Practical Action
ABOUT US
We are an international development organisation putting ingenious ideas to work so people in poverty can change their world.
We help people find solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems. Challenges made worse by catastrophic climate change and persistent gender inequality. We work with communities to develop ingenious, lasting and locally owned solutions for agriculture, water and waste management, climate resilience and clean energy. And we share what works with others, so answers that start small can grow big.
We’re a global change-making group. The group consists of a UK registered charity with community projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America, an independent development publishing company and a technical consulting service. We combine these specialisms to multiply our impact and help shape a world that works better for everyone.
OUR AIMS
We help people find solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems, made worse by catastrophic climate change and persistent gender inequality. Our aims are to:
•Make agriculture work better for smallholder farmers, many of them women, so they can adapt to climate change and achieve a good standard of living.
•Help more people harness the transformational effects of clean affordable energy and reduce avoidable deaths caused by smoke from indoor stoves and fires.
•Make cities in poorer countries cleaner, healthier places to live and work.
•Build disaster resilience into the lives of people threatened by hazards – reducing the risk of hazards and minimizing their impact on lives and livelihoods.
PRACTICAL ACTION IN KENYA
In Kenya, Practical Action has a long history of addressing systemic barriers that prevent people from accessing energy that transforms their lives, helping communities and government make cities healthier and safer, making agriculture and markets work better for small holder farmers and supporting communities and government to become more resilient.
We use a mix of programming with communities and consultancy services with shapers of policy and practice to achieve our aims.
Background and Purpose of the assignment:
About Regen Organics
Regen Organics is purposed with the mission of building a prosperous, climate-smart agriculture sector through a circular economy approach that helps cities manage their organic waste. The core business of Regen Organics is providing affordable, green inputs for smallholder farmers to transition to regenerative agriculture to build climate resilience. The Material Recovery Facility model positioned by this project in Kakamega is of key strategic interest by potentially providing a low-cost feedstock for our organic fertilizer production.
Project background: Circular Economy for Household Organic Waste (CE4HOW) project
Practical Action is implementing a four- and half-year project in Kakamega County. The Circular Economy for Household Organic Waste (CE4HOW) in Kenya aims to create a commercially viable, circular economy model for household organic waste that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, improves household waste services and transforms the lives of informal waste workers. The CE4HOW is being implemented through a partnership of Practical Action and Regen Organics in Kakamega County.
The social and environmental objectives of the project will be achieved through the development of the business case of the commercial partner, Sanergy Inc., working through it’s subsidiary in Kenya, Regen Organics (Regen Organics). Regen Organics has constructed a new waste recycling plant in Kakamega County, to produce organic fertilizer. This location gives it access to a large market of smallholder farmers in Western Kenya, who will benefit from a product that improves soil structure, moisture retention and nutrients and increases yields. The feedstock for the recycling plant will largely come from agricultural waste. However, the business case this project seeks to develop is the inclusion of household organic waste from Kakamega town. The benefits for Regen Organics are the additional social and environmental benefits, which they also aim to monetise through carbon credits.
Regen Organics will add value to a waste stream that currently has no value and is a financial drain on municipal resources. Regen Organics will inject finances into the waste economy by paying Waste Aggregation Centres for supplying household organic waste. Waste collectors in turn will offer household waste collection services at a lower price, provided households separate their waste. We will work with and expand existing informal groups providing this service.
Target beneficiaries
The project target groups and beneficiaries are as follows:
1)210 people (at least 30% women) already working in the informal waste sector, or who get new jobs in the sector through the CE4HOW project. This includes 140 collectors, 30 people at the Aggregation Centres and 40 people at Regen Organics factory. In addition, 500 people will have new jobs or improved incomes through selling Regen Organics products.
2)Approximately 15,000 households will receive waste collection services by the end of the project.
3)10,000 smallholder farmers in Kakamega County (at least 40% women).
4)The project will also build awareness among Kakamega County policy makers and officials within the government and regulatory agencies.
Objective of assignment
In today’s global business landscape, companies are under increasing pressure to operate responsibly, ethically, and sustainably. Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) involves integrating ethical standards, respect for human rights and gender in development, environmental sustainability, labour, anti-corruption and transparency into business operations. It ensures that companies not only meet legal obligations but also contribute positively to society and the environment.
The primary objective of the consultancy is to provide technical support to our partners in developing Responsible Business Conduct guidelines that align with international standards such as the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The guidelines should be practical, easy to implement, and tailored to the unique context and needs of the partners.
