OVERVIEW

The timeline foreseen for the first three steps of the working plan is:

All Steps of the programme to be completed by the end of 2009

The work on Step 1 (reference code) was completed in June 2008 with the unanimous agreement of the Advisory Board and Executive Board on the GSCP reference code (to be publicly launched in September).

The work on Step 2 (audit systems & methodologies) is underway and entered in July 2008 its public consultation phase [add hyperlink to consultation webform].

The work on Step 6 (remediation) has also started through collaborative workshops organized at the occasion of GSCP bi-annual General Meetings.

STEP 1

DEVELOPMENT OF A REFERENCE CODE

The development of the GSCP reference tools aims at describing best practice and at providing a common interpretation of labour requirements and implementation to enable retailers and brand manufacturers around the world, in whatever industry, to work towards mutual recognition of audit results. It will help bring more clarity to suppliers, who will have one clear and consistent set of requirements to comply with.

• A reference code is the starting point on which to build a harmonised set of tools and processes
• The GSCP reference code aims at showing what best practice looks like while acknowledging that improving labour practices is incremental. Compliance with all of the GSCP reference codes’ provisions will require a continuous improvement approach, in partnership with suppliers.
  
  
• Development of the first Draft of the GSCP reference code
  To launch the first step of the Programme, the 5 companies that initiated GSCP (Carrefour, Metro, Migros, Tesco and Wal-Mart) drafted a reference code which was first made available in June 2007. This first draft was based on the provisions which, in the respective codes of these companies, afforded the greatest level of protection for workers. It was also based on the relevant labour international conventions and guidelines.
  The draft was then opened to consultation for review and improvement. 
  
  

• Consultation
  
  
  • Process
    The objective of the consultation was to gather feedback from a global audience of stakeholders in order to ensure that the draft references best practices and represents a consensus among stakeholders.
    The web-based consultation form was available on CIES website from June 2007 to beginning of November 2007. The consultation form invited consultees to comment on each of the draft provisions (including the introduction). Consultees were offered the possibility to provide alternative wording provided their suggestion was explained, based on best practices and did not lower the level of protection of workers in the supply chain.
    The consultation process was managed by an expert working group composed of three experts named by the Executive Board :
    • Lara Ladipo, Group Ethical Trading Manager, Tesco
    • Chris McCann, Ethical Sourcing Country Manager, Wal-Mart Global Procurement
    • Virginie Saudrais, Chargée de mission Social & Environment, Carrefour

  The Group ensured that key stakeholders (companies, NGOs, Trade Unions, IOs, etc.) were consulted and shared their comments on the draft reference code.

• Origin of contributions
  The Expert Working Group benefited from a broad array of comments on the draft reference code. Contributions were made by the industry, Trade Unions/ Representative Organizations, International Organizations (IOs), NGOs, SRIs and Consultancies.
  Comments were shared both through the web-based consultation form (35%) and through direct emails to the GSCP Secretariat (65%).

• Review
  • Process

    At the end of the consultation phase, the Group compiled and reviewed the comments received. It proceeded to their thorough analysis, with a view to build consensus on best practices and maintain the greater level of protection for workers. The Group then formulated recommendations on whether the draft reference code should be amended, how and why.
    All comments received, their analysis and final recommendations from the expert working group were gathered in a single report, communicated by the Group to the GSCP Advisory Board in December 2007.

  • Contribution of the Advisory Board
    As per the GSCP rules of procedure [add hyperlink], Advisory Board Members ensure, within their relevant field of competence, that opinions and perspectives of civil society stakeholders are integrated into the pursuit of the Programme’s objectives.
    The Advisory Board therefore reviewed the report of the Expert Working Group. They ensured that best practices were properly identified, pointed out potential gaps and gave guidance on how to fill them. Their recommendations, together with the report of the Expert Working Group, were then passed on to the Executive Board.
  • Contribution of the Executive Board and agreement on the GSCP reference code
    The Executive Board reviewed the report of the Expert Working Group and the subsequent recommendations made by the Advisory Board. Following the Executive Board internal review of all recommendations suggested for improvement, and a feedback session with the Advisory Board, an unanimous agreement was reached on the GSCP reference code in June 2008.

