BACKGROUND:
 

The Resilience and Inclusion through Investment for Sustainable Agrikultura (RIISA) Project, is an initiative led by the Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) Philippines. The project is currently in its second year and is focused on building more gender-inclusive, sustainable livelihoods, and profitable agri-businesses for smallholder farmers in the cacao sector in Mindanao, Philippines. RIISA aims to directly support 5,400 smallholder farmers, with 40% of them being women. The project seeks to indirectly support 35,000 women and men small-scale farmers through cooperatives, associations, public institutions, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the cacao sector. By engaging various stakeholders and providing technical support, the project aims to strengthen the cacao sector, create sustainable livelihoods, and improve the well-being of women and men farmers in the region.

 

One of the key strategies employed by MEDA to achieve the goals of the RIISA Project is the implementation of a Strategic Learning Agenda (SLA). The SLA focuses on co-developing a learning agenda and disseminating learning products on Gendered-Environmental, Social, and Governance (G-ESG) practices and other project results. As part of the SLA Strategy and Plan, PPSA is developing various learning products to promote sustainable livelihoods and the adoption of G-ESG approaches and their contribution to decent work, primarily within the Philippine cacao industry. The long-term objective is to extend these insights to inform strategies applicable across other value chains and contribute to regional and global discussions on sustainability. These learning products will address the priority learning questions of the SLA framework. 

One of the learning products that the SLA team is developing are G-ESG Modules to support cacao enterprises and cooperatives. The modules will answer learning question number two of the SLA:

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• What are the synergies and trade-offs between ESG goals and economic prosperity in the cacao industry? How can these trade-offs be managed to ensure the long-term sustainability and resilience of cacao farming systems? 

 

The modules will also provide practical examples and case studies to guide sustainable practices at all levels. These will be drawn from case studies of cacao-based enterprises produced by MEDA and PPSA.

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PURPOSE AND USAGE:

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In the Philippines, SMEs are drivers of job creation and economic growth through their role in facilitating fairer income distribution, dispersing economic activities to rural regions, and contributing to poverty reduction. Collectively, micro enterprises and SMEs generated 5,607,748 jobs, accounting for approximately 65 percent of the country’s total employment. Cacao is a multi-million dollar industry with growing demands both globally and domestically. However, the industry faces challenges in production and supply, combined with environmental risks and market pressures. Cacao enterprises also encounter barriers in adopting sustainability standards due to limitations in resources, capacities, and infrastructure. Integrating G-ESG approaches is emerging as an innovative solution to respond to these issues strategically. As the industry continues to grow, embracing G-ESG approaches will be crucial for SMEs to unlock their full potential as drivers of decent work creation, ensuring that all stakeholders—including smallholder farmers and vulnerable communities—can benefit from sustainable and inclusive growth.

 

The G-ESG module aims to introduce the concept of G-ESG in agribusiness–with a focus on cacao enterprises and cooperatives–while demonstrating its relevance to other commodities.  The module will emphasize the gendered aspects of environmental, social, and governance issues in agribusiness. It will highlight practical examples of G-ESG integration, featuring success stories from RIISA partners and showcase how G-ESG activities can drive positive change, addressing women’s needs and priorities, and capturing shifts in gender and social norms, behaviors, and practices at the smallholder level, within cooperatives, and across communities through RIISA’s interventions. The modules will cover the following topics:

• Basic G-ESG Concepts and Frameworks

• Addressing Challenges and Limitations

• Case Studies and Practical Examples

• Behavioral Change and Gender Inclusion

• Tools and Resources for Implementation

• Summary and Call to Action

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It will include infographics, visual guides, and templates and checklists, such as G-ESG reporting templates and tools for assessing G-ESG practices. The ultimate goal is to make G-ESG more accessible and encourage widespread adoption in agriculture. 

 

The module will be rolled out through a learning event or program that target cacao-based SMEs and cooperatives, cacao council members, and other relevant stakeholders.

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SCOPE OF THE WORK AND KEY DELIVERABLES:

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The work is expected to commence by January 20, 2025 and be completed not later than July 21, 2025.

 

The SLA and RIISA Project team will be providing support in documentation and organizing alignment meetings, workshops, and learning sessions with target stakeholders.

 

The delivery of the work are broken down as follows:

• Submission of the overall plan for execution of the G-ESG module including credential i.e. CV and other administrative documents.

• Key elements of the process are: 

  • Leveling off on scope, outcomes, and process in carrying out the delivery of the outputs, obtaining initial data from the RIISA Project Team, including, but not limited to reports, assessments, case studies, relevant documents and stakeholders involved;

  • Desk review of existing RIISA outputs, literature on gendered-ESG.

  • Develop a foundational module for G-ESG tailored to the context and needs of the target audience. This will be presented in both English and the identified local language that fit the needs of the target audience. 

    • ​The module will contain at least six chapters with content outline provided by PPSA and MEDA. This will include:

      • Basic G-ESG Concepts and Frameworks​

      • Addressing Challenges and Limitations

      • Case Studies and Practical Examples

      • Behavioral Change and Gender Inclusion

      • Tools and Resources for Implementation

      • Summary and Call to Action

    • Collaborate with the SLA and RIISA Project teams in the overall production and cascading of the G-ESG module

  • Validation and Review

    • Organize and facilitate one round of pre-testing with identified stakeholders to assess whether the module effectively supports the target audience’s learning and identify areas for improvement.​

  • Design and facilitate one in-person learning session to cascade the modules to target audience.

  • Submission and finalization inclusive of at least two rounds of reviews from PPSA and MEDA.

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​QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

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• A firm/organization/individual of good standing with a relevant portfolio of works on module development and training design. Thematic expertise on agriculture, cacao industry, and gender is a plus. 

• Experience in developing learning modules; familiarity with ESG is a plus

• Strong background in agrifood systems/cacao with strong commercial focus at the national scope

• Familiarity in private sector engagement and multi-stakeholder approach

• Strong knowledge and network of institutions engaged in the RIISA Project/the cacao industry is a plus.

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SUBMISSION AND ASSESSMENT OF TENDERS:

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Interested consultants shall submit his/her/their proposal containing relevant information about his/her/their portfolio of works (at least 2 samples of works) and the following essential components, not later than
27 December 2024 to secretariat@ppsa-ph.org.

 

• Technical Workplan containing bill of activities, and methodology of execution

• Budget Proposal that is inclusive of taxes containing required calendar days by deliverable 

 

PPSA may request additional materials from potential suppliers/partners, as needed. Assessments will include interview(s).

Final selection shall be made not later than 17 January 2025.

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As a multi-stakeholder platform, we believe all voices matter, and we actively seek to bring them to the table. Aligned with this ethos, the Philippines Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture is committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, or gender identity.

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