Request For Proposal – GPSNR-RFP-A02-032-Thailand GAP Coaching

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Introduction & Background

 
 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 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 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 strategy and objectives.

 

Thailand is the largest producer of natural rubber (NR) worldwide, contributing 36% to
total global production. Majority of the NR production in Thailand is conducted
by smallholder farmers owning land of 2-4 hectares. The NR value chain in Thailand has historically been supported by various governmental bodies, now functioning under the umbrella of the Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAOT). This has led to exceptional performance by rubber farms, with an average yield exceeding 1.6 tons per hectare in 2019. However, the NR value chain in Thailand remains highly labour-intensive and currently
faces oversupply and low prices.

Thailand rubber has some specific particularities. It is grown in 4 main regions with different growing conditions: Traditional areas are in the South (the historical planting) and the East (Rayong and Chanthaburi provinces) while more recent developments were established in less climatically favourable areas: North and North-East (Esan). It has the particularity to be produced almost exclusively by smallholders, using higher tapping frequencies than other countries even in the neighbourhood, and to exploit rather low size farms (1.5ha or less). Share cropping among farmers and tappers is a common practice, beside family farming. Consequence of this is that although a good land productivity (kg/ha), labour productivity remains very low to date.

GPSNR, through the Smallholders Representative and Capacity Building Working Group (SCB WG) – Thailand National Subgroup, is currently inviting proposals for the dissemination of coaching materials and implementation of coaching on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) for smallholders in two regions (North and North-East) of Thailand, with a focus on one province per region.

 

The proposed coaching programs should be implemented in accordance with the
GPSNR’s environmental and social commitments and values, as outlined in the GPSNR
Policy Framework[1], and in compliance with the relevant Thai Agricultural Standard: Good Agricultural Practices issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives
of Thailand.

[1]
https://sustainablenaturalrubber.org/policy-framework/

Objectives

 

The overall objectives of the GAP coaching programmes are to ensure the long-term sustainability of rubber livelihoods and ecosystems by increasing smallholders’ productivity, yields, and socio-economic resilience, whilst safeguarding nature and the environment. 

 

Expected Deliverables

 

Brief Justifications

The objective of the project is to update and disseminate the best Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) recommendations to farmers in Thailand. This aims to ensure that planters have access to relevant knowledge and resources to enhance their productivity,
motivation, and income, leading to an improved livelihood.

The proposal should implement GPSNR’s proposed strategy for capacity building in
Thailand and provide brief justifications on the most suitable approach to
conduct coaching for smallholders in two regions (North and North-East) of
Thailand, with a focus on one province per region.

The GPSNR SCB WG – Thailand National Subgroup may prioritize funding for coaching in
regions based on relative productivity, coverage of existing coaching services,
socio-economic needs, recommendations of RAOT, or other considerations.

Proposed Coaching Approach

Possible approaches for consideration include (non-exhaustive): mobile coaching at local
community centres; building physical training centres; on-farm coaching; hybrid
coaching approaches. The proposal should consider which approach represents the
best fit for community needs and dynamics.

The proposed coaching approach should consider, but is not limited to, the
following priorities:

a.    Coaching based on the train-the-trainers (ToT) model

b.   Female and other minority inclusion and representation

c.    Field coaching (or other approach) implementation plans

d.   Integration of technology for data capture and ongoing engagement, and progress tracking (i.e. immediate and longer-term monitoring and evaluation)

e.   Others (i.e. nuanced approaches to meet geographic/other needs; ongoing farmer community connectivity and interactions; engagement with local or regional officials

Service providers are to adapt the provided GPSNR GAP coaching approaches. The GPSNR GAPs are created to serve as general best practices and principles for global usage and are periodically reviewed and updated to reflect the sector’s latest understandings.

The service provider is expected to work with GPSNR to adapt the general GAPs to align with local situations in Thailand and comply with the relevant Thai Agricultural Standard: Good Agricultural Practices issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand. This will build trust with smallholders and optimize the coaching outcomes, particularly in terms of language, technical specificities, and local needs.

