ISEAL Alliance

The ISEAL Alliance and GTZ are calling for tenders to undertake a feasibility study to deepen our understanding of HOW a standards systems academy could be designed and implemented in order to roll out a financially sustainable training programme with global reach within 3-5 years.

Deadline for Applications: 15 Sep 2010

Location: anywhere

Full Call for Tender

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The ISEAL Alliance and GTZ are interested in exploring the feasibility of developing a Standards Systems Academy to provide training services to NGOs, government and businesses interested in learning more about how social and environmental standards systems work and how they could be used as tools to achieve their own organisational objectives.   As such, the ISEAL Alliance is calling for tenders to undertake a feasibility study to deepen our understanding of HOW a standards systems academy could be designed and implemented in order to roll out a financially sustainable training programme with global reach within 3-5 years. The feasibility study will draw on the results of four inter-related activities:

1. market research
2. business model exploration and recommendations
3. pilot training module development, and
4. pilot training workshop delivery to target audiences.

The ISEAL Alliance is seeking a contractor or team of contractors to oversee the development of the feasibility study.  The contractor will work closely with the ISEAL Alliance and GTZ during the course of the project and will take the lead in activities 1 and 2 and possibly 4, with contributions to activity 3.

The project is expected to run for eight months, starting in mid September 2010 and ending with the submission of the final feasibility study by mid May 2011.

Background

The ISEAL Alliance is an international non-profit organisation that codifies best practice for the design and implementation of social and environmental standards systems. ISEAL shapes the context in which voluntary standards systems operate, by defining what good practice looks like for the sector, as well as through influencing how external stakeholders think about and engage with credible voluntary standards systems.  ISEAL Alliance members[1] are leading organisations in social and environmental standard-setting and certification, and are committed to compliance with ISEAL Credibility Tools. 

A key pillar in ISEAL’s Strategic Plan for 2009-2013 is the need to increase the awareness and understanding of social and environmental standards systems among key potential users of these systems: government representatives across portfolios and countries, civil society organisations focusing on capacity building or advocacy alike, and businesses who are either looking to apply standards to their own production systems, through their supply chains, or as screens to determine their engagement.  While the market for certified products and services is growing rapidly, information and knowledge at a general level about standards systems as tools for improving performance and linking sustainable production with consumption remains a key limitation for scaled up growth and impacts on the ground.  Most people engaged in sustainable development or CSR areas of practice have very little idea what a sustainability standard system is, how it actually operates and what questions to ask to seek to determine if a particular standard is worth engaging with.  This is clearly a key bottleneck but also a tremendous opportunity for growth in the uptake of standards systems.

A Standards Systems Academy: Vision and Considerations

The ISEAL Alliance and GTZ are interested in exploring the feasibility of a Standards Systems Academy to provide a range of information and training services on social and environmental standards systems.  Three distinct target audiences are envisaged: advocacy groups and NGOS, representatives from national and international governmental organisations, and business.   We envision that training modules will need to be developed to build knowledge over time, for example starting with introductory options, moving to intermediate level options before arriving at master classes.  A range of delivery vehicles will be needed for different target audiences and different stages of learning.  This could include online webinars or online tutorials, regional workshops bringing individuals from different organisations together or tailor-made programmes for a specific organisation combining online training, workshops and one-on-one support.   We will also need to assess whether and when it would be beneficial to mix participants from different user/stakeholder backgrounds for particular training sessions.

Training Content

The content of the modules and training will vary according to need but possible topics include:

• What is a standard system? [how are the standard-setting, verification, and communications components linked together?]
• Why Voluntary Standards Systems?
• Navigating through the world of sustainability claims
• Understanding the rapidly evolving landscape of standards initiatives
• How to assess the credibility of a standard system?
• Standard-Setting Processes and International Trade Law
• The economics of standards systems
• Impact Assessment Frameworks for Standards, Tools and Results
• Addressing Conflicts of Interest in Standards Systems Governance
• State of the Art in Verification Systems
• How to engage effectively with standards systems
• GHG Accounting Methodologies and Standards Systems.

