GPSNR Working Groups Update: October 2024

The strategy and objectives working group

Both the subworking groups under the umbrella of the Strategy and Objectives WG are occupied with some critical milestones. The Risk Subgroup would soon be receiving the final draft for the risk assessment framework by ASI, which it will fine-tune based on the feedback received during the meetings in Singapore and online at the end of January. They are also kickstarting the traceability field trials in Indonesia and Thailand, for which they will soon start evaluating proposals, while hosting some members webinars on different traceability tools available in the market. 

On the other hand, the Assurance Model taskforce is streamlining the category specific KPIs along with the members journey/assurance model blueprint that was finalised during the latest hybrid meetings. You can find more context in the minutes here or reach out for questions on info@gpsnr.org.

The smallholder representation working group: 

Along with the work on the smallholder policy equivalent for which the WG has already sent out an all-member survey and initiating the HCSA-HCVN NR Smallholder Toolkit Field Trials, they are preparing for the decided merger with the capacity building working group. More details on how this will play out can be found here. 

The policy toolbox working group: 

The group is working on a tender to Crosswalk RR framework with CDP Forest and GRI Reporting, while aligning with the Assurance Model taskforce on the KPI on due diligence. 

The capacity building working group: 

The group is overseeing the pilot agroforestry project in Thailand that kicked off last December, as well as ongoing GAP coaching and disease fighting projects in Indonesia. The group is also working with the newly appointed consultants at Koltiva for the pilot Knowledge Sharing Platform for smallholders. Along with working with the smallholder representation working group on the merger, they continue their tasks of overseeing existing field projects, seeking members’ funding for projects in Côte d’Ivoire and Indonesia.. 

The shared responsibility working group: 

As per the decisions taken on the next steps during the hybrid meetings in January-February, the group is working with the Tiremaker category on streamlining a proposal on shared investment while also completing the deliverables on the other pillars. They are also aligning with the Assurance Model taskforce on how the KPIs will integrate into the Shared Investment mechanism. 

Assurance Model Task Force: The Executive Committee (EC) has reviewed the Assurance Model documents and approved them to be submitted to the General Assembly for a vote. The EC has also identified several topics that will require further discussion and finalisation next year. These include minimum requirements, the mechanism for third-party oversight of assessor accreditation, the format and content of assessment result disclosures, the process for assigning third-party assessors, claims, refinements to the classification system for major non-conformities, and a risk-based approach to assessment scheduling. These topics will be presented for a vote at the 2025 General Assembly. For further context, here is the link to the compilation of feedback on the Assurance Model documents received since June, along with responses and changes made based on these comments: https://rubberplatform.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/GPSNRMembers/EWLmS86xDkxMtce9wKEuLjwByB6hU_QXrROu_XJ9DuK0kA?e=ZYYike

Additionally, the EC has agreed that the first three years of assessments (2027-2029) will be conducted annually, with mandatory public disclosure of a category-level summary of the assessments, while company-level disclosure will be optional for those being assessed.

Smallholders Representation and Capacity Building (SCB) Working Group: 18 members from Ghana were approved this month, with an onboarding call held on 10 October 2024. Additionally, the EC Election Campaign call for smallholders took place on 29 October 2024.

Koltiva submitted the final report for the Indonesia GAP Coaching Project (Phase 2) and delivered a final presentation on 17 October 2024. The third phase of the Indonesia GAP Coaching Project is now underway and is currently in the preparation stage. For the Thailand GAP Coaching Project, Koltiva presented the first full-year project results on 22 October 2024. Meanwhile, RAFs completed training for 1,000 farmers ahead of schedule in the Thailand Agroforestry Project. Furthermore, a curated content list and promotional poster for Rubber Wiki have been created to engage smallholders through the Knowledge Sharing Platform.

Looking ahead, a Pre-GA Webinar for smallholders is scheduled for 18 November 2024, and 10 new Cambodian smallholders have applied for membership and are awaiting approval.

For Capacity Building Projects, SCB WG members are requested to review and provide feedback on the final report for the Indonesia GAP Coaching Project (Phase 2) by 28 October 2024. Koltiva will also submit agricultural calendars and training materials for the third phase of this project for SCB WG review by the same date. For the Thailand GAP Coaching Project, Koltiva is revising the full-year review report based on feedback from SCB WG members. Additionally, the Project Management Subgroup will hold its kick-off meeting on 23 October 2024.

Shared Responsibility Working Group: The Shared Investment Panel (SIP) has officially been established following approval from the GPSNR Executive Committee.

The Secretariat is continuing to support the implementation of the Shared Investment Mechanism, with the Project Management Subgroup currently reviewing the proposals received. The SIP will select its co-chairs and plans to hold its kick-off meeting early next month.

Regarding the Value Transfer mechanism, the Executive Committee will form a task force with one representative from each ordinary member category. This task force will work on the next steps to finalise a revised proposal, with the aim to present it at the in-person meeting in February 2025.