Consultant - Virtual Immersive Field Trips Support
International Water Management Institute, South Africa

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Research Center, is at the forefront of addressing water-related challenges in agriculture, climate change, and resilience through groundbreaking research. As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing water and climate resilience, IWMI is actively seeking a dedicated Consultant to contribute to a vital project focused on providing support to virtual or immersive field trips within East and Southern Africa.

Objective of the Assignment:

This consultancy aims to facilitate and support virtual or immersive field trips under the CGIAR Regional Integrative Initiative Ukama Ustawi. The selected Consultant will play a crucial role in creating a unique and educational experience, emphasizing the challenges faced by smallholder farmers and showcasing the role of Ukama Ustawi in the region.

The Consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Develop a comprehensive plan for executing virtual or immersive field trips, covering content development, technology setup, and user experience design.
• Collaborate with partners to ensure pre-tour briefings and post-tour debriefings, serving as the main contact point for coordination and queries.
• Work closely with the communications team to integrate ongoing messaging and existing systems.
• Set up an easy-to-navigate virtual platform accessible from various devices and platforms, with maintenance protocols handed over to IWMI.
• Ensure the platform has excellent user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design, prioritizing ease-of-use and accessibility for diverse audiences.
• Adhere to ethical guidelines and respect local context and norms in the creation and dissemination of content.
• Establish a system for monitoring and evaluation to assess user engagement and feedback for continuous improvement.

Duration:

The selected Consultant will work on this project for a period of 6 months starting from the date of contract signing.

The Consultant is expected to deliver:

• A detailed project plan outlining the methodology, technology, partnerships, and timelines after consultations with the UU team.
• A fully-functional virtual experience.
• Regular project updates and a final report detailing achievements, challenges, and recommendations.
• Handover document with technical specifications.

Requirements

Interested companies or individuals should have:

• Proven experience in developing and executing virtual/immersive experiences or projects.
• Demonstrable expertise in the application of VR, AR, or other relevant technologies.
• Experience in creating virtual spaces that promote educational experiences.
• Previous experience working in East and Southern Africa or with developmental organizations is strongly preferred.

Evaluation:

Proposals will be evaluated based on the proposed methodology, relevant experience, quality of the team, budget, the social aspects included in the proposal, creativity, originality, and overall feasibility of the plan.

Benefits

Proposal Submission:

Interested companies or individuals are invited to submit a proposal addressing the objectives, social aspects, and deliverables.

please submit your application through the provided application portal at www.iwmi.org/jobs. Applications must be submitted by 12:00 (SAST) by 25th November 2023.

Job Rewards and Benefits