Request for Proposals

Hiring of competent agency for providing consulting and Project Management services for GEF UNEP ILM INDIA PROJECT led by Rainforest Alliance in Andhra Pradesh 

Summary Information

  • Department: GEF Project India

  • Location(s): Andhra Pradesh, India

  • Commitment: 180 Days

  • Desired start date and duration: June 2024 to November 2024

  • Under direction of: Senior Project Manager

 

This RFP pertains to the RA-led GEF UNEP ILM India project “Transforming agricultural systems and strengthening local economies in high biodiversity areas of India through sustainable landscape management and public-private finance” It requires a competent agency to provide IICT consulting and Project management services for procurement and implementation of IT application and solutions, on a need basis. 

Consultancy Summary

About the Rainforest Alliance

Rainforest Alliance, a New York-based 501(c)3, and UTZ, an Amsterdam-based foundation, merged in 2018. Together, the new Rainforest Alliance is now a $70 million per year organization with offices in 17 countries (and growing) and over 5000 staff. The merged organization has two main offices—one in Amsterdam and one in New York City.

 

The Rainforest Alliance is creating a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities.

 

We work towards making responsible business the new normal through our certification program, tailored supply chain services, landscape and community work and advocacy.

About the Rythu Sadhikara Samstha

Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), a partner executing organization to this project, established in 2014 under Section 8 of the Companies Act, is a not-for-profit organization that steers farmers away from chemical farming and toward adopting natural farming practices. RySS is implementing APCNF across the state. APCNF is farmer-centric, follows farmer-to- farmer extension system, and is driven by their innovations. RySS’s vision is to saturate AP through APCNF by 2030-31. The Government of Andhra Pradesh has adopted Natural Farming as it is environment friendly and enhances climate change resilience, soil organic matter, soil fertility, water holding capacity of soils, and enhances biodiversity (above ground and below ground).

This consultancy is focused on the project´s aim to promote the adoption of APCNF in AP, where the project aims to technically support 7,00,000 farmers, so that, at the end of the project, they apply at least 50% of the APCNF´s practices Core Requirements, and at least 80% of those that do so find practice adoption profitable (i.e., have a positive benefit-cost). 

Overview

Acronyms

AP                    : Andhra Pradesh

APCNF             : Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming

GEF                  : Global Environment Facility

RySS                 : Rythu Sadhikara Samstha

ILM                   : Integrated Landscape Management

IGGAARL          : Indo German Global Academy for Agroecology, Research and Learning

KA                    : Karnataka

RA                    : Rainforest Alliance

RA SAS             : Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard

SLM                  : Sustainable Land Management

TOR                  : Terms of Reference

UNEP                : United Nations Environment Programme

 

Project Overview

The project seeks to address two critical challenges that have a negative impact on India’s environmental health and the well-being of its people: land degradation and the loss of biodiversity. Land degradation, defined as the deterioration or loss of the productive capacity of the soil, leads to food insecurity, higher food prices, climate change, environmental hazards, and the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. It is estimated that 27.77% of India’s total geographical area has been degraded as of 2015-16. Biological diversity underpins the ecosystem goods and services that sustain human societies and generates considerable socio-economic value through the provision of goods such as food, water, and services such as climate regulation, pollination, disaster protection, and nutrient cycling. The Government of India is a signatory to all the major biodiversity and land degradation treaties and conventions. It is committed to restoring twenty-six million hectares of degraded land by 2030, including through sustainable agriculture. The project aims at enabling sustainable agricultural production systems, participatory land use management, and responsible supply chains to reverse the process of land degradation and conserve biodiversity. In addition to building the skills and knowledge of small farmers, it will harness policy development, market demand, and public-private investment to make sustainable land management (SLM) economically viable. At the farm level, there are two main SLM practices endorsed under this project: The first is based on the RA-SAS in Karnataka (KA). The second is based on the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF).

Main Objectives

Consultancy Objective 

The scope of the work is to providing consulting and Project Management services for RySS to promote Natural Farming. The selected firm is expected to provide ICT consulting and Project management services for procurement and implementation of IT application and solutions.

 

 The primary objective is to

  1. Build and integrate internal certification for the NF commodities in line with the data management system and external certification agencies.

  2. Review the AI based platforms and integrate a strong extension communication system for agro advisory services to farmers.

  3. Develop an appropriate HRM and FM systems and integrate with RySS/ IGGAARL

  4. Build the capacities of internal teams.

  5. Integrate and institutionalize all the digital solutions in specified timelines. 

 

Project Component Description and Outcomes

 

The following are the key components of this assignment:

 

  1. Consulting services – Strengthening the IT landscape for improved service delivery.

    1. Assess the current IT deployment and/or help identify solutions in line with the nature and objectives of the selected firm.

  2. Procurement Services - Improving infrastructure to simplify, synergize and scale technology landscape.

    1. Perform procurement of solutions and services as per requirements agreed upon with the selected firm.

  3. Implementation Services - Manage & deploy ICT applications. 

    1. Build, operate, own, manage, support and transfer ICT applications as per requirements agreed upon with the selected firm.

