One of the key strategies identified by GPSNR to achieve our vision of a fair, equitable and environmentally sound natural rubber value chain is to ensure that there is capacity amongst smallholders and industrial plantations to adopt best practices in natural rubber production.
In 2020, the Capacity Building Working Group, through various stakeholder interviews and Working Group discussions, proposed a set of country-specific capacity building activities for four countries as a start: Côte d’Ivoire, Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand. In developing these strategies, the Working Group sought to first identify threats to the sustainable production of natural rubber within the different local contexts, as well as the underlying causes for these threats. From this initial research, the working group developed proposed capacity building actions, along with main objectives and rationales for each chosen action. The approach adopted by the Working Group in designing these actions is to allow for immediate engagement and implementation on the ground.
Following the Executive Committee’s endorsement of the Working Group’s capacity building proposals, the Working Group will be conducting a sharing session for all GPSNR members, during which more details about each national capacity building strategy will be presented.
Recruiting Members to Capacity Building National Sub-Groups
Now that the capacity building strategies are in place, the Working Group is inviting interested GPSNR members to join the soon-to-be-created National Sub-Groups that will be mandated to oversee, guide and implement the national capacity building strategies and to promote GPSNR policies and initiatives.
The development of the National Sub-Groups recognizes existing local capacity building initiatives in the rubber sector and their independence of GPSNR and aims to cooperate with local efforts and stakeholders to achieve mutually agreed outcomes.
One of the key strategies identified by GPSNR to achieve our vision of a fair, equitable and environmentally sound natural rubber value chain is to ensure that there is capacity amongst smallholders and industrial plantations to adopt best practices in natural rubber production.
In 2020, the Capacity Building Working Group, through various stakeholder interviews and Working Group discussions, proposed a set of country-specific capacity building activities for four countries as a start: Côte d’Ivoire, Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand. In developing these strategies, the Working Group sought to first identify threats to the sustainable production of natural rubber within the different local contexts, as well as the underlying causes for these threats. From this initial research, the working group developed proposed capacity building actions, along with main objectives and rationales for each chosen action. The approach adopted by the Working Group in designing these actions is to allow for immediate engagement and implementation on the ground.
Following the Executive Committee’s endorsement of the Working Group’s capacity building proposals, the Working Group will be conducting a sharing session for all GPSNR members, during which more details about each national capacity building strategy will be presented.
Recruiting Members to Capacity Building National Sub-Groups
Now that the capacity building strategies are in place, the Working Group is inviting interested GPSNR members to join the soon-to-be-created National Sub-Groups that will be mandated to oversee, guide and implement the national capacity building strategies and to promote GPSNR policies and initiatives.
The development of the National Sub-Groups recognizes existing local capacity building initiatives in the rubber sector and their independence of GPSNR and aims to cooperate with local efforts and stakeholders to achieve mutually agreed outcomes.
To learn more about the Working Group’s strategies and about how to participate in their operationalization, please register for the webinar which will be held on Wednesday, 17 February at 8:00pm (GMT+8).
The Global Platform for Sustainable
Natural Rubber (GPSNR), is an international, multi-Stakeholder, voluntary
membership initiative seeking to lead improvements in the socioeconomic and
environmental performance of the natural rubber value chain. Development of the
GPSNR was initiated by the CEOs of the World Business Council for Sustainable
Development (WBCSD) Tire Industry Project (TIP) in 2018. Members of the
platform include tire manufacturers, rubber suppliers and processors, vehicle
makers, smallholder rubber growers, and NGOs. Representatives from each of
these stakeholder groups have contributed to the development of the
Singapore-based platform and the wide-reaching set of priorities that will
define GPSNR strategies and objectives.
Through a process led by the Policy
Toolbox and Implementation Guidance Working Group (WG1), the General Assembly
approved a Policy Framework in September 2020 that outlines the specific
commitments to sustainable natural rubber that GPSNR company members must
include in their public policies or other relevant documents. GPSNR ordinary member companies are required
to create new or update existing policies to align with the Policy Framework by
March 2021 (companies will have a possibility to request an extension provided
they can demonstrate progress in developing or updating their policies).
