1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
About the tenderer
This consultation is published by Plan Bleu, Regional Activity Center of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP), and by IUCN MED.
Plan Bleu is established in the form of a French association in Marseille, France. The MAP is one of the main components of the Regional Seas Programme of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It has a legal instrument: the Barcelona Convention and relies on six regional activity centres (“RACs”) responsible in particular for promoting the implementation of the various protocols attached to the convention. Plan Bleu is one of these six centres mandated by the twenty-one countries Parties to the Barcelona. Convention and the European Union (Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention). Plan Bleu acts as an observatory of the environment and sustainable development in the Mediterranean, and conducts thematic, systemic and prospective analyses to enlighten decision-makers of the region on the environmental risks and the challenges of sustainable development.
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together. Headquartered in Switzerland, IUCN Secretariat comprises around 1,000 staff with offices in more than 60 countries.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and some 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards. IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being. This consultation aims to support Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur (NCA), a Plan Bleu appointed institution to coordinate project activities at pilot site level, in the territory of MAP Cap Ferrat.
About NaTour4CChange project
The Mediterranean is one of the most vulnerable hotspots in the current climate crisis and faces many human pressures that threaten marine and coastal ecosystems and biodiversity. Tourism will be one of the most affected economic sectors by heightened risks, including floods and coastal erosion.
The recent Transition Pathway for Tourism and the Glasgow Declaration are building a global momentum for Climate Action in Tourism, but policymakers and destinations need support to better develop efficient climate mitigation and adaptation policies using ecosystem-based approaches and improved multi-level governance structures, including robust planning and ensure the long-term engagement of the private sector and citizens.
Indeed, ecosystem-based management is considered a good practice to effectively deal with these threats as it considers the different stakeholders and factors affecting ecosystems and the mechanisms involved, in order to find solutions.
NaTour4CChange will build on successful experiences at the Mediterranean and global level to test solutions for increasing the resilience of coastal destinations in the Mediterranean. The project will set common methods to allow participating regions to assess their tourism-related climate adaptation and mitigation priorities, and take climate action via plans and strategies, supported by cooperative governance.
In coastal destinations, cross-sector teams will deliver specific tourism climate action plans, focusing climate adaptation, where Nature-based Solutions will be tested to ensure their feasibility, while innovative destination marketing and communication approaches will engage private stakeholders, visitors, and residents in climate action.
The project will also ensure a cross fertilization among participating regions and destinations, to achieve common methods and to compare the different tested plans and solutions, which will lead to lessons, best practices, and policy recommendations.
Project overall objective
To improve sustainability and increase the resilience of coastal Mediterranean tourism destinations towards climate change, improving the engaged regional territories’ capacities of governing tourism development at local level through ecosystem-based approaches and capitalising the twofold role of nature: as tourism attractive and as a solution for destination resilience.
The consortium
The consortium is made up of 10 partners:
● Institute for Tourism Croatia – as Lead Partner – (Croatia)
● Plan Bleu for Mediterranean Environment and Development (France)
● Conference of Peripheral Maritime Region of Europe (France)
● International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN (Spain)
● Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports of Andalucía Regional Government (Spain)
● Autonomous Region of Sardinia (Italy)
● Natura-Jadera Public Institution for Management of Protected Areas in the county of Zadar (Croatia)
● Region of Crete (Greece)
● Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature and the Ministry of Agriculture (Greece)
● Forestry and Water Management of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (Bosnia-Herzegovina)
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK
Purpose and expected outcome of the work
The project has a duration of 33 months (from January 2024 to September 2026) and has been split into three Work Packages (WP):
1. WP 1: Aiming to create the methods and sharing progress and learnings, design the Climate Change action planning for project’s Regions and to improve the Climate Change-related resilience of pilot tourism destinations.
2. WP 2: Focused on improving the region’s capacity for integrated tourism climate policy and governance to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
3. WP 3: To increase the Climate Change-related resilience of pilot tourism destinations through a long-term planning of evidence-based activities to adapt the destination to CC and testing of Nature-based Solutions.
