Website Redesign Consultant

CONSULTANT VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Title: Website Redesign Consultant, www.namet.org WCS Lao PDR Program
Location: Remote, with meeting in Vientiane with possible travel to NEPL NP
Position Type: Part-time, fixed-term until 31 March 2025
Reports to: WCS Ecotourism Advisor and WCS ECILL Communications Manager.
This position is open to both National and International candidate.

Background
The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation, education, and the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on Earth. During the past 25 years, WCS Lao PDR has successfully implemented 23 projects with the Government of Lao PDR, supported by more than 30 donors. WCS began working in Lao PDR in the 1980s, surveying wildlife and habitats around the country to assist the government to create Lao PDR’s national protected area system. In the early 1990s, WCS documented wildlife and habitats in many of the newly created national protected areas and began supporting the government to train protected area managers, as well as raise awareness about the illegal wildlife trade. WCS established a country office in Lao PDR in 1994.

Tasks
The official NEPL NP’s website www.namet.org was created in 2015 using WordPress. Today, the website needs a full review and redesign to improve the international and Lao user experience and to ensure that the site content is up to date and well-aging as well as easily updatable by the national park staff. The Website Redesign Consultant will work closely with the WCS ECILL communications team and WCS NEPL NP ecotourism team.
Examples of expected website styles: Elephant Conservation Center, Khao Yai National Park, Jahoo Gibbon Camp and Hin Nam No National Park websites.

Key responsibilities:
• Understand the website user profiles and the site goals.
• Improve the site structure and navigation and recommend a new organization system to improve the user experience in line with website goals.
• Coordinate with WCS on the site content update (text, links, photos, etc.) for the content well-aging and easily updatable.
• Create dual language website – Coordinate the updated English content translation into Lao language and create a mirror site in Lao language.
• Ensure website is responsive for all mobile and tablet – ensure works across multiple platforms
• Improve Website security
• Update the website theme, ensure that the web design is in line with the NEPL NP visual style.
• Review the site plugins and other tools and recommend open source or one-time payment solutions for website improvement.
• Review and recommend alternative website hosting service options will then consider, support the transfer.
• Review and recommend alternative online booking system options and support the transfer and set up.
• Optimize the site SEO for search on major search engines.
• Conduct the website improvement and content update in close collaboration with the WCS communications team and NEPL NP ecotourism team.
• Provide a 2-day beginner level training on WordPress back-end management and content update to the NEPL team (around 5 people) in English or Lao.
• Provide 3-month post-consultancy support if issues occur with website.

Key deliverables and timeline:
Deliverable: Create site map for website redesign and 3 themes for WCS to choose from.
Type: Website Framework
Estimated Submission Date: Before 10 October 2024

Deliverable: Conduct the dual language website redesign and content update in close collaboration with the WCS communications team and NEPL NP ecotourism team.
Type: Website Update
Estimated Submission Date: Before 15 December 2024

Deliverable: Provide a 2-day in person beginner level training on WordPress back-end management and content update to the WCS NEPL team (5 people).
Type: Short Training
Estimated Submission Date: Before 15 December 2024

Deliverable: Fully transfer access to updated website to WCS NEPL team (libraries, passwords etc.).
Type: Website data transfer
Estimated Submission Date: Before 31 December 2024

Deliverable: 3-month post-consultancy quality control, maintenance and technical support on back-end management and content update to the WCS NEPL team.
Type: Technical support
Estimated Submission Date: Until 31 March 2025

The indicative budget for those Services is USD $ 5,000 max.

Consultant profile
• Qualifications in web design, marketing, communications, or tourism.
• Demonstrated experience in WordPress website development and redesign.
• Excellent written English and ability to work with Lao language.
• Understanding and interest in conservation and ecotourism.
• Skilled project management skills with the ability to meet deadlines.
• Self-motivated and able to work with a high degree of autonomy in a cross-cultural setting without constant supervision.
• Cooperative attitude, reliable and honest.

Application Process:
Interested candidates should apply by emailing jmauer@wcs.org (Jessica Mauer – Program Coordinator) before September 30th, 2024.
1) CV/Portfolio with references to at least three past website redesign projects.
2) Quotation
3) A brief presentation on how you think the www.Namet.org website should be redesigned with example websites and ideas on what plugins you would recommend using.
Please include NEPL Website Developer in the subject line of your email.