Service providers should also translate the relevant Thai Agricultural Standard: Good Agricultural Practices issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand from Thai to English.

The GPSNR GAPs consist of the following four modules:

1.     Rubber Plant Material

2. Establishment and Maintenance of Plantations

3.    Latex Harvesting

4.   Diseases and Pests

Service providers are also expected to operate in line with principles and values set forth in the GPSNR Policy Framework such as commitment to environmental protection and sustainability, zero deforestation, community engagement and FPIC etc.

The selected service provider may also be expected to work closely with the GPSNR SCB WG – Thailand National Subgroup to fine-tuned or further augment the provided coaching materials. 

 

Key Metrics

To prevent risk of false correlations, it is essential to collect baseline data on participating smallholders before the GAP coaching begins. The impact assessment should compare the participating smallholders’ data after the GAP coaching to accurately measure their improvement.

It is also important to collect control group date of smallholders who did not participate in the GAP coaching programmes to ensure any changes observed are due to the GAP coaching and not other factors. Additionally, being aware of external factors such as weather and market prices can help to better assess the results.

 The proposal should elaborate on how the following key metrics can be achieved and measured:

1.      Total number of smallholders coached

2.     Total number of trainers or coaches coached

3.     Year-by-year increase in smallholder productivity and smallholders engaged

4.    Inclusivity across gender, youth, geographic regions, and ethnicity (e.g., indigenous, or other minority communities)

5.     Monitoring and evaluation of coaching progress and outcomes

 The proposal should also identify other key metrics of importance not listed above and describe how they will be achieved and measured.

 

Submission Guidelines & Requirements

 

The following submission guidelines & requirements apply to
this Request for Proposal:

1.     Proposals will only be accepted
from individuals or firms with experience relevant to this project.

2.    A technical proposal must be provided that is not more than 4 pages. This technical proposal must provide:

•      A workplan that outlines all key activities of the deliverables
(refers to Expected Deliverables above)

•      Timeline and key stages of operations (refers to Project
Timelines below)

•      Budget, including detailed breakdown of expected manpower,
logistics, and costs expected to run coaching programmes for an initial three
years, beginning in 2023 (refers to Budget below)

•      Description of past work and technical expertise that is relevant
to this RFP

•      A list of project team members with their roles in the project and
associated qualifications

•      Proposals must be signed by a representative that is authorized to
commit bidder’s company.

3.    Proposals must be received prior to the 30 June 2023 to be considered. Proposals should be submitted to cheewei@gpsnr.org for consideration.

GPSNR reserves the right to amend the scope and budget of this RFP to get the most suitable consultant for each topic.

 

Project Timelines

 

RFP Publication

4 May 2023

Submission deadline for proposals

30 June 2023

Evaluation of proposals and follow up

21 July 2023

Contract Award

July 2023

Preparations and Implementation for 1st year

 

August 2023 – July 2024

First Full Review

August 2024

Preparations and Implementation for 2nd year

 

August 2024 – July 2025

Second Full Review

August 2025

Preparations and Implementation for 3rd year

 

August 2025 – July 2026

Third Full Review

August 2026

Service provider will also provide fortnightly or monthly progress updates to the GPSNR SCB WG, or on an as-needed basis.

Budget

 

The Platform is anticipating that a total budget of no more than 216,000 USD be allocated to this engagement, depending on the proposed coaching approach.

Payment terms shall be:
• 20% at the signing of the contract
• 20% at the first round of coaching conducted
• 20% upon First Full Review (August 2024)
• 20% upon Second Full Review (August 2025)
• 20% upon Third Full Review (August 2026)

Evaluation Factors

GPSNR will rate proposals based on the following factors:

1. Responsiveness to the requirements set forth in this Request for Proposal
2. Relevant past performance/ experience
3. Samples of work
4. Cost per farmer, and other aspects of the proposed coaching approach of programme
5. Technical expertise/experience of bidder and bidder’s staff
6. Proposed timeline of operations

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.

gulation consolidated text 20-12-22

 

View RFP Document here

More To Explore

(CLOSED) Request for Proposal – Webpage design consultancy

Webpage design consultancy

Background

At GPSNR, we bring together companies, smallholders, academia and civil society to transform the natural rubber supply chain into a sustainable, equitable and fair one.

