The document summarizes the progress of Team TRACE over 10 weeks in developing a solution to address forced labor in global supply chains. They initially thought brands just needed more data, but learned remediation is complex, brands lack resources and expertise. They then developed an idea for a platform connecting brands to NGOs for help, but received negative feedback. In weeks 7-10, they partnered with the Sustainable Apparel Coalition to create a platform for brands to pool resources and collaborate on remediating problematic factories, helping workers and saving brands money.

1. Team TRACE
US State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP)
A platform that allows brands to pool
resources together to identify and
remediate problematic factories down
their supply chains. By reducing the cost
of entry, businesses will be more willing
to identify and fix forced labor.
Brooke McEver | Eric Ehizokhale | Jose Torres | Christina Schiciano
Sponsors: Kyle Ballard | Anna Patrick. Mentor: Beth Van Schaack Tech Mentor: Kevin Ray
85 interviews
Assist the private sector in better
understanding their labor supply
chains such that they can push
policies of responsible business
down the chain.
Initial Challenge Final Contribution

2. Eric
Ehizokhale
Computer Science
Brooke
McEver
Design Graduate
Jose
Torres
Law School Fellow
Meet Our
Team!
Christina
Schiciano
Political Science

3. An estimated 21 million
people are victims of slavery
and forced labor throughout
the world
Risk is especially high in
the apparel and
fashion industry.

4. How is a jacket made?
Tier 1

5. Tier 1
Tier 2
How is a jacket made?

6. Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
How is a jacket made?

7. Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4
How is a jacket made?

8. Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4
Deeper tiers
have more
forced labor
How is a jacket made?

9. Week 1 Week 10
Data
Collection
Timeline of our progress: Weeks 1-3

10. What we
thought
Supply chain
managers in
brands just need
more data about
the forced labor in
their supply
chains.

11. What we
thought
Whom we
talked to
Supply chain
managers in
brands just need
more data about
the forced labor in
their supply
chains.
25 interviews with
NGOs, supply chain
managers, factory floor
supervisors

12. What we
thought
Whom
we
talked to
What we
learned
Supply chain
managers in
brands just need
more data about
the forced labor in
their supply
chains.
● People care…
● ...but more data is
not enough
● Most brands don’t
have resources
or expertise to
know how to track
the problem.
● Brands are not
monolithic entities
25 interviews with
NGOs, supply chain
managers, factory floor
supervisors

13. Beneficiaries
Mission AchievementMission Budget/Costs
Buy-In/Support
Deployment
Value PropositionKey Activities
Key Resources
Key Partners
-J/TIP
-Sustainable
Apparel
Coalition
Leadership
-SAC brands
willing to pilot
initial projects
-Remediation
NGOs/firms
(Verite, Impactt)
1. Supply Chain
Managers
1. Corporate
Social
Responsibility
Managers
1. Project
managers /
buyers
Savings that can
be shown from a
cost/benefit per
Money pooled that
SAC provides
NGOs with
Brands in SAC
pooling resources
for a specific task
(cleaning up
spinning mills in
Bangladesh) that
would be efficient
for all of them
Sustainable
Apparel
Coalition and its
members
J/TIP
-$25-50k to build/maintain
TRACE platform
-Researcher to calculate
benefits for each project
-Contracts between
brands/remediator/SAC for
projects
-Developing TRACE
platform
-Identifying NGOs
willing to remediate
(Verite/Impactt/others
-Use Higg Index to
identify problematic
factories)
Deployment metrics
Work with the SAC
Integrate our platform with the
SAC’s Higg Index and use that
to find a common issue to pilot
the first remediation project
Execute a project focused on
remediation of an issue.
Show end results and tackle
another project.
- Mid-sized firms find cost/effective ways to monitor
supply chain.NGOs can find “clients” and get
more funding.
- Cost savings and improved supply chain
monitoring
- Prototype testing: 100K
-Amount of money firms are willing to further invest in their supply
chains. Mission requires businesses to spend money, but we argue in
a different way that ends up being cheaper for them
-Launch: 75K
-Continuing operations: 90K

14. Week 1 Week 10
Data
Collection
Timeline of our progress: Weeks 4-7
NGOs

15. Led to our first product idea, where supply chain managers could search for a
geographical location and product, then find NGOs working in that space . . .
Supply Chain Manager NGO
I need help with I can help with

16. Led to our first product idea, where supply chain managers could search for a
geographical location and product, then find NGOs working in that space . . .
Supply Chain Manager NGO
I need help with I can help with

17. . . . except feedback was mostly negative . . .
7 Supply Chain Manager
Interviews, Weeks 5-6
“I don’t have
time in my day to
do this.”
“I don’t trust
random NGOs.”
“What if the
NGO names and
shames us?”
“Is there a
cheaper way?”

18. “Naming and shaming closes off the
private sector from using their resources
for good.”
Matt — The Mekong Club

19. Know the Chain Ranking of ICT Companies
(Information and Communications Technology)

21. Operating alone doesn’t work because…
1) There is a lack of resources.
2) Sticking your neck out makes you vulnerable.

22. Working together allows
firms to pool resources
and save money, since
many firms use the same
factories.
In week 7, we found a key
partner in the Sustainable
Apparel Coalition.

23. Week 1 Week 10
Data
Collection
Timeline of our progress: Weeks 7-10
NGOs
Shared
Remediation

24. “Give a Nobel Peace Prize to the first Fortune
500 company that names their ex-slaves and
shows how they remediated their situation.”
Rosey, ImpacttLimited

25. Collaboration on audits helps save companies money. Collaboration on
remediation helps workers escape forced labor.
Final Product — Platform to remediate shared factories

26. https://marvelapp.com/10f7ia1

27. Next Steps
1. 2. 3.
Remediation
Best Practices
Integration
w/Higg Index
Extension to
New Industries