Thematic Area: Livelihoods

Background:

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) seeks to enable sustainable and resilient mountain development for improved and equitable livelihoods through knowledge and regional cooperation. 

ICIMOD is a regional intergovernmental learning and knowledge sharing centre serving the eight regional member countries of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. Working in partnership with regional and international organizations, ICIMOD aims to influence policy and practices to meet environmental and livelihood challenges emerging in the HKH. ICIMOD provides a platform for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers from the region and around the globe to generate and share knowledge, support evidence-based decision making, and encourage regional cooperation. ICIMOD delivers impact through its six Regional Programmes: 1) Adaptation and Resilience Building, 2) Transboundary Landscapes, 3) River Basins and Cryosphere, 4) Atmosphere, 5) Mountain Environment Regional Information System, and 6) Mountain Knowledge and Action Networks. These regional programmes are supported by four Thematic Areas of Livelihoods, Ecosystem Services, Water and Air, and Geospatial Solutions, and underpinned by Knowledge Management and Communication. ICIMOD seeks to contribute to reduce poverty and vulnerability and improve the lives and livelihoods of mountain women and men, now and in the future.

Tourism is one of the components under the Livelihoods Thematic Area, which focuses on promoting sustainable and inclusive tourism development across ICIMOD’s eight regional member countries. Tourism is important for the livelihoods of mountain people and contributes to reducing poverty and conserving natural resources and cultural heritage. It is also an effective medium to engage mountain youth and women, thereby promoting inclusive development. This makes it an important tool to promote sustainable development and enhance the wellbeing of women and men in the HKH. 

ICIMOD seeks to promote sustainable tourism development in a holistic and integrated manner, adopting an inclusive and green approach. Given the unprecedented tourism growth in the HKH region, the promotion and management of sustainable tourism and its variants such as ecotourism, heritage tourism, and community-based tourism will be critical to address the challenges and opportunities emerging in the context of global–local environmental change and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

ICIMOD is seeking a young and dynamic individual for the position of Tourism Research Associate. The Associate will need to possess a sound understanding of tourism; its relationship with mountain livelihoods; hospitality and sustainability concepts and practices; destination management; public policy for investment mobilization; and public–private partnerships, especially in promoting ecotourism, heritage tourism, and community-based tourism in the HKH. The incumbent will work with the Tourism Specialist as a member of the Livelihoods Team and will provide support to ICIMOD’s Regional Programmes and Initiatives on tourism.

 Responsibilities and Tasks:
 

Under the overall guidance of the Theme Leader – Livelihoods and the direct supervision of the Group Lead, the Tourism Research Associate will be responsible for the following tasks across different Regional Programmes:

• Contribute (for example, through literature search and review, field work, data collection and database management, and basic data analysis) to activities that support the development and implementation of strategies and policies for promoting transboundary sustainable tourism
  
• Support in identifying and harnessing opportunities in close collaboration with multiple stakeholders for developing and promoting transboundary tourism products (destinations, facilities, services, and activities) while ensuring that the local people and communities benefit to the fullest from the tourism-related activities promoted through ICIMOD 
• Identify and implement good practices on promoting community-based tourism and tourism-related supply and value chains and their linkages (regional–local) to maximize benefits for communities at different scales
• Support in conceptualizing and designing innovative information and communication technology (ICT)-assisted tourism products 
• Carry out grass root-level field partner analysis, hold dialogues with field partners, and make suggestions for potential partners in the field
• Participate and carry out programme implementation activities and undertake field visits to provide technical support and backstopping to local and regional partners in implementing activities related to tourism
• Support the development and facilitation of demand-driven training courses, workshops, and conferences for stakeholders involved in tourism in the HKH region
• Support the development of presentations or visuals for conferences and capacity-building activities 
• Contribute to the development of knowledge products on sustainable tourism (such as concept papers, case studies, synthesis reports, scientific articles, publicity materials, and digital promotional and marketing contents) for relevant tourism stakeholders across the region
• Contribute news, events updates, and other content (such as blogs and social media content) regarding the Thematic Area’s tourism-related activities to the ICIMOD portal and newsletter 
• Provide additional support as per the requirements of the Thematic Area

• A Master’s degree in tourism, park recreation, sociology/anthropology/economics, development studies, or related fields with at least one years of relevant work experience, preferably gained in the HKH region, is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. 
• Experience working with regional and international organizations 

• Teamwork and Cooperation: Works collaboratively in a team, seeking opinions and feedback to find solutions and meet team objectives
• Results Orientation: Takes responsibility for fulfilling challenging goals set in line with organizational processes
• Cross-Cultural Impact:  Adjusts to cultural differences to ensure broad participation
• Analytical Thinking: Seeks out information that will support decision making and help achieve objectives
• Continuous Improvement and Innovation: Seeks to improve work processes by implementing new practices and technologies
• Self-Development: Demonstrates a positive attitude towards learning and professional development
• Developing Others: Provides feedback on the performance or output of others to smoothen working relations and operational workflow

Duty Station:

• The duty station is Kathmandu. Frequent travel and fieldwork will be required. 

• One year, of which the first three months are probationary, with the possibility of an extension subject to ICIMOD’s future funding levels and performance.

Starting Date: As soon as possible.

Remuneration:

• Salaries and benefits of ICIMOD are competitive compared to other regional organizations; remuneration is commensurate with experience and qualifications. 

• Qualified and eligible women candidates and those from disadvantaged backgrounds are highly encouraged to apply. ICIMOD implements a gender equity policy and is supportive of working women. It operates a day-care centre at the campus and is committed to the integration of gender issues at organizational and programmatic levels