TERMS OF REFERENCE
Title of the consultancy
Systematization of human and environmental rights risk analysis workshops in coffee organizations in Colombia, Honduras, and Guatemala
Dependency unit
Human Rights and Cross-Cutting Axes
Scope
Time range: 3 months
Geographic scope: remote work in virtual connection with Colombia, Honduras, and Guatemala
Internal relations
Country Manager Colombia, Honduras and Guatemala
Coordination of cross-cutting axes and Human Rights
Human Rights Specialists in the Central American and Mexican and Andean regions
External relations
Small producer organizations
Reports to
Coordination of cross-cutting axes and Human Rights
- ABOUT CLAC
- CONTEXT OF THE CONSULTANCY
The Latin American and Caribbean Coordinator of Small Producers and Workers in Fair Trade (CLAC) is an association established with legal status in El Salvador. It brings together small producer organizations and worker organizations within the Fair Trade sector. CLAC is organized into “National Coordinators,” “Product Networks,” and the “Worker Network.” The former group CLAC member organizations by country, while the Product Networks group organizations by product, regardless of the country in which they are located, and the Worker Network brings together worker organizations from different countries.
CLAC’s vision is to be the leading network representing, supporting, and strengthening organizations of small-scale Fair Trade producers and workers in Latin America and the Caribbean, promoting sustainable development and fostering empowerment, self-management, and human rights to achieve decent livelihoods for producers, workers, and their communities. In this context, our organizational goals are: 1) Increase access to new and existing markets, 2) Strengthen and develop membership, 3) Promote Fair Trade, its principles, and values, 4) Advocate for responsible production, trade, and consumption to promote sustainable development, 5) Organizational sustainability of CLAC, 6) Contribute to the SDGs through the inclusion of good social and environmental practices.
In its 2022-2024 strategic plan, CLAC has set goals, among others, to increase market access, strengthen and develop its member organizations, and contribute to the SDGs through good social and environmental practices.
These objectives are aligned with the current context of Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HRED), which emerged as a voluntary initiative for companies following the 2011 United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and is now becoming a regulatory requirement that will be increasingly required by companies in some countries that consume Fair Trade products.
Today, EHRD is becoming a fundamental element for achieving market access in the context of global production chains. Companies and their entire supply chains are expected to implement EHRD as a gradual process tailored to their size, operational capacity, and resources. This process consists of identifying the most serious human rights and environmental violations (actual or potential) in their operations and supply chains in order to take action to prevent, cease, or mitigate such situations.
The Fair Trade (FTA) is a process that connects stakeholders in global agricultural value chains and involves collaborative and coordinated assessment and response to common risks within the chain. Within the framework of Fair Trade production chains, these stakeholders are:
- Agricultural producers and agricultural workers: in the context of plantations, a single producer or in the context of organizations, several small producers united under the figure of an association or cooperative.
- Exporters and transporters
- Importers and food industry
- Distributors/supermarkets
- Consumers of the final product
CLAC and the Fairtrade system have the role of guiding, training, and advising their member organizations in the development of their own due diligence systems and actions, as well as facilitating dialogue and collaboration between producers and purchasing companies around DDDHA actions.
It is within this framework that the collaborative initiative between the Sainsbury’s supermarket, which operates in the United Kingdom, and CLAC, representing coffee-producing organizations in Colombia, Honduras, and Guatemala, emerged.
This consultancy is part of the process of assessing risks of impacts on human rights and the environment within Sainsbury’s coffee supply regions in Colombia, Honduras, and Guatemala.
- CONSULTANCY OBJECTIVES
Develop a systematization of the process and results of the human rights and environmental risk assessment , which is carried out through a review of information from secondary sources (which will be provided by CLAC) and the systematization of primary sources obtained in consultation workshops with coffee-producing organizations in the three countries mentioned (Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia).
The consulting person or team is expected to:
- Develop a systematization report for each of the three consultation workshops implemented by CLAC staff: one in Colombia, one in Honduras, and one in Guatemala. CLAC is responsible for implementing the workshops without requiring the physical presence of the consulting team. CLAC will provide the consulting team with the necessary input for the systematization work, which will consist of: recordings of the group discussions, PowerPoint presentations and other materials used in the workshop, photographs, and transcripts of the results of group exercises.
- Develop three preliminary reports systematizing the results of the risk assessment, which include three types of information sources: the results of the consultation workshops mentioned in the previous point, and secondary sources cited in the Fair Trade Risk Map for the coffee product and the countries mentioned. Information provided by CLAC from the aggregate analysis of the coffee supply chain audit results in those countries will also be added. The report format and table of contents will be provided by CLAC.
- Participate virtually in feedback sessions and validation of preliminary reports with the coffee producing organizations participating in the risk assessment. Integrate the observations gathered and make appropriate adjustments to the preliminary reports until their final review and approval by the CLAC team.
EXPECTED PRODUCTS
1 – Pre-field preparations: inductions, planning, logistical and technical coordination.
Methodology and Objectives – CLAC will virtually implement an initial induction plan for the consultant, covering the background and topics of the consultancy, as well as CLAC’s internal policies applicable to the consulting team. The goal is to align approaches and content, and define ethical, confidentiality, and protection aspects.
CLAC will establish and provide information on the schedule, thematic content, methodological guides, and a list of resources and materials needed for the workshops.
The consulting team will validate the methodology and logistical aspects of remote systematization with CLAC, without their physical presence at the workshops.