As can be seen from this indicative list of topics, the universe of potential topics is broad but the focus is always on building understanding about standards systems and how they can be used.  At this stage, we envisage that the Academy will not be designed to train on the application of a specific social or environmental standard. There are many existing initiatives, programmes and projects that focus on producer capacity building and this Academy does not seek to duplicate those efforts.  It should also be noted that the Standard Systems Academy will not offer advice as to what standard a given organisation should use but will highlight how VSS can serve the interests of different organisations and provide them with the knowledge and skill sets to make their own decisions.

Business Models

The ISEAL Alliance is a globally recognised authority on the subject of voluntary social and environmental standards systems and has previous experiences in developing materials and delivering ad hoc training activities to a range of stakeholders including emerging standards initiatives and international NGO networks.  However, given the rapid growth in the number and uptake of sustainability standards systems and the interest received for such kinds of training, there is an urgent need to design and implement the Standards Systems Academy in a way that allows it to grow rapidly and operate globally, while still ensuring quality control of the content and delivery. Therefore, the organisational set-up and business model for such a venture needs careful consideration.  We are looking to explore a range of potential business models from in-house development and delivery, a joint venture [i.e. between ISEAL and GTZ and perhaps other partners bringing additional contributions] as a separate legal entity with dedicated staff and contractors or a licensing mechanism to engage approved trainers, etc (or a combination of all of the above in a phased implementation approach).  The exact nature of the relationship between the ISEAL Alliance and GTZ and the roles that each would play in the implementation of the Standards Systems Academy have yet to be determined and shall respond to results of the piloting of the Standards Systems Academy plus research with potential users.

Key resources of the ISEAL Alliance are its technical knowledge, policy monitoring and strategic shaping of the social and environmental standards systems.  ISEAL has traditionally relied on donor contributions (both private foundations and government agencies) to make up the majority of its income.  In moving toward financial sustainability, ISEAL needs to develop a series of programmatic activities and ventures that will generate ongoing revenue streams while at the same time, safeguarding and working to achieve its mission and vision.  It is hoped that the Standards Systems Academy will contribute increasingly to enable ISEAL to fulfil its mission with a sustainable revenue stream.

Deliverables

The feasibility study will outline the elements and applicability of a Standards Academy concept. The feasibility study will develop recommendations for the design of, and delivery of the services by, the Standards Systems Academy.  The study will build on and draw from four inter-related streams of work:

1. Market Research stream with the objective of determining the market potential for the Standards Systems Academy;
2. Business Model stream with the objective of developing recommendations on the most appropriate and viable business model(s) and organisational structure(s) for the Standards Systems Academy;
3. Pilot Module Development stream that would include the design two popular training modules for trial in pilot workshops, with the objective of gaining knowledge about the most effective topics and formats for content delivery; and
4. Pilot Workshops Delivery stream with the objective of testing the product, delivery vehicles and willingness to pay with three priority audiences.

The main deliverable is a Feasibility Report on the Standards Systems Academy, addressing each of objectives outlined above. The written report will be 20-30 pages in length, not including appendices.   Main outcomes of the report will also be summarised in a power point presentation with max 30 slides. Further information about what is required from each stream of work is outlined below.

1. Market Research Work Stream

Guiding questions to be addressed in the first work stream include:

• What is the market potential for the Standards Systems Academy?

• What  competing, comparable or complementary training initiatives and approaches exist or are in development and what can be learned about them in terms of costs, market demand, comparative advantages of the academy, etc?
• Who are the priority target audiences within and across the three stakeholder categories identified around the world?, and what are their information and training needs? What is the potential size of this market?
• What is the main demand of these target audiences? Which courses would attract the targeted audiences most?
• While the scope of the Academy in the long term is global, what countries or regions should be prioritised initially given market demand, revenue and sustainability impact potential?

