TERMS OF REFERENCE
I.

BIDDER:

Market Research and Consulting Services

II.

PROJECT TITLE:

Research on Voluntourism

III.

BACKGROUNDThe Office of Product and Market Development (OPMD) continues to identify and develop newtourism products in support of the efforts of the Department to revitalize the tourism sector amid thepandemic. Voluntourism—a combined act of tourism and volunteering is one of the products
identified by OPMD. This can be undertaken by foreign or local tourists which is timely and relevant
as the Department pivots to domestic tourism while international travel restrictions are still enforced.
Voluntourism is one of the fastest-growing tourism niche markets in the world and can be a powerfultool for tourism and community development. Globally, more than 10 million voluntourists are
estimated to have spent between USD 1.6 to 2.8 billion in 2016. However, there is little information
about this niche sector in the APEC region including the challenges and opportunities thatvoluntourism brings to member economies. (www.apec.org)
The Philippines is being positioned by International NGOs as a volunteer destination with a tropicalclimate, beautiful islands, unique culture, and hospitable people which enabled the country to receive
volunteers from different countries before the pandemic where building community facilities topped
the activities participated in by the volunteers.

IV.

OBJECTIVESThe OPMD will conduct in-depth research on voluntourism to understand the industry, stakeholders,and communities involved so an action plan/voluntourism model can be drawn. It will serve as aguide in developing and promoting voluntourism as a tourism product that will contribute to therecovery of the local tourism industry.
The action plan and voluntourism model can also guide LGUs, tourism enterprises, and businessorganizations when organizing volunteering sessions to prepare visitors and the communities fortourism-inspired volunteering work.

V.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPPLIER••

Must be a market research and/or consulting agency specializing in the conduct of custom
research for local and international organizations; andMust be registered with the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement Systems(PhilGEPS)VI.

REQUIRED PERSONNEL
1.
2.
3.
4.

Required Personnel
Account Director / Principal
Investigator
Research Manager/ Co-PI
Research Executive / SubInvestigator
Data Analyst / StatisticianMinimum Years of Experience
5 years
3 years
3 years
2 years*Note: Bidders may recommend additional personnel deemed fit for the team.
Personnel Responsibilities
Account Director / Principal Investigator••••••

Manage and supervise the entire team;Provide overall direction, plan the budget, set up project goals, and ensure
understanding of end-user requirements;
Serve as the key point of contact for coordination between the agency and the enduser;
Ensure the timely delivery of data and reports;
Oversee project set up and implementation of the research plan;
Ensure accuracy and quality of data and reports;

Research Manager/ Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI)• Conceptualize and suggest the most appropriate research methodologies andtechniques;• Design research plan and questionnaires;• Implement research plan;• Oversee data interpretation, report writing, and recommendation crafting;• Present findings by phase and final report to end-user;
Research Executive / Sub-Investigator• Assist the Research Manager in implementing the research plan;• Collect data through interviews, surveys, and other appropriate tools;• Perform valid and reliable desk research;• Interpret data and consolidate information into reports/presentations;
Data Coordinator/ Statistician• Assist in the collection of data through interviews, surveys, and other appropriatetools;• Assist in the conduct of valid and reliable desk research;• Assist in interpretation of data and consolidation information intoreports/presentations

VII.

SCOPE OF WORK and DELIVERABLES
A. Activities:
••
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Literary review and secondary data gathering
Refining of the survey instrument and methodology
Development of case studies on Philippine destination communities previously engaged involunteering work involving non-residents
In-depth interviews with LGUs in voluntourism destinations
Data gathering
Data Processing
Data Analysis
Write Summary report per research phase
Write a comprehensive report with Action PlanPresentation of the final report to DOT Officials and Stakeholders (Firm and DOT toidentify and invite relevant stakeholders)B. Deliverables••

