• SME Market Access Program
• SME Access to Finance
• Clean Energy Solutions
• Training and Facilitation
• Project Design and Strategy

Market Readiness Assessments and Content Collection Exercise for Ouro Preto, Brazil

The following is an RFP for a tourism consulting firm to manage and run Market Readiness Assessments and Content Collection Exercise for a project in and around Ouro Preto, Brazil starting in April 2010.  This position requires a fluent Portuguese speaker and English writer.

For more information on this position, please email openings@whlconsulting.com stating the position of interest (Ouro Preto Implementation) and we will forward you a full Request for Proposal with instructions for application.

OBJECTIVES

The overall objective is to improve market access for small and micro entreprises (SME) accommodation providers through a cluster marketing strategy.  The WHL will help them to more effectively market to the growing independent traveler (FIT) market. The proprietary tool to assess the SMEs, Market Readiness Assessment (MRA), has the objective to identify accommodation products ready to participate in marketing directly to a global audience via e-commerce channels, as well as those nearly ready or not ready at all.

The MRA is also important from the perspective of providing a first round of capacity building to the SME. The more “touch points” that the program can have with the SME the greater the buy-in to the whole project process and the higher and deeper the participation. The MRAs are intended to provide preliminary one-on-one consultative services and to assess the individual SME for relative Market Readiness.

The MRA is essentially an interview and site assessment that is conducted at the SMEs premisies with the SME owner or manager. Each MRA can take approximately 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. The Consultant will need to manage the travel and interview schedule, calling ahead to confirm appointment time so that at least 3 (average of 4.5) interviews can be conducted per day.

The consultant will be required to undergo 2 days of training at the start of the assignment. The consultant will be provided with netbooks with the MRA database software loaded so that the consultant can enter the MRA results as he is conducting the interview.

The MRA measures cover the following topics:

• Minimum Requirements for International Markets
• E-commerce Readiness Assessment
• Rapid Quality Assessment
• Training Needs Analysis
• Sustainable Tourism Criteria Assessment
• Renewable Energy Assessment

Specific objectives of this activity within the project are:

• To classify SMEs as Market Ready, Nearly Market Ready and Not Market Ready
• To create a snapshot of the destination Market Readiness
• To find common training and developmental gaps of the SMEs in the destination
• To identify potential areas of investment
• To identify the SMEs response to Sustainable Tourism Criteria

SCOPE OF WORK

Working closely with the appointed WHLC task team leader, tasks the consultant will undertake, will include:

MRAs:

• To carry out MRAs of SME product, under the direction of the appointed MRA team leader, in and around Ouro Preto, Brazil (approximately 200 SMEs)
• To enter the data collected and the assessments into the software application and regularly synchronize the data to the central server.
• To work with the MRA team in reviewing, updating and getting familiar with the MRA tool and process
• To ensure that all SMEs interviewed understand the concept and process of the overall program
• To ensure that MRA results reach the each of the intended SMEs and beneficiaries

CCEs:

• Take digital still photographs of Market Ready and Nearly Market Ready Product (approximately 10-20 final images per SME). Specific requirements to be provided by WHL.
• Create 4 fully-spherical panoramic images for each product. The panoramic images should be of the same format as on 360cities.net. The panoramic images will be used to create a virtual tour of each location.
• 25-35 final (edited) destination images for each destination
• Delivery of images via DVD and to be uploaded to two online databases. Specific details to be provided by WHL.
• Write two versions of quality English language copy for each product. Each product will require approximately 600 words of original content and another version of slightly re-written content (so it is approximately 30% different wording). WHL will provide the Consultant with a questionnaire form for each section/topic of writing per SME (i.e. General Introduction text, room descriptions)
• Generate regular "notes from the field" utilizing WHLC blog outlining your various experiences in the destination.
• Write two (2) destination articles for the destination – one focused on an aspect of the destination, one on sustainable tourism related aspect of the destination; each approximately 400-750 words and each in English.

The work done by the consultant will be performed at the consultant’s home base and in the field in and around Ouro Preto, Brazil to begin in April 2010.

QUALIFICATIONS

Successful Applicants should:

• Working knowledge of the Brazilian tourism industry.
• Relevant tourism industry experience working with Micro, Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises.
• Relevant project management experience.
• Access to professional photographers
• Access to marketing copy  writers
• Able to create team environments and manage consultant time effectively.
• Able to work flexible hours and manage their own time efficiently.
• Regular access to email and Skype for correspondence, coordination and virtual training with WHLC prior to and during implementation.