•  What kind of recruitment approaches would be most effective for these target audiences?
• What kind of delivery formats and mechanisms will be most attractive to the target audiences?  Would structured programmes leading to certificates or qualifications be attractive?
• What are these target audiences prepared to pay? For those targeted audiences who may not be able to pay the full cost of such services, what other revenue possibilities could be considered?
• What are likely growth scenarios and opportunities for taking the Academy to scale?What competition is there (will there likely be?)

It is expected that a range of methodologies will be employed to gather the answers to these questions, including background online research, interviews with training delivery initiatives and potential clients as well as small surveys, among others.

2. Business Model Work Stream

Guiding questions to be addressed through the second work stream include the following:

• What is the best business model and organisational structure for the Standards Systems Academy in order to enable scaled up delivery in 3-5 years? Alternatively, what are the 2-3 most attractive scenarios or models of how the Standards Systems Academy should be designed and delievered? What key performance Indicators (KPIs) should be used to assess the various models or options as well as gaging performance in the first few years of implementation?

• What lessons can be learned from other training initiatives in terms of how the Standards Systems Academy is structured and managed?
• Should the Academy be set up as a sepate legal entity from the outset? Should it operate as a special pilot project initially?
• What other potential partners (such as training delivery organisations, academic institutions or donors) might be interested in contributing to this?  how might this affect the governance and oversight of the Standards Systems Academy?
• Under what scenarios and assumptions could the Standards Systems Academy generate profit within 3-5 years?  What would be the likely core start up and maintenance costs over a five year period? What numbers of staffing and what expertise would be required over time based on growth projections?
• What countries should be considered for legal registration of the Academy, based on the following factors: high levels of operational security, competitive tax regimes, strong recruitment prospects and good working environment for staff, as well as ease of operating in other countries. 

3. Pilot Module Development Stream

The third work stream includes the development of 2 concrete modules that will present in written format information on the most popular topics on standards systems. The Project Steering committee will decide on which topics to focus on, based on initial market research.  The module development process will focus on providing the following:

• Appropriate content for the experience level(s) of the target audiences, including widely accepted good practices as well as a range of innovative practices form the field, where applicable;
• A range of concrete case studies, examples and stories, drawing on ISEAL member experiences and those of other initiatives; and
• A user-friendly template with information presented in different ways (tables, charts, photos, etc) where appropriate.

It is suggested that the two modules include one generic module on standards systems and one more advanced or specific module on a hot topic of significant interest to key targeted stakeholder groups, such as how to assess impacts of Standards Systems.  

The module development stream will be led by the ISEAL Secretariat supported by consultation and cooperation with ISEAL Members as well as funding partners of the study.  The successful contractor will be expected to contribute ideas and feedback.

4. Pilot Workshops Delivery Stream

The two training modules will be delivered through a series of 3 workshops targeting key audiences including businesses, NGOs and government representatives.  Workshops could be linked to existing international conferences and events where key target audiences will be attending, such as the CSR Asia Forum, or they could also be offered to specific target organisations for internal learning.

The delivery of the workshops allows an opportunity to experiment with different delivery approaches, including different combinations of presenters from ISEAL staff, ISEAL member representatives, GTZ representatives, issue specific experts and professional training delivery organisations. Online workshop delivery may also be considered.

It is anticipated that fees would be charged for participation in the workshops to assess willingness to pay but that these would be lower than commercial rates as participants would be expected to provide detailed feedback to assist in the pilot evaluation process. 

Together with the Module Development Stream, the Pilot Workshop Stream will help to refine the answers to the questions highlighted in stream 1 (especially with respect to priority audiences, recruitment, delivery formats and vehicles and appropriate fee levels) and provide an opportunity for proof of concept of the Standards Systems Academy.

Responsibilities

The selected contractor (or team of contractors) will be responsible for the delivery of the final report and PowerPoint presentation, encompassing the four streams of work of the project.   The contractor will be directly responsible for designing and implementing the first and the second streams of work.  The ISEAL Alliance will be responsible for the oversight and implementation of the Stream 3: the pilot module development, with support from GTZ and the contractor as well as with input and case studies from ISEAL members. 

