On September 16, SAI introduced Social Fingerprint™ - a program of ratings, on and offline training and toolkits designed to help companies understand and measure their social impact now, and then learn how to improve it.

The program includes the Social Fingerprint™ Company Rating System, the Social Fingerprint™ Supply Chain Management Rating System, plus all of the components needed to help companies build capacity immediately. Companies can pick and choose from the Social Fingerprint™ program components to enhance their existing corporate code of conduct program, or they can use the program to evaluate their own social performance or that of their suppliers.

"Introducing Social Fingerprint™ is a great step forward for SAI, as it leverages our experience from the SA8000 labor standard," said Alice Tepper Marlin, SAI President. "Social Fingerprint™ takes the management systems concept and breaks it into component processes so that companies can take much more targeted steps towards improvement."

Based on years of experience, SAI has created the Social Fingerprint™ program to help companies implement management systems in a credible, pragmatic and cost-effective way. The ratings help companies go beyond looking at code violations, to evaluating the processes that are essential to a high-level of social performance.  This program's process-based approach is a practical way to drive improvement regardless of which corporate or industry code is being used. In order to make the program cost-effective, SAI has created an online hub - the Social Fingerprint™ Training Center - as a way to supplement classroom training.

Craig Moss, Director, Corporate Programs and Training at SAI added, "We found that a lot of people had a vague understanding of management systems. They were asking what to do in simple, practical terms. The Social Fingerprint™ program addressed this need in two ways: first, we broke management systems into separate processes that people can understand and work to improve; second, we made our training more accessible. Classroom seminars are a fantastic learning experience, but we see that companies need ongoing training and support to drive change. The only practical way to do this is to reinforce classroom training with e-learning."

The Social Fingerprint™ Training Center gives people easy and cost-effective online access to all of the components of the Social Fingerprint™ program. The first course, "Social Fingerprint™: Getting Started in Your Company", is already available and features a cornerstone of the program - The Social Fingerprint™ Company Rating System.  This rating system enables a company to assess its Social Fingerprint™, by examining its internal social performance in nine key processes. The course also allows companies to take a self-assessment online. Once the self-assessment is completed, the course calculates an average score across these 9 key categories and gives the company its "Social Fingerprint™" on a scale of 1 - 5. The course also contains 90 tips for immediate improvement.

The 9 categories being measured are:
"We know there is a great deal of talk about shifting from auditing to capacity building. So we set out to give people something credible, pragmatic and cost-effective," said Moss. "We wanted to change the dialogue between buyers and suppliers to move it away from the "cat and mouse" game. Our Social Fingerprint™ program allows companies to see where they are now. But more exciting, it defines a clear path to improvement and breaks the journey into small steps."

Companies can use the Social Fingerprint™ program in many different ways. It can be used to create a baseline rating as well as help identify specific areas for improvement. The training and tools can be used to improve performance in any of the 9 categories regardless of whether or not a company has gone through the full initial rating. The Social Fingerprint™ Training Center even allows SAI to provide sophisticated reporting on one company or groups of companies. It also lets them analyze their progress as they go.

"Improving processes will help a company improve performance to any credible labor code or standard. This extends the management systems concept even deeper into the world's supply chains," said Tepper Marlin. "It lets us make immediate and significant improvement to the worlds' working conditions even more quickly and effectively. This is an exciting day for all of us at SAI."

To learn more about Social Fingerprint™, visit www.sa-intl.org/socialfingerprint

The ITGLWF and SAI are pleased announce the launch of a six-month joint pilot project that aims to improve working conditions through social compliance to labor standards in the Bangladesh garment industry. The ITGLWF and SAI will collaborate with local industry and worker organizations to build both internal capacity in factories and external capacity in local stakeholder networks to monitor and improve fire safety systems. Parallel to this project, a series of multi-stakeholder meetings will be convened on strategies to address fire safety hazards in the Bangladeshi apparel industry.  

The vision for this project builds on the idea that sustainable factory improvements need to be based on a coherent and constructive framework of management systems and effective worker-manager communications. In order for this framework to be operational, workers and managers at Bangladeshi factories, as well as stakeholders, need practical training and tools for management systems and structured opportunities to collaborate on improvement strategies.  The project focus is technical in nature, seeking to address the most pressing concerns about the Bangladeshi apparel sector.

The project aims to synchronize this work as much as possible with other initiatives that are in Bangladesh, to leverage the broad efforts of all key stakeholders and to work with leading brands and their suppliers to drive improvements.

