GPSNR Working Groups Update: April 2022

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Here are all their updates from the last month:

Strategy and Objectives Working Group

After conducting a gap analysis of GPSNR’s current activities based on the platform’s Theory of Change, the strategy and objectives working group is working on a strategy to address the gaps found, which they will soon present to the Executive Committee. The gaps found include government engagement and the enhancing the enablers mentioned in the Theory of Change. You can read the Theory of Change here. At the same time, the risk sub working group continues to develop GPSNR’s approach to evaluating and mitigating risk.

Smallholder Representation Working Group

Having onboarded 23 new smallholders into the platform this month, the working group continues to build on other aspects of its scope, including planning workshops for Liberia, Ghana and Malaysia, developing country-specific smallholder engagement activities with smallholders and Country Champions and appointing a consultant to develop the smallholder policy equivalent.

Policy Toolbox Working Group

This group is continuing discussions among its three subgroups: Transparent reporting roadmap, Implementation Guidance and RR Guidance & Tools. In the coming months, they will finalise guidance for the reporting requirements and share it with members.

Capacity Building Working Group

The group is currently busy in the development of GPSNR’s knowledge sharing platform, which includes smallholder interviews, compiling and assessing responses of member surveys and holding focus group discussions in May 2022. At the same time, they are working on advancing Capacity Building plans for Indonesia, Thailand and Côte d’Ivoire. For capacity building efforts in Indonesia, the group has formed two Task Forces under the Indonesia Subgroup to advance Budwood Garden and Disease Fighting strategies.

Shared Responsibility Working Group

The Shared Responsibility has completed a draft of Shared Responsibility Framework and presented it to the membership at two member consultation webinars. In case you missed these, you can watch the recordings here. It has also opened the draft framework to member feedback till 2nd May. Take a look at the framework here and fill in your inputs here.

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News

Smallholders Representation Working Group Update – March 2020

The appointed Country Champions have been in contact with the smallholders to ensure a good understanding of GPSNR through familiarization with the Statutes and Code of Conduct. These socialization efforts were carried out by means of teleconferencing, some taking place with the aid of interpreters. To complement these preliminary engagement sessions, the Working Group is creating a customised programme for the smallholders prior to this year’s General Assembly. It is important for the smallholders to meet face-to-face and have the chance to get to know each other, considering that some of them have never stepped foot outside their own country. As they will have to decide who will represent them in the Executive Committee if the new ‘Smallholder Producers’ membership category is approved, interaction with each other is imperative for them to make informed decisions.  

The sub-Group specially formed to focus on this issue has proposed a first draft of the programme, which was discussed at the recent Working Group meeting. At the moment, the programme includes sessions for the smallholders to learn more about each other, about GPSNR and the impact of their votes. They will also guide the smallholders in identifying their priorities and needs, and include sharing from GPSNR members in the other categories, so that smallholders can better understand how they can be effective members and work with others at both Working Group and Executive Committee levels. Aside from these proposed sessions, a half-day field trip is also being considered as a socio-cultural component. 

Looking towards the future, the Working Group is having ongoing discussions on how best to integrate smallholders into the various Working Groups. The language barrier has been identified as a key issue to address in order to achieve full inclusivity of smallholders. .

GPSNR Staff March 26, 2020
Members

GPSNR Company Self Assessment Form: Aligning Your Company’s Policy with the GPSNR Policy Framework

The Policy Framework was approved and adopted via a membership vote at the 2nd GPSNR General Assembly on 23 September. As part of the resolution, companies were given 6 months to align their public policies to include all the components of GPSNR’s Policy Framework, with the possibility of two extensions if evidence of progress is shown. Based on this timeline, companies will have until 23 March 2021 to submit their public policies for evaluation by GPSNR’s Compliance Panel. Full instructions on how companies should submit their public policies and other public documents will be provided in early 2021. 

The Self Assessment Form is a tool designed to help companies evaluate and track the degree of alignment between their public policies and other public documents and GPSNR’s Policy Framework. Conducting a self-assessment using this form does not constitute GPSNR approval of a company’s policies, and companies should avoid making public claims about approval of the policies before final assessment by GPSNR. Compliance with this requirement can only be confirmed by the GPSNR Compliance Panel and this will only be possible after member companies submit to GPSNR their policies or other public documents that reflect conformance with GPSNR’s Policy Framework in March 2021.

A summary timeline of the company policy approval process is depicted below:

Compliance Panel

In early 2021, the Policy Toolbox and Implementation Guidance Working Group will share the terms of reference for the three members of the Compliance Panel. GPSNR members will then be invited to nominate individuals to serve on the Compliance Panel. An Extra-ordinary General Assembly will be called in February 2021 for GPSNR members to vote on the candidates and three candidates will be voted to form the Compliance Panel. The panel will then assess the policies submitted by GPSNR member companies and determine if they are in compliance with GPSNR’s Policy Framework. More details on this will be shared with members once they are available.

Click here to download the GPSNR Company Self Assessment Form

GPSNR Staff December 30, 2020

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