Summary report of the research phase
Regional Competitor Analysis of the Philippines with at least two Southeast Asian
countries to include data on the following:
Number of volunteer tourist arrivals per year in the past 3 years (2017-2019)
Voluntourism products and services offered
Average daily expenditure of volunteers in the past 3 years
Marketing campaigns for voluntourism undertaken in the past 3 years
Voluntourism programs and policies in the past 3 years
Source markets for voluntourism
Market forecast based on growthInternational NGOs or Voluntourism associations active in sending
volunteers around the world
Case Studies on Voluntourism in the Philippines▪ Five (5) Case Studies on Voluntourism in the Philippines. The case studies
should represent the variety of voluntouring activities in the Philippines▪ Based on the Case Studies, a report on the nature and status ofvoluntourism in the Philippines. The report shall include:• Description of areas typically visited by volunteer tourists• Description of items and activities (e.g., purchases, experience,services, duration of activities) that constitute voluntourism
product• General Profile (i.e., travel characteristics demographics) of local
and foreign volunteers in the Philippines• Description of businesses and organization (local andinternational) and their involvement in voluntourism
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪

•

•

Involvement of DOT Regional Offices, Local Government Units,and Stakeholders in voluntourism• Impact of crisis (i.e., COVID-19) and disasters (e.g., typhoons,earthquakes) on voluntourism in the Philippines• Other information to guide the formulation of voluntourism
framework and action plan in the Philippines• Voluntourism Model for the Philippines that will serve as a guide for local tourism officers toorganize volunteer tourism activities that are cognizant of:▪ A definition of voluntourism in the Philippine context▪ A Framework to describe how voluntourism works in the Philippine context▪ The effects of volunteering;▪ Preparations required for destination communities;▪ Planning needed to make volunteering and tourism meaningful for both thetourists and the host community: and▪ A sample voluntourism program in an identified site.
C. Survey Methodology
The research project may be divided into three (3) phases:
Phase 1. The first phase will be dedicated to developing five (5) case studies and in-depth
interviews with LGU personnel involved in the volunteering activities. Site visits are required indeveloping the case studies. OPMD-Education and/or other DOT authorized representatives will
join the research team in 1-2 of their site visits. The case studies can include volunteering forcultural and historical activities, medical assistance, education, ecological conservation, andother emerging forms of volunteering in the Philippines.
Phase 2. The second phase will involve activities to develop a volunteer tourism framework
based on the cases and recommend the trajectory (i.e., research agenda, future research,recommendations) for advancing volunteer tourism in the Philippines. An Onsite/online
workshop with researchers and key informants will be organized to validate the findings andrecommendations.
Phase 3. The third phase will be dedicated to writing the manuscript to come up with the final
report for submission to DOT. It will then be distributed to LGUs and Regional offices to guidethem when organizing volunteer tourism to benefit their constituent communities.
The abovementioned methodologies will be acceptable to DOT, but the market research andconsulting firm may recommend other methodologies that can better serve the purpose of thestudy, subject to the DOT’s approval.
All data gathered should be submitted together with the reports as appendices. The DOT shallhave full ownership of the data gathered and presented from the study.

VIII.

PROJECT DURATION AND BUDGET
1. The research shall commence upon the receipt of the Notice to Proceed and should becompleted within 5 months.
2. The Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) for the project is FOUR MILLION PESOS(PhP4,000,000.00) inclusive of all applicable government taxes and charges,
professional fees, bank charges, and other fees that may be incurred in the process.
3. Note that this consulting contract shall be a fixed-price contract.
4. All manuals, reports, materials, databases, questionnaires, references, etc. acquired
through the conduct of the survey research shall be turned over to DOT after theundertaking.

IX.

PAYMENT SCHEMES/SCHEDULE
Payment to the winning bidder will be made upon completion of the following milestones:
Milestone% of Payment
Upon approval of survey methodology, the sample size of20%
respondents, and research design
Upon submission and acceptance of the report on the five (5)20%voluntourism case studies
Upon submission and acceptance of the report on findings and30%
recommendations for Phase 2
Upon submission and acceptance of the final comprehensive
30%
report and presentation to the DOT
Total
100%X.

CRITERIA FOR RATING
1. Stage 1 – Submission of eligibility documents
2. Stage 2 – Shortlisted bidders must submit brief company credentials and proposed market
research plan together with the technical and financial proposal
A. Eligibility Check and Shortlisting Criteria for Rating
Applicable Experience of the Consultant – 60 pts.
Qualification of Personnel Assigned – 30 pts.
Current Workload Relative to Capacity – 10 pts.

