Consultant for Final Evaluation for the GCP Collective Action Initiative ‘‘Responsible Use of Agro-Inputs for Coffee in Vietnam’’

TERMS OF REFERENCE

 

Final Evaluation for the GCP Collective Action Initiative

‘‘Responsible Use of Agro-Inputs for Coffee in Vietnam’’

 

1. Introduction

 

Global Coffee Platform (GCP) is a multi-stakeholder membership association dedicated to advancing coffee sustainability towards the vision of a thriving, sustainable coffee sector for generations to come. GCP enables coffee producers, traders, roasters, governments and NGOs to align and multiply their efforts and investments, collectively act on local priorities and critical issues, scale local sustainability programs and grow the global market for sustainable coffee across the coffee world. United in the belief that coffee sustainability is a shared responsibility, GCP Members and GCP’s Network of Country Platforms work together to achieve transformational change on prosperity for one million coffee farmers by 2030.

 

GCP Vietnam, operating under the Global Coffee Platform, is a collaborative Country Platform that emphasizes the public-private partnerships to work with coffee stakeholders, including farmers, industry players, government agencies, and civil society organizations. It aims to promote coffee sustainability and farmer prosperity within Vietnam’s coffee sector, particularly focusing on supporting smallholder farmers.

 

GCP’s Collective Action Initiatives 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 Collective Action Initiative support the coffee sector to identify and address complex issues through a structured and collaborative approach. For more information on GCP’s Collective Action Initiatives, see: https://www.globalcoffeeplatform.org/our-work/collective-action-initiatives.

 

In June 2020, GCP Vietnam launched a 5-year Collective Action Initiative for effective and responsible use and management of agro-inputs in Vietnam. It focused on addressing the responsible use of agro-inputs (especially herbicides) in the coffee sector in Vietnam by conducting research to gather and document best practices and lessons learned, providing support and training to farmers and stakeholders in the Central Highlands, and improving the enabling environment and sector policies. Results of the Initiative will be shared with Vietnamese and international coffee sector stakeholders to support scaling up the best practices. The Initiative is co-funded by the Sustainable Trade Initiative – IDH, Nestlé, Neumann Kaffee Gruppe, JDE Peet’s, Sucden Coffee, Lavazza Foundation and Tchibo.

 

Since the Initiative formally began in 2020, it has produced studies that have been shared with the government and other key sector stakeholders in an effort to advocate for the reduction or elimination of the use of (banned) agrochemicals, particularly those that contain glyphosate, in the production of coffee.

 

Thanks in part to the lobbying efforts of GCP Initiative and other industry players, the Government of Vietnam has subsequently taken action to stop the trade and use of glyphosate in coffee production to meet European market criteria. Consequently, there has been a noticeable decline in the amount of glyphosate residue in green coffee. According to surveys by VCC&C on glyphosate residues in coffee green beans, these residues dropped after three years, going from 56% in the 2020–2021 crop to 17.5% in the 2021–2022 crop and finally to 1.19% in the 2022–2023 crop.

 

The Initiative is expected to wrap up by June 30^th, 2025. In this context, GCP Vietnam is looking for a consultant or consulting firm to conduct a final evaluation.

 

2. Objective

 

The main purpose of this Final Evaluation is to systematically and objectively assess the GCP Collective Action Initiative for Responsible Use of Agro-inputs for Coffee in Vietnam, including its design, implementation and results, as it approaches its scheduled conclusion. With a focus on both learning and accountability, this evaluation aims to provide a comprehensive review to validate progress, derive actionable insights, and shape future initiatives. More specifically, the evaluation will cover:

 

Performance Assessment: The evaluation will assess the Initiative’s overall performance by determining the relevance, effectiveness, coherence, efficiency, impact and sustainability.

 

Lessons Learned: The evaluation will generate lessons learned from the implementation of the Initiative’s activities and the outcomes achieved that will be useful for similar programs/initiatives in the future.

 

Recommendations: The evaluation will propose recommendations, which helps GCP to focus on how achievements and lessons of the Initiative will be taken forward to better formulate and implement the GCP Vietnam Collective Action Plan in its strategic framework toward 2030.

 

3. Target Audience

 

The primary audience of this Final Evaluation includes the GCP Vietnam team, the GCP global Secretariat, and the Initiative’s co-investors. The secondary audience to use the findings are other GCP members, implementing partners, government, farmers and other stakeholders in the Vietnamese coffee sector.

 

The key findings from the Final Evaluation will be presented at the Initiative’s Wrap-up Workshop, and the final report will be shared publicly to support learning and future planning.

