Expression of Interest (EOI)

Hiring services of a Consultant (Coordinator) for Musanze and Rubavu Destination Management Organizations

Reference Number: 83466343

Date of Publication: 28.05.2024

Introduction

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federally owned international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations. The GIZ Office in Kigali covers GIZ’s portfolio in Rwanda and Burundi. GIZ Rwanda/Burundi implements projects on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the European Union and other commissioning authorities in the following priority areas: Sustainable Economic Development, Good Governance, Climate, Energy and Sustainable Urban Development, Digital Transformation & Digital Economy, Great Lakes Region.

Skills Development for Economic Transformation (SD4T)

Rwanda’s economic growth has been remarkable, annual growth rates averaged at eight per cent over the past two decades. Yet, unemployment (21.1 %) and underemployment (58.9 %) remain high. The majority of the population works in the agriculture sector, where incomes are low. Moreover, the number of young people entering the labour market is increasing. A large proportion of local companies are unregistered micro-enterprises which are not very competitive and cannot harness the long-term potential for growth. Most of them are only creating a handful of jobs at present. Domestic value creation, specifically in the light industrial sector is low and meets international standards only to a limited extent. At the same time, the professional skills of many job seekers do not match the requirements of the labour market.

With strategies like the National Strategy for Transformation (NST 1) and Made in Rwanda Policy, the Government of Rwanda is promoting skills development, the creation of off-farm jobs and domestic value creation. To contribute to the Rwandan Government’s strategy, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) commissioned GIZ to implement the programme “Skills development for economic transformation (SD4T)” from 2023 to 2026, as part of the priority area “Sustainable Economic Development” of the Rwandan-German Development Cooperation. The programme is co-funded by the European Union (EU). The programme’s main political partners are the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM) and the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC). As a specific focus, SD4T supports the Government of Rwanda in stepping up its efforts for local inclusion and graduation of refugees out of humanitarian aid, which is reflected in the Joint Strategy on Economic Inclusion of Refugees and Host Communities in Rwanda (2021-2024) by MINEMA and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The programme aims to create jobs and strengthen the competitiveness of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and cooperatives in the light manufacturing industry (e.g. furniture production, metal processing etc.) according to the principles of inclusivity, productivity and environmental sustainability. This will be achieved by following an integrated approach to employment promotion, consisting of 1) the promotion of technical and vocational education and training to enhance the quality of labour supply, 2) private sector development to raise labour demand, and 3) economic policy advice to improve the matching of labour supply and demand. A specific focus is placed on the economic empowerment of women, refugees and host communities.

1. Context

Destination Management Organization (DMO):

Tourism is different from many other sectors as it is scattered and made up of many different actors who all play a vital part in adding services to tourists before, during and after their visit to a destination. Actors from both the public and the private sectors and on many different levels from government to activity and accommodation providers all play a part in ensuring a thriving tourism sector. These actors need to be coordinated towards a common goal, to make sure that efforts are not scattered or duplicated. UNWTO amongst others describe this process as destination management, consisting of the coordinated management of all the elements that make up a tourist destination.

Destination management requires the coalition of different organizations, sometimes with different interests, all working towards a common goal. This ensures the competitiveness and sustainability of the tourist destination. The destination management organization or DMO has become the standard international unit to lead this process of coordinating actors under a coherent strategy in pursuit of a common goal. The role of today’s DMO is to be the coordinating and driving force between the elements of a destination and the overall activities aimed at attracting more visitors and improving visitor experiences.

Destination Management in Rwanda:

The focus of Rwanda’s Sustainable Tourism Master Plan is eight Destination Management Areas (DMAs) to diversify the country’s tourism offer. Despite being mentioned in the plan, very little has been done locally in the destinations in terms of coordinating actors, developing local destination management plans or developing attractions. The efforts for promotion and development of the DMAs have been scattered amongst many different actors without any coordination or lead. This trend was recently broken through the development of the first DMOs in Rwanda: The Kivu Belt Destination Management Unit and Royal Nyanza.

Through a coordinated approach to development and marketing of tourism, Rwanda’s first DMOs have shown the potential of what can be achieved through coordination and support of tourism on a local level. This has spread to other parts of the country and similar work to coordinate the sector and develop DMOs in the destination management areas has now started in Rubavu and Musanze. These districts are in full swing to organize the actors in the sector towards coordinated management.

Rubavu District:

Rubavu is one of seven districts in the Western Province and one of only five districts bordering Lake Kivu. The district borders the larger town of Goma in DRC and has one of the most trafficked border crossings in East Africa. Rubavu is recognized as a Destination Management Area in the Rwanda Sustainable Tourism Masterplan.

Rubavu has a strategic location on the shores of Lake Kivu and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Rwanda amongst domestic travellers. Apart from its lakeside resorts and restaurants, Nyamyumba Hot Springs, Rubavu Public Beach and the Congo Nile Trail are some of Rubavu’s most popular attractions. Rubavu’s scenic views makes it a prime venue for weddings and the cross-border trade attracts many business travellers. Rubavu is also the host to several international sporting events each year.