The proposed consultancy mission will support our appointed partner, Nice Côte d’Azur Metropole, presented as the Local Task Force, which includes the Office de Tourisme Métropolitain and the Direction de la Transition Écologique et de l’Environnement, in implementing project activities at the pilot site of the Cap Ferrat MPA. Within the framework of WP 3 and under the coordination of Plan Bleu, IUCN MED, and the Local Task Force, the consultant will be requested to work on the following tasks :
● Activity 3.3: Identification and assessment of the main coastal tourism-related issues concerning climate change adaptation of the destination – by June 2025
Description: Taking into account the common methods provided in WP1 D.1.4.1 – Methodological Framework, the consultant will identify and assess the main tourism-related issues concerning the adaptation of the pilot Destination to Climate Change (taking into account existing evidence and data provided by the Local task force and his/her own research) with focus on destination resilience and climate adaptation, which will be the basis for drafting the Destination Climate Action Strategy and ActionPlan (3.4). This activity must foresee surveys on available data, new data collection and processing if needed, vulnerability maps related to different scenarios development, etc. In fact, several work orientations (it can be seen as a spine for the consultant’s research) are proposed in the D.1.4.1. as detailed hereunder.
Methodology: The proposed methodology includes the following steps as defined in the D.1.4.1 – Methodological Framework, and could be refined and improved in the applicants offers:
1. Baseline assessment:
a. Collect past historical data and current climate observation in the destination
b. Analyse past extreme events (intensity, frequency, etc.) and their induced impacts on local communities
2. Stakeholder engagement:
a. Involving diverse actors from different activity sectors (get their observation on the identified changes and impacts)
b. Conduct surveys and/or workshops to gather their perceptions of the impacts (production of qualitative data)
3. Vulnerability mapping:
a. Identify vulnerable sectors (e.g., agriculture, tourism, water resources) and populations (e.g., low-income groups, elderly).
b. Use Geographical System Information for risk mapping and clear vulnerability maps
c. Create the vulnerability assessment following the methodological framework : a) scale, intensity and frequency of hazard occurrence b) the possible impact / consequences of the hazard c) sensitivity of the thematic area (system/subsystem)
d. adaptive capacity of the thematic area (system/subsystem)
4. Current impact assessment:
a. Gather quantitative data and quantify current impacts on ecosystems, economies, and health using meteorological, hydrological, spatial data, and information on infrastructure and socio-economic challenges
b. Compare the data with regional and more local studies
Expected Deliverable:
D.3.3.1 – Technical report on identification and assessment of the main coastal tourism-related issues concerning climate change adaptation for Cap Ferrat MPA : Report compiling the different assessment results conducted in Cap Ferrat MPA. A common template for this report is proposed to guide the consultant to draft the deliverable. here
The consultant is free to follow the proposed template and table of content, or not, as long as it complies with the method described in deliverable D.1.4.1 – Methodological Framework. Your role: The consultant is expected to produce all related deliverables of this activity autonomously, under the support of Plan Bleu and Nice Côte d’Azur Metropole and other project partners (Institute of Tourism of Croatia and IUCN Med). To facilitate the development of this activity and to obtain the maximum amount of information, different tools have to be considered, such as bilateral calls, virtual workshops, focus groups, among others.
Deadline: The final draft of Deliverable 3.3, including the review within the partnership, should be submitted by June 30, 2025.
● Activity 3.4 : Drafting the Destination Tourism Climate Strategy and Action Plan – by Sept 2025
Description : Following the methods developed in WP1 D.1.5.1 – Approach for drafting Regional and Destinations Tourism Climate Strategies and Plans – ToolKit produced by CPMR, and under the coordination of Plan bleu/CPMR and the Local task force, the consultant will draft a “Destination Tourism Climate Strategy and Action Plan”, with mid-long-term perspective. The plans should be aligned with existing climate strategies and plans in tourism or in other sectors, and inspired by the pathways of the Glasgow Declaration, using a participatory approach and consistent with the Regional Climate Strategy (if existing). Among the numerous actions, the plan will identify ecosystem-based approaches (NbS).
