Terms of Reference (ToR)
for
Developing Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) Guidelines (Playbook) and HREDD Risk Assessment Toolkit for the Ready-Made Garment (RMG) Sector
1. Background
The Ready-Made Garment (RMG) sector has been at the heart of Bangladesh’s economic and social transformation for decades. It has created millions of jobs, particularly for women, and positioned Bangladesh as one of the world’s leading apparel exporters. Yet, as global markets shift toward responsible business conduct and sustainability, the sector must evolve beyond basic compliance.
To maintain global competitiveness and meet the standards required for trade benefits such as GSP+, Bangladesh’s RMG industry needs to align more closely with international principles on human rights and environmental protection. Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) provide a structured approach for identifying, preventing, mitigating, and accounting for adverse impacts on people and the planet across business operations and supply chains.
This initiative aims to support the widespread adoption of HREDD principles within the RMG sector. It will help strengthen factory-level practices, build awareness among key stakeholders, and promote alignment between national laws and international frameworks such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), ILO Core Conventions, OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and global environmental standards.
The process will begin with a multi-stakeholder consultation involving BGMEA, DIFE, MoLE and relevant civil society organizations to refine the scope and objectives of the guidelines. ActionAid Bangladesh will engage a consultant or consultancy firm to lead the research and development of the guidelines and compliance toolkit. An Expert Working Group composed of representatives from government, industry, and civil society will guide and review progress throughout the process. The draft guidelines will be validated through a workshop before their final launch.
2. Objectives of the Assignment
The overall objective is to develop a practical, context-specific set of Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) Guidelines and a Compliance Toolkit for the RMG sector. The guidelines will serve as a roadmap for manufacturers, buyers, regulators, and civil society partners to embed responsible business conduct, improve worker well-being, and enhance environmental performance.
Specific objectives include:
- Review international frameworks and national policies related to labour, human rights, and environmental standards.
- Identify key gaps and opportunities in current compliance and enforcement practices within the RMG sector.
- Comprehensive Study & Review on the HREDD Landscape in Bangladesh’s RMG Sector including HREDD risk assessment toolkit
- Develop user-friendly HREDD risk assessment Toolkit that factories can apply to assess, monitor, and report their due diligence performance.
- Facilitate consultations and validation workshops with key stakeholders to ensure the guidelines are practical and widely supported.
- Facilitate Training of Trainers (ToT) for selected factory management under BGMEA to enhance understanding and implementation capacity.
3. Scope of Work
The consultant or firm will be responsible for:
- Conducting a comprehensive review of international conventions, national labour and environmental laws, and relevant corporate due diligence frameworks.
- Analyzing the current compliance and governance landscape in the RMG sector to identify gaps and areas for improvement.
- Developing HREDD Guidelines (playbook) and a risk assessment Toolkit, including checklists, assessment tools, and monitoring templates.
- Engaging with stakeholders through interviews, focus groups, and consultation meetings.
- Presenting draft outputs to the Expert Working Group for technical review and feedback.
- Piloting the risk assessment toolkit and guidelines with 2/3 factories.
- Finalizing the guidelines and toolkit based on stakeholder input.
- Facilitate Training of Trainers (ToT) for BGMEA-selected factory management to promote effective use of the toolkit. ToT will be organised by ActionAid Bangladesh and BGMEA.
4. Deliverables
- Inception report with methodology, detailed timeline, and proposed structure of the guidelines.
- Draft HREDD guidelines (Playbook) and risk assessment toolkit for the RMG sector.
- Reports of stakeholder consultations and validation workshops/webinar.
- Final version of the HREDD playbook and HREDD risk assessment Toolkit incorporating all feedback.
- Training module and delivery report for the ToT session with BGMEA-selected factory representatives.
5. Duration and Reporting
The assignment will be completed within 03 months (90 days) from the date of contract signing. The consultant or consultancy firm will work in close coordination with ActionAid Bangladesh and BGMEA throughout the assignment period, and will also engage with relevant government and industry stakeholders as required to ensure effective implementation and delivery of the work.
6. Required Qualifications
- Long professional experience in human rights due diligence, sustainability, or responsible business conduct within the RMG or manufacturing sector.
- Proven understanding of international frameworks such as the UNGPs, OECD Guidelines, and ILO Core Conventions.
- Experience aligning national labour and environmental laws with global trade and compliance frameworks including GSP+ and the EU Due Diligence Directive.
- Strong background in developing HREDD guidelines, compliance toolkits, or monitoring and reporting systems.
- Demonstrated ability to assess and map supply chain risks related to labour rights, gender equality, and environmental sustainability.
- Familiarity with the institutional roles of BGMEA, DIFE, MoLE, and BIDA in policy and compliance mechanisms.
7. Ethical Considerations
All work must be guided by the principles of integrity, transparency, and inclusiveness. The consultant or firm must ensure confidentiality, informed consent, and respect for all participants throughout the research and consultation process.
8. Budget
Total BDT 15,00,000 including VAT and TAX ( Fifteen Lac BDT including VAT and TAX)
9. Payment Schedule
The payment will be made according to the following time frame/arrangement:
| Installments |
Amount |
Timelines |
| 1st installment |
30% of the total amount |
After submitting the inception report |
| 2nd installment |
40% of the total amount |
After submitting the draft HREDD guidelines (Playbook) and HREDD risk assessment toolkit |
| Final installment |
30% of the total amount |
After submitting the final HREDD guidelines (Playbook) and HREDD risk assessment toolkit, and other agreed deliverables |
The payments will be made via bank transfer or A/C payee cheques in the name of the Firm/Consultant. ActionAid Bangladesh will deduct income tax and VAT at source as per the rules of GoB and it will be deposited to the treasury of GoB.
10. Expiry of Agreement and Negotiable Flexibility
Considering the initiative as proactive and responsive, activities can be amended and elaborated based on the properly documented negotiation between the two parties. The agreement will be invalidated after the expiry of the duration unless a further extension is made by ActionAid Bangladesh. ActionAid Bangladesh also reserves the right to amend or change or cancel the agreement at any time.11. Ethical Standards
- Apply feminist, rights-based, and inclusive approaches.
- Ensure confidentiality and informed participation.
- Adhere to ActionAid Bangladesh and BGMEA safeguarding and ethical standards.
- Ownership of all outputs, e.g., reports, documents, information, findings, etc., produced by this assignment will be treated as ActionAid Bangladesh and BGMEA property. They can use the findings and recommendations for necessary interventions and policy advocacy.
12. Application Process
Interested consultants/firms should submit:
- CV/portfolio
- Relevant work samples
- Technical and financial proposal
13.
Evaluation Criteria
- Understanding of the task (20%)
- Methodology (20%)
- Execution Plan (20%)
- Past relevant work experience (20%)
- Budget and team profile (20%)
Submission of proposal: ActionAid Bangladesh invites proposal from management consulting firm/ agency/ organization/ individual consultant.
Deadline for Proposal Submission: 23 June 2026
Please click below the link to submit your proposals
Link: https://jobs.actionaidbd.org/consultancy
Disclaimer: ActionAid Bangladesh reserves the right to accept or reject any or all applications without assigning any reason thereof |
