Job Description
The Market Development Facility, an Australian Government funded initiative, aims to:
- Create additional employment and income earning opportunities for poor women and men through broad-based and sustainable pro-poor growth.
- Make rural and urban sectors of the economy in which the poor are involved as producers and workers, more competitive, making them grow.
- Trigger lasting, systemic changes in the markets systems around these sectors to reduce constraints to growth and to increase their capacity to innovate and deal with competitive, regulatory, social and environmental pressures, so that the benefits for the poor will sustain and expand in time.
The Facility is committed to implementing a market systems approach:
- Rather than working with the poor directly, the Facility will seek to develop partnerships with players in the private and public sector with the ability and leverage to trigger lasting systemic changes that create broad-based, sustainable pro-poor growth.
- With each partner, the Facility will design and negotiate detailed action plans, which include clear financial and resource commitments, to arrive at appropriate, innovative and sustainable solutions.
- Sector players take the lead in implementing and the Facility’s role is limited and short-term.
The approach requires a flexible implementation process, responding to opportunities as they arise. MDF is currently operational in Fiji, Timor-Leste and Pakistan.
Background:MDF operations in Fiji began in 2011. Currently the focus of the Facility is in two key sectors: Horticulture and Agro-Exports, and Tourism and related support industries. For each sector, the Facility performs an in-house sector assessment and develops a sector growth strategy, which identifies the key
constraint/growth areas within those sectors, on which the Facility focuses its interventions for stimulating pro-poor growth in the sector.
MDF aims to stimulate pro-poor grow the tourism sector in Fiji by:
- Increasing the number of tourists traveling to Fiji (by improving connections, access to travel information, booking services etc.);
- Increasing the duration of their stay (by increasing the number of destinations, activities, etc.);
- Increasing their spending (by increasing the tourist product supply, particularly activities and shopping options); and
- Reducing ‘leakage’ (by increasing the tourist product supply, particularly locally produced handicrafts and souvenirs; and locally grown or produced food).
This translates into a very diverse and constantly growing portfolio of partnerships with local businesses.
MDF’s current portfolio of partnerships focuses on increasing access to travel information and bookings; increasing access to more diversified shopping, entertainment and activities; and increasing access to year-round fresh and processed (HACCP certified) produce and food stuff. Other strategy areas where MDF is looking to work is improving access to more convenient, better coordinated and less costly transportation linkages; promoting pacific cuisine, better culinary skills and awareness and use of local produce; improving access to hospitality and hotel management skills; and increasing access to more diversified and better quality (non-food) supplies to the tourism sector. MDF has a special attention area on the promotion of tourism in the North particularly on Vanua Levu (Fiji’s second largest island).
Working with partners in these areas MDF will create additional income and job opportunities for poor women and men in the tourism and other supporting sectors. MDF’s Results Measurement system (M&E) is designed to monitor, measure and assess these impacts as a result of activities implemented with partners. While MDF will measure the impacts of each partnership directly, given the diversity of its portfolio, MDF also wants to understand how its partnerships, which may increase the number of tourists or tourist spending, affect the incomes and employment of others more widely in primary tourism sectors.
Objective:The study will be used to determine the impact of additional tourists and/or increase in tourist spending on employment and income in the: (1) food and beverage; (2) transportation; (3) entertainment/activities; (4) retail/trade industries and (5) accommodation industries, as they relate to tourism.
The objective of the consultancy is to implement a study to establish a unique input-output tool which determines
how much additional employment and additional income is generated and how many people benefit from this, as a result of an increased number of tourists or increased tourist spending.
The adjustable Inputs will include: Number of Tourists / Average Tourist Spending / Percentage breakdown of Spending; while the calculated outputs will include: Business Turnover and Employment in each of the five industry categories. Industry wages to estimate the individual income from employment can be used when available.
Therefore study will begin by understanding the relationship between GDP in those five industry
categories and employment; and how it is related to the increase in tourist spending (either directly or through an increase in tourist numbers).
Key Responsibilities
Methodology
The study should be conducted using a mix of Satellite Account and visitor surveys for an input-output model for estimating the impacts of tourism as specified above and as described in detail below. The consultant should primarily use existing secondary information from the Fiji Islands Bureau of Statistics (FIBOS), which includes national economic and employment figures; Tourism Satellite Account 2002 (TSA), International Visitors Surveys and special Economic Surveys. A summary of each is provided in the attached Terms of Reference.
Technical Direction:
The Consultant will work closely with one of Fiji’s RM Specialists in each of the Steps above, and under the direction of the Fiji Country Representative, who will approve all deliverables. The Consultant should regularly inform the Fiji Country Representative about the progress of the work.
MDF will provide examples and formats for the consultant to work with where needed.
Deliverables:
- Briefing Meeting: the briefing meeting will be held with necessary MDF staff virtually prior to arrival in Fiji. Information needs that MDF will need to prepare prior to the Consultants arrival in Fiji should be clearly identified within this meeting.
- Excel based Input-Output tool: a user-friendly input-output tool in excel will be developed for use by the MDF team. The format is to be decided by the Consultant however it should be done in consultation with the Fiji Country Representative. The final tool will be provided in the Final report, incorporating feedback from MDF.
- Draft and Final Report which include the following information:
- Methodology: How the study was designed and conducted, what information was used, what information was collected or verified, methodologies used to conduct analysis, its accuracy, and any other issues or limitations.
- Analysis to develop Input-Output model: detailed description of the analysis undertaken to develop the Input-Output Tool. The final tool should also be provided in this section. Other considerations, assumptions and limitations that were important throughout the study should also be included.
- Data as Annexes: include all secondary data tables used and/or created, all primary data collected if any, and any detailed calculation steps.
For more information, please download the attached Terms of Reference.
Other Requirements
The successful consultant should demonstrate that they meet the following selection criteria:
- Previous experience working in tourism development or tourism research in developing country contexts.
- Extensive experience in quantitative and qualitative research and analysis in a developing country context.
- Conceptual and practical knowledge of tourism multipliers and input-output analysis; including their use and development.
- Post Graduate qualifications in development studies, economics or social sciences from a reputed institute is desirable.
- Experience working with international donor-funded projects and/or international non-governmental organisations on relevant programs in increasing economic growth, employment and incomes.
- Experience working with a market systems, or M4P, approach is desirable.
- Excellent communication skills and fluency in English is required.
Employee Benefits
Adviser Remuneration Framework Classification: Short term C3
Contact
To apply, please submit a CV and Cover Letter which demonstrates how you meet the above criteria to: recruitment@cardnomdf.org stating “Fiji Tourism Input-Output Study” in the Subject Line.
Applications are due by 18th May 2014.