WG1 is finalizing Baseline
Reporting Requirements (BRRs) for ordinary member companies to assess where
they are in their sustainability journey.
Once WG1 finalizes the BRRs, it will send them to the GPSNR Executive
Committee (EC) for review and approval.
Company members will be expected to provide the GPSNR Secretariat with
their baseline reporting data in 2021 (date to be confirmed).
The next step is for GPSNR to
develop the Implementation Guidance and future Reporting Requirements
as they pertain to the specific commitments laid out in the GPSNR policy
components. The Implementation Guidance
and Reporting Requirements will vary depending on where a member company sits
within the natural rubber supply chain, so this work will be organized by the
following stakeholder categories:
natural rubber producers/processors and traders, tire makers and other
natural rubber product manufacturers, and auto makers and other end users.
In order to achieve this, the
Platform is seeking a fixed term consultancy to facilitate the development of
the Implementation Guidance and Reporting Requirements for each of the 3
stakeholder categories. While WG1 will
provide oversight to this process, GPSNR will invite the creation of focus
groups for each of the three stakeholder categories to enable broader participation
of members from each of the stakeholder groups (although focus groups can also
include members from other stakeholder categories). The consultant first will facilitate the
development of the Implementation Guidance for each of the 3 categories by
reviewing guidance and requirements from other initiatives, such as the
Accountability Framework, as well as certification schemes such as RSPO, FSC,
PEFC, Cocoa Forests Initiative, and others to prepare draft guidance. The consultant will gather input from the WG1
Co-chairs and the GPSNR Secretariat on the draft, and will then facilitate
various rounds of discussion with the focus groups to finalize the guidance for
each stakeholder category. All comments
will be recorded in a spreadsheet and the decision-making process for
incorporating or rejecting comments will be clearly documented. The Implementation Guidance will include a
corresponding Action Plan template for companies to submit to GPSNR on an
annual basis to indicate which activities they intend to focus on in the coming
year.
Once the focus groups have agreed on the language for the Implementation Guidance and the Action Plan template, they will be submitted to the broader WG for approval. Meanwhile, the Consultant will develop the Reporting Requirements for each stakeholder category. The Reporting Requirements will build off of the BRRs and will align with the Implementation Guidance. The consultant will also review other reporting schemes that members report into, such as ZSL Spott, Global Reporting Initiatives, CDP Forests, and Ecovadis to identify where GPSNR requirements are similar and to align wherever possible. The Consultant will work with the appropriate focus groups to further design the Reporting Requirements for each stakeholder category. Once approved by the focus groups, the Reporting Requirements will go to the broader WG1 for approval, and then on to the EC.
Submission Guidelines & Requirements
The following submission guidelines & requirements apply to this Request for Proposal:
Proposals will only be accepted from individuals or firms with experience relevant to this project.
Examples of previous relevant work should be provided as well.
A technical proposal must be provided that is not more than 6 pages. This technical proposal must provide an overview of the proposed solution as well as resumes of all key personnel performing the work. In addition, the technical proposal should provide a proposed schedule and milestones, as applicable.
A price proposal must be provided that is not more than 1 page. This price proposal should indicate the overall fixed price for the project as well as daily rates and an estimated total number of days.
Proposals must be signed by a representative that is authorized to commit bidder’s company.
Proposals must be received prior to 5th February 2021 to be considered. Proposals should be submitted to aidan@gpsnr.org and stefano.savi@gpsnr.org for consideration.
GPSNR anticipates shortlisting at least two individuals or firms with which to have more in-depth discussions, and will make an award to one of these short-listed individuals or firms.
GPSNR reserves the right to amend the scope of this RFP in order to get the most suitable consultant.
