GPSNR Working Groups Update: March 2022

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All GPSNR working groups have a large chunk of work ahead of them. Here are all their updates: 

Strategy and Objectives Working Group

The group has made good progress by establishing the new risk task force that will evaluate the exact scope of GPSNR’s risk based approach. It has also got its new Terms of Reference approved by the Executive Committee, and is now working on contracting a consultant for the Economic Risk Study and conducting a gap analysis of GPSNR’s current activities based on the platform’s Theory of Change.

Smallholder Representation Working Group

Having published the RFP to develop the GPSNR Smallholders Policy Framework equivalent, the group is focussing on the first Smallholders International Call of the year in March 2022, workshops in Liberia and Malaysia, and on developing country-specific smallholder engagement activities with smallholders and Country Champions.

Policy Toolbox Working Group

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

At the same time, they are working with the smallholder representation working group on the Smallholder Policy Framework equivalent.

Capacity Building Working Group

After publishing the GAPs as living documents in English and Bahasa and selecting SNV-Proforest and Koltiva as consultants to work on the GAPs coaching in Indonesia, the working group continues to develop capacity building plans for Indonesia, Thailand and Ivory Coast.

They are also seeking your inputs for GPSNR’s knowledge sharing platform, which you can provide here.

Traceability and Transparency Working Group

Having finalized the traceability and transparency primer, the WG will wind down its operations.

Shared Responsibility Working Group

The Shared Responsibility has completed a review of the Shared Responsibility Framework, incorporating feedback from the Executive Committee. The Working Group will present an updated proposal to the EC as the next step, with a view to prepare a resolution at the 2022 General Assembly.

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News

GPSNR Working Groups Update: November 2022

Strategy and Objectives Working Group

The risk subgroup, which sits under the umbrella of this working group, has studied the various definitions of polygons in the EU Deforestation Regulation through an extensive survey conducted for GPSNR PPT members.

The assurance model subgroup continues to work on the KPIs set during the last in-person meeting as they are to be finalised at the end of the year and presented during the next in-person and hybrid meetings in January 2023.

Smallholder Representation Working Group

After completing two rounds of pilot agroforestry workshops for smallholder members in Indonesia, and Cambodia, the working group is working on concluding how GPSNR should approach agroforestry capacity building in the long term. This work stream aims to integrate priorities of smallholders with developing long-term income diversification strategies through the Capacity Building Working Group.

They are also busy holding focus group discussions towards the smallholder policy equivalent and evaluating proposals received for the GPSNR-HCSA Smallholder Toolkit Field Trials.

Policy Toolbox Working Group

The group is working on finalizing the TORs for the Year 1 Reporting Review to be conducted in the first quarter of next year. They are also assessing if any changes to the reporting framework and its details (i.e. process, extensions, questions) are needed based on the Year 1 Reporting Review results.

Capacity Building Working Group

The group is currently evaluating proposals to appoint a software developer for the second phase of the GPSNR Knowledge Sharing Platform. They have kicked off the Disease Fighting Project with SNV-IRRI in Indonesia, after having recently completed the first milestone of the SNV-Proforest GAP coaching in the country. They continue to seek members’ funding for capacity building projects in Indonesia (second stream of disease fighting) and Cote d’Ivoire (training centres). To know more, you can find the project details here.

 

Shared Responsibility Working Group

  The group has completed 40% progress on the agreed deliverable for each pillar, and is continuing to work towards completion ahead of the meetings in January. The WG is also working to align with the Assurance Model Task Force to advance the Shared Responsibility agenda. 

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

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