Request For Proposal – GPSNR-RFP-A06-037 – Digital Knowledge Sharing Platform – Content Development

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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 2019. 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 define GPSNR strategy and objectives.

In 2021, GPSNR’s Capacity Building Working Group has identified that a digital knowledge sharing platform (KSP) is crucial to GPSNR’s future operations.  The GPSNR Secretariat and the GPSNR Capacity Building Working Group, through the GPSNR Knowledge Sharing Platform Task Force, are jointly overseeing the development and eventual operations and maintenance of a digital GPSNR Knowledge Sharing Platform called Rubber Wiki. 

Rubber Wiki will serve as a centralized digital hub, enabling smallholder rubber producers worldwide to access to technical information on relevant global news, latest sustainability best practices and Good Agricultural Practices, daily natural rubber prices, weather forecast and recommended activities, communication features and others. It will also facilitate peer-to-peer exchange of best practices, working conditions, and experiences, fostering coordination and collaboration within the global natural rubber production community.

GPSNR successfully completed the initial phase of the project, which involved conducting a comprehensive assessment of existing digital tools and evaluating the digital capabilities and needs of smallholder rubber producers. Currently, GPSNR is in the midst of the second phase, focusing on the development of multi-lingual mobile application features for the KSP. The second phase is expected to be completed in mid-December 2023.

To fully realize the Rubber Wiki’s potential, GPSNR is now seeking proposals to strengthen the critical third phase, which centers on content development for Rubber Wiki. 

This is a crucial phase as it will enable the KSP to achieve its core objectives by facilitating effective knowledge exchange and collaboration among smallholder rubber producers worldwide. Through the development of high-quality and tailored content, GPSNR aims to address the specific challenges and requirements faced by smallholders. 

To ensure the content’s relevance and effectiveness, interested bidders should undertake comprehensive adaptations for the contents that take into consideration of both the global nature of the industry and the unique contexts of smallholder rubber producers in different regions. 

Objectives

 

1.        Inventory & Develop Materials/Modules
Conduct a comprehensive inventory of content related to GAP, disease fighting, agroforestry, tapping qualities, etc., addressing smallholders’ challenges. Ensure that this content aligns with GPSNR’s values and guidelines. Incorporate resources from members/partners and develop new content if there’s no suitable materials available (subject to discussion and approval by the KSP Task Force) to cater to specific and diverse needs of smallholders.

2.      Consistency & Adaptability
To ensure all materials/modules are consistent and adaptable across regions. Bridge regional requirements through research and suitable content, style, and languages for effective knowledge sharing.

3.      Ownership & Compliance
Secure rightful ownership of acquired/developed content, duly registered with GPSNR. Address copyright/licensing concerns for content protection.

4.     Integration & User-Friendly
Evaluate materials/modules for seamless integration into the KSP platform. Implement adaptations (formatting, language localization, and technical optimization) for easy access and navigation.

5.      Functional Implementation
Ensure operational efficiency and functionality of the KSP platform, encouraging active user engagement in knowledge sharing.

 

Activities Required

The proposed studies/activities required for Phase 3 – Content Development for the KSP are as follows:

1.        Identify, Adapt and Develop Materials/Modules

–         Conduct a comprehensive inventory of existing materials/modules related to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), disease fighting, agroforestry, tapping qualities, and other relevant topics specifically tailored for smallholder natural rubber producers. The determination of relevant topics will involve discussions with the KSP Task Force to ensure alignment with the specific needs and challenges faced by smallholders in the natural rubber production sector.

–         Identify and collaborate with members or partner organizations to access relevant content resources and incorporate them into the KSP.

–         Conduct research and develop new content materials/modules to fill identified gaps and cater to the specific challenges faced by smallholders in different regions.

–         Evaluate the identified content materials/modules for consistency across different regions to ensure alignment with local regulations, best practices, and specific challenges faced by smallholder rubber producers in each respective region.

–         Implement strategies to ensure that content is consistent and adaptable to the local context.

–         Determine and incorporate the necessary adaptations, such as adapting the materials’ content to comply with local requirements, formatting, language localization, and more.

2.      Testing & Adjustment / Quality Control
Conducting acceptance testing and review of the modules/materials to ensure accuracy, reliability, and adherence to industry best practices. This includes verifying information, checking for inconsistencies or errors and engaging subject matter experts for peer review. Necessary adjustments should be made based on feedback and evaluation to ensure high-quality and user-friendly content.

3.      Ownership Rights and Copyright Compliance

–         Ensure all content materials/modules acquired or developed are rightfully obtained, and their ownership is registered with GPSNR.

–         Address any copyright or licensing concerns to secure the intellectual property rights of the content.

4.     Integration and Implementation

–         Evaluate and adapt the identified content materials for seamless integration into the KSP platform.

