Board Action

The Board took the following action this week:

• 2010 Budget: Reviewed funding requests from EICC work groups. The Board will prioritize the requests to align with EICC goals and other important initiatives, and with anticipated 2010 revenues. More information about the 2010 budget will be provided at the EICC membership meeting on January 27.
• Membership: Reviewed the status of membership dues payments and commitment forms. Also reviewed the agenda for the Jan. 27 membership meeting.
• Health & Safety Presentation: Received a presentation from the Health & Safety Sub-team on a proposed H&S training program.

Membership Meeting Information

The next EICC membership meeting will be held Jan. 26-28 in Santa Clara, CA. To date, members from 25 companies have registered.  Work group leaders should contact Grant Feichtinger to schedule meeting times.

Hotel Information: The meeting will be held at the Biltmore Hotel & Suites (2151 Laurelwood Road, Santa Clara, CA 95054). Click here or call 1-800-255-9925 to reserve a room. Be sure to indicate that you will attend the EICC meeting to obtain the group rate of $109/night.

Register: Click here to register for the meeting. Please be sure to indicate if you will attend the membership dinner on the 27th.

Best Practices/Group Discussion: There will be a discussion of the following topics:

• Engaging the Audit Program: "Selling the Program to Upper Management"
• Implementing the Code of Conduct: "Addressing Challenges and Identifying Opportunities"
• Developing the Certification Program: "Engaging Suppliers on a Larger Scale"

All members should be prepared to contribute to the discussions. Please submit your comments in advance to explain challenges and achievements your company has experienced with EICC audits and the Code of Conduct. Please also submit concerns or other comments you want to be raised in the discussion about the certification program. Send all submissions by January 19th to Grant Feichtinger.

Educational Sessions: There will be two educational sessions on January 28.

• How to Conduct an Energy Assessment at an Industrial Facility
• Precarious Workers

Please register through the link above to attend one of the sessions.

Thank you to Apple, Cisco, and HP for sponsoring the membership meeting.  Thanks also to Flextronics for sponsoring the membership dinner. The draft agenda can be found here.

2010 Prospects List

EICC is expanding its list of prospective members and appreciates member input to identify contacts in the prospect companies. Please review the list posted here and contact Grant Feichtinger if you can identify a contact at any of the companies on the list, or to add companies.

Health & Safety Training Program: Send Examples from Your Company

The Health & Safety Training Task Force is working on a health and safety training program for suppliers. The work group will use materials from H&S programs at EICC member companies to create a best-in-class program. Please send samples from your company to contribute to the effort. Materials should be sent to Dave Richardson by January 22.

Annual Report: Member Requirements 

EICC is developing a 2009 Annual Report. Members are asked to contribute as follows:

• Member Survey: A survey of member practices was sent this week to primary contacts. Members are required to complete the survey and return it as soon as possible to BSR. The survey data will be reported in the Annual Report.
• Case Studies: The Annual Report will also include case studies. Help us develop case studies by providing the following information:
  • How your company uses the EICC audit checklist and other audit tools.
  • How you use the RA1 to identify suppliers for assessment.
  • How you use E-TASC to track your supply chain activities.
  • How you educate suppliers and staff about the EICC Code and tools.

Contact Betsy Fargo for information about the survey, or to provide case study information from your company.

Learning & Capability Building Work Group: Co-Leader Needed

The LCB Work Group seeks a co-leader. The group develops training materials and events for EICC members and their suppliers. The position requires a small commitment of time to develop meeting agendas and participate on weekly calls. No background in training is required. This is a great position for any company representative who is looking for a way to participate in EICC. Contact Jannie Bailey for more information.

Asia Program: Meeting Notes

EICC held the first in-person meetings of the Asia Program Steering Committee and two of the program's three implementation committees. The meetings were held on Jan. 6 in Singapore and Jan. 8 in Shenzhen. A summary of the discussions can be viewed here.

• Steering Committee: The Steering Committee was formed to guide efforts by the regional implementation committees and to help EICC recruit new members in the Asia region. Members of the committee identified several companies that will be contacted about membership. AMS will work with the Steering Committee to contact the companies. AMS will also develop customized communications to raise awareness of EICC and the benefits of membership.
• Outreach Committee: The Outreach Committee was formed to increase awareness of EICC and the Code of Conduct. The committee identified a single member to serve as a local contact for companies that may be interested in more information about EICC. The committee also identified specific objectives for 2010, including to establish benchmarks for measure CSR performance by country, identify key elements of the EICC brand to explain the benefits of membership to companies in the region, and develop promotional events to increase awareness of EICC.
• Certification Committee: The Certification Committee was formed to help implement the EICC certification program in Asia when it is launched. Committee members expressed strong support for the program as the best activity to guide expansion of EICC in the region and adoption of the Code of Conduct. The members discussed changes that might be considered to describe the program. This is in response to concerns by some companies about the validity of other certification programs. The committee will work with the EICC VAP work group to offer feedback on the program, including to respond this week to a survey that was developed by the VAP work group. The survey can be found here.

A meeting of the Capability Building Committee was postponed. Asia Program members will encourage other Asia-based personnel of EICC members to join one of the implementation committees. Contact Brad Cameron for more information.