Terms of Reference

Consultant – Sustainable Rice Platform

1. Purpose
   1. The Sustainable Rice Platform e.V. (SRP) is a global multi‐stakeholder alliance of over 100 institutional members from public, private, research, civil society and the financial sector. The initiative was originally co‐convened by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and private sector partners. SRP works with its partners to transform the global rice sector by improving smallholder livelihoods, reducing the social, environmental and climate footprint of rice production, and by offering the global rice market an assured supply of sustainably produced rice.
   2. In January 2020, SRP was incorporated under German law as a member‐based not-for-profit international Association (eingetragener Verein, e.V.) in Bonn, Germany, with a subsidiary in Thailand to support the operations of the SRP Secretariat in Bangkok. The Secretariat’s finance team manages book-keeping and submission of monthly figures to SRP’s accountant in Germany, which is responsible for preparing and auditing annual accounts, tax compliance and communications with the German tax authorities.
   3. As a global multistakeholder platform, SRP offers proven practical tools and partnerships to address sustainability challenges facing rice smallholders. SRP is attracting increasing interest as a project partner among bilateral and multilateral agencies and development partners.
   4. In October 2023 the General Assembly approved an amendment to the Articles of Association to eliminate the statutory requirement for a treasurer to be a legal representative of the Association enabling the Board to appoint a qualified and experienced external professional to fulfil the tasks of a treasurer without requiring the individual to be affiliated to a member organization. This change empowers the Board to appoint a consultant taking over the treasurer`s task with the required specialist expertise.
2. Objectives and scope of work
   1. The Consultant will provide direction for the financial management of the organization and support the Board in meeting its fiduciary and financial oversight responsibilities, overseeing the finances of both the main legal entity (SRP e.V.) and its subsidiary (SRP Services (Thailand) plc).
   2. The scope of work for the Consultant covers the following:
      • Provide direction for oversight of the organization's record keeping and accounting policies.
      • Review and recommend actions to uphold financial policies and procedures
      • Oversight over Secretariat actions to ensure regulatory compliance in Germany and Thailand, with a focus on maintaining not-for-profit tax-exempt status.