GPSNR Working Groups Update: October 2020

Strategy and Objectives Working Group

The working group includes both the Risk subgroup and the Assurance Model task force and is currently working on some exciting stuff!

The Risk subgroup has been busy, with consortiums Agridence and Koltiva having kick started their pilot field trials on the traceability tools. They are actively pursuing the next steps for the deliverable from ASI on the Risk Assessment Framework. This includes conducting internal piloting and cross-walking the tool with GPSNR commissioned studies to identify gaps. Lastly, second in an ongoing series, the Traceability Tools Webinar will be occurring on 26th April and you may register for it here. 

The Assurance Model taskforce will be meeting to discuss updates on KPI alignments, due diligence system and the members progress model. 

Smallholders Representation and Capacity Building (SCB) Working Group

The SCB Working Group has proposed a new structure with three co-chairs and this has been officially endorsed. The next Working Group meeting will take place on 27th April, where they plan to formally endorse the Terms of Reference. 

Updates on the Income Diversification and Rubber Agroforestry taskforce, the strategy for 2023-2024 has been endorsed, and the taskforce will continue their work on planning the schedule and sequence of workshops and finalising the contractual plan. 

On the Digital Knowledge Sharing Platform front, Koltiva will work together with the taskforce to start developing the app and its features. In upcoming news, the Thailand Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) subgroup will publish the tender soon. 

 Policy Toolbox Working Group

Input has been collected on the reporting process from members through the Year 1 Reporting Review Survey. As part of this review, stakeholder- specific meetings will be conducted to collect more feedback on the reporting process. Based on the Year 1 Reporting Review results, any changes will be assessed to the reporting framework and its details (i.e., Process, Extensions, Questions), and disclosure requirements will need to be agreed on for reporting Years 2 and 3 (Transporting Reporting Roadmap- TRR). Future actions will require the reporting guidance for Year 2 to be improved according to changes proposed to the reporting matrix.

An RFP for consultants has recently been published to look into proposing a quantitative orientation for the reporting matrix and do a crosswalk with other reporting frameworks (CDP Forest, GRI and ZSL-SPOTT). On news of the Assurance Model front, what follows would be to finalise Compliance Panel Terms of Reference and operational guidance based on the Assurance Model.  

Shared Responsibility Working Group

During the physical meeting in January- February, the Governance and Guiding Principles were presented, Manufacturers will provide a revised document of said principles by April. 

Next phases for the Working Group are pending the outcomes of discussions on shared investment principles, which are currently happening on the Manufacturers category level. The Working Group will revamp data sharing and value transfer discussions once the proposal from the Manufacturers is available.

The final version of Desired State V1-0 and Theory of Change will be submitted to the Executive Committee in view of approval at the General Assembly on 31st March 2020.  The Strategy & Objectives Working group is also preparing a concept of Equity working sub-group. GPSNR calls for members who wish to support in preparing the concept note for the equity sub-group, to please state your interest to GPSNR secretariat. 

Strategy 1 ‘Policy Toolbox’ Working Group drafters proposed the first draft of the policy elements and KPIs to the working members, which have now been mapped out against GPSNR 12 principles and desired state.  In order to collect the comments in a written form, members are asked to provide their comments online by January 3rd 2020. After the working group members agree on the final version of policy components, it will be submitted to the Executive Committee for comments and approval.

Strategy 2 ‘Capacity Building’ Working Group has completed a validation of their strategy against the Theory of Change.  The Working Group realizes that the situation in each country varies, so the capacity building strategy needs to be customized in its approach.  A list of stakeholders conducting capacity building activities in rubber producing countries has been finalised. The next step will be to collect inputs from the identified stakeholders in order to design GPSNR capacity building strategies.  In order to have a standardized information, the interviews will be conducted by GPSNR members in January 2020, and the result of the interview will be consolidated by GPSNR secretariat.

Strategy 3 ‘Traceability and Transparency’ Working Group – Some of the tools that the members are using for natural rubber traceability and transparency were presented during the first calls.  The next step is to start looking at Theory of Change, what are the underlying cause of lack of transparency and traceability, and how increasing transparency will contribute to the desired state.

GPSNR members can see the discussion and the minutes of each working grouop on GPSNR discussion forum. Please contact nigel@gpsnr.org for your log-in credentials.