REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Consultancy Opportunity for the Rainforest Alliance

The Rainforest Alliance is seeking a Partner for Indonesia Nescafé Plan Monitoring and Evaluation to submit an application

SUMMARY INFORMATION

Department: Data Management and Intelligence, Products
Location(s): Lampung, Indonesia (Tanggamus, West Lampung, Way Kanan, and Sekincau Regency)
Commitment: 60 - 80 working days
Desired start date and duration: from July 21st to December 31st, 2025
Under direction of: Supply Chain and Project M&E, Senior Associate

CONSULTANCY SUMMARY

About the Rainforest Alliance

The Rainforest Alliance (RA) is a global organization working in the field of sustainability at the intersection of business, agriculture, and forests. Our aim is to make responsible business the new normal so that people and nature can thrive together. Our alliance spans 70 countries and includes farmers and forest communities, companies, governments, civil society, and millions of individuals. Together we work to protect forests, improve the livelihoods of farmers and forest communities, promote their human rights, and help them mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis.

Overview

The Rainforest Alliance and Nescafé (Nestlé) collaborate in 15 coffee origins to conduct monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in coffee supply chains. In Indonesia, Nescafé implements sustainable coffee projects (with GIZ as implementing partner) focusing on best agricultural practices, farm economics, regenerative agriculture, agripreneurship/recordkeeping, and carbon footprint (using the Cool Farm Tool).

The Rainforest Alliance is looking for a local partner to conduct M&E of key project indicators on a sample of coffee farmers in the project locations. The total number of samples is approximately 550 Nescafé farmers, including the buffer samples, in Lampung (Tanggamus, West Lampung, Way Kanan, and Sekincau).

The M&E surveys contain questions based on the themes above, plus in addition, basic questions about farm conditions, household demographics, and qualitative questions. The survey questionnaires are prepared in English (by RA) and Indonesian (translated and/or reviewed by the M&E partner to be used in the field); the modules have been used in 15 coffee- producing countries. The M&E survey is conducted using a digital data collection tool (Koltitrace application). Minor modifications should be made to adjust survey questions based on the Indonesia project activities and coffee cultivation context.

The M&E partner will coordinate the workplan and implementation progress with the Supply Chain and Project M&E, Senior Associate and Nescafé team or Vendor Representative project director (based in Lampung, Indonesia).

Main Objectives

The M&E partner supports the Rainforest Alliance in implementing the M&E data collection activities in Tanggamus, West Lampung, Way Kanan, and Sekincau Regency, including:

Campaign preparation, including Survey application testing, and Data collection, covering data entry, data quality control, and evidence collection at the field level. In addition, the local M&E partner provides inputs for the preparation of M&E reports and findings based on field observation.

SCOPE OF WORK

Contractor Services, at a minimum, must include:

Lead Enumerator – 1 lead appointed

Supervise enumerators in field data collection and ensure compliance with M&E guidelines.
Ensure high-quality data collection and entry.
Play a role as co-trainer to train enumerators on data collection tools and methods.
Coordinate logistics and schedules for fieldwork with the Rainforest Alliance and Nescafé/vendor.
Manage and record any issue on the ground impacting the project.
Communicate and update weekly the progress to the Rainforest Alliance.
Manage and be responsible for the data cleaning within the team, and data review under the supervision of the Rainforest Alliance.
Coordination with local stakeholders and community leaders.
Ensuring informed consent, confidentiality, and respecting cultural sensitivities.
Need to be on the field for data collection at least 10 - 20% of the sample size.
Organize field evidence in the cloud (SharePoint, links, and access from RA).
The lead enumerator can have a project/field assistant to support the above-mentioned requirements (if needed).*1
Responsible to inform RA if there is a change in the team member.*2
The enumerator lead must ensure proper logistics such as transport, accommodation, and field allowance for enumerators traveling.

Enumerators

Conduct farmer survey, farm observation, data entry, and data revision using digital data collection tools.
Responsible for data accuracy and quality until the clean dataset is approved by the Rainforest Alliance and/or Nescafé/vendor.
Responsible for informing the lead enumerator if they are unable to complete their work so that a replacement can be made.
Collect field evidence for each farmer interviewed.

*1 Optional for M&E partner depending on how they prefer to construct the team and roles.

*2 RA expects the same number of team members will carry out the work from the start until finish and they have same capability although there’s a change on the formation.

Scope of work and timeline:

The monitoring and evaluation (M&E) partner will perform the following:

Campaign preparation

Translate the survey into Indonesian as needed.
Prepare compatible and sufficient devices for the data collection (must follow the device requirements provided by the app provider, Koltiva).*3
The lead enumerator must distribute the training materials and guidance (printout and softcopy) to avoid the possibility that enumerators do not read them carefully and utilize them optimally.
The lead enumerator must play role as Co-Trainer during the M&E training and perform data quality control role (data review before submission to RA and Nescafé).
The lead enumerator joins the kick-off meeting led by the Rainforest Alliance (1 day – online) at least one month before the M&E training date.
The M&E partner (lead enumerator and enumerators) must attend the pre-training provided by the Rainforest Alliance team (3 days, 3-4 hours/day) before the survey training to review the questionnaire.
The M&E partner (lead enumerator and enumerators) must attend the KoltiTrace app usage training provided by the Koltiva team (2 days, 2-3 hours/day).
The lead enumerator and all of the enumerators must conduct the KoltiTrace application testing at least two weeks before the survey training by conducting in-pair mockup interviews within the team (recorded) and input the data into the application to familiar with the application and submit the survey app testing report to the Rainforest Alliance.
The lead enumerator must ensure that all enumerators understand the KoltiTrace app usage. Also, to check and review the testing data on the Koltiva web system before the survey training.
The lead enumerator must conduct translation of survey guidance and training materials under the supervision of the Rainforest Alliance and Nescafé at least 3 weeks before the onsite training.
The M&E partner team must build strong coordination with farmers and arrange the interview schedule with the farmers independently or with field technician support.
All M&E partner team members must fully participate in an on-site 6-days survey training session with the Rainforest Alliance and Nescafé, including a coffee farm visit. During training, all parties can review any translation and make any necessary modifications for specific language, dialect, and interview techniques to communicate with coffee farmers most effectively.
The lead enumerator must prepare training logistics for all training participants, such as training venue, transportation, meals, print out training materials, and training kits (including a measuring tape for tree trunk measurement). The arrangement of the training venue must follow guidance from the Rainforest Alliance.

