Terms of Reference

Supply chain traceability and EUDR compliance training and pilot.

Requesting Organization:   Lutheran World Relief 

Implementation Period:      April 20- May 30 

Location:       Nicaragua, Ecuador, US                 

MOCCA included in its extension proposal working with national cocoa commissions to help prepare the key points for when the EUDR takes effect. LWR is looking to pilot a free-use system for those producers with lower capacity. There is a short deadline for implementation since the regulations begin on December 30, 2024. MOCCA has identified that some countries are opting for national systems, but at the same time there is little coordination or unified sectoral approach. There are producer organizations and companies that act independently from a private point of view. ​

Based on some preliminary analysis, the tool could be piloted in Nicaragua and Ecuador, with at least 1 farmer organization in each country. 

1. Background and Context

On September 28, 2018, the United States Department of Agriculture´s (USDA) Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) and TechnoServe signed a cooperative agreement to implement the Maximizing Opportunities in Coffee and Cacao in the Americas (MOCCA) Program in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador, and Peru. As is the case with other Food for Progress Programs (FFPr), MOCCA will aim to help farmers increase productivity and expand trade, and additionally will strive to help farmers expand their ability to adopt rehabilitation and renovation (R&R) best practices. 

Lutheran World Relief (LWR)/Corus Intl.  leads cacao value chain development efforts in the six target countries, collaborating with market actors to implement market-based solutions that surpass the project´s targets employment in impoverished communities through improved productivity, quality, and market access.   

The EUDR:

The objective is to prevent deforestation and take advantage of basic products such as cocoa, coffee, rubber, wood, and livestock to achieve a positive impact and includes the following:

• Map the entire supply chain for several chains, including coffee and cocoa.

• Geolocate all the farms in the chain, using polygons for farms larger than 4 hectares and GPS points for those smaller than 4 hectares, and document the legality of the farm.

• Carry out a risk assessment on deforestation until December 30, 2020.

• Establish a batch chain of custody.

• Provide a due diligence statement.

For more information about MOCCA, please visit: http://mocca.org/

2. Goal and Objectives

The goal of this consultancy is to build trainers’ knowledge and skills around Digitization of supply chains

• Paper-based data collection is replaced by digital data capture
• Data is stored in a database in a secure cloud/on blockchain
• Information on provenance, processing, sustainability and more is easily accessible

Three data collection and sharing capabilities

1. Tracking of provenance and processing
2. B2B traceability
3. B2C traceability

Key features

• Covers the entire value chain from farm to market
• Great flexibility and adaptability to different crops, regional contexts and company settings
• High level of security standards, data privacy and user rights regimes
• Possibility to create interfaces with other systems and additional services (e.g. if an organization already uses a data collection software but lacks the final step forest monitoring verification capabilityl)
• Tracing back provenance, processing, quality, payments and sustainability parameters
• ERP features: Inventory management, accounting and production features for producer organizations
• Identity preserved: Preserves all information collected along the chain for each batch (history traceability)
• Traceability + final step of forest monitoring verification

The objectives of the consultancy are:

1. Train and develop trainers’ capacity to replicate to others the methodology. 
2. Training in market demands and new EU regulations on 0 deforestation for better understanding of how the new regulation might affect.   

3. Scope of Work

The selected consultant will be responsible for identifying the trainers’ needs, defining capacity and gaps, providing the training methodology that better adapts to them and will facilitate replicating them in the future to farmer groups. LWR staff will work closely with the selected consultant, but the consultant is responsible for the training’s contents and methodologies. 

Activities should include but are not limited to:

1. Define a timeline, methodology and training content based on the specific needs of the trainers in Ecuador and Nicaragua.  We estimate creating a network of 30 trainers, if possible, the groups could work together depending on the community and access. 
2. Remote training of these groups in Ecuador and Nicaragua. 
3. Report on the methodology, training results and recommendations of next steps. 

Should the consultancy be successful, LWR reserves the right to extend the contract to include additional activities, funds, and timeframe, upon mutual agreement between LWR and provider.

4. Deliverables

1. Methodology and training contents. 
2. Trip Reports for each activity carried out.
3. Final report including suggestions for how to continue the work within each group for their sustainability. 

All deliverables will be submitted to LWR for review and feedback and will only be considered final upon approval by LWR. 

5. Qualifications 

LWR expects to hire an expert who brings together the following qualifications: 

• Advanced training and experience in traceability systems for value chains, especially for cocoa.
• Deep understanding of the EUDR and cocoa market dynamics for Europe and the US.  
• Internationally recognized as an expert in designing methodologies for farmer training 
• Experience in cocoa in Latin America, particularly with farmers organizations 
• English and Spanish language skills desired (if you do not speak Spanish, please indicate how you propose to handle communication with farmers organizations and during field work);

6. Responsibilities of LWR and Provider

Responsibilities of LWR:

• Ensure the participation of partner organizations in proposed activities.
• Serve as a contact with local stakeholders.
• Accompany field visits and activities in countries:
• Review and approve all deliverables:
• Make payments according to agreed-upon financial proposal.

1.  
2. Responsibilities of the consultant(s):

• Implement the proposed activities;
• Coordinate all activities with LWR and local partners and other stakeholders as needed; 
• Create all deliverables as outlined in this document;
• Include in work plan all requirements for support from LWR that are not specified in this section for LWR to plan for them.

7. Proposal Submission

1. Offers submitted by potential providers should be in English or Spanish and include the following:
2.  
3. CV – The CV should clearly show how the candidate meets the qualifications indicated above.  Feel free to attach a one-page capacity statement if needed as a complement to the CV.

1. Proposed work plan – In no more than four pages please outline a work plan for carrying out the requested services including main activities and proposed dates and duration. Once selected, we will work together to further develop the work plan. 

1. Financial proposal – Please indicate the cost of the services offered (honorariums).  Please also indicate any additional costs you anticipate in carrying out the services including travel, supplies, translation, etc. It is not necessary to cost these out if you do not know the unit costs. Simply indicate the costs needed i.e. two trips of five days each to Peru.  If selected, LWR will work with you to cost out local expenses. 

Submission dates

1.  
2. April 18th, 2024,          Proposal Submission – Proposals must be emailed to [email protected] Proposals received after that deadline will be considered non- eligible.  Proposals must be submitted in English or Spanish.

APPENDIX A:

        EVALUATION CRITERIA

Proposals will be evaluated against the criteria in the table below.

Evaluation Category

Rating - Points

Advanced training and experience in chocolate and cocoa products processing 

20

Internationally recognized as an expert in chocolate making 

20

Experience in cocoa in Latin America, particularly with farmers organizations 

20

English and Spanish language skills desired (if you do not speak Spanish, please indicate how you propose to handle communication with farmers organizations and during field work)

20

Value for Money

20

Total

100