RFP & Project Timelines
The Request for Proposal timeline is as follows:
Proposal
submitted by consultant to stefano.savi@gpsnr.org
05/02/2021
Selection of Top Bidders /
Notification to Unsuccessful Bidders
12/02/2021
Contract Award /
Notification to Unsuccessful Bidders
19/02/2021
Work to commence no later than
22/02/2021
Need-date for project completion
22/06/2021
Budget
The Platform is anticipating that a total budget of no more than 35,000 SGD be allocated to this engagement.
Payment terms shall be:
● 20% at the signing of the contract
● 30% at the midpoint date to be agreed upon and memorialized in the contract based on the submitted work plan
● 50% on delivery of the final report
Evaluation Factors
GPSNR will rate proposals based on the following factors:
Responsiveness to the requirements set forth in this Request for Proposals
Relevant past performance/experience
Samples of work
Cost, including an assessment of total cost of ownership.
Technical expertise/experience of bidder and the bidder’s staff
GPSNR reserves the right to award to the bidder that presents the best value to GPSNR as determined solely by GPSNR in its absolute discretion.
The Working Group has received several bids in response to the Request for Proposal (RFP) for a study on environmental impacts, and risks, in the natural rubber value chain that was published in November. The Working Group has shortlisted three candidates and, as part of the evaluation process, will be conducting with these candidates in January 2021 before awarding the bid to the successful candidate.
The Working Group is also starting on the Theory of Change document update, an exercise which will involve all other Working Groups. This will take place in January 2021. The Equity sub-Group is preparing summary documents for the living income studies and is planning to present the studies to GPSNR members in early 2021.
‘Policy Toolbox’ Working Group
The Working Group has finalized the Baseline Reporting Requirements and these will go to the Executive Committee for review. The Working Group is also developing a Request for Proposal for a consultant to work on the implementation guidance and reporting requirements.
‘Capacity Building’ Working Group
Since the last update, the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Task Force has had their first kickoff call and is beginning the work to identify and/or refine guiding principles for GAPs appropriate for the sustainable production of natural rubber.
The Working Group is also engaging the Executive Committee on their comments regarding the proposed capacity building strategies for four focus countries.
‘Traceability and Transparency’ Working Group
In early December, the Working Group onboarded smallholders from Indonesia and Côte d’Ivoire into the group, with the smallholders participating in their first meeting on 10 December.
Aside from reviewing the Working Group’s Terms of Reference (ToR) and its objectives moving forward, the Working Group will also be starting to develop recommendations for members on traceability and transparency tools in early 2021.
Smallholder Representation Working Group
The revised ToR for the Working Group is undergoing a final review, following which it will be sent to the Executive Committee for approval.
The Working Group has also formalised a document that defines the role and key tasks of a Country Champion. So far, Country Champions have been actively involved in organizing and arranging national calls, supporting smallholder engagement, and providing technical and linguistic assistance.
As part of the Working Group’s revamp, it will be undergoing a membership refresh. Part of this will also involve smallholders being onboarded into the Working Group in 2021. The Working Group is also looking into onboarding smallholders from Cambodia. Any GPSNR members who have operations in Cambodia or partners working in Cambodia who can help to identify potential smallholders for an onboarding workshop are welcome to reach out to the Working Group’s Co-Chairs, Ulrich Antoni and Julian Oram.
GPSNR members who missed the Executive Committee and Working Groups Update webinar that was held on 2 December can view the recording of the webinar or download the slide deck for reference.
The Working Group has received several bids in response to the Request for Proposal (RFP) for a study on environmental impacts, and risks, in the natural rubber value chain that was published in November. The Working Group has shortlisted three candidates and, as part of the evaluation process, will be conducting with these candidates in January 2021 before awarding the bid to the successful candidate.
The Working Group is also starting on the Theory of Change document update, an exercise which will involve all other Working Groups. This will take place in January 2021. The Equity sub-Group is preparing summary documents for the living income studies and is planning to present the studies to GPSNR members in early 2021.