Even though it was launched just in 2018, 50% of the world’s natural rubber demand already finds membership in GPSNR. This is only a small reflection of the amount of work that has taken place over the last three years.

Scope

To document important decisions and milestones and ensure institutional memory is well-recorded, GPSNR is seeking a User Interface/User experience consultant to design three web pages that record a timeline, GPSNR’s assurance roadmap and the structure and overview of its working groups.

Core tasks

Working closely with the GPSNR secretariat, the consultant will:

  • Create and finalize three web-page mockups (wireframes, prototypes, and corresponding user interface components like templates, stylesheets, scripts, images, etc).
  • Include four rounds of feedback for each mockup from the GPSNR secretariat and key stakeholders
  • Integrate components in the CMS to allow review and testing, and make corresponding adjustments based on feedback received.
  • Liaise with GPSNR’s CRM expert to ensure that the mockups are feasible for the GPSNR website
  • Work closely with GPSNR’s Communications Manager on translating content into user oriented design

Terms

  • The engagement will take place for a period of six weeks from 15 October to 26nd November 2021. Interim dates for wireframes and approvals will be mutually agreed upon after confirmation.

Necessary Competencies:

  • Solid understanding of the concepts of user experience, user interface design principles and conceptual design.
  • Expert knowledge in WordPress CMS and Elementor
  • Knowledge of Bootstrap, jQuery and AngularJS, HTML, and Elementor Shortcodes
  • Knowledge of industry-standard design tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Dreamweaver.
  • Knowledge of WordPress Content Management System, particularly with respect to page template design, will be considered an asset.
  • Eye for design and attention to detail are essential.

Submission Guidelines:

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.
  • Submissions must include
    1) a portfolio of previous work
    2) a paragraph describing how the consultant would approach such a project
    3) a financial proposal with a breakdown of how much each competent of the work would cost.
  • Proposals must be signed by a representative that is authorized to commit to the bidder’s company.
  • Proposals must be received by 4 October 2021 to be considered. Proposals should be submitted to bani.bains@gpsnr.org and stefano.savi@gpsnr.org for consideration.
  • To receive a copy of the draft content, applicants can email bani.bains@gpsnr.org

RFP and Project Timelines

Submission of Proposal 4/10/2021
Selection of top bidders and further conversations 7/10/2021
Contract award/notification to unsuccessful bidders 11/10/2021
Work commences no later than 15/10/2021

Budget

The Platform is anticipating that a total budget of no more than 6,000 Singapore Dollars (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 and / or any samples of past 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.

GPSNR Staff September 9, 2021
Tender

(CLOSED) Request for Proposal – GPSNR Compliance Panel Guidance (GPSNR-RFP-A02-014)

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

The Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber is an international, multi-stakeholder, voluntary membership initiative committed to improving the socioeconomics 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 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 strategy and objectives.

The GPSNR Statutes mandate the creation of an independent Compliance Panel to review and ensure that Members meet GPSNR membership requirements in conformance with Statutes, Code of Conduct, decisions, standards and processes, and make recommendations to GPSNR Executive Committee. The Compliance Panel will administer decisions in line with relevant GPSNR procedures. The panel shall be composed of three external experts and will operate independently from the membership and Secretariat.

GPSNR is seeking a consultant to help define procedures and guidelines required for the transparent and impartial operations and activities of GPSNR Compliance Panel.

PHASE I: OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF WORK

Objectives: To review GPSNR Statutes and relevant procedures, and develop recommendations and propose options available for the structure, operations and verification protocols of the Compliance Panel. 