Specific Objectives
The consultancy aims to:
•Assess the current business practices and policies of the partner organization- Regen Organics related to ethical conduct, human rights and gender, labor standards, and environmental sustainability.
•Develop tailored Responsible Business Conduct guidelines that incorporate key principles such as human rights, labor standards, environmental sustainability, anti-corruption, and stakeholder engagement.
•Provide recommendations on how the partners can integrate these guidelines into their operational processes, policies, and decision-making frameworks.
•Build the capacity of partners through workshops and training on how to implement the RBC guidelines effectively.
Expected deliverables.
The consultant is expected to deliver the following:
1)Inception Report detailing the understanding of the assignment, methodology, and a work plan.
2)Assessment Report on the current business conduct of the partner organizations, including identified gaps and recommendations.
3)Draft Responsible Business Conduct Guidelines, incorporating feedback from Practical Action and the partners.
4)Final Responsible Business Conduct Guidelines aligned to DMDP and DGBP guidance note ready for implementation.
5)Capacity Building Workshops and training materials for partners.
6)Final Report summarizing the consultancy, including key findings, challenges, and recommendations for future support.
Administrative and logistical support
1).The Consultants will report to the Project Manager with technical oversight by the Impact and Influence team.
2)The project team will provide day to day support during the assignment to support the actualization of this assignment and within stipulated timelines. Practical Action and the partner-Regen Organics will also provide all necessary program documents required.
3)The consultants on the other hand will: Facilitate field travel for the consultancy team.
Requirements of the consultant
This consultancy should be undertaken by with a range of skills and experience in order to deliver an insightful RBC for the partner. It is expected that the consultant will have the following qualifications and experience:
•Proven expertise in Responsible Business Conduct, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), or sustainability consulting.
•Strong knowledge of international standards and frameworks related to business conduct, including the OECD Guidelines, UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, ILO conventions, and DMDP and DGBP guidance environmental sustainability.
•Experience in developing guidelines, frameworks, or strategies for businesses, especially in emerging markets or developing countries.
•Demonstrated capacity to conduct assessments, provide technical advisory services, and deliver training workshops.
•Excellent communication, facilitation, and report-writing skills.
•Familiarity with the county regulatory environment and business culture is an added advantage.
Education
Team members should comprise of market systems development practitioners, economists, youth experts, policy and gender experts who possess more than 10+ of experience with Masters’ and above level education.
Timelines
This consultancy will take place in the months of November and December 2024 within a period of 30 days and final report submitted at the end of December. Final work plan duration shall be agreed with the selected consultant before signing of the agreement.
Terms of Engagement
Payment for the study shall be done in three tranches as indicated below.
•Tranche 1 (50% of the total cost): Upon submission of the inception report
•Tranche 2 (20% of the total cost): submission and acceptance of the of RBC guidelines
•Tranche 3 (30% of the total cost): submission and acceptance of the final report
Note that the payments will be done subject to the consulting entity meeting quality and timely delivery of stated tasks.
Interested consulting entities that have capacity to deliver this TOR are invited to submit a complete proposal to [email protected] subject line “Development of RBC for Circular Economy for Household Organic Waste (CE4HOW) partner” to reach Practical Action on or before Friday 22nd November 2024.
Guidelines for Submission
Interested Consultants or firms are requested to submit.
- A technical proposal detailing interpretation of the TOR, proposed methodology including sampling framework, work schedule etc.
- A capability statement demonstrating how the consultants meet the required qualifications and competencies.
- Copies of all CVs. Only CVs for the specific individuals that will form the proposed team should be included; two references (including one from your last client).
- Detailed financial proposal in Kenyan Shillings: If the team consists of several members, the professional fees should not just be a daily rate, but it should be based on clearly shown time allocation by each member of the team to the various activities.
Award criteria
The evaluation of the quotations will be based on the best value for money, weighing up technical quality (the methodology and the CV of the consultant) and price of the quotation.
Additional Information
Practical Action is an equal opportunities employer, and we encourage applications from under-represented groups. We stay committed to cultivating an inclusive and diverse working environment and believe that people from different backgrounds or cultures give us different perspectives, and the more perspectives we have, the more successful we will be. By building a culture where everyone feels heard, respected and valued we give everyone working with us the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
Practical Action is committed to safeguarding and protecting children and vulnerable adults and as such candidates will be subject to pre-employment checks.
Note: Practical Action reserves the right to accept or reject any application.