I.
A.
1.

Applicable experience of the consultant
Relevance of the company portfolio to the project
Bidder has conducted at least 3 research projects.
20 pts.
Bidder has conducted 1-2 research projects.
10 pts.
ADDITIONAL - Bidder has conducted at least 2 tourism-related 5 pts
research projects*

B.
1.

Years of experience
Bidder has at least 5 years of experience conducting research or 20 pts.
consulting projects.
Bidder has 3 to 4 years of experience conducting research or 10 pts.
consulting projects.

C.

Past clients
Bidder has completed 2 or more market or tourism 15 pts.
research/planning projects with a contract cost equal to or greaterthan P2,000,000.00.
Bidder has completed 1 market or tourism research/planning project 10 pts.
with a contract cost equal to or greater than P2,000,000.00.

II.

Qualification of personnel assigned
All assigned personnel have experience working on at least 2 30 pts.
research projects.
At least 3 of assigned personnel have experience working on at 20 pts.
least 2 research projects.

III.

Current workload relative to capacity
Bidder has 1 to 3 ongoing projects with contract costs equal to or
greater than the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC).
Bidder has no ongoing projects with contract costs equal to or
greater than the ABC.
TotalPassing Score

10 pts.
5 pts.
100 pts.
70 pts.

*Need supporting documents for additional points (Certificate of Completion)

B. Technical Bid Criteria for Rating
Qualification of personnel to be assigned – 70 pts.
Plan of approach and methodology – 15 pts.
Experience and capability of the firm – 15 pts.
I.
A.
1.

Qualification of personnel to be assigned
Educational background
The Principal Lead has a Master’s degree

20 pts.

The Project Lead has a Bachelor’s degree.

10 pts.

2.

At least 2 of the assigned personnel (aside from Project Lead) have 15 pts.
Master’s degrees
Only 1 of the assigned personnel (aside from Project Lead) has a 10 pts.
Master’s degree
All assigned personnel (aside from Project Lead) have Bachelor’s 8 pts.
degrees.

B.
1.

Professional Experience
At least 2 of assigned personnel have been involved in the 20 pts.
implementation of at least 1 research/study / or survey onvoluntourism
Only 1 of assigned personnel has been involved in the 15 pts.
implementation of at least 1 research/study / or survey onvoluntourism

2.

At least 3 assigned personnel have membership in at least 1 15 pts.
research-related professional society or association.
1 to 2 assigned personnel have membership in at least 1 research- 10 pts.
related professional society or association.

II.
A.
1.

Plan of approach and methodology
The substance of the proposal
The proposal thoroughly discusses the proposed approach and 5 pts.
methodologies to be used in the study.
The proposal thoroughly discusses the proposed data collection 10 pts.
methods to be used in the study.

2.
III.

Experience and capability of the firm
Bidder has implemented at least 3 similar contracts (contracts thatinvolve market research/surveys/studies in any sector)
Bidder has implemented at least 2 similar contracts (contracts thatinvolve market research/surveys/studies in any sector).
Bidder has implemented 1 similar contracts (contracts that involvemarket research/surveys/studies in any sector).
ADDITIONAL – Bidder has implemented 1 market
research/survey/study contract for LGU or government agencies.*
TotalPassing Score*Need supporting documents for additional points (Certificate of Completion)

10 pts.
8 pts.
5 pts.
5 pts.
100 pts.
70 pts.

XI.

CONTACT PERSONSContact Person
Address::

MARISSA A. MASANGKAY / AKIKO KATE L. SIBUG
Office of Product and Market Development
5F The New DOT Building
351 Senator Gil Puyat Avenue
Brgy. Bel Air, 1200 Makati City

Contact Number
Email Addresses::+639064904389 / 09753040749
marissa_masangkay@yahoo.com / alsibug@tourism.gov.ph

APPROVED BY:
RENEE MARIE N. REYES
Director
Office of Product and Market Development