The current GPSNR membership statutes document stipulates the following: 

10. Compliance System and Compliance Panel. The Executive Committee shall establish a Compliance System to ensure that Members meet Platform membership requirements in conformance with the Platform’s Statutes, Code of Conduct, decisions, standards and processes. The operating procedures of the Compliance System shall be defined in terms of reference to be adopted by the Executive Committee, consistent with the following core provisions: 

a. The Compliance System shall be administered by the Secretariat. 

b. Recommendations and decisions under the Compliance System shall be made by a Compliance Panel. 

c. The Compliance Panel’s functions shall include the review of whether a Member (in the period after its admission) meets the requirements for membership. 

d. The Compliance Panel shall operate independently from the Executive Committee and General Assembly. 

e. The Compliance Panel shall be composed of an independent body of three external experts that meet on a regular basis. 

f. Experts shall be nominated by an Ordinary Member and elected by a decision of the General Assembly to serve a 3-year term. 

g. A Member of the Compliance Panel may be removed by a consensus decision of the Executive Committee with a clear justification available to members upon request. 

h. Members of the Compliance Panel shall be subject to a conflict of interest policy, as adopted by the Executive Committee. 

i. The Compliance System shall ensure that Members are afforded an opportunity to be heard and an opportunity to cure any findings of non-compliance, alleged by either the Compliance System or Grievance Mechanism. 

The consultant is expected to provide an outline of relevant existing compliance models, a comparison of options that GPSNR could consider, and justified recommendations based on: 

  • Review of other existing membership and/or compliance panel models  
  • Review of GPSNR Statutes and other relevant GPSNR documents  
  • Interviews with GPSNR members and relevant external stakeholders 
  • Other relevant expert advice and guidance 

Scope of Work:

GPSNR is seeking a consultant to recommend operational procedures and guidance for the GPSNR Compliance Panel, to include: 

  • Proposed roles and responsibilities of GPSNR Compliance Panel 
  • Suggested scope of the CP’s activities 
  • Recommended qualification requirements and selection protocols for Compliance Panel members; covering necessary relevant expertise, how to avoid conflict of interests, and procedures for the appointment and removal of Panel members  
  • Options for the structure of decision-making within the panel 
  • Proposed verification procedures by the panel to assess ongoing compliance of GPSNR members with membership requirements 
  • Procedure for issuing appropriate recommendations to ensure compliance of GPSNR members, based on the submitted results of the verification process.  
  • Options for GPSNR to deal with situations where members cannot demonstrate compliance with relevant membership requirements, including steps towards potential suspension or termination in cases of major or persistent noncompliance 
  • Suggestions for appeal procedures related to the decisions/recommendations of the GPSNR CP 
  • Procedure for recording and reporting of Compliance Panel decisions/recommendations  

PROPOSAL FORMAT AND CONTENTS

  • Description of past work that is relevant to this RFP. 
  • A workplan that outlines all key activities of the pilot study, cost for each and timeline for completion. 
  • A description of deliverables and indication of accessibility to GPSNR members and/or the public.  
  • A list of project team members with their roles in the project and associated qualifications. 

TERMS

The work shall begin by 21 May 2021 and the various phases shall be completed in accordance with the dates outlined in the timeline below: 

Activity  Due Date 
Submission deadline for proposals  7 May 2021 
Contract Award  14 May 2021 
Work begins  By 21 May 2021 
Presentation of first draft to GPSNR Policy Toolbox WG (WG1)  2 June 2021 (adjustable) 
Review of draft based on WG1 feedback  3-10 June 2021 
Submission of final recommendations   11 June 2021 

BUDGET

The Platform is anticipating that the total budget of no more than 10,000 SGD be allocated to the engagement. 

Payment terms shall be: 

  • 20% at the signing of the contract 
  • 30% at the presentation of the first draft 
  • 50% upon delivery of the final recommendations. 

EVALUATION FACTORS

GPSNR will rate proposals based on the following factors, with cost being the most important factor: 

  1. Responsiveness to the requirements set forth in this Request for Proposal; 
  2. Relevant past performance/experience; 
  3. Samples of work; 
  4. Cost, including an assessment of total cost of ownership; 
  5. Technical expertise/experience of bidder and 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. 

Proposals should be submitted to stefano.savi@gpsnr.org and aidan@gpsnr.org for consideration.

GPSNR Staff April 9, 2021
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