Introduction

Solidaridad is a Dutch development organisation specialized in Sustainable Supply Chain Development. Together with producer organisations, the business community and civil society organizations we create initiatives for sustainable trade in which good environmental and social practice become a normal part of business.

Solidaridad’s Agri-Commodities programme focuses on improving working and living conditions of palm oil, sugarcane and soybean smallholders and workers globally. In addition, it addresses the threats and opportunities provided by international (solid and liquid) bio-energy markets to poor farmers. In Solidaridad’s vision, it is possible to increase smallholder revenues from cash crops for food, feed, fiber and fuel markets while maintaining or improving household food security.

For Indonesia, palm oil is the main focus and the Indonesia office will be the hub to coordinate the global POPSI programme that in Latin America (Colombia, Brazil), West Africa (Ghana) and elsewhere in South East Asia.

Through establishing strategic partnerships with companies, NGOs and technical assistance bodies, we work to create demand for sustainable products and provide examples of smallholder production thereof. The Palm Oil Producer Support Initiative (POPSI) is an initiative of Solidaridad, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Roundtable Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), meant to support RSPO members to help smallholders and plantations to achieve RSPO certification. POPSI aims to enable smallholder producers, -both organised in cooperatives or via support schemes-, access to and benefit from the growing market of sustainable certified palm oil, and to prevent the exclusion of palm oil smallholders from certified supply chains. Solidaridad, on behalf of the above consortium, is responsible for implementation of the program and reports twice annually to its Steering Group.

The Commodity Business Support Manager assists RSPO members and their suppliers in the development of networks for the creation of sustainable production and trade practices, develops, implements and monitors training-of-trainer programs, links producers to mills, exporters and markets, and develops projects to serve demand for sustainable production with processors and brands in Europe, the US and other key markets. The Commodity Business Support Manager is supported by a market development counterpart in the Solidaridad Europe office and field representatives in Latin America and West Africa.

In the light of the above  Solidaridad is looking for a hands-on, senior operational manager for the execution and monitoring of the following activities:

1. Developing a Producer Support infrastructure in Indonesia

The manager develops a network of the different stakeholders in Palm Oil Producer support, informs them on new developments regarding RSPO and other (smallholder) support initiatives and feeds back relevant developments to Solidaridad and the POPSI Steering Group. Liaison with the RSPO secretariat, board and membership and participation in RSPO working groups and Smallholder Task Force are core tasks.

Deliverables:

-          Network contacts established and maintained with public, private and NGO entities that provide technical assistance to palm oil producers, smallholders and workers.

-          Established relationships RSPO, WWF, (potential) RSPO companies, the Dutch Embassy, EU/UN/World Bank Group representatives, relevant local and international NGOs and extension agencies in the region, the most important of which will be formalized through MoUs or Letters of Intent;

-          Established a training-of-trainers programme based on generic tools available in the Solidaridad network and palm-oil specific knowledge from POPSI partners and network relations;

-          Supported the development of a community of practice; virtual and physical knowledge exchange platform for RSPO practicioners and trainers.

1. POPSI program management: development and monitoring of pilot projects

The CBS manager works closely with partners in the field on developing the pilot projects and monitoring the development of projects. He/she functions as a contact point for information and contacts when it comes to implementation of the RSPO standard and specific project activities.

(New) POPSI projects have to be developed with partners to implement the RSPO code, train plantation workers on the code and develop internal control systems / group certification schemes with smallholder palm oil producers, both organised via cooperatives and not (formally) organised. In these pilot projects, producers and workers will be trained on, amongst others Good Agricultural Practices, Social and Environmental Practices and Internal Control / management systems. Project progress is monitored by closely working with all partners and a proactive approach is expected to improve the projects and overcome problems that occur along the way.

Deliverables:

-          Fundable project proposals developed by RSPO members;

-          Formal partnership agreements with technical assistance bodies (public, private and NGO)

-          Proposals to fund or otherwise support POPSI submitted to donors and other grantmakers;

-          Monitoring and strategic support of RSPO members and project partners during implementation of field projects, including at least one annual field visit per project;

-          Participation in annual Schokland fund event to exchange knowledge and experience between the four regions (Central- and South America, Africa and Asia) and three crops (palm oil, sugar and soy).

Reporting lines

-          Reports to the Solidaridad Head of Agricommodities Department on a regular basis including annual written work plan and progress report;

-          Quarterly progress reporting and delivery of POPSI annual work plan and progress report to the Schokland Fund secretariat in Buenos Aires;

-          Contribution to the Solidaridad Palm Oil strategy development (quarterly phone / web conferences and annual planning / reporting cycle)

This is a full-time position with market conform remuneration. Contract will be established initially on consultancy basis. Line responsibility is to Solidaridad Utrecht Head Agri-commodities Department; technical and financial reporting on POPSI to Solidaridad REC South America, that manages the POPSI programme.