2 estimated meetings
2 – Documented reports of the 3 consultation workshops with coffee producing organizations
Methodology and Objectives – Preparation of reports for all workshops, according to a standard format that will be established in conjunction with CLAC. These reports will include, at a minimum, a description of the process and the dynamics or methodologies implemented, a systematization of the results and reflections that emerged, an evaluation of the participants, among other content.
3 memories
3 – Integrated systematization reports
Methodology and Objectives – A preliminary report based on the systematization of the results of the 9 focus groups and to which the consultant will add external information sources compiled by CLAC and which will be delivered to the consultant: Fairtrade risk map , aggregated audit analysis, contextualization and additional comments from the CLAC operational team.
CLAC will provide the consultant with a basic report structure previously validated by our counterparts in the Fairtrade system. The consultant is expected to integrate feedback and adjustment requests into the report after returning and presenting it to the organizations participating in the workshops and focus groups until a final version is obtained that has been validated by the CLAC team and the organizations (see point 4).
Desk work/remote coordination
3 preliminary reports
3 final reports
4 – Virtual participation in feedback sessions on preliminary reports
Methodology and Objectives – The consulting individual or team is expected to participate in and organize virtual sessions aimed at providing feedback and results to participating organizations.
Remote work
3 virtual sessions, 1 per country
- REQUIRED PROFILE FOR CONSULTING
1 – University degree in human rights, social and environmental sciences or related fields.
Indispensable
2 – Proven experience in systematizing and writing reports within the framework of social research and/or situational assessments and analyses, in the area of human rights in the agricultural production sector.
Indispensable
3 – Ease of relationship, empathy and ability to generate trust with different audiences.
Indispensable
4 – Native command of Spanish.
Indispensable
5 – Intermediate English proficiency
Indispensable
6 – Knowledge of the gender approach, citizen participation, inclusive processes and Fair Trade.
Desirable
7 – Experience working with rural communities, small producers, and agricultural workers.
Desirable
8 – Knowledge of the rural social reality of the country where the consultancy will be carried out.
Desirable
9 – High capacity for information analysis, data interpretation, generation and presentation of results
Indispensable
10 – Excellent command of office tools and online communication.
Indispensable
11 – Knowledge of the principles and approach to development and Fair Trade.
Desirable
- PAYMENTS (disbursement schedule):
Payments for this consultancy will include both the fees of the contracted consultancy/agency and any payments related to logistics and travel within the country. Therefore, these payments must be taken into account when submitting proposals for this consultancy. Disbursements will be distributed as follows:
Product
Completion of preparatory meetings: inductions, planning.
25%
After delivery and validation of 3 reports from the 3 risk assessment workshops and their validation by CLAC
35%
After delivery and validation of 3 final systematization reports
40%
NOTE: CLAC will make payments to the consulting team without incurring any withholdings. Any tax obligations arising from this consultancy will be the sole responsibility of the consulting firm, in accordance with the legislation of the respective country or country of residence.
- INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
It is established in these terms of reference, which will be an indivisible part of the contract generating the hiring of the consultancy, that all materials resulting from the work performed and all other complementary information will be considered, from their creation, the property of CLAC , which will have exclusive rights to publish or disseminate them. Likewise, the consultancy firm may not use the documents/products or content resulting from this contract in any event, presentation, etc., without written authorization from CLAC.
- GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
- The work may be performed by a consultant, agency, company or team of consultants with proven experience in accordance with the requirements described.
- Bank transfer costs and any other costs incurred will be borne by the contracted consultant/agency.
- The CLAC operational team will provide the necessary support for contacts and coordination of visits with producers, as well as the formats and guidelines for collecting information.
- All information and all photographic and video materials collected must be submitted to CLAC at the end of the consultancy.
- The contracted consulting firm/agency will be subject to the legal and tax framework of the place where the contract is signed.
- Absolute confidentiality must be maintained regarding the information and documentation to which you have access or that is provided to you formally or informally, and you may be subject to sanctions if you fail to comply with the required confidentiality.
- In the event of failure to comply with the submission deadline, the contracted consulting firm/agency will be fined one percent (1%) for each calendar day of delay on the total amount. Fines may not exceed 20% of the total contract amount, resulting in the termination of the contract. In the event of an agreement between the parties, due to force majeure, the deadline may be extended without incurring any fines.
- DUE DILIGENCE
As an organization regulated by El Salvadoran law, CLAC must comply with the requirements established by regulations regarding the prevention of money and asset laundering. To this end, a due diligence process will be conducted to identify our consultants and suppliers (identifying whether they are individuals or legal entities). This is a mandatory requirement to participate in this consulting process. You will receive an email from CLAC once the deadline for submitting proposals has passed.
How to apply
- RECEIPT OF PROPOSALS
Based on a thorough review of the terms of reference, you may send your proposal to the email address compras@clac-comerciojusto.org with a copy to marlon.m@clac-comerciojusto.org with the subject line: “Awareness and Risk Analysis Workshops on Human Rights.”
Final date for receipt of complete proposals , no later than July 29, 2025
Interested parties are encouraged to submit their proposals considering at least the following elements:
- Consultant/Team Resume
- Motivation letter
- Detailed methodological, technical and economic proposal
- Samples of previous work* (articles, photos, videos)
- References
*Important: These documents should not exceed 50MB in size when emailing them. Otherwise, we recommend sending them via OneDrive, Google Drive, WeTransfer, or similar.
NOTES:
• Incomplete proposals or those that do not take into account the TDR indications will be automatically discarded.
• If you have any questions about the TDR, please send an email promptly to the email address provided with your concerns so we can provide more information and/or details.