Call for Proposal: Independent Review of the Implementation of RSPO Labour Auditing Guidance

The RSPO Labour Auditing Guidance was developed in response to stakeholders’ demands for enhanced evaluation criteria and increased evaluative capabilities of auditors in assessing labour and other pertinent social aspects. The guidance is an optional voluntary document intended for utilisation by RSPO-accredited Certification Bodies. Its applicability spans a period of 18 months, commencing from 21 November 2022 and ending on 21 May 2024.

The Secretariat is now seeking a third-party consultant to conduct a thorough independent review to gather valuable inputs, identify gaps, and assess the feasibility of possible mandatory implementation of the RSPO Labour Auditing Guidance. This independent review process has been agreed during the Assurance Standing Committee (ASC) meeting in September 2022.

Below are the expected tasks of the third-party consultant:

1. Conduct a comprehensive review of the RSPO Labour Auditing Guidance to grasp its objectives, requirements, and audit expectations.
2. Identify and address gaps, inconsistencies, and areas of ambiguity in the RSPO Labour Auditing Guidance used by certification bodies, and provide recommendations for improvement.
3. Evaluate the Guidance’s applicability to different organisations, including small and medium-sized enterprises.
4. Review how certification bodies implement the audit process as outlined in the Guidance, including the scope, methodology, and evaluation criteria.
5. Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the auditing process within the RSPO Labour Auditing Guidance, and provide recommendations for improvement.
6. Consider the broader context and challenges of the RSPO certification process and explore how the Guidance can better support certification audits.
7. Examine any gaps between Principle 6: Respect Workers’ Rights and Conditions in P&C 2018 and future P&C 2023 (upon endorsement) and propose enhancements to the Guidance, particularly related to audit methodologies.

Interested parties are advised to read the attached Terms of Reference (ToR) thoroughly and submit their expressions of interest, proposals and other required documents to [email protected] by 6:00 PM MYT (GMT + 8) on Friday, 15 December 2023.