‘Policy Toolbox’ Working Group
The Working Group has finalized the Baseline Reporting Requirements and these will go to the Executive Committee for review. The Working Group is also developing a Request for Proposal for a consultant to work on the implementation guidance and reporting requirements.
‘Capacity Building’ Working Group
Since the last update, the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Task Force has had their first kickoff call and is beginning the work to identify and/or refine guiding principles for GAPs appropriate for the sustainable production of natural rubber.
The Working Group is also engaging the Executive Committee on their comments regarding the proposed capacity building strategies for four focus countries.
‘Traceability and Transparency’ Working Group
In early December, the Working Group onboarded smallholders from Indonesia and Côte d’Ivoire into the group, with the smallholders participating in their first meeting on 10 December.
Aside from reviewing the Working Group’s Terms of Reference (ToR) and its objectives moving forward, the Working Group will also be starting to develop recommendations for members on traceability and transparency tools in early 2021.
Smallholder Representation Working Group
The revised ToR for the Working Group is undergoing a final review, following which it will be sent to the Executive Committee for approval.
The Working Group has also formalised a document that defines the role and key tasks of a Country Champion. So far, Country Champions have been actively involved in organizing and arranging national calls, supporting smallholder engagement, and providing technical and linguistic assistance.
As part of the Working Group’s revamp, it will be undergoing a membership refresh. Part of this will also involve smallholders being onboarded into the Working Group in 2021. The Working Group is also looking into onboarding smallholders from Cambodia. Any GPSNR members who have operations in Cambodia or partners working in Cambodia who can help to identify potential smallholders for an onboarding workshop are welcome to reach out to the Working Group’s Co-Chairs, Ulrich Antoni and Julian Oram.
We’ve refreshed our website and added some exciting features especially for GPSNR members.
Introducing the Members Portal
The Members Portal brings together all the resources available to GPSNR members, and provides easy and quick access to ongoing member activities. Members can access this feature by logging in with the username and password provided by the Secretariat. The account details will be sent to the primary contact of each organization in early January 2021. Members who would like to request for additional accounts may contact Nigel for assistance.
Besides the Members Portal, the website features a revamped navigation menu with new pages featuring our Working Groups, Executive Committee and the Secretariat. GPSNR Articles, tenders and other documents can be accessed under the Resources heading of the new navigation menu.
Have thoughts or feedback about the new look? We want to hear from you! Write in to the Secretariat with your comments.
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.
During the September 2020 General Assembly, GPSNR members voted to allow the Executive Committee to move forward with designing and implementing a Grievance Mechanism, as outlined in a revision to the statutes. The GPSNR Grievance Mechanism is a non-legal system established for stakeholders to express concerns they have about a GPSNR member or the GPSNR Secretariat and find optimal ways to resolve disputes. This Mechanism is distinct from the Grievance Mechanisms that ordinary company members are required to establish and maintain, and should be used in the event that the company’s mechanism has not successfully resolved the complaints raised.
Membership Survey
GPSNR members are invited to comment on the proposed Grievance Mechanism by providing their responses via a survey. The survey will be open until 29 January 2021, after which the results will be compiled and reviewed.
Members Webinar
There will be an informational webinar on 14 January 2021 at 8pm (Singapore time) during which the members developing the Grievance Mechanism will share more details about the mechanism and conduct a Q&A session.
GPSNR members may download materials related to the GPSNR Grievance Mechanism, take the survey and register for the webinar using the links provided in the Members Portal.
During the September 2020 General Assembly, GPSNR members voted to allow the Executive Committee to move forward with designing and implementing a Grievance Mechanism, as outlined in a revision to the statutes. The GPSNR Grievance Mechanism is a non-legal system established for stakeholders to express concerns they have about a GPSNR member or the GPSNR Secretariat and find optimal ways to resolve disputes. This Mechanism is distinct from the Grievance Mechanisms that ordinary company members are required to establish and maintain, and should be used in the event that the company’s mechanism has not successfully resolved the complaints raised.