The Action Plan should indicate for each action the goal to be reached, the time planning, the needed resources, the bodies responsible for its implementation, etc. Each partner managing a pilot will support this activity, with additional support from CPMR, IUCN and technical partners.
Expected deliverables:
● D.3.4.1 Destination Tourism Climate Strategy and Action Plan:
Destination Tourism Climate Strategy and Action Plan for Nice Côte d’Azur Metropole & Cap Ferrat MPA, following the framework defined in the project and adjusted to the local context. This deliverable builds on the methodology in Activity 1.4 and Regional Strategy Activity 2.5, and builds on 3.3 Technical Report. Your role: The consultant is expected to produce the related deliverable of this activity autonomously, under the support of Plan Bleu and the Local task force and other project partners (Institute of Tourism of Croatia and CPMR). To facilitate the development of this activity and to obtain the maximum amount of information, different scenarios can be considered, such as bilateral calls, virtual workshops, focus groups, among others.
Deadline: The final version of Deliverable 3.4.1 including the review within the partnership, should be submitted by Sept 1st, 2025.
● Activity 3.5 : To design/strengthen/support at least one Nature-based Solution in the pilot destination by March 2026
Description: Following methodologies and trainings provided by IUCN Med on Nature-based Solutions (NbS), the consultant will design OR strengthen OR support at least one Nature-based Solution in the Cap Ferrat MPA (NCA pilot Site), based on IUCN NbS Standard, depending on the ongoing ecosystem-based approaches being implemented in the destination, based on the approach defined in WP1 (Act 1.7 to be released in April 25). This activity will be listed in the “Destination Tourism Climate Strategy and Action Plan” (Act 3.4) and at least one NbS will be selected according to its potential effectiveness in tackling the priority issues in the destination (e.g. coastal protection via Posidonia-driven ecosystem services).
The dimension of the actions in the destination will depend on the pilot action’s available resources, start-point and time. The aim is to support the implementation of the NbS that can be potentially most effective in contributing to the climate resilience of the destination. Each partner managing a pilot will support this activity, with additional support from IUCN technical partners.
This activity builds on the results from Activity 1.7. Approach to implement NbS approaches to be tested at Destination level (D1.7.1. NbS for Coastal Destinations Climate Action manual) – to be released in April 25). Activity 3.5 will also include a
component that informs Activity 3.6
Expected deliverable:
● D.3.5.1 Nature-based Solutions implementation report describing the solution and the planned actions within and outside the project framework.
Your role: The consultant is expected to produce the related deliverable of this activity autonomously, under the support of IUCN MED and the Local task force and other project partners (Institute of Tourism of Croatia, Plan Bleu…). To facilitate the development of this activity and to obtain the maximum amount of information, different scenarios can be considered, such as bilateral calls, virtual workshops, focus groups, among others.
Deadline: The final version of Deliverable 3.5.1 including the review within the partnership, should be submitted by February 28th, 2026.
● Activity 3.6 To study the feasibility and business model for implementing NbS in the pilot destination by June 2026
Description : The consultant with the supervision of IUCN MED, Plan Bleu and the Local task force and the support of IUCN, will apply a common method developed in WP1 (Act 1.7 to be released in April 2025) to assess the feasibility of tested NbS against the Climate Action Plan, to assess the proposed solution. It will especially focus on what could be measured in terms of future benefits, and the business and financial models and approaches to be put into place for delivering the solution, including how to mobilize resources from the tourism industry and from carbon sequestration benefits. Expected deliverables:
● D.3.6.1: NbS Feasibility Reports outlining the potential for providing benefits and the capacity to implement them locally.
● D.3.6.2: Business and financial model guidelines for NbS implementation in coastal destinations.