Summary Timeline:
Consultation Phase: June to November 2007
Review Phase: December 2007 to May 2008
Agreement on the GSCP reference code: June 2008

Communication on the GSCP reference code: September 2008

STEP 2

REFERENCE AUDIT SYSTEMS & METHODOLOGIES

The development of guidelines for reference audit tools aims to foster a common interpretation of the greatest level of auditing at production sites.

• It is expected to contribute to the definition of a clear and consistent message to auditors as well as to suppliers about reference requirements.
• It also aims at supporting the elimination of duplication.

Expert Working Group on Audit Systems and Methodology: The group formed in December 2007 by the Executive Board, is composed of seven experts drawn from the GSCP Task Force:

• Claire Barber, Ethical Trading Coordinator - Corporate Purchasing, & Hayley Gauntlett, Ethical Trading Coordinator Non-Food, Tesco  
• Hugo Byrnes, Director, Product Safety and Consumer Affairs, Ahold
• Brian Collins, Supplier Development Manager,& Simon Herbert, Supplier Assessment Manager, Hallmark
• Bruno Colombani, Social Ethics Manager, Casino
• Daniele Giomi, Ethical Sourcing Regional Manager Europe & Turkey, Wal-Mart
• Virginie Saudrais, Chargée de mission Environment & Social, Carrefour
• Alain Souppart, Head Manager, Technics & Quality Department, Auchan

The group is working on the development of Draft guidelines for audit reference tools, related to:

• audit indicators
• audit process and methodology
• facility profile self assessment
• risk evaluation
• alert notification
• audit

Consultation and review process
The expert working group will soon launch its public consultation phase on the above mentioned draft tools and guidelines As per the GSCP methodology, a review phase to analyse all comments received will follow and lead to the preparation of a report. This report will in turn be passed on to the Advisory Board, for recommendations. The Advisory Board recommendations will ultimately be passed on to the Executive Board for final agreement, in consultation with the Advisory Board.

Foreseen Timeline:
Development Phase: January 2008 to August 2008
Consultation Phase: August to November 2008
Review Phase: November to January 2008

STEP 3

AUDITOR COMPETENCE
The aim is to develop common guidelines for auditors, which will:

• increase consistency between auditors and audits
• allow common training of auditors to save time & reduce cost
• send a clearer and unified message to suppliers

Foreseen timeline:
Auditor Competence: August 2008 to March 2009

 

STEP 4

BUILDING COMPARABILITY AND TRANSPARANCY BETWEEN EXISTING VERIFICATION SYSTEMS
This fourth stage will look at whether companies can understand, share or even align each others’ best practices in their individual verification systems. This is an area where diversity can be accommodated without compromising other parts of the convergence project. It is key, however, to build greater understanding, transparency and trust, allowing these various bodies to work together.

 

STEP 5

DATA SHARING
The aim is to develop protocols for data and information sharing in order to reduce duplication, make the best use of the information sourced through steps 1, 2 & 3, improve transparency, gain better and wider market knowledge and to plan better and help put right the issues found in supply chains.

Again, this step will require a careful analysis of existing best practices.

 

STEP 6

REMEDIATION & CAPACITY BUILDING
Having built convergence where possible, and having promoted understanding and transfer of information, retailers and brand manufactures will then be better placed to work collaboratively on remediation of non-compliances and improvement of working conditions. Differences in remediation methods will in turn need to be discussed and understood.
GSCP's main goal through convergence is ultimately to facilitate the remediation of the root causes of non-compliance. The Programme offers a forum on remediation where companies can openly discuss generic and/or site-specific short- and long-term issues in remediation methods
GSCP has already started working on this step to increase the efficiency of the implementation of reference requirements on the ground.

• GSCP Fall 2007 General Meeting: The first opportunity for discussion occured at the GSCP General Meeting in October 2007 in Paris when 29 companies developed 9 potential collaborative actions around 6 key topics: Factory Management Practices, Buying Practices, Living wage, Working Hours, Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining and Child Labour.
• GSCP Spring 2008 General Meeting: More recently, in March 2008, most of the same companies plus interested newcomers (25 companies in total), met again to deepen discussion and focus on two among the 6 key topics listed above: Buying Practices and Working Hours.

Participating companies defined a set of recommendations for collaborative actions to be carried out by GSCP on these two issues.

The next meeting (GSCP Fall 2008) will take place in San Francisco on 24-25 September 2008.