 

4. Evaluation Criteria

 

• Relevance:

Suggested Evaluation Questions for Relevance:

• • To what extent does the Initiative align with the needs and priorities of Vietnamese coffee farmers, stakeholders, and international coffee markets?
  • How relevant is the focus on agro-inputs (particularly herbicides) to the sustainability challenges faced by the Vietnamese coffee sector?
  • In what ways has the Initiative been able to align with Vietnam’s policy frameworks and international market requirements, including the European, US and Japanese markets?
  • Were there any design limitations or gaps that have affected the Initiative’s ability to address the specific challenges related to the responsible use of agro-inputs?

 

• Efficiency:

Suggested Evaluation Questions for Efficiency:

• • Has the Initiative been implemented efficiently, cost-effectively, and adapted to any changing conditions?
  • Were the interventions well-coordinated among the different stakeholders?
  • Were the management and operational structures within the Initiative conducive to timely and cost-effective project delivery?
  • To what extent do Initiative’s monitoring and evaluation systems, reporting, and project communications support the project’s implementation and achievements of results?

 

• Effectiveness:

Suggested Evaluation Questions for Effectiveness:

• • To what extent has the Initiative achieved its intended outcomes and outputs, towards reducing the use of banned agrochemicals in coffee production?
  • How effective has the Initiative been in improving farmer knowledge and practices related to responsible agro-input management?
  • What role did partnerships with stakeholders (implementing partners, government, private sector) play in achieving the initiative’s outcomes?
  • What factors facilitated or hindered the Initiative’s ability to achieve the Initiative’s results, including the advocacy for policy changes in agrochemical use?

 

• Coherence:

Suggested Evaluation Questions for Coherence:

• • How well did the Initiative integrate with other GCP activities and other sustainability initiatives/programs in Vietnam?
  • Are there lessons from the Initiative that could strengthen coherence among different coffee sector sustainability efforts?

 

• Impact:

Suggested Evaluation Questions for Impact:

• • What have been the most significant outcomes and impacts of the Initiative on the use of agro-inputs and on the sustainability of the Vietnamese coffee sector?
  • How has the Initiative impacted farmers’ practices and awareness regarding safe and sustainable agrochemical use?
  • What influence, if any, has the Initiative had on market access, particularly concerning meeting European market criteria?

 

• Sustainability:

Suggested Evaluation Questions for Sustainability:

• • How sustainable are the changes in policies and practices related to agrochemical use in the Vietnamese coffee sector?
  • What mechanisms (e.g., continued partnerships, policy frameworks) are in place and have been designed, developed and implemented to ensure the Initiative’s practices and learnings are upheld and scaled by local stakeholders?
  • What are the most pressing issues in the coffee sector in Vietnam to further work on after this Collective Action Initiative?

 

• Lessons Learnt:

Suggested Evaluation Questions for Lesson Learnt:

• • What have been done or are working well versus not well enough and why?
  • What are some of the key programmatic and operational lessons learned as a result of this project that can be shared and replicated?
  • What are the recommendations for future interventions?

 

5. Proposed Methodology

 

The evaluation consultant or consulting firm is expected to develop an evaluation framework (approach, design, and methodology) based on the evaluation purposes and suggested key evaluation questions above, but the consultant(s) may also suggest additional questions or modifications. The consultant(s) or firm should also provide justification for proposing a particular approach and methodology with detailed discussion in their proposal. The final decision on the evaluation approach and methodology to be used will be done in consultation with the GCP Vietnam and GCP Secretariat teams.

 

The consultant(s) is expected to use the following methods, including but not limited to:

• Briefing/preparatory working session with GCP Vietnam;
• Desk review of the existing project documents;
• Primary data collection mixed methods including semi-structured interviews of key informants (including GCP Vietnam, funding partners, NGOs working on similar issues and national or subnational authorities, etc.) and focus group discussions with farmers and communities targeted by the Initiative. A sample survey of the supported farmers and/or quantitative data collection to inform case studies may also be conducted to assess the Initiative’s outcomes and impacts on agro-input use, particularly the adoption rate of the innovative and good practices.

 

A participatory methodology is highly recommended in order to take into account the opinion of relevant partners and stakeholders.

 

6. Deliverables

 

The consultant(s) will be responsible for the following deliverables:

 

• Inception Report

Upon the review of available documents and an initial discussion with GCP Vietnam, the consultant(s) should submit an inception report and give a presentation to GCP Vietnam. The inception report and presentation will:

• • Describe the evaluation approach and methodology that will be used to undertake this assignment
  • Set out in some detail the data and information required to answer the evaluation questions, data sources, data collection methods, and selection criteria of respondents
  • Detailed work plan and schedule, including the list of key stakeholders to be interviewed and the tools to be used for interviews and discussions
  • Present an outline for the final evaluation report

 

• Questionnaires

Following approval of the inception report, the consultant(s) should develop the questionnaires and instruments to collect the data and information identified in the inception report. The questionnaires should be reviewed by GCP Vietnam, GCP Secretariat and Technical Advisory Group before being used in the field.

