RSPO Raises Audit Quality Worldwide Through Expanded Train-the-Trainers Programme

 RSPO is improving the quality of its auditing with a major expansion of its global training system. Building on years of investment in auditor and trainer capacity, RSPO is launching a new series of Train-the-Trainers courses, tailored to meet rising expectations from regulators, markets, and members alike.

Over several years, RSPO has built a robust ecosystem for technical training and continuous upskilling of auditors, trainers, and certification bodies. Today, this sustained effort continues to grow through a new series of Train-the-Trainers courses designed to support precise, consistent, and high-quality implementation of the RSPO 2024 Standards.

This new series reflects the maturity of a system that has been strengthening cycle after cycle, now expanding with updated content, innovative learning platforms, an increasing number of accredited trainers, and growing regional capacity.

Medan: Supporting the transition to the 2024 P&C Standards

The 2025 cycle began in Medan, Indonesia, in late November, where the RSPO Learning Centre delivered the Train-the-Trainers programme for the 2024 Principles and Criteria (P&C). The training combined classroom theory with a field visit, enabling instructors to reinforce essential practical skills that allow future auditors to understand what to observe, how to assess, and which findings to prioritise during an RSPO audit.

This effort is part of the ongoing work the organisation has been carrying out for years to enhance the quality and consistency of verification, as reaffirmed by RSPO at its flagship Annual Roundtable Conference (RT). The RSPO is ready to meet the next 20 years with fortified standards, enhanced verification systems, and an end-to-end digital certification, trade and traceability architecture powered by data.

Bogotá: Reinforcing the regional network of trainers and ETPs in Latin America

From 3-5 December, the programme series continued in Bogotá, Colombia. The Train-the-Trainer module for Independent Smallholders (ISH) focused on strengthening the capacities of Endorsed Training Partners (ETPs), at a time when the region now has, for the first time, four prospective ETPs, reflecting the natural and necessary expansion needed to meet updated standards and rising training demand. Aligned with this growth, RSPO Learning Courses follow a structured three-part pathway comprising self-paced e-learning through the RSPO Learning Centre, trainer-led virtual sessions to support interpretation and deepen understanding, and in-person classroom training to consolidate learning and strengthen practical application before certification.

The Bogotá course also advanced the new structure for auditor training, built on three components: self-paced e-learning via the RSPO Learning Centre, with updated modules for P&C and ISH Standards; trainer-led virtual sessions to support interpretation and understanding of key criteria; and in-person training to consolidate skills and close the learning cycle.

Bucaramanga and Cesar: The final step to consolidate field-ready skills

The route concluded in the city of Bucaramanga, Colombia, from 9 to 13 December, with the final phase of the theoretical component of the Train-the-Trainers course, followed by a practical, in person visits to plantations, independent smallholders, and the mill at Palmas del Cesar, one of Colombia’s pioneering companies in sustainable oil palm cultivation, located in the Cesar region in northeastern Colombia. This direct exposure helped strengthen practical competencies beyond the classroom setting.

Training in Indonesia and Colombia were led by two expert Malaysian trainers, Aminah Ang and Sabarinah Marzuky, both with extensive RSPO audits and certification experience.

A stronger system for all our members

Continuous training is one of the core pillars of the RSPO system. The better equipped our auditors, trainers, and training partners are, the more reliable, consistent, and effective field verification becomes. RSPO’s Train-the-Trainers programme supports a long-term process designed to: ensure consistent and technically rigorous audits; update the sector on the RSPO 2024 Standards; strengthen regional training capacity to meet rising demand; reinforce the credibility of the certification system; and support producers, especially independent smallholders, in continuous improvement.

For members, this translates into stronger audits, a more transparent supply chain, and an assurance system that evolves in step with industry needs.