IC/UNDP/SPOI/013/2021-Consultant for Study on Smallholders Incentive for ISPO Improvemen  

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Indonesia is one of the world’s largest producers of palm oil and has received much attention in recent years particularly from the global community, concerning the sustainability of palm oil production. The Government of Indonesia is taking steps towards building a greener economy that promotes growth, equity, improved livelihood and environmental integrity including in the palm oil sector.

In order to promote sustainable palm oil production and practices in Indonesia, the Ministry of Agriculture, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and several multinational companies have launched the Sustainable Palm Oil Initiative (SPOI). The SPOI aims at improving the capacity of oil palm smallholders and conserve natural resources. As the cardinal means of action through a multi-stakeholder dialogue approach led by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs a National Action Plan on Sustainable Palm Oil (NAP SPO) document has been produced and enacted through the Presidential Instruction No. 6/2019. UNDP has also been facilitating the development of five key components of the NAP SPO to achieve the country’s goals of sustainable palm oil, which include: (1) strengthening of data, coordination, and infrastructure; (2) increasing smallholders capacity and capability (3) environmental management and monitoring, (4) plantation governance and dispute settlement; and (5) to support the acceleration of the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification implementation and increase palm oil product market access. The achievement of NAP SPO implementation could be the enabling condition for sustainable palm oil in Indonesia through sustainability certification compliance.

Several existing palm oil sustainability certification schemes, either voluntary (market-based) like the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), product and country specific like the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC), and mandatory like the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO), have been in place as a unit of measurement as to what extent a management unit fits to the set sustainability criteria. The existence of ISPO itself dates back during the enactment of Ministry of Agriculture Regulation Nr. 19 of 2011. After being put into practice for around 4 years, ISPO has undergone revision through the Ministry of Agriculture Regulation Nr. 11 of 2015. Through the dynamics of challenges and opportunities in achieving sustainable palm oil and to improve its governance and market acceptance, ISPO has finally revamped through Presidential Regulation Nr. 44 of 2020 along with the Ministry of Agriculture Nr. 38 of 2020 as the implementing regulation. Upon such enactment, smallholders are also expected to be the subject of such mandatory certification within the next 5 years.

In response to such challenging commitment, as an effort of oil palm smallholders support, UNDP will conduct a study which in one aspect covers gap analysis between the overall smallholders current condition (from their capacities/capabilities, related policies, institution, etc) and the targeted condition to comply with those abovementioned certification schemes. Another aspect of the study is to explore any existing and potential benefits (either market access, policy incentives, etc.) which smallholders could acquire as a result of being ISPO certified. Such study will produce a policy paper and is expected to serve both as reference and recommendation for government, buyers, NGOs and development partners in order to synergize their support for smallholders. Henceforth, the project is hiring a Consultant for Study on Smallholders Incentive for ISPO Improvement to ensure the effective running of such study.

SCOPE OF WORK, ACTIVITIES, AND DELIVERABLES

Scope of Work

Under the direct supervision of SPOI National Project Manager and close coordination with the project team, the consultant will:

• Conduct a desk review on:
  • • the overall smallholders’ current condition (from their capacities/capabilities, related policies, institution, etc.) and the targeted condition to comply with certification standards.
    • Exploration of any existing and potential benefits (either market access, policy incentives, etc.) which smallholders could acquire as a result of being certified from various commodities sustainable certification schemes available in Indonesia.
    • Any related government regulations and policies that can support the establishment of incentives for smallholders joining ISPO.
• In coordination with the project team, conduct consultation with government representatives (e.g. Ministry of Agriculture, Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Cooperatives and SME), NGOs supporting smallholder certification, certification schemes owners, growers, and smallholder associations, to gain perspectives and insights from stakeholders regarding the baseline condition and expectation.
• Organize meetings/FGDs to present the study result to the abovementioned stakeholders to disseminate the findings and recommendations along with gaining feedbacks to be incorporated where relevant.
• Produce a policy paper to serve both as reference and recommendation for government, buyers, NGOs, and development partners in order to synergize their support for smallholders.

In doing the work, the consultant is also expected to conduct one-on-one interviews with relevant stakeholders from government, NGO, and business actors, and smallholder representatives in UNDP pilot areas.

WORKING ARRANGEMENTS

Institutional Arrangement

The incumbent will work based on the abovementioned deliverables and will report to the Platform Manager of SPOI Project UNDP Indonesia. He/she will also obtain guidance from UNDP CO on applicable formats and templates and ensure that his/her work is compliant with UNDP requirements. The work outlined in this TOR is expected to be carried out on a desk review basis with any additional information gained through events, such as workshops and meetings. However, in the event that travels to other regions or cities is necessary, all necessary costs will be borne by the project.

Duration of the Work

The IC will be working for an estimated total of 40 working days which spans 3 months. The target date to start the work is the 2nd week of February 2021 and the work is expected to be completed by April 2021.

Travel Plan

There may be unforeseen travel that will come up during the execution of the contract which will be agreed on ad-hoc basis.

EVALUATION METHOD AND CRITERIA

When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and

b) Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

* Technical Criteria weight; [70%]

* Financial Criteria weight; [30%]

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70 point would be considered for the Financial Evaluation

for more details and to find the documents related to the post please visit the following link: https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=74668

REQUIREMENTS FOR EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

I. Academic Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in public policy, social sciences, environmental sciences, agriculture, forestry, rural development, or other relevant fields of study.

II. Years of experience:

• Minimum 10 years of experience in sustainable commodity certification, sustainable commodity, public policy, agriculture, environment, or another relevant field.
• Experiences in working with the government, private sector, smallholders, and/or rural communities.
• Experience in working with government settings/functions especially related to sustainable palm oil (e.g. Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Ministry of Agrarian and Spatial Planning, etc).

III. Competencies and special skills requirement:

• Strong writing skills both in English and Bahasa for publishing purposes.
• Knowledge about sustainable certification and palm oil issues is highly desirable.
• Ability to work under the pressure, with minimum supervision and on-distance;
• Demonstrated initiative, tact, and high sense of responsibility and discretion;
• Excellent communication skills, written and oral;
• Strong computer literacy and proficiency in MS Office (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint);

IV. Languages:

Good in written and spoken English and Bahasa Indonesia.

For more details and to find the documents related to the post please visit the following link: https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=74668