–         Implement, test, and make necessary adaptations, such as formatting, language localization, and technical optimization, to ensure easy user access to the developed contents.

5.      Monitoring, Evaluation, and Continuous Improvement
Monitor platform usage, evaluate its effectiveness, and continuously update and enhance the platform based on feedback and evaluation.

6.      Progress reporting
Provide a brief summary of the activities undertaken during the reporting period. 

The proposed durations for each activities stated above are:


Expected Deliverables

  1. Identify, Adapt and Develop Materials/Modules

a.      Development of a minimum of 50 materials/modules covering:

                                                              i.      Proposed topics of Materials/Modules:

1)       Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)

2)     Disease Fighting

3)     Agroforestry

4)    Tapping Qualities

5)     Improving yields through approved rubber clones

6)     Others relevant topics addressing specific challenges faced by smallholders (subject to discussion and approval by the KSP Task Force)

                                                            ii.      Regional Coverage: Indonesia, Thailand, Côte d’Ivoire, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Liberia, India, Brazil, Ghana

                                                          iii.      Languages:  Bahasa Indonesia, English, Thai, French, Khmer, Bahasa Malaysia, Vietnam, Sinhalese, Burmese, Spanish, Portuguese, Tamil

                                                          iv.      Format: text-based materials, audio-visual contents (such as movies, videos, animations, cartoons, infographics) and other suitable formats.

    1. Creation of a guidance document for users and a content inventory system for content managers, providing detailed information on modules/materials and relevant content resources. 
  1. Testing & Adjustment / Quality Control
    1. Submission of a quality control report on the developed modules/materials, inclusive of language localization and formatting testing to ensure adaptability for different regions.
    2. Implement feedback mechanisms allowing users to provide input on the content’s usefulness and effectiveness.
  1. Ownership Rights and Copyright Compliance

●       Provide copyright/licensing documents demonstrating the rightful acquisition or development of materials/modules and registration of intellectual property rights with GPSNR.

  1. Integration and Implementation

●       Demonstration of the complete integration and implementation of developed modules/materials into the KSP, ensuring accessibility and usability within the platform.

  1. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Continuous Improvement

●       Collection and submit report on of data on user interactions, time spent on modules, user feedback, and other relevant usage statistics, along with lessons learned or findings. 

  1. Progress Reporting

●       Submission of a mid-term report containing project summary, key milestones, module/materials development summary, quality control details, intellectual property rights information, challenges and recommendations.

●       The final report and presentation will document the project’s process and outcomes, providing a roadmap for future Knowledge Sharing Platform enhancements.

 

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. Examples of previous relevant work should be provided, as well as resumes of all key personnel performing the work. We welcome joint-organizations to submit proposals for this RFP.

  2. A detailed technical proposal must be provided. The technical proposal should include, but is not limited to, the following:

●       A workplan that outlines proposed methodology to carry out all key activities stated above. Interested bidders are welcome to propose additional activities that are deemed important in ensuring successful executive of this project.

●       Key outputs align with the expected deliverables stated above.

●       Timeline and key operational stages.

●       Price proposal (budget), detailing an overall fixed price and a breakdown of expected costs for manpower, logistics, and other project-related expenses.

●       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.

  1. Proposals must be signed by a representative that is authorised to commit the bidder’s company.

  2. Proposals must be received prior to the 24th November 2023 to be considered. Proposals should be submitted to cheewei@gpsnr.org for consideration.

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

 

Project Timelines

 

RFP publication

8 November 2023

Submission deadline for proposals

24 November 2023

 

Evaluation of proposals and follow up

24 November – 7 December 2023

Contract Award and Notification to Unsuccessful Bidders

8 December 2023

 

Proposed Project commencement date

15 December 2023

Mid-term review

March 2024

Final review

August 2024

The above timeline is open to further adjustments based on discussions with the interested bidder(s) and GPSNR’s ongoing key milestones.

 

Budget

The Platform is anticipating that a total budget of no more than 80,000 EUR be allocated to this RFP.


The proposed payment terms are as follows:

●       20% at the signing of the contract

 

●       30% at the Mid-term Review (the date will be agreed upon and documented in the contract)

●       50% on Final Review

These payment terms are subject to further adjustments based on discussions with the interested bidder(s) and the project timeline. 

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.     Proposed price/budget

5.      Technical expertise/experience of bidder and bidder’s staff

6.      Proposed timeline

 

When evaluating bids, GPSNR may request for more information as part of a full due diligence to understand bidders’ technical and commercial background, assess potential conflicts of interests and independence vis-à-vis natural rubber smallholders and the wider agricultural sector, and level of competence for the project.

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.