*3 For specification details see Annex A.

Data collection and data review

M&E partner/Lead enumerator must prepare a farm visitation schedule for the data collection period, maintain a “field log” detailing farms visited each day, and report the data collection progress to RA weekly. RA will train the M&E partner on how to maintain this field log. The Nescafé/vendor team will assist on logistics of visitation and introduction to farm groups and farmers.
Enumerators conduct interviews with approximately 550 farmers. The Rainforest Alliance recommends thepartner to create a team of 10-12 enumerators who can travel independently. The team should be led by a project supervisor or “lead enumerator.” Each farm survey takes about 2-4 hours (data collection), and 3-4 hours (data review and input), so one enumerator can complete up to 2 surveys per day (depending on travel distances, weather, and other factors). A team of 10-12 enumerators would then need about 45 - 65 working days to complete the data collection and data input.
Data collection will be conducted on a digital application (Koltitrace mobile application). During data collection, the lead enumerator must perform a “real-time” quality check review of the raw data collected by the enumerators in order to spot and correct errors and inconsistencies. This review should be conducted at least once a week, before data is submitted to RA.*4
Data collection and data review must be carried out simultaneously on a Unit-by-Unit basis (as defined in the sample).
During the data collection, the lead enumerator must be able to accompany and assist the enumerators to report the technical problem independently to Koltiva (helpdesk service) regularly. And as required, provide the necessary information (such as evidence, backup database, account details, etc.) to RA to resolve the issues.
The M&E partner (lead enumerator and all enumerators) must be able to have weekly catch- up calls, to be scheduled with RA, to have an update on the progress of data collection by unit and assist on data review/correction process.
Once the clean data is submitted, RA will perform a quality check review by unit and send back any survey that still presents any error or inconsistency for a final round of corrections to be completed by the M&E partner. The enumerators must be available to make any corrections needed directly on the Koltitrace application.
The enumerators and lead enumerator are responsible for the accuracy of the data and must ensure that corrections and synchronization on the Koltitrace application are done properly, and in a timely manner.
Enumerators must collect the field evidence based on the list provided by RA and share it with RA. The lead enumerator is responsible for organizing the field evidence in the online cloud (SharePoint).

*4 RA to provide the tool (or alternative guidance) and train the lead enumerator in its use.

Reporting

Lead Enumerator must submit a report of findings based on the general field observations.
The Rainforest Alliance will conduct all data analysis, but the lead enumerator must be available for providing basic clarification, field observations, and insights.
Lead Enumerator must provide inputs for the preparation of any other monitoring and evaluation report and /or findings presentations.
Provide secondary references (as available) related to the project (for example, benchmarks for coffee yield and farmer household income).

DELIVERABLES

*5 If the person replaced is, at replacement time, in the field, the lead enumerator bears the travel and other related costs arising from or incidental to the replacement. The remuneration rate for any replacement is the same unit rate as the firm provided for the original candidate in its financial proposal.

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Proposals and/or any additional information received after the submission time and date are subject to rejection by the Rainforest Alliance. Incomplete proposals may be rejected by RA at its discretion.
The Rainforest Alliance reserves the right to request additional information at any time during the procurement process.
RA is at liberty to make multiple or no selections as part of the proposal process. RA also reserves the right to cancel the procurement.
All proposal costs shall be borne by the applicant and will not be reimbursed by RA.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Following the requirements for Lead Enumerator and Enumerators:

Lead Enumerator (1-2 personnel)

Experience in project monitoring and evaluation, including farmer interviews, for more than five years.
Experience with the coffee sector or at least an agriculture/forestry background.
Excellent Indonesia and English language skills.
Strong project management and leadership skills.
Experience with farmer survey, data entry, and digital data collection tools (preferred).
60 - 80 working days working time availability (July – December 2025).

Enumerators (10-12 personnel)

Experience in farmer survey, data entry, and digital data collection tools (preferred).
Experience with the coffee sector or at least has agriculture/forestry background.
Ability to travel independently in the countryside.
Ability to communicate in local languages (Indonesian).
45 - 65 working days working time availability (August - November 2025).

Enumerator team structure

PROPOSAL PROCESS AND FORMAT

Please send the following documentation no later than 14th June 2025. Interested parties should apply to Rainforest Alliance hnurazizah@ra.org and rpraptiwi@ra.org and include the following:

Letter of introduction describing experience in farm data collection, time availability, and method of organization and supervision.
CVs of each team member.
Budget proposal (including the cost for logistics and venue (in-class training) for M&E survey training)

Partner for Indonesia Nescafé Plan Monitoring and Evaluation