As a multi-stakeholder global partnership that promotes the production and uptake of Certified Sustainable Palm Oil, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) aims to leverage its impact to make palm oil sustainable.
In its pursuit of transforming the oil palm industry to make it sustainable, RSPO faces many challenges, complaints and disputes with varying circumstances that require varying approaches. The RSPO Board of Governors recognises the need for more comprehensive outreach efforts through a network of intermediaries identified from the related or affected communities within producing countries to support and assist RSPO, thus paving the way for a more effective engagement process that will then play a key role in achieving RSPO’s mission.
The RSPO Secretariat initiated the Community Outreach Programme in Colombia as an implementation phase to the abovementioned decision by the Board of Governors. The programme was designed to address the findings and recommendations from the aforementioned assessment conducted in 2014. The programme aimed to secure informed and vigorous engagement of communities in RSPO at all levels, by establishing a strengthened outreach of RSPO through intermediary organisations in Colombia, in order to (re-)build RSPO’s credibility with civil society. Instituto de Estudios para el Desarrollo y la Paz (INDEPAZ) was engaged and contracted as the Intermediary Organisation (IMO) to implement the programme for Colombia.
The programme entitled “Enhancing the Position of Local Communities, Smallholders and Labourers Through Capacity Building for IMOs in Accessing and Using the RSPO System” was originally planned to be implemented over 30 months (June 2019 until December 2021); however, due to some challenges on the ground, it was extended up to end of February 2023. The programme aimed to:
- Enable local communities’ access and engagement with the RSPO System more easily and effectively;
- Provide IMOs with enough knowledge to use the RSPO System in facilitating local communities’ needs, priorities and rights;
- Enhance RSPO’s ability to engage and facilitate local communities to support their needs and rights.
The Community Outreach Programme for Colombia was completed on 23 February 2023, and the status and progress of all proposed activities were elaborated in the Final Project Report.
The purpose of the independent review is to assess the efficiency, effectiveness and impact of the implementation of the Community Outreach Programme in Colombia by Instituto de Estudios para el Desarrollo y la Paz (INDEPAZ), to draw lessons learned and make recommendations for the improvement of the programme framework. The review will be undertaken by a contracted, neutral, third party that is appointed by the RSPO Secretariat.
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Secretariat invites interested and prospective party for the role as an Independent Reviewer of COMMUNITY OUTREACH and ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME in COLOMBIA.
The details of this Call for Proposal are outlined in the Terms of Reference (ToR) which can be downloaded below.
If you are interested in taking the role, please submit your proposal to [email protected]
This announcement will close on 25 November 2023 at 6:00 pm. (Malaysian time).
Should you encounter any problems or if you have any enquiries relating to this process, please contact Francisco Naranjo at [email protected].
ToR – Independent review of the Community Outreach and Engagement Programme in Colombia
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