Tourism Master Planning Project consultant/s

Terms of Reference
The Working Group is seeking an organization, consultant or group of consultants to make the Tourism Master Planning for Dong Nam Son and around.
This planning not only considers the tourism management of the cave, but also the combination with other tourist attractions and potential tourist activities around the cave in order to spread the tourist offer linking with other tourist hot spots of Ngoc Son Ngo Luong Nature Reserve (See Potential Ecotourism Destinations Selected inside NR - Strategic Plan for Ecotourism inside of NSNL NR).
The goal is that the cave can be the attraction for the tourist but not the unique and principal tourist activity of the tourist hot spot. Therefore, the master plan must consider the development of local services for the tourism (rubbish management, accommodations, meals, guiding service, trekking trails, activities managed as CBET, if any), training courses for locals to provide the services, infrastructures, signage concept and landmarks proposal etc.
The Tourism Master Plan should consider making a plan to offer a stay at least of 2 days, one night in Nam Son commune or inside Tan Lac district (or Ngoc Son Ngo Luong Nature Reserve). Connection with other interprovincial ecotourism sites like Pu Luong Nature Reserve should be considered, also.
The master plan must be aligned with the Regulations on Management of Ecotourism Activities in National Parks and Nature Reserves (Enclosed the Decision No.104/2007/QD-BNN dated 27/12/2007 of Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development; Circular 99/2006/TT-BNN; Decision 186 and relevant documents) and the future Tourism Management Plan of the Nature Reserve (in preparation), Tourism Master Plan of Tan Lac district, and other district and commune plans which are being developing in the area.
The Tourism Master Plan must consider the document: (i) “An assessment of Hang Rong Cave, Ton Village, Nam Son commune, Tan Lac district, Hoa Binh province for possible tourism development”1 as the technical document for reference and (ii) the Strategic Plan for Ecotourism Development inside of the Ngoc Son Ngo Luong Nature Reserve, Hoa Binh Province as a supporting document to have an overview about the development of the ecotourism inside of Ngoc Son Ngo Luong Nature Reserve.
This Planning shall be under the supervision and technical advice of technical and scientific group (hereafter called Expert Group) appointed by the Working Group. Anh the consultant or group of consultants should receive the support and feedback of this committee to make the final version of the Tourism Master Planning, especially to define the carrying capacity of the cave, timing to visit, to design the path inside the cave, to design the infrastructures to build inside the cave, to make the regulations to visit the cave and the monitoring plan.
In short, the goal is to use the cave to attract the tourism but not to be the principal tourist activity in this place as the cave is a very weak and sensitive place for tourism and the visits and activities have to be limited in order to raise for a suitable tourist management of the cave.

The Management Board receives only original proposals and rejects those proposals which have similar budget/timetable/technical proposal documents.
The project consultant/s will have the following duties and responsibilities

Duties and responsibilities
To read and understand all relevant documents (some of them have been mentioned above) and legislation to make the Tourism Master Plan under the indications of this ToR. It should be noted that Nam Son Grotto is located inside NR and received the certification of National Beauty Spot Heritage
To make a plan for delivering the Tourism Master Plan for Nam Son Grotto and around in both Vietnamese and English languages. The plan should be sent with application letter. Later on, the plan of accepted consultant/s still needs to be discussed, agreed with Management Board. This plan has to include the mechanism to deliver the different phases for making and performance the Tourism Master Plan, and tentative budget based on the UN/EU cost norms;
To propose a chronogram with the different phases for making the Tourism Master Plan and for the implementation phase. This working plan has to consider the steps, the expected timing to expend by the consultant/s to make the Tourism Master Plan (maximum 1 month) and timing for the implementation the Tourism Master Plan.
To coordinate with the Expert Group to include their recommendations and advice.
To arrange periodical technical meetings with the Working Group to inform about the evolution/progress of the work;
To give support and provide all information needed by the Working Group when the Working Group supervises and monitors the activities of the consultant/s at random during the process.
To facilitate all technical discussions raised during all process;
It is obligatory to keep confidential the terms, inputs, outputs and activities for making the Tourism Master Planning and must not disclose or allow to be disclosed to any third party any information of the inputs or outputs of this action plan.
The maximum time must not over 1 month to make the draft of Tourism Master Planning;
To attend all workshops, technical meetings and forum that the project could arrange in relation to this proposal, during and after the proposal is implemented;
To secure quality of the process in manner that all stakeholders understand the content, the methods and the approaches delivered;
To submit versions to the Working Group in both English and Vietnamese: the draft version for discussion and final version for approval.

It is expected that the Tourism Master Planning will be approved by the Peoples’ Committee of Tan Lac and it will be implemented on time.

The proposal for making the Tourism Master Planning must cover the following points and necessary ones which are not referred to:
Check the relevant documents and legislation related to Tourism for Nature Reserve and National Heritage;
Elaborate the timetable and budget to deliver the Tourism Master Planning;
Consider the suggestions and technical advise of the Expert Group;
Design the services and CBET Management Board (if any) with local people, FPD Management Board, local authorities;
Facilitate investment process;
Zone regulations of activities outside the cave;
Guideline code of practice to ensure low impact tourist activity inside the cave;
Consider the sustainable management of carrying capacity in terms of tourism;
Services to ensure equitable benefits of tourism among stakeholders (especially local communities), including guiding, interpretation plan;
Training courses on services;
Establishment of Tourism Associations/Management Board for the cave;
Ticket system and how this income can contribute to the conservation of the protected area;
Consider Operator Licensing if any;
Analyze product phase;
Promotion plan under the project process;
Feedback and monitoring mechanism;
Others

Duration and Requirements

Duration
Maximum 1 month for draft of the Tourism Master Planning.

Duty Station
Peoples’ Committee of Tan Lac district

Report
Working Group will have a strict policy in relation to the schedule of the activities and final outputs. Consultant/s and Project Management Unit will agree a calendar and payment schedule that must be fulfilled by both parts. All reports must be in both Vietnamese and English languages.

Requirements
A university degree;
Minimum five years of professional experience in making ecotourist activities in Vietnam. Experience to set up ecotourism activities in protected areas in Vietnam. Experience to set up CBET Management Boards with communities will be highly appreciated.
Minimum three years of professional experience in making CBET plans with local communities;
governmental provincial agencies, commune leaders, local people and NGOs;
Good spoken and written English and fluent Vietnamese;

Evaluation of each proposal

1.- Technical quality of the proposal :                                                                                        60%

a) Evaluation of the methodology:                                                                                            30%

-        Adequacy of the proposal to the ToR                                                                                5%
-        Quality of the technical tools to make the Tourism Master Plans in caves
or protected areas                                                                                                                     20%
-        Development the bottom to up methodology to make the Tourism Master Planning          5%

b) Evaluation of the team through CVs and experience                                                              30%

-        Experience on Master Plans or Tourism Management Plans in caves or protected
areas in Vietnam                                                                                                                         15%
-        Experience on CBET in protected areas                                                                               5 %
-        Experience on design tourist management plans for districts                                               10 %

2.- Economical offer:40%

 

Job Details
Organisation Name: 
The Social Promotion of the Culture Foundation (FPSC)
Location: 
Nam Son Commune, Tan Lac district, Hoa Binh province
Application Deadline: 
Sun, 2009-08-23