 

• Presentation of Preliminary Findings

The consultant(s) is expected to present the preliminary findings to GCP Vietnam and Technical Advisory Group based on the initial analysis of the data collected from the different stakeholders. The PowerPoint should be developed in English summarizing the main findings.

 

• First draft of Evaluation Report

The consultant(s) should provide the first draft of the evaluation report following the agreed schedule. Draft reports will initially be shared with the GCP Vietnam and Technical Advisory Group for review and inputs before being revised and then shared with relevant implementing partners and government authorities for feedback. Stakeholders will be given a reasonable time frame in which to respond.

 

• Final reports and presentation

• • The consultant(s) should submit the final reports, in English and Vietnamese, incorporating comments from GCP Vietnam, Technical Advisory Group and other key stakeholders.
  • The consultant(s) should also hand over a complete data set including transcripts of stakeholder interviews, and any other data collected to GCP at the end of the assignment.
  • The consultant(s) should also submit a PowerPoint summary of the main findings in the report. The Final PPTs should be developed both in English and Vietnamese, summarizing the main results and recommendations.
  • The consultant(s) should present the findings in a workshop with key stakeholders organized by GCP Vietnam.

 

7. Task and High-level Timeline

 

The consultancy will last for about 2 months, starting from mid-March until mid-May 2025.

 

Activity	Tentative Deadline
Tender publication date	10 Feb 2025
Deadline for submission of proposals	7 March 2025
Applications review & shortlisting / Interviews	8 – 19 March 2025
Successful applicant to be notified and contracted	21 March 2025
Start of assignment	24 March 2025
Inception Report and Presentation	31 March 2025
Finalize Questionnaires and Templates	7 April 2025
Documents review, data collection, and analysis	8 – 21 April 2025
Presentation of preliminary findings	28 April 2025
First draft of the evaluation report (in English and Vietnamese) sent to GCP Vietnam	5 May 2025
Final draft of report and PPT slides (in English and Vietnamese) sent to GCP Vietnam	19 May 2025
Presentation of key findings & recommendations	Early June 2025 (tbc)

 

8. Consultant Qualifications

 

For this assignment GCP Vietnam is looking to recruit a consultant or consulting firm who brings the following assets/experiences:

• Minimum 10 years of experience in implementation and evaluation of projects/programs;
• Experienced and knowledgeable about coffee agronomy and working experiences in plant protection/agriculture/agrochemicals sector;
• Education background (Master, preferably PhD degree) on plant protection, agriculture, community development and/or education;
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills;
• Proven work experience in use of participatory evaluation methods for identifying measurable target indicators;
• Ability to work in a multicultural team environment and to deliver under pressure/meet deadlines;
• Comfortable with the necessary computer skills i.e. MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
• Neutral and trusted evaluator;
• Fluency in both Vietnamese and English;
• A team consisting of Vietnamese and international experts with a deep expertise both in local conditions in Vietnam and in the global coffee sector and agrochemicals experience preferred for this task.

 

9. Application Requirements

 

Interested parties are requested to submit a detailed proposal including at a minimum:

• Technical Proposal: A succinct, well-documented Technical Proposal that includes, for each of the tasks:
• A summary of each task and main objectives,
• Activities and a corresponding timeline,
• The proposed evaluation methodologies,
• GCP Collective Action Plans Due Diligence Pre-Award Assessment Tool (attached with the TOR): Please fill in the Due Diligence form and submit together with the proposal.
• A clear description of the consultant or project team for each task, detailing the relevant experience of team members including their CVs should be included in this document
• Samples of previous evaluation: At least three samples of previous relevant work (the contents of which will remain confidential and will be used for the sole purpose of evaluating the submission). This sample report must be less than five years old, unless particularly relevant to this assignment. These should be summarized in the Due Diligence Pre-Award Assessment Tool and examples shared as annexes.
• Financial Proposal: Please provide a detailed budget for each task including time allocated and daily rates. Please note that ALL costs must be included in the detailed budget including fieldwork expenses and taxes, but not more than US$ 10,000.

 

Consultants are invited to submit their proposals before 5:00 pm ICT on 7 March 2025 to [email protected]. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

 

10. Evaluation Criteria

 

The proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Demonstrated understanding of this Request for Proposal, and the responsiveness of the proposal to it
• Conceptual framework and methodology proposed
• Feasibility of the proposed activity plan and timeline, and appropriateness of time allocated to delivering each task
• Relevant professional experience of the proposed consultant(s)
• Quality and relevance of the sample evaluation report
• Financial Evaluation Criteria
• Quality and clarity of budget provided, and level of detail included
• Alignment of the budget to the activity timeline detailed in the technical proposal
• Value for money

GCP Collective Action Plans Due Diligence Pre-Award Assessment Tool