TERMS OF REFERENCE

CONSULTANCY FOR
design and implementation of an awareness raising campaign on the risks
of excess use of agro-inputs (with special focus on glyphosate) and the permissible MRL’s

1.      Introduction

The Global Coffee Platform (GCP) is an inclusive multi-stakeholder sustainability platform that convenes coffee stakeholders, prioritizes sustainability issues and catalyzes local action and progress measurement in collaboration with country platforms to create a thriving and sustainable coffee sector. Members of the Global Coffee Platform include farmers and farmer organizations, traders (exporters and importers), coffee roasters and retailers, other supply chain actors, civil society organizations, coffee associations and others.

GCP’s Collective Action Initiatives (CAI) optimize sustainability investments and multiply impact through pooling resources, knowledge, and networks to collectively address country specific sustainability gaps. By partnering with GCP, participants of a CAI support the coffee sector to identify and address complex issues through a structured and collaborative approach.

In June 2020, GCP Vietnam launched a 5-year Collective Action Initiative for effective and responsible use and management of agro-inputs in Vietnam, which focuses on addressing the responsible use of agro-inputs (especially herbicides) in the coffee sector in Vietnam by improving the enabling environment and sector policies, providing support and training to farmers and stakeholders in the Central Highlands and conducting research to gather and document best practices and lessons learned. Results of the Initiative will be shared with Vietnamese and International coffee sector stakeholders in order to upscale best practices. The Initiative has drawn high attention and commitments from roasters, including Nestlé, JDE and Tchibo as well as from organisations as the Sustainable Trade Initiative – IDH and the Lavazza Foundation and is being promoted to additional interested actors to participate in this initiative.

In this context, GCP is looking for consulting services for designing and providing support to the implementation of an awareness raising campaign on the risks of excess use of agro-inputs (with special focus on glyphosate) and the permissible MRL’s.

2.      Objectives

2.1. Overall objective: Restricting the use of glyphosate and other hazardous agro-inputs through awareness raising and dialogues with farmers and stakeholders

2.2.  Specific objectives:

2.2.1.      Develop a long -term (five-year) communication strategy for responsible use of agro-inputs in coffee production, which is expected to be endorsed by MARD, in which emphasis during the first three years will be mainly related to and prioritized for glyphosate and possible alternatives. The strategy consists of at least but not limited to the following contents:

• Brief summary of the situation analysis;
• Audience segmentation;
• Communication objectives;
• Approaches for achieving objectives;
• Messages;
• Key communication methods and tools;
• Work-plan and
• Evaluation. 

2.2.2.      Provide support to the implementation of the designed communication plan, including:

• Developing and disseminating sustainable farming techniques/practices, focusing on the responsible use of agricultural inputs
• Raising awareness of extension workers, farmers and other actors of the coffee value chain on the risks related to the use Glyphosate, Chlorpyrifos (-methyl), and providing recommendations on alternative measures
• Including the Glyphosate related issues in the Vietnam’s agricultural extension newsletter
• Setting up a  Plant Protection Section on the NAEC's website
• Developing video-clips, posters, leaflets… on Glyphosate related topics and alternative measures
• Writing stories and articles about typical farmers in applying Glyphosate alternatives,
• Putting the Glyphosate related topics on the NAEC Zalo and
• Integrating the Glyphosate related contents into the @forums organized annually by NAEC

3.      Deliverables

The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

Activities	Deliverables	Deadline
i)        Formulate an outline of the communication strategy	An outline of the  Communication Strategy  in both Vietnamese and English languages	07 November 2020
ii)      Compile  a draft strategy	A draft version of the strategy in both Vietnamese and English languages	15 November 2020
iii)    Finalize the  strategy, taking into account the comments provided by GCP CAI and MARD	Final  version of the strategy with in both Vietnamese and English languages	30 November 2020
iv)    Provide support to the implementation of the designed communication strategy and plan	A Plant Protection Section set up and put into operation on the NAEC Website	15 December 2020
	Glyphosate related topics on the NAEC Zalo	31 December 2020
	Communication materials, including video clips, social media, leaflet, posters… developed and available for dissemination	TBA (Separate contracts to be signed)
	@Forum organized by NAEC focusing on Glyphosate related isues organized	TBA (Separate contracts to be signed)

4.      Consultant qualification

For this assignment we expect an agriculture consultant who brings the following assets/experiences:

• Experienced and knowledgeable about coffee agronomy and compilation of communication and training materials for the Agriculture Sector
• Having  at least 10 years working experiences in plant protection/agriculture sector
• Education background (Master, preferably PhD degree) on Media and/or communication
• Fluency in both specialized Vietnamese and English languages and  
• Clear communicator, capable of translating complex information into an accessible and understandable format.  

5.      Procedures

The procedure will be as follows:

• Announcement of assignment: 21  October 2020
• Submission of proposals plus quotations by candidates: prior to 31 October 2020
• Criteria for assessment of the  proposals:

• Evaluation of the candidates’ proposals and decision made on selection of consultant
• Contract signing: 06 November 2020.

6.      Deadline for proposal submission: 31 October 2020

7.      Contact information

For any question, please contact Ms. Doan Tran Thu Thuy – Project Officer, via email: thuydoan@globalcoffeeplatform.org  

Organization: GCP
Location:
Application deadline: 2020-10-31
Send application to: thuydoan@globalcoffeeplatform.org