In responding to the call for tenders, applicants may also note to what extent they have the necessary skill set and interest to design and oversee stream 4 of the project: the pilot workshop delivery stream.

A project steering committee comprised of ISEAL and GTZ representatives as well as the contractor(s), will meet periodically to guide project implementation, provide feedback and input to the work streams, make high level project decisions and discuss initial and final project results.  The contractor will be expected to contribute to steering committee discussions and decisions on the workshop target audiences, delivery formats and vehicles. The contractor will also be responsible for the evaluation of the pilot modules and the workshops and the incorporation of lessons learned into the final report. GTZ will supply expertise and human resources into the design of streams 2, 3 and 4.

Given the wide range of skill sets and experiences required of the contractor, the submission of joint tenders from two or more parties with complementary skill sets is encouraged.  

Time Frame

The contract is expected to be implemented over an eight month period, beginning in mid September and ending in May 2011.  The following is a rough timeline of activities to be revised once Lead Consultant is in place:

• 24 August – 15 September : Call for Tenders
• 16-21 September: Decision on Lead Consultant
• End Sept-Early October: kick off teleconference or in person meeting; initial market research under stream 1; development of list of potential pilot workshops (audiences, venues, focus);
• End October or early November:   Second teleconference or in person meeting;  Discuss initial market research results and make decision on pilot modules, pilot workshops and schedule
• November 2010 –January 2011: Module Design and Printing; workshop planning and evaluation framework in place 
• December 2011:  Project meeting in London or Eschborn; discuss final market research results, discuss progress on business models and organisational structure options; agree on key performance indicators for models/options;

• February 2011-April 2011: Pilot Workshop Delivery and Evaluation
• February 2011:  Project Meeting in London or Eschborn to review progress, discuss business models and organisational structure modules
• April 2011: Draft Feasibility Study Final Report circulated
• April 2011:  Project teleconference: Feedback on report and Discuss Next Steps.
• Mid May 2011:  Submission of Final Feasibility Study Report to ISEAL

To Apply

Interested candidates should submit the following to Philip [at] isealalliance [dot] org at the ISEAL Alliance by 15 September 2010:

• A summary of their experience and knowledge of conducting feasibility studies, training delivery mechanisms in an area of sustainable development/CSR and their knowledge of key users/stakeholders of standards systems;
• An outline of the proposed methodology in developing the feasibility study (for activities 1, 2 and if, appropriate 4);
• An outline or Table of Contents of the proposed feasibility study report;
• References from related work experience, and
• A proposed budget with time allocation (with a separate budget for oversight and delivery of stream 4, where appropriate).

Contractors should declare all potential conflicts of interest. The total budget should include incidentals such as telephone expenses, any taxes (including VAT) and travel costs to participate in two in-person steering committee meetings.

It is estimated that the costs to undertake the contract effectively will be between 30,000-40,000 Euros, depending on the experience and skills sets of the contractor(s) and the methodologies chosen, not including the pilot workshop planning and delivery activity stream (4).  It should be noted that ISEAL and GTZ will also be contributing to the project outcomes.

For those candidates interested in submitting a tender for the oversight and delivery of activity stream 4 (pilot workshop delivery), it is estimated that the contractor’s costs to carry out the three pilot workshops will be between 18-24,000 euros (including VAT) covering their lead role in workshop planning, preparation, recruitment, logistics and delivery including travel for presenters.

All information exchanged during the contract will be confidential, unless otherwise, indicated, and the contractor will be expected to sign a confidentiality agreement with ISEAL at the outset.

The deadline for tenders is close of business 15 September 2010.

Tenders can be submitted by email to Philip [at] isealalliance [dot] org. ISEAL reserves the right not to accept any tender submitted.

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StandardsSystemsAcademy_CFT.pdf	65.68 KB