Update: Call for Participation in the Assurance Standing Committee (ASC) Subgroups

Update: The nomination period for all three subgroups is extended to 31 March 2022.

The Gap Analysis of the RSPO Assurance System has been concluded and was published in September 2021. The analysis applied a systematic approach to identify key weaknesses in the RSPO Assurance System as well as its root causes and put forward the necessary recommendations to address them. The resulting work plan was merged with the current RSPO Operational Plan and presented under two workstreams: Strengthen Assurance System and Monitor Compliance.

As part of the gap analysis work plan, three subgroups will be formed under the Assurance Standing Committee (ASC) to provide expert input for in-depth deliberation on the following:

• Governance Subgroup to focus on issues concerning the implementation of RSPO certification systems requirements. The outcomes from this subgroup shall be in the form of guidance and requirements that supplement the RSPO Standards.

• Standards Quality Subgroup to look into findings of non-conformities in audits for consideration in RSPO standards or requirements revisions. The outcomes from this subgroup will be used to give a better interpretation of the RSPO standards or requirements via the RSPO Interpretation Forum (RIF) and channelled to the Standards Development Division for continuous improvement.

• Public Domain Subgroup to explore elements of grievances and issues in the public domain. The outcomes from this subgroup will be part of RSPO’s lessons learned and key recommendations will be discussed further with the ASC.

With this, the RSPO Secretariat wishes to invite all interested stakeholders to participate in the formation of the Governance Subgroup (RSPO members), Standards Quality Subgroup (RSPO members) and Public Domain Subgroup (RSPO and non-RSPO members). Please note that the RSPO Secretariat will inform you of your seat confirmation after nomination closes.

You may express your interest by emailing [email protected] by 31 March 2022. For more information on the Gap Analysis of the RSPO Assurance System and the ASC Subgroups, please refer to the report and Terms of Reference (ToR) below.