Consulting Opportunity: Bird Guide Curriculum and Training Expert

Audubon is working with the Multilateral Investment Fund (FOMIN), a member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and local conservation organizations, to carry out a regional ecotourism project, Strengthening Bird-Based Tourism as a Conservation and Sustainable Development Tool. The project’s objectives are to increase the market for bird-based tourism initially in Paraguay, Belize, Guatemala and the Bahamas by improving capacity and the delivery of conservation in each country, support by governments and the private sector, marketing of this tourism sector, and promotion of its value for local economies.

A key aspect of the capacity building component is to develop and improve the capacity of local and community bird guides in order to provide the high level of knowledge and quality expected by birding tourists. To accomplish this, the objectives of the consultancy will be to:

• Establish a model curriculum and associated training materials that can be used as the basis for developing bird training curricula in specific countries, based on relevant and innovative aspects of existing guide training programs, best practices, and active, field-based training methods;
• Support the development of specific curricula,  training programs and materials in The Bahamas, Belize, Guatemala and Paraguay based on local contexts and needs of each country; and
• Analyze and make recommendations for improving bird guide training in the Americas that addresses cost, effort and sustainability.

B.      SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES

1. Gather and analyze pertinent guide training information as inputs for developing the model training curriculum.
2. Develop a basic and advanced bird guide curriculum with the input of experts within and outside of the Audubon Network by carrying out a process that engages experts to contribute to the formulation of the curriculum.
3. Write a curriculum and gather and refine training materials that can be easily shared in the region and modified to national contexts for the four countries participating in the project.
4. Provide sound advice and guidance to support in-country partners and consultants in the development of local curriculums, materials and programs.
5. Develop and facilitate workshops and meetings, including at least one regional workshop, in order to initiate the project.  
6. Support and participate in workshops to develop the curricula, materials and programs in each country.
7. At the end of the project, analyze and report on the lessons learned and successes and concrete steps for improving and expanding training.
8. Carry out sufficient communication and coordination within the team of Audubon staff, partners and experts supporting the development of this component of the project.
9. Report progress in close communication with Audubon staff that can be used to report overall progress to FOMIN.

C.      PRODUCTS

1. One project-wide bird training curriculum document (and power point presentation) as a basis for basic and advanced bird guide training programs in The Bahamas, Belize, Guatemala and Paraguay.
2. Individual curricula and training materials from each of the four project countries, based on the regional model.
3. One regional meeting developed and facilitated to bring together bird guide training experts, project staff and other key stakeholders in the project to initiate curriculum development.
4. An analysis and recommendations for carrying our bird guide training based on the work carried out in this project.
5. Short progress reports at six month intervals that can be used to report progress to FOMIN.
6. One regional meeting developed and facilitated that provides input to improving bird guide training and discusses the achievements of the project.
7. Final report (written document and power point presentation) that provides lessons learned, successes, recommendations and clear next steps for developing and improving bird guide training that can be applied in other parts of Latin America and the Caribbean.

E.      DURATION OF CONTRACT

From February 1, 2014 to January 31, 2016.

F.       RELATIONS AND RESPONSABILITIES

The contractor will be responsible for maintaining efficient and consistent communication during implementation of the project that facilitates coordination and timely completion of activities and products. Specifically, the contractor will:

1. Coordinate closely and directly with the Project Administrator and the Caribbean and Latin America Managers working on the project, and may communicate with other experts and staff within Audubon as needed to complete his/her component of the project.
2. 2.       Coordinate closely with in-country partners and experts in order provide the quality input needed for developing curricula and establishing the training programs and courses.
3. Work closely with project’s Bird-based Tour Development and Marketing Expert to align training and curriculum development with key elements and local areas of interest according to the demands of the birding market.
4. Communicate and actively reach out to key experts and stakeholders that will be providing input into the development of the curriculum and programs, and participate in meetings with government officials, FOMIN staff, private sector and others as necessary to advance the project.

G.    PAYMENT METHOD

Payments will be made based on the successful completion of each product as decided by Audubon and payment schedule will be negotiated at time of contract signing

 H.      COSULTANT QUALIFICATIONS

• Expertise in bird guiding, management of tours and training, with international experience especially in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• High level of experience with facilitating processes and providing support and expert advice in a manner that helps develop high quality products. Cultural sensitivity and ability to relate with different groups of people in a manner that advances the work.
• High level of experience and knowledge with regard to training individuals and facilitating meetings and workshops.
• Ability to gather and analyze information and proven capacity to write concisely and clearly for diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated track record of working individually and as part of a team-based approach, with an ability to take initiative and lead the development of the FOMIN project’s bird guide training course and curriculum.
• Entrepreneurial and creative, with innovative ideas on how to improve bird guiding and ability to put this information into concrete actions.
• Fluency in English and Spanish both oral and written.
• Highly organized and efficient individual that can ensure timely solid, high quality results.

Interested individuals should send their resume and a cover letter to iapconsultancy@audubon.org.