STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS WITH THE GENERAL GUNAYALA CONGRESS TO PROMOTE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND THE PRESERVATION OF THE TRADITIONAL PRODUCTION At FSC Indigenous Foundation

Indigenous Peoples Alliance for Rights and Development – IPARD

Cooperative Agreement No. 7200AA20CA00013

REQUEST FOR CONSULTANCY SERVICES

FACILITATE A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS WITH THE GENERAL GUNAYALA CONGRESS TO PROMOTE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND THE PRESERVATION OF THE TRADITIONAL PRODUCTION PRACTICES AMONG THE GUNAYALA COMARCA

1. BACKGROUND

Organization description

In 2019, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) established the FSC Indigenous Foundation (FSC IF) as the operational office for the Permanent Indigenous Peoples’ Committee (PIPC). FSC IF is a private interest foundation pursuant to Law No. 25 of June 12, 1995 of the Republic of Panama. The mission of the FSC IF is to unlock the enabling environment to secure Indigenous Peoples’ rights and promote sustainable forest-based solutions within 300 million hectares of Indigenous forests on the planet. The vision is that the global values of Indigenous Peoples, their rights, livelihoods, ecosystem services, natural capital, and territories are recognized and incorporated into forest governance, climate change governance, and market systems.

Indigenous Peoples’ Alliance for Rights and Development

FSC IF is the implementing partner of the USAID and FSC funded five-year Global Development Alliance Program: Indigenous Peoples Alliance for Rights and Development (IPARD). IPARD is guided by three development objectives:

• Objective 1: To organize and convene a Capacity Development Program for Indigenous Peoples’ organizations and stakeholders;
• Objective 2: To foster an enabling environment for Indigenous Peoples’ recognition, effective participation, and joint decision-making in matters affecting them, and;
• Objective 3: To promote Indigenous Peoples’ sustainable development based on sustainable economic models.

IPARD utilizes on three interconnected approaches to support Indigenous Peoples to overcome their development challenges:

1. Multi-Sectoral Approach (MSA): Under the strategic guidance of the IPARD Steering Committee (SC), IPARD convenes and leverages expertise from multi-sectoral. This approach ensures that IPARD considers the needs of Indigenous communities across a wide array of sectors. Based on the MSA, IPARD will bring diverse technical partners to support cross-sectoral projects that will achieve IPARD’s development objectives.
2. Country-Focused Approach (CFA): the IPARD’s programmatic strategy is guided by a country-by-country focus driven by specific national contexts related to Indigenous Peoples. IPARD implements a structured process to identify, assess, and select countries to target its programs. FSC IF works jointly with the SC, and as guided by the MSA, in order to select countries and identify key priorities and strategies.
3. Indigenous Project Management Approach (IPMA): Building on FSC IF’s network and relationships with Indigenous leaders and organizations around the world, IPARD pursues continuous dialogue, consultation, and feedback with Indigenous Peoples to inform the program. IPARD supports a forum through which FSC IF serves as a bridge between Indigenous Peoples, technical partners, national governments, and the private sector. IPARD invests in curating best practices and effective approaches and methodologies to ensure the strategic cohesion of multi-level partnerships.

Through these three approaches, IPARD aims to empower Indigenous Peoples’ organizations and catalyze an enabling environment where Indigenous Peoples can pursue their development.

B) CONTEXT

IPARD is creating business linkages with the private, public, and civil society sectors and the appropriate conditions for institutional, technical, and financial sustainability of Indigenous Peoples’ businesses. According to the above, IPARD will implement the Center for Indigenous Innovation and Business Development (CIIBD). The CIIBD will serve as a space for activities oriented to delivering business services, engaging private partners, mobilizing funds, and strengthening business ideas, as well as providing guidance on licensing, market research, trade regulations, credit finance, management plans and other actions to strengthen Indigenous business models and their value chains. Based on the above, CIIBD will be constructed through a co-creative process to identify the demand for and supply of services for the development of Indigenous-Private Enterprises, as well as map the social, political, and economic constraints faced by Indigenous business organizations.

Considering that the CIIBD is in the design stage, IPARD has begun to partner with different organizations to identify the Indigenous Peoples’ business needs and opportunities in Panama, Guatemala and Africa, as well as the actions needed for their development. These actions will be connected to the CIIBD and will be an important input in its design considering the lessons learned, tools, partnerships and other achievements obtained during this process.

Within the activities identified for the design and implementation of the CIIBDs, IPARD has prioritized strengthening the General Guna Congress of Panama. Through its Community Support Program, this Indigenous Peoples Organization (IPO) has been implementing actions to develop the productive systems of the Gunayala Comarca based on their traditional knowledge. These actions include ensuring food security and sovereignty, and the promotion of entrepreneurship among community members

Among the actions contemplated by the General Guna Congress is the implementation of a strategic planning process to promote entrepreneurship in the region and preserve their traditional production practices. This process will be carried out with representatives of 10 indigenous communities of the Comarca with whom this strategic plan will be co-designed for the period 2023-2025.

C) OBJECTIVES

1. General Objective

Strengthening the General Guna Congress’s capacities to design a strategic plan to promote entrepreneurship and the preservation of the traditional production practices among the Gunayala Comarca from Panama.

2. Specific objectives

1. Provide technical facilitation for the design of a participative strategic plan with Gunayala Comarca representatives to promote and strengthen entrepreneurship and preserve their traditional production practices.
2. Map partners (public and private) to support the implementation of the strategic plan.

