Landscape Analysis Project Overview
The National Geographic Society is seeking a researcher to conduct a landscape analysis to inform the Blue Boundaries education and community engagement approach for our freshwater wetlands initiatives within the Lower Mekong Basin. The analysis should 1) outline the existing conservation education landscape across primary, secondary, post-secondary and informal education, 2) identify key actors including individuals, organizations, institutions and their activities, 3) assess critical gaps in the field, and 4) pinpoint unique opportunities for the Society to catalyze meaningful impact with our audiences which include formal and informal educators, youth ages 13-25, and community members. The objectives for this landscape analysis include, but are not limited to, the following:
Learning Ecosystem Mapping:
General: A thorough examination of the existing conservation education landscape within the Lower Mekong Basin, identifying local, regional, and global actors, existing educational activities and offerings for our relevant audiences, and key trends.
Supporting Freshwater Wetlands Conservation: A detailed assessment of the current conservation education landscape in the Lower Mekong Basin, with a particular focus on biodiversity, carbon dynamics, socioecological health, and resistance and resilience of freshwater wetlands in educational activities and offerings for our relevant audiences, local, regional and global actors, and key trends.
Gap Analysis & Recommendations:
Deliver a gap analysis highlighting areas of saturation and unmet community needs in the freshwater wetlands conservation education space for our defined audiences.
Provide actionable recommendations on how the National Geographic Society’s Education and Community Engagement division can engage for impact.
Scope of Work
The National Geographic Society is seeking proposals from individuals or organizations with demonstrated expertise in conducting education landscape analysis with a focus on conservation education topics in the Lower Mekong Basin.
The scope of this project includes:
Working closely and collaboratively with our Education and Community Engagement Division to ensure research design meets our objectives and provide actionable insights.
Develop an analysis strategy to meet our goals and aims.
Develop a draft report and final report including comprehensive written findings and potential opportunities for NGS Education and Community Engagement Division. Also provide a presentation deck that synthesizes findings comprehensively.
Present findings and recommendations and answer questions to various groups of National Geographic staff and key stakeholders, up to three presentations.
We also welcome proposals that include creative ideas and thoughts around the best approach for this endeavor that may not be mentioned in this scope of work.
Target Deliverable Schedule
Work should conclude by December 2026 (approximately 8-10 weeks post the date of award). Please include a detailed timeline of work and deliverables that would allow you to meet this completion date. If this date needs to be adjusted, please include your readjusted proposed date, as well as your reasoning for shifting the timeline. All proposed date changes will be considered.
Background on the National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society is a mission-driven, non-profit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. For more than 130 years, we have funded the best and brightest individuals dedicated to scientific discovery who also teach us about the world and inspire us to take action to protect it. Our diverse, global community of National Geographic Explorers are leading a new age of exploration in support of our mission. Background on the Education & Community Engagement Division at the National Geographic Society In partnership with researchers, educators, community leaders and learners of all ages, the National Geographic Society’s Education and Community Engagement team works at the nexus of science and storytelling to push the boundaries of research and practice to improve scientific outcomes, drive new knowledge and spark the attitude and behavior shifts necessary for sustainable and resilient long-term conservation efforts. At the heart of our mission is the cultivation of an Explorer Mindset —the attitudes, skills and knowledge that enable National Geographic Explorers to find innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. We work to build an Explorer Mindset in learners of all ages by designing learning resources and experiences that connect people with the work that Explorers do around the world and creating the enabling conditions for them to make change in their own communities.
Background on Blue Boundaries
The National Geographic Society and Chubb Charitable Foundation partner to protect our “Blue Boundaries, ” the critical places where land and water meet. The Blue Boundaries program focuses on safeguarding three of Earth’s most vital ecosystems — freshwater wetlands, coastal systems and reefs — by uniting on-the ground conservation science and research with powerful storytelling to build a resilient future for both people and nature. Led by a cohort of National Geographic Explorers, the Blue Boundaries program encompasses scientific research, conservation work, education initiatives and impact storytelling to address the planet’s most pressing challenges. By engaging local communities, these Explorers will help co-create innovative and scalable solutions that are informed by science and grounded in local knowledge. Blue Boundaries is being implemented in a phased approach, with strategic overlap throughout the partnership, starting with freshwater wetlands and then moving to coastal systems, culminating in reef environments. This approach mirrors the downstream flow of water that connects life and ecological processes, underscoring the interdependence of these environments.
Background on Geographic Region
The first phase of the Blue Boundaries program focuses on freshwater wetlands and will champion scientific research and spark scalable conservation efforts across three regions worldwide.
The focus for this RFP covers the following locations:
Wetlands of Southern Mexico, Belize & Guatemala: As the gateway to the tropics for the Americas, this region’s biodiverse wetlands serve as a critical stronghold for iconic wildlife — including manatees, species living deep in the groundwater that sustain local foodwebs, jaguars, and greater flamingos— while simultaneously supporting a robust tourism-based economy and storing vast amounts of irrecoverable carbon through rich wetland and peatland soils that are essential to achieving global climate stability.
Wetlands of the Lower Mekong Basin: Spanning four nations, including Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, the Lower Mekong Basin is a critical transnational lifeline that sustains tens of millions of livelihoods and hosts one of the world’s largest and most productive inland fisheries, producing 2.3 million tons of fish harvested every year. Wetlands of this region can record changes through time, and the area remains a global biodiversity hotspot, providing shelter for birds and aquatic life, including rare megafish, and freshwater stingrays.
Wetlands of the Mississippi River: A cornerstone of North American ecological resilience, this region provides essential drinking water, economic stability through agriculture, trade and hydropower, and carbon storage. This watershed acts as an unparalleled biodiversity artery, including microbes that sustain the health of the river, North American migratory birds, and iconic vegetation, providing critical habitat for species such as beavers, river otters and American alligators.
