events to occur through the end of the fiscal year, including the following documents:

1. EGP draft tourism activity plan, including an illustrative calendar of anticipated Calls for Proposals and a concise and compelling vision of what major impacts can be expected as a result of these anticipated activities, with a focus on legacy organizations and capacity that will continue to help the tourism sector in the north to develop beyond the life of the Economic Growth Project

2. Design and deliver a one-day training with EGP Tourism Team assistance for the project’s four new Key Implementing Partners to familiarize them with this Tourism Activity Plan and program approach

3. Design and deliver a one to two-day training and strategy workshop among members of the newly established Montenegro Outdoor Association. The end product will be an action plan developed in coordination with the MOA, addressing ongoing constraints, which will be the basis of an MoU between EGP and the MOA.

Qualifications Desired:

Experience facilitating tourism development, with an emphasis on outdoor and active tourism;

• Background in delivering development assistance to a wide variety of stakeholders to promote industry collaboration through association building and other joint promotional activities.
• Knowledge and understanding of USAID rules, regulations, and Monitoring and Evaluation frameworks and procedures.
• Experience in the Balkans or similar transition environments preferred.