Contractor Services at a minimum, must include:

Deliverables

 

The main objectives of this assignment are to develop as required, an action plan forward to

  • Design, technical, functional, and non-functional requirements and develop architectural solutions.

  • Execute procurement for chosen solutions / as required to support implementation and perform contracting procedures and processes to be followed for the project.

  • Verify technical compliance and ascertain existence and utilization of Assets.

  • Perform contract management in pursuance of the contractual provisions, as dealt with by the implementing agencies.

  • To make sure procurement planning, implementation, and monitoring and documentation are maintained per required standards including records management, complaints handling and grievance redress systems, etc.

  • Identify remedies to correct identified deficiencies throughout the lifecycle of implementation. 

  • To perform any other job /tasks as required to support IT implementation, decided in mutual agreement.

  • Help build internal capacities to perform daily and/or routine technical jobs in line with solutions deployed.  

Workforce deployed

  • The selected agency shall deploy competent resource(s) as required, on behalf of RySS, to support the implementation of the KMS solution as decided in mutual agreement.

  • The selected agency shall provide CVs of proposed resources before deployment for review and validation.

  • In case of separation of resources for whatsoever reason, competent resources shall be deployed on the assignment making sure there is no impact on ongoing delivery.

  • Upon the end of engagement, the selected agency shall transfer the workforce to RySS to carry on the tasks pertaining to development, operation, and maintenance of the systems.

Tenure of Engagement 

  • The tenure of engagement shall be 6 months from the start of contract term.

The contract shall be extended for further duration depending upon mutual agreement between parties.

General terms and conditions for Request for proposal

  • Workforce deployed on the assignment shall use their own IT and communication assets to perform duties and responsibilities.

  • Workforce shall be available for discussions, reviews, support as required RySS in order to discharge their duties and responsibilities.

  • Any travel to project locations / meetings with office bearers of RySS shall be borne by the agency only.

  • The selected agency shall not assign this Contract or subcontract any portion of it without the Client's prior written consent.

  • The Contract shall be governed by the laws of Union of India, and the language of the Contract shall be English.

  • Any dispute arising out of the Contract, which cannot be amicably settled between the parties, shall be referred to adjudication/arbitration in accordance with the laws of Union of India

  • The agency shall keep and shall make all reasonable efforts to cause its Sub-consultants to keep, accurate and systematic accounts and records in respect of the Services and in such form and detail as will clearly identify relevant time changes and costs.

  • The agency will be responsible for appropriate insurance coverage. In this regard, the agency shall maintain workers compensation, employment liability insurance for their staff on the assignment. The agency shall also maintain comprehensive general liability insurance, including contractual liability coverage adequate to cover the indemnity of obligation against all damages, costs, and charges and expenses for injury to any person or damage to any property arising out of, or in agency or its staff. The agency shall provide the client with certification thereof upon request.

  • Any studies reports or other material, graphic, software or otherwise, prepared by the agency for the Client under the Contract shall belong to and remain the property of the Client.

  • The agency shall not, during the term of this Contract and within two years after its expiration, disclose any proprietary or confidential information relating to the Services, this Contract or the Client's business or operations without the prior written consent of the client.

  • The agency undertakes to perform the Services with the highest standards of professional and ethical competence and integrity. The Consultant shall promptly replace any employees assigned under this Contract that the Client considers unsatisfactory.

  • Agency should be available within a week of release of work order. Either party can terminate the contract with 1 months' prior notice period

  • All data collected, analysed, reported, developed modules during this activity will remain the property of the RySS. At no point should the agency release this data or any derivatives to any other party or agency without the formal approval of the designated official of the RySS

  • In the event of closure/termination of contract, the agency shall perform complete handover of document, reports, IT applications and other associated details to the nominated personal(s) of RySS. A detailed exit plan and checklist to be drafted as per mutual agreement before the commencement of work.

 

Budget and Payments Schedule

The consultant will be paid against delivery and acceptance by the contracting party, of each deliverable mentioned in the Deliverables and Timeline section of the ToR. Subject to receipt and approval by RA of the respective reports the payment can be released based on the following milestones.

  • Payment terms: Payment after rendering the services, against submission of invoices.

  • Payment shall be made in Indian Rupees, no later than 30 days following submission by the agency of invoices.

  • The agency shall pay the taxes, duties fee, levies and other Impositions levied under the Applicable law and the Client shall perform such duties, regarding the deduction of such tax at source [TDS] as per applicable law.

    Selection Criteria

    Required qualifications and grading criteria.

    Proposal Process and Format

    The letter of interest, technical, and financial proposal should be sent by email to Aniruddha Brahmachari at abrahmachari@ra.org copy to Samik Ghosh at sghosh.consultant@ra.org, Praveen Sriramsetty praveen@ryss.ap.gov.in and Kishore Kumar Illa at killa@ra.org, with the subject line “Knowledge Management System for GEF UNEP ILM INDIA PROJECT in Andhra Pradesh (AP) ”, by 10th May 2024 (IST).

     

    * In addition to submission over email, please upload the application with the details mentioned above by following the application link. 

     

    Any questions and clarifications related to the assessment should be sent to the email mentioned above.

     

    Thank you for your interest in working with The Rainforest Alliance

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