Tourism is already highlighted as a core sector in Rubavu. Rubavu has developed a destination management plan with the aim of increasing the number of international visitors to the district through better coordination, marketing and the development of attractions aimed at international visitors. 

Musanze District:

Musanze District is one of 5 districts in the Northern Province. Home to the mountain gorillas, Musanze is the most popular destination in Rwanda for international tourists. Volcanoes National Park offers gorilla trekking, where visitors can observe these rare primates in their natural habitat. Some of the world’s best lodges are in Musanze District where they host upmarket visitors to the national park. Musanze offers a range of other activities apart from gorilla trekking. Hiking the Virunga Volcanoes, Caving and the nearby Twin Lakes are some of these attractions. Musanze also has a thriving network of community-based tourism experiences.

Musanze district aims to keep its place as Rwanda’s leading tourist destination and increase the impact visitors have on the local economy by extending visitor’s stay, marketing and diversifying the destinations offerings.

Objective of the assignment:

The objective of this assignment is to hire a consultant that will support the SD4T programme during the coordination of the various tourism activities along the Musanze-Rubavu DMOs. The consultant will be responsible for the coordination of the different stakeholders including hoteliers, tour operators and the districts with the aim of achieving shared goals within the sector. In addition to this, the consultant will offer advice and support during the implementation of the different key activities highlighted in some of the DMO’s strategies and development plans in the bid to contribute towards the development of the destination. 

2. Tasks to be performed by the consultant:

The contractor is responsible for providing the following services and/ or performing the following tasks during the duration of this contract:

Coordinating actors within the DMOs:

• The destination coordinator will have the overall task of coordination of actors and activities in the destinations for implementation of tourism destination management plans and strategic tourism development plans.
• The tasks also involve coordinating activities with actors on a national level such as Rwanda Development Board and Rwanda Chamber of Tourism. The work will involve close collaboration with the districts as well as other private and public sector stakeholders.
• The consultant will team up with other experts and stakeholders to implement assigned tasks and activities.
• Provide advisory services for tourism operators such as companies, tour guides and the districts in the bid to establish linkages between stakeholders with the RDB service desk. 

Develop a sustainable and realistic business model and structure for the Musanze-Rubavu Destination Management Organisations (DMOs).

In close collaboration with key stakeholders, develop the destination management plan for Musanze district.

Implement other tourism related activities aimed at the growth of the Musanze-Rubavu DMOs:

• Establish a monitoring system to gather visitor data and measure the economic impact on the Musanze-Rubavu DMOs.
• In close collaboration with key stakeholders, implement activities in line with the destination management plan for Rubavu district such as the development of the Rubavu public beach.
• Support in the process of designing the destination marketing strategies for the Musanze-Rubavu DMOs and include newly developed tourism products and outlets in marketing campaigns. This will be done in close collaboration with the marketing and branding company.
• Ensure that the branding strategies for the destination Musanze-Rubavu are approved by the key stakeholders within this Destination Management Organisations (DMOs). This will be done in close collaboration with the marketing and branding company.
• Coordinate the implementation of different activities within the destination management plan for Rubavu.
• Coordinate and implement other tourism activities and events in close collaboration with the districts and tourism actors along the Musanze-Rubavu Destination Management Organisations (DMOs).
• Ensure that linkages are created between the different tourism actors along the Musanze- Rubavu DMOs with the SD4T partners in the light manufacturing sector.

Engage in the multi-stakeholder platform (MSP) activities of the SD4T Programme:

• Take part in the multi-stakeholder workshops organised by the SD4T programme in this region, create awareness among the different tourism actors about the multi-stakeholder platform activities that are being conducted in the Musanze hub and encourage stakeholders in this sector to leverage on the opportunities presented through this MSP platform.
• In close collaboration with the SD4T programme, mobilize tourism actors along the Musanze-Rubavu DMOs, collaborate and support companies within this region that are operating in the light manufacturing (wood sector).
• Support the SD4T programme during the organisation and preparation of meetings and events within the different districts in the Musanze-Rubavu DMOs especially in relation to the MSP initiative.

Work packages/ Milestones:

Certain milestones, as laid out in the table below, are to be achieved during the contract term:

Period of assignment: The assignment will be implemented from June 2024 until November 2025.

3. Concept

In the tender, the consultant is required to show how the objectives defined above (see chapter 1 context) are to be achieved, if applicable under consideration of further method-related requirements (technical-methodological concept). In addition, the consultant must describe the project management system for service provision.

Note: The numbers in parentheses correspond to the lines of the technical assessment grid.

Technical-methodological concept:

Strategy (1.1): The consultant is required to consider the tasks to be performed with reference to the objectives of the services put out to tender (see Chapter 1 Context) (1.1.1). Following this, the consultant presents and justifies the explicit strategy with which he/she intends to provide the services for which he/she is responsible (see Chapter 2 Tasks to be performed) (1.1.2).

