2. Live Tweet We welcome your feedback, questions & comments! SAI on Twitter: @sa_intl Conference hashtag: #SFatISSP
3. Social Accountability International @sa_intl #SFatISSP Multi-stakeholder organization - established May 1997 Developed leading social compliance standard and certification system - SA8000® Multi-industry and global Leader in social compliance training for brands, suppliers and auditors Contracted by many governments and multi-national agencies to conduct CSR awareness and supplier training
4. @sa_intl #SFatISSP SAI Corporate Programs Work with brands and retailers to use management systems to drive continual improvement of social performance in their supply chains - applicable to various codes and standards Published “Implementing a Socially Responsible Supply Chain” Developed Handbook for World Bank/IFC on client use of management systems to meet PS2 Members include Carrefour, Disney, HP, Gap, Timberland, Anvil Knitwear, Rosy Blue, General Mills, Chiquita, Gucci, TNT, Otto Group, Billabong, etc.
5. Session Overview (Really Brief) Introduction to Social Performance Challenge: Prescription versus Judgment Setting the Stage: Social Performance in the Global Supply Chain Measure & Improve: Using a Process-based Approach (Really Quick) Tour of Social Fingerprint® Discussion @sa_intl #SFatISSP
6. aka Labor Standards Performance, Social Compliance, Labor Compliance @sa_intl #SFatISSP Introduction to Social Performance
8. Attitudes Skills Knowledge @sa_intl #SFatISSP Elements of Social Performance Improving social performance requires improvement by managers and workers in all three areas
11. @sa_intl #SFatISSP Socially Responsible Supply Chain Trends Increasing use of “Strategic Suppliers” Working with suppliers to build internal capacity More training, less auditing All industries struggling with how to manage sub-contractors Integrating social compliance into sourcing operations and performance measurements Shift from “the stick” to “the carrot”
21. @sa_intl #SFatISSP Social Fingerprint® Program Approach “Measure & Improve” Focuses on processes and management systems – not only code violations Builds on SA8000 management systems Analyzes system development and implementation Supports continual improvement along any standard, industry code or corporate code Shapes the path and creates small steps to improvement
25. Social Fingerprint® Levels @sa_intl #SFatISSP 1 = Little or no awareness, systems or interest 2 = Limited systems with sporadic implementation 3 = Systems in development with partial implementation 4 = Fully developed systems with improving implementation 5 = Mature systems, fully implemented inside and outside company
We polled 20 top auditors that had been selected as part of a national trainer development program in India – 23% said this was acceptable. 77% said no.
In a situation that is black or white, most trained auditors will come to the same conclusion. Is this discrimination or not – although even then you may be surprised. But we know that the world has shades of grey. Social auditing always deals with shades of gray and judgment. But as code systems try to create more structure and more calibration in their global programs, many look at a code situation and prescribe more choices for the auditor to select from.
So they may prescribe a third option that the auditor can select. The intent is good because not all situations are black and white. But now the calibration between auditors becomes more important. We may agree on black versus white. But I may now think it is gray, and you may still say it is black. No one is right. No one is wrong. Different perceptions resulting in different judgment.
But many programs now have many predetermined options. What if we add three shades of gray between black and white? More prescriptive. More definition, but the unintended consequence is that it actually requires more judgment to select the shade of gray and we are now less likely to agree. Behavioral studies on decision-making show that people’s ability to make rational choices decreases when the number of choices becomes too large. In an auditing program, we are not only dealing with the choice that one person makes – but trying to calibrate the choices that all the people make.
What if there are 8 shades of grey – or 8 prescribed choices – for the auditor to choose from? We have a system with a lot of nuance. A system that will give us great information on what is happening in the field – but a system that requires more and more calibration. A systems where it is less and less likely that you and I will agree if the situation is one shade or another. As a quick polling exercise - is the top right and lower left square the same shade of gray? Decision-making for the auditor and calibration between the auditors becomes an exercise in becoming more aware of the factors that influence the decision-making. The auditor is taking in lots of inputs (objective evidence), then weighing the merit and importance of the evidence, then ultimately making a judgment – is it white, is it black, or is it one of the shades of gray.
But many programs now have many predetermined options. What if we add three shades of gray between black and white? More prescriptive. More definition, but the unintended consequence is that it actually requires more judgment to select the shade of gray and we are now less likely to agree. Behavioral studies on decision-making show that people’s ability to make rational choices decreases when the number of choices becomes too large. In an auditing program, we are not only dealing with the choice that one person makes – but trying to calibrate the choices that all the people make.