Your role: The consultant is expected to produce all the related deliverables of this activity autonomously, under the support of IUCN MED, the Local task force and other project partners (Institute of Tourism of Croatia, Plan Bleu…). To facilitate the development of this activity and to obtain the maximum amount of information, different scenarios can be considered, such as bilateral calls, virtual workshops, focus groups, among others.
Deadline: The final version of Deliverable 3.6.1 and 3.6.2 including the review within the partnership, should be submitted by June 30th, 2026.
Expected schedule
The tasks are expected to be delivered in 3 parts:
● Part 1 (Jan-June 2025) – Led by Plan Bleu: Production of technical report D.3.3.1 – Technical report on identification and assessment of the main coastal tourism-related issues concerning climate change adaptation in the destination following the methodology provided.
● Part 2 (Jan 2025 – Sept 2025): Production of deliverable: D.3.4.1 Destination Tourism Climate Strategy /Plan
● Part 3 (Sept 25 – June 2026) – led by IUCN: NbS implementation strategies
– Production of D.3.5.1 and D.3.6.1-2 Nature-based Solutions implementation and feasibility.
PART 1:
PART 2:
PART 3:
GANTT CHART :
3. HOW TO APPLY
Profile of the tender
PLAN BLEU is seeking a seasoned consultant with strong interpersonal skills and previous experiences in conducting work on sustainable tourism and climate change adaptation issues in coastal destinations. The following criteria will be assessed:
Experience:
● Relevant experience (> 10 years) in the field of Climate Change adaptation issues, with good knowledge on sustainable tourism principles for coastal destinations.
● Minimum of 5 years of working experience in and specific knowledge of environmental issues, specifically maritimes ones in the Mediterranean.
● Experience in designing planning institutional documents and reports for assessing coastal tourism issues relating to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
● A good knowledge of French actors and experience in multi-level governance processes is strongly desired.
● Experience in the SUD/PACA Region or Nice Côte d’Azur Metropole will be an additional appreciated elementCompetences:
● Strong experience in data management, harmonization and analysis related to a given project framework.
● Excellent analytical, synthesis and writing skills in English and French.
● Ability to mobilise stakeholders, follow the methodology provided and exploit the existing knowledge in an efficient way.
● Knowledge of the Mediterranean Basin and stakeholders related to sustainable tourism and marine protected areas with a focus on climate change adaptation issues.
The selection of the expert will be done based on a presentation of a technical offer, an economic offer, as well as a letter of interest and a resume making reference to these Terms of Reference.
Application procedure
The offer, containing :
● The methodological approach/plan of work that will be followed for the development of the activities and deliverables,
● a description of the organisation’s experience and/or the concise curriculum vitae of the candidate(s),
● and finally an economic offer. must be sent in one file on PDF format to :
● [email protected] and [email protected]
before 23:59 CET on 2nd February 2025. Applications can be also submitted through Plan Bleu website: www.planbleu.org.
4. CONTRACTUAL AND FINANCIAL TERMS
Administrative details of the Contracting Authority
The acceptance of the offer of the successful tender will implicate the acceptation of the conditions and schedules detailed in this ToR. A duly-issued invoice will be required for payment at the presentation of the final document. The payment term for the invoice will be by bank transfer 15 days after the invoice date (bank account details should be detailed).
The tax legislation in force at the date of acceptance of the offer will be applied.
Budget
The maximum amount available for this service is € 45 000 including VAT in 2 separate payments from Plan Bleu: € 15 000 and IUCN: € 30 000.
Contracting and Payment
The acceptance of the offer of the successful tender implies the acceptance of the conditions and schedules detailed in these ToRs. The payment term for the invoice will be made by bank transfer (bank account details will be asked).
A down payment corresponding to the payment from Plan Bleu (€ 15 000) may be made at the end of the part 2 (Sept 2025).
Formalisation of the Contract
The contract must be formalised in writing by 10 February 2025. The contract shall enter into force by its signature and will last until 30 December 2026.