The consultant is required to present the actors relevant for the services for which he/she is responsible and describe the cooperation (1.2) with them.

The tender is required to present and highlight the interaction between the relevant actors in the contractor’s area of responsibility (1.2.1.) and indicate the strategy for establishing cooperation and then cooperating with the relevant actors (1.2.2.).

The consultant is required to present and explain his/her approach to steering the measures with the project partners (1.3.1) and his/her contribution to the results-based monitoring system (1.3.2).

The consultant is required to describe the key processes for the services for which he/she is responsible and create an operational plan or schedule (1.4.1) that describes how the services according to Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed by the contractor) are to be provided. In particular, the consultant is required to describe the necessary work steps and, if applicable, take account of the milestones and contributions of other actors (partner contributions) in accordance with Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed) (1.4.2).

The consultant is required to describe his/her contribution to knowledge management for the partner (1.5.1) and GIZ and to promote scaling-up effects (1.5.2) under learning and innovation. In addition to this, the consultant will be expected to describe his/her approach and procedure for the coordination of activities within this assignment (1.6.1)

Project management of the contractor (1.6)

The consultant is required to explain his/her approach for coordination with the GIZ project. In particular, the project management requirements specified in Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed by the contractor) must be explained in detail.

Further requirements (1.7)

For the purposes of this tender, you are requested to also include the following documents to your tender documents:

• An RDB registration certificate
• An RRA tax registration certificate with evidence of tax clearance for the last three months

4. Personnel concept

The specified qualifications below represent the requirements to reach the maximum number of points in the technical assessment.

Required Qualifications:

• Education/training (2.2.1): Bachelor’s Degree in Travel and Tourism Management, Business Administration, Marketing and Communications, or a related field
• Language (2.2.2): A1-level language proficiency in Kinyarwanda and English. A confirmation in the CV is enough.
• General professional experience (2.2.3): 7 years of professional experience in the tourism sector and deep understanding of the tourism sector with experience from developing new tourism products, destinations and working with Destination Management Organizations is highly valued. 
• Specific professional experience (2.2.4): 5 years in coordination, development and marketing of tourism destinations as well as experience in developing and implementing comprehensive marketing, communications, and business development strategies.
• Leadership/management experience (2.2.5): 5 years of management/leadership experience as project team leader or manager in a company with the ability to interact and establish professional strategic relationships with internal and external stakeholders within Rwanda.
• Regional experience (2.2.6): 5 years of experience in projects in East Africa (region), of which 5 years in projects in Rwanda (country).
• Development cooperation (DC) experience (2.2.7): 5 years of experience in Development Cooperation projects.

5. Quantitative/ Costing requirements

1. Specification of inputs

Requirements on the format of the tender

The structure of the tender must correspond to the structure of the ToRs. In particular, the detailed structure of the concept (Chapter 3) should be organised in accordance with the positively weighted criteria in the assessment grid (not with zero). The technical offer must be legible (font size 11 or larger) and clearly formulated. It must be drawn up in English (language).

The complete tender must not exceed 8 pages (excluding CVs). If one of the maximum page lengths is exceeded, the content appearing after the cut-off point will not be included in the assessment. External content (e.g. links to websites) will also not be considered.

The CV of the applicant/consultant should be in accordance with these ToRs and must be submitted using the format specified in the terms and conditions for application. The CV shall not exceed 5 pages. It must clearly show the position and job the proposed person held in the reference project and for how long. The CV should also be submitted in English (language).

The applicant/consultant should indicate how the services outlined in the sections above are to be provided and reference should be made to the following criteria:

• General understanding of the assignment and the Musanze-Rubavu Destination Management Organisations (DMOs).
• Proposed methodology for implementation.
• A summary of the key stakeholders that the consultant will be working closely with during the implementation of this assignment.
• A workplan on how and when the different deliverables will be implemented.

Please calculate your financial tender based exactly on the parameters specified in Chapter 5 above. The contractor is not contractually entitled to use up the days, trips, or budgets in full. The number of days, trips and workshops and the budgets will be contractually agreed as maximum limits. The specifications for pricing are defined in the price schedule.

6. Submission of offer: The Expression of Interest should contain the following:

Technical Proposal:

• A cover letter expressing your interest in this assignment
• Technical proposal with a brief description of why you would be considered as the most suitable for the assignment, relevant expertise, and a detailed, clear methodology, your approach to complete the assignment, template attached.
• CV of the Consultants proposed
• Proof of successful completion of related assignments.

Financial Proposal (Template attached): indicates the all-inclusive daily rate, supported by a breakdown of all costs. The costs must be in RWF and VAT

Please submit electronically your EoI (technical & Financial offer) in 2 separated emails and must be in PDF files to this email ONLY: RW_Quotation@giz.de until latest 12^th June 2024

Please you must write on each email subject this sentence:

83466343 Technical/financial offer, without this sentence, your offer may not be considered

Only soft copies will be considered

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