Background

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has been supporting the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for almost 30 years in the protection of its wildlife and natural ecosystems. Working primarily with the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN), our field conservation work is focused on three large landscapes in eastern DRC: Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP – currently under a 10-year co-management agreement between WCS and ICCN) and surrounding Oku forests in South Kivu Province, the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in Ituri Province (OWR – also under a 10-year co-management agreement between WCS and ICCN) and the Kabobo-Luama landscape in Tanganyika province. Collectively these landscapes span some of the considerable diversity of ecosystems found in the DRC, harbor some of the most biodiverse regions in Africa, and form the strongholds for some of DRC’s most charismatic endemic wildlife, including the Grauer’s gorilla and the Okapi. WCS is also pioneering a wide variety of novel forest governance, rights-based conservation approaches and protected area management structures, involving the government, civil society and local community organizations. Local communities play a central role in managing and benefiting from the natural resources of these three landscapes.

The Okapi Wildlife Reserve is a stronghold for globally threatened species like the okapi, chimpanzee and forest elephant. Located in the Ituri Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it covers 13,700km2 of mostly intact forests and hosts more species of primate and forest ungulates than anywhere else in Africa. It was nominated as a World Heritage Site in 1996 for its unique biological and cultural values. Approximately 27,000 men, women and children live in the OWR, which is also home to some 5,000 (est) Mbuti and Efe Indigenous Forest People who have lived here for more than 40,000 years. Kahuzi-Biega National Park is a vast area of primary tropical forest dominated by two spectacular dormant volcanoes, Kahuzi and Biega. The Park is home to a diverse and abundant wildlife. It was established in 1970 and recognised as a World Heritage Site in 1980. It is the only site in the world where you can visit the Eastern Lowland Gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri) in the wild. At least 450,000 people neighbor the park within 5km of its boundary, including Batwa Indigenous peoples who attach significant cultural importance to the forest. A few hundred kilometers to the south of Kahuzi-Biega National Park, the Kabobo-Luama landscape (667 305 ha) includes the Kabobo Wildlife Reserve and provides critical ecosystem services in terms for natural resources, climate regulation, water cycle to local communities ̶ among which Batwa, but also populations of Kalemie, capital city of Tanganyika province.

To continue its communications efforts, vital to supporting and publicizing its results and raise funds, WCS DR Congo is seeking to establish two rosters of professional photographers and videographers, and recruit one or several professional photographer(s) and videographer(s) to come to DRC in order to collect and edit high quality photos and videos of its activities across its two main intervention sites.

Objectives

The objective of this Call for expressions of interest is to establish 2 Rosters of professional photographers and videographers.

Resulting assignments will aim at capturing and editing high quality photos and videos of WCS DR Congo’s conservation work that takes place in eastern DRC. The content should focus on:

  • Reflecting the diversity of WCS DR Congo’s conservation activities in the eastern DRC region, including the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, Kahuzi-Biega National Park, the Kabobo Wildlife Reserve and their respective periphery;
  • Highlighting biodiversity values, incredible wildlife, but also major threats;
  • Giving voice and representation to all stakeholders involved in conservation efforts: communities, employees, partners, beneficiaries, etc.;
  • Promoting the work of our teams, highlighting their successes as well as their challenges;
  • Highlighting tourism-focused assets, sites, activities and facilities to support marketing efforts.

Principal responsibilities

  1. Produce high quality photographic and/or videographic content that promotes WCS DR Congo’s mission
    1. Working with the WCS Regional Communications Manager and the WCS DR Congo site and project team(s) prior to arrival in the country, identify compelling stories, events, and the most interesting program sites to visit that will best enable the content to be captured,
    2. For videos, draft one or several script(s) in advance,
    3. Draft an itinerary for the mission.
  2. Follow best practice in obtaining consent
    1. Using the consent form template provided, ensure that consent is obtained from every non-WCS-staff member photographed during the trip.
  3. Edit and organise photos and videos while in country – ideally (with the possibility to finalize upon return to location of origin)

Special conditions

  • The photographer or videographer will be moving between different field sites during his/her stay, with WCS support and logistics.
  • The photographer or videographer will be given flexibility in contributing their expertise and experience in choosing what to photograph/shoot, but will follow the directions of WCS staff to photograph certain key themes/sites, as well as to follow all security and safety protocols.
  • The photographer or videographer will own and retain copyright to all photographic or videographic material created under the present agreement, but grants WCS a royalty-free, perpetual, worldwide license to publish, use, distribute, reproduce and publicly display the images or videos, to sublicense use of the images or videos, and to create derivative works from the images or videos, in perpetuity, in any print, electronic, digital or other format, in any media publications, channels, materials or exhibitions for purposes of promoting the Wildlife Conservation Society’s mission, including but not limited to editorial, advertising, publicity, and fundraising purposes, and any other use without payment of compensation. Whenever used, the WCS will use reasonable efforts to afford the photographer a credit in the following form: ©First Name initial.Full last name/WCS
    e.g. if the photographer’s or videographer’s name is Bienvenu Mboté, the credit shall be: ©B.Mboté/WCS
  • The photographer or videographer will be free to use the photos or videos resulting from this assignment for their own purposes (appropriate location attribution will be used with all images or videos where practical). In the event that a use may conflict with WCS’s goals or materially benefit another organization, the expert has to clear it with WCS beforehand. The photographer or videographer may in no case license the resulting photos or videos to an image database.
  • The photographer or videographer must comply with the Democratic Republic of Congo’s laws, the WCS Code of Conduct, as well as health and safety protocols, including measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as quarantines and mandatory COVID-19 tests in both Kinshasa, Goma or Bukavu, if applicable.