View RFP Document here

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(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

Request For Proposal – GPSNR-RFP-A02-031-Proposing a Quantitative Orientation for GPSNR’s Reporting Matrix

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. Members of the platform include rubber products manufacturers, natural rubber producers and processors,  end users, smallholders and NGOs.

In 2021, GPSNR members approved Reporting Requirements that would allow member companies to report on their progress implementing their commitments under the Policy Framework. With the approval of the Reporting Requirements, ordinary member companies now report annually on the questions included in the Reporting Matrix, which is organized by member category. Many of the questions in the matrix require qualitative responses.  While qualitative information is helpful to understand a company’s progress in implementing its policy, it makes data analysis either to evaluate its progress year to year or to assess progress within a particular stakeholder category difficult.

GPSNR Policy Toolbox Working Group is seeking a consultant to review the GPSNR Reporting Matrix and revise the questions to generate quantitative responses wherever possible.  The consultant should review the following GPSNR documents to inform these proposed revisions: draft GPSNR Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), GPSNR risk assessment guidance documents, feedback from member survey on Year 1 reporting. The consultant should also do a crosswalk with other credible reporting frameworks commonly used by members (e.g., Global Reporting Initiative – GRI, CDP Forest and ZSL SPOTT) to inform proposed changes.

Objectives and Scope of Work

 

  1. Review GPSNR’s Reporting Matrix to  identify questions that currently generate qualitative responses that could generate quantitative responses and propose revisions (this may not be feasible in all cases).
  2. Do a crosswalk of the draft category specific KPIs to determine if they can replace any questions with qualitative responses in the reporting matrix.
  3. Do a crosswalk of the Reporting Matrix questions with GRI, CDP Forest and ZSL-SPOTT reporting questionnaires to identify gaps between the GPSNR Reporting Matrix and the identified reporting schemes and propose equivalent questions from the identified reporting schemes to be integrated into the Reporting Matrix.
  4. Review the recommendations for clarifying reporting questions and responses in the Reporting Matrix that were made by the consortium of consultants that prepared the GPSNR Reporting Guidance (Proforest, Are We There Yet, and Hevea Connect), and propose revisions to reporting questions/responses accordingly.

The consultant can also reference other GPSNR work, such as the risk assessment matrix and the draft Due Diligence Manual.

 

Expected Deliverables

GPSNR expects the consultant to:

Review and revise questions in the GPSNR Reporting Matrix that require a qualitative/narrative response that could be modified to generate a quantitative response. To support the process, the consultants should do the following:

  1. Crosswalk the GPSNR Reporting matrix with reporting frameworks such as GRI, CDP Forest, and ZSL-SPOTT
  2. Use feedback from members’ survey and report from consultants that prepared the reporting guidance to revise reporting questions/responses that have been flagged as unclear and in need of rewording.
  3. Reference the below-listed GPSNR work and determine if any of the work could be used in place of the existing questions in the Reporting Matrix to obtain quantitative responses.
    1. Draft stakeholder category KPIs document
    2. Draft risk assessment guidance framework
    3. Draft due diligence guidance document

Proposal Format and Contents

The proposal should include the following:

1. A workplan that outlines the key activities towards the deliverables outlined in Expected Deliverables above

2. The timeline and key stages of operations based on Project Timeline below

3. Budget, including detailed breakdown of expected manpower, logistics, and costs based on Budget below

4. 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.

 

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. Examples of previous relevant work should be provided as well.
  3. A technical proposal must be provided that is not more than 4 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.
  4. A price proposal must be provided that is not more than 1 pages. This price proposal should indicate the overall fixed price for the project as well as hourly rates and an estimated total number of days.
  5. Proposals must be signed by a representative that is authorized to commit bidder’s company.
  6. Proposals must be received prior to the 14 Apr 2023 to be considered. Proposals should be submitted to savi@gpsnr.org for consideration.
  7. GPSNR reserves the right to amend the scope and budget of this RFP in order to get the most suitable consultant for each topic.

 

Project Timelines

 

Proposal Publishing date

17 Mar 2023

Proposals submitted by consultant to stefano.savi@gpsnr.org

14 Apr 2023

Selection of Top Bidders / Notification to Unsuccessful Bidders

21 Apr 2023

Contract Award / Notification to Unsuccessful Bidders

28 April 2023

First consultation with Policy Toolbox Working Group

3 May  2023

Final Report + Deliverable submission  

16 June 2023

(if needed) Closing meeting with the Working Group

18 June 2023
   

 

Budget

The Platform is anticipating that a total budget of no more than $10,000 USD be allocated to this engagement with an additional amount available to support approved travel, if
necessary.

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

The allocation of the payment shall be based on the net amount after travel
expenses, if deemed necessary by both the consultant and Secretariat, are
incurred and documented.

 

 

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.eforestation Regulation consolidated text 20-12-22

 


View RFP Document here

GPSNR Secretariat March 28, 2023

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