Expected activities:

A methodology should be designed and implemented to support the design of a three-year strategic and participative plan with Guna Comarca Congress and endeavours representatives. This plan will focus on promoting businesses in the Gunayala Comarca. This process should include at least the following activities:

1. Design and validate with the General Guna Congress and IPARD a workplan to implement the consultancy activities. This workplan should include the methodology and logistic requirements related.
2. Research international examples on how to build an entrepreneurial policy in other indigenous communities. This could include arranging virtual exchanges between communities.
3. Coordinate and facilitate workshops in the Mammidub (Mamitupu) community with 20 representatives from Aidirgandi, Uggubba, Golebir, Uggubseni, Dadnaggwe Dubbir, Ailigandi, Assudub, Mammidub (Mamitupu), Ogobsuggun, Usdub (Ustupu) of the Comarca Gunayala. During these workshops, the consultancy should develop the following activities:
4. Understanding the general priorities and vision of the General Guna Congress and involved communities
5. Organization of workshops on key topics identified to guide the strategic planning process
6. Co-design the strategic plan to promote entrepreneurship in the Gunayala Comarca and preserve their traditional production practices through a participatory gender lens process.
7. Mapping partners to support the implementation of the strategic plan.
8. Prepare a lessons-learned report and feedback about the capacity-development process conducted by the consultancy, including contributions from participants of the activities (Gunayala communities, partners and others).

Expected deliverables:

1. Workplan and methodology to implement the strategic planning
2. Report on the strategic planning process: tools used, surveys, memories of the workshops and the discussions that took place. This report should include the attendance list, and the main results of the workshops
3. Strategic plan to promote entrepreneurship in the Gunayala Comarca co-created with the General Guna Congress
4. Mapping report of identified potential partners to support the implementation of the strategic plan
5. Document with lessons learned. In this report it is key to identify the particularities of working with Indigenous Peoples, and their businesses. The report must include the satisfaction rate of the strategic planning process.

Technical and Financial Proposal:

The proposal must include a technical proposal with the methodology that will be used to complete the consultancy. Additionally, a clear timeline must be presented and the obstacles that might come up during the consultancy and ways to mitigate them.

The financial proposal should include a budget, explaining each line item (including the logistical expenses to develop the activities). All financial proposals should include taxes when applicable and explicitly note it in the budget.

The consultant must cover all the logistical expenses (transport, lodgings, and food of participants) to conduct the workshops and capacity development activities.

The consultant needs to be able to provide a physical or electronic invoice that complies with Panamanian regulations and is up to date with its tax obligations (if Panamanian).

Profile of the consultant:

1. Professional in economics, agricultural, social, political, human, environmental sciences or other related disciplines
2. More than 5 years of experience facilitating strategic planning process, or advisory on capacity development with diverse organizations.
3. Experience in the agricultural value chain will be a plus.
4. Previous experience working with international organizations and donors is desirable
5. Demonstrated cultural awareness and sensitivity to the diversity of values, views, and approaches to issues relevant to the FSC IF
6. Demonstrated experience and knowledge on Indigenous Peoples’ rights and sustainable development, specifically in Panama is a plus
7. Knowledge of a Guna language is a plus
8. Availability to travel to the Gunayala Comarca
9. Strong oral and written communication of the team in Spanish, and English is desirable.

Applications need to include the following documents:

1. CV of the consultant including descriptions of relevant responsibilities (not just job title).
2. Technical proposal including the timeline.
3. Financial proposal including an explanation of the budget line items.

How to apply:

Submit your CV, technical proposal and financial proposal including taxes (if applicable) to the FSC IF e-mail address: procurement.fscif@fsc.org not later than the due date indicated in this post.

Coordination:

The consultant will coordinate the expected work with the Program Lead on Business Partnerships and Indigenous Economies who will coordinate with the rest of the IPARD and FSC-IF team.

Deadline for submission of proposal:

Two weeks after publication.

Conditions for payments of the products:

The deliverables must be authorized by the IPARD Program Director to proceed with other internal approvals and payment. All products must be delivered in digital format according to the expected activities detailed above and the following schedule and payment percentages.

Deliverable

Payment Percentage

Remarks

1. Work Plan and methodology presentation approved

30%

To be presented in the first week of the consultancy

1. Report on the strategic planning process: tools used, surveys, memories of the workshops and the discussions that took place. This report should include the attendance list, and the main results of the workshops
2. Strategic plan to promote entrepreneurship in the Gunayala Comarca agreed with the Guna Congress

40%

To be presented in the first month of the consultancy

1. Mapping report of identified potential partners
2. Documents of lessons learned in the activities developed by the consultancy.

30%

To be presented in the second month of the consultancy

Duration of the assignment:

Two months upon signing of the contract

Annex 1

Reference costs for one workshop in Mammidub (Mamitupu) community of Gunayala Comarca (October 2022)

• Collective transport by car one person Panama City – Puerto Niga Kantule – Panama City (roundtrip): US$50
• Boat driver and assistant to sea transport Port Niga Kantule – Mammidub (Mamitupu) community (three days): US$180
• Fuel for sea transport (roundtrip) for 20 people from Port Niga Kantule to the Mammidub (Mamitupu) community (150 gallons): US$750
• Meals for 20 participants (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner): US$1.040
• Lodging for two days: US$60

Note: Estimated costs per workshop, it is recommended to schedule at least two workshops (planning and validation) and include food and lodging costs for the consultant.