Logistics and costs

WCS DR Congo will cover the costs and following aspects for:

  • One economy round trip airfare to Kinshasa, Goma or Bukavu (if contracted internationally). In certain situations, transit through Kigali, Rwanda, could also be envisaged;
  • Per diem and lodging, as per WCS DR Congo policy (lodging will be provided in all locations*; per diem is provided by WCS in urban locations; food is provided at field sites);
  • All transport within DRC (and through Rwanda if applicable);
  • An invitation letter for the visa application; **
  • A letter including the list of equipment carried by the photographer or videographer (generally intended to customs formalities).

* At field sites the photographer or videographer may be required to stay in a tent.

** The photographer or videographer will have to apply and pay for a visa themselves in their country of residence.

The photographer or videographer will be responsible for:

  • Bringing their own photographic or videographic equipment and laptop for editing;
  • Obtaining their visa for the Democratic Republic of Congo;
  • Health insurance and equipment insurance, providing proof of this in advance;
  • Travel accident insurance, providing proof of this in advance;
  • Ensuring they have any required personal medication, and all the required and recommended vaccinations (for entry to DR Congo and for gorilla viewing).

Required qualifications and skills

  • Experience working in remote areas in Africa;
  • French language is highly desirable but not essential;
  • Professional level of photographic or videographic skills;
  • Ability to work in the field, often in challenging conditions;
  • Ability to find human-interest stories.

Expected length and dates of mission

Up to six weeks (42 days), between May 2023 and April 2024.

As the duration of the mission(s) may vary, interested photographers are invited to provide quotations with daily fees for the following durations: 7 days, 14 days, 20 days, 30 days and 42 days.

As part of these Rosters of professional photographers and videographers, possible missions will be discussed between WCS and incumbents of these Rosters, to determine modalities for deployment and specific needs.

Roster membership would be valid up to the end of 2025.

Deliverables

  • Photos and video edits should cover different thematics, at least: Research and Biomonitoring, Community Development, Livelihood Diversification, Conservation Technology, and Anti-poaching efforts, in one or various sites Including KBNP, OWR and Kabobo Reserve, as well as in their surrounding areas.
  • Selected and edited photos and videos should be handed over in an easily-navigable database to the Regional Communications Manager at the end of the consultancy.
  • Video rushes should also be handed over to the Regional Communications Manager.
  • The number of photos produced will obviously depend on the circumstances and mission duration, but approximately between 300 and 500 images would be expected for 42 days.
  • The number of videos produced and edited will also depend on the circumstances and mission duration, but approximately between 4 and 6 videos with a maximum duration of 5 minutes would be expected for 42 days

Criteria for selection

Selection Process:

  • WCS will review and evaluate all proposals to determine each proposer’s rating. This evaluation may include a request by WCS to interview proposers and receive additional information for purposes of clarifying their proposals.
  • The proposals offering the most advantageous terms based on the criteria below will be pre-selected as part of the Rosters of professional photographers and videographers. WCS may reject any or all proposals if, in its sole opinion, no proposal satisfies its criteria.

Evaluation Criteria:

The evaluation criteria and weight will be as follows:

  • The professional/firm technical capability to provide the services (25%);
  • Project-related experience of the consultant/proposed staff and knowledge of the context (25%);
  • Added-value for executing the scope of work in the best conditions for WCS including being in line with WCS mandate, vision and values (25%);
  • Client References (5%);
  • Financial Proposal (20%).

How to apply

All interested professionals should send their proposal to ggelin@wcs.org CC drcprocurement@wcs.org no later than the 15 May 2023 at 00:00 am CET (GMT+2). Professionals can apply as individually or as a firm.

The proposal should contain:

  • a resume,
  • a motivation letter,
  • a portfolio,
  • a quotation for the various above-mentioned durations,
  • reference of 2 clients for similar works,
  • proposed dates or work schedule for the remainder of 2023

Questions should be addressed to ggelin@wcs.org CC drcprocurement@wcs.org before 5 May 2023.

Please note that WCS will at no stage of the pre-selection process request applicants to make payments of any kind.

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