Full details of the proposed GPSNR Grievance Mechanism and a list of related Frequently Asked Questions can be downloaded at the following links:
GPSNR members are invited to comment on the proposed Grievance Mechanism by providing their responses via a survey. The survey will be open until 29 January 2021, after which the results will be compiled and reviewed.
There will be an informational webinar on 14 January 2021 at 8pm (Singapore time) during which the members developing the Grievance Mechanism will share more details about the mechanism and conduct a Q&A session.
Join the Chairs and Co-Chairs of the Executive Committee and Working Groups as they share more on their current projects and upcoming highlights. Members will be able to pose queries to the panelists during the live Q&A session.
The Strategy and Objectives Working Group is currently revising its Terms of References (ToR) to better reflect the plans for further developing GPSNR’s Theory of Change.
The Request for Proposal (RFP) for a study on environmental impacts, and risks, in the natural rubber value chain has been published. GPSNR members are invited to circulate the RFP to any relevant contacts who might be interested in submitting proposals for this work. The deadline for submission of proposals is 27 November 2020.
The Equity sub-Group has received the first drafts of the Living Income Gap studies for Indonesia and Thailand, and these are currently in review by both members of the sub-Group as well as the engaged consultants. The extension of the study on Human Rights and Labour Rights’ Risk Mapping in the Global Natural Rubber Value Chains conducted by independent consultants James Griffiths & Associates Sàrl, which focuses on issues of equity, is near its completion phase.
‘Policy Toolbox’ Working Group
The revised Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Policy Toolbox Working Group is being reviewed. Following approval of the ToR, the Working Group will be in a good position to move forward on development of the implementation guidance for stakeholder groups, as well as policy equivalents for civil society organizations and smallholder producers.
The Working Group has also conducted a preliminary revision of the Baseline Reporting Requirements following feedback from GPSNR member companies during the pilot testing stage. To find out more about the Baseline Reporting Requirements pilot testing, check out our latest article, ‘Updates on the GPSNR Baseline Reporting Requirements Pilot Test’.
‘Capacity Building’ Working Group
The Working Group is in the midst of revising its Terms of Reference (ToR) to cater to the shift in focus to implementation plans. The Working Group is also putting together a Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Task Force that will work to identify and/or refine guiding principles for GAPs appropriate for the sustainable production of natural rubber that cater to both Industrial Plantations and Smallholder Farmers. The goal of this Task Force will be to create a document stating a high-level, international set of GAPs that can be disseminated to national Capacity Building groups for adaptation to local contexts.
The Task Force is currently looking for smallholder members who have experience in Good Agricultural Practices to join the Task Force. They will have the opportunity to collaborate and create the GAPs together with other Task Force members. Interested smallholder members are welcome to contact Aidan (aidan@gpsnr.org) for more information.
‘Traceability and Transparency’ Working Group
The Working Group is reviewing the two studies that were commissioned earlier. Plans to review the Working Group’s Terms of Reference (ToR) are also in the works as its members consider the next steps vis-à-vis the findings and conclusions from the studies.
Smallholder Representation Working Group
Following the fourth international call with smallholder members, the Working Group has consolidated the responses from smallholder members who indicated their interest in participating in our Working Groups. A plan is underway to onboard these smallholder members into the various Working Groups.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement
1 year
Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category .
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
PHPSESSID
session
This cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Cookie
Duration
Description
ac_enable_tracking
1 month
This cookie is set by Active Campaign to denote that traffic is enabled for the website.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Cookie
Duration
Description
_ga
2 years
The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_139883466_1
1 minute
Set by Google to distinguish users.
_gid
1 day
Installed by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
CONSENT
2 years
YouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Cookie
Duration
Description
NID
6 months
NID cookie, set by Google, is used for advertising purposes; to limit the number of times the user sees an ad, to mute unwanted ads, and to measure the effectiveness of ads.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE
5 months 27 days
A cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
YSC
session
YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