For more information, contact SAI Program Director Judy Gearhart, JGearhart@sa-intl.org

The sector has re-arranged itself following shifts in international markets and privatization of the sector. That privatization left unassigned some responsibilities once assumed by the state sugar agency. Now,  the colonos strive to organize and to negotiate better prices with the companies that market the end products. SAI is providing technical support to build each sector's capacity:

• Colonos- on labor standards and organizational capacity;
• Alcoholes Finos Dominicanos S.A.- on SA8000 to demonstrate Dominican sugarcane competitive internationally for its demonstrated high labor standards;
• Labor Ministry inspectors- on techniques to raise legal compliance.

Redefining the relationships among the government, the sugar companies and the colonos offers hope to thousands of workers and their families - on the plantations and throughout the country as the industry redefines its social responsibility as a platform for international competitiveness. SAI's approach is to develop a culture of compliance from the ground up: identify root causes of unacceptable labor conditions, engage key actors of the industry, facilitate social dialogue among them, and build their capacities to identify, implement and sustain improvements.

The sugar cane industry also faces increased international scrutiny. In response, some leaders are emerging with encouraging new approaches. For example, in the past 6 months, Alcoholes Finos Dominicanos S.A. has identified SA8000 as a tool for continuous improvement, and sees labor rights compliance as necessary for competitiveness. Meanwhile, the Labor Ministry, through the vision of Minister Dr. Max Puig, is increasing its role in enforcing labor laws and convening social dialogue.

SAI and CIAC are continuing to facilitate dialogue and to provide technical support to the three sectors so that they can lead an internationally competitive Dominican sugar industry based on improved labor relations and social conditions in the fields. Participation by the colonos, the Labor Ministry, Alcoholes Finos Dominicanos S.A. and Grupo Vicini - signals their increasingly shared commitment to improve social conditions and labor relations in the industry.

SAI capacity building is made possible through the U.S. Department of Labor financed Project Cultivar, the U.S. Agency for Development Program Environmental and Labor Excellence for CAFTA-DR, and the USDOL Comply and Win Project.

Click here to view photos from the event

For more information contact SAI Program Manager Matt Fischer-Daly, MDaly@sa-intl.org

As reported in the August 2010 newsletter, on July 22 SAAS and SAI co-led a multi-stakeholder workshop in Guangzhou, China. Building on the momentum from this workshop, a subsequent calibration meeting on July 23 addressed the challenges of social auditing and the SA8000 audit process.

The calibration meeting was coordinated by SAI and SAAS. Other participants were: BSCI; the Sino-German CSR Project;  and the China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC).  In addition,  there were 14 representatives from auditing firms including: SGS, Bureau Veritas, DNV, HKQAA, CISE, IQNET (CQC), Intertek, ALGI, TUV Rhineland, TUV Sud, and TUV AP. SAAS Executive Director Rochelle Zaid teamed up with SAI Program Director Judy Gearhart, and Program Managers Martin Ma and Jane Liu to lead the discussions.

SA8000 calibration meetings for both field auditors and program managers are important tools for improving the quality and consistency of auditing. These meetings provide opportunities to go beyond learning just techniques, enabling auditors to get a fuller understanding of the auditing process based on their experiences in the field. The agenda for this meeting focused on key challenges specific to social auditing in China:  working hours, wages, social insurance, auditing integrity, data tracking and data collection for upcoming impact analysis.

In the larger context of social auditing in China, by working with BSCI and CNTAC, SAI and SAAS were able to expand communications, and merge the broad efforts of these organizations to improve the understanding of auditing requirements of these standards. Looking ahead, SAI and SAAS  expect to convene additional workshops including the participation of key stakeholders, as well as more SA8000 calibration meetings, in order to collect information for an upcoming China-specific auditor guidance document. SAAS will continue to advance the aims of the calibration meeting by engaging  further with local NGOs and auditors and by continuing to partner with other initiatives.

Salah Husseini is Social Accountability Accreditation Services' (SAAS) new Project Manager. One of his main focuses will be on the joint project between Hekhsher Tzedek and SAI.  As reported in the July 2010 newsletter, this project focuses on the creation of a new ethical certification standard that supplements kosher certification.  Salah earned a BA from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and a JD from American University in Washington, DC.  He is licensed to practice law in New York State. 

When I was in law school I focused on human rights and international law, and worked as a student attorney in the International Human Rights Law Clinic.  During this time I developed a strong interest in human and civil rights promotion.  I see my current work on the Magen Tzedek project as a natural extension of these interests.

Currently we are working with experts in various fields including environmental, animal welfare, and corporate ethics to finalize the Standard and Guidance for the Magen Tzedek project.  These are the two controlling documents against which auditors can certify that facilities seeking the Magen Tzedek mark are conducting themselves in line with ethical, environmental, labor, and animal rights standards.  We will begin pilot/field testing the Standard this winter.

This is an exciting project because of the wider implications it can potentially have.  Approximately 40% of all processed foods in the United States are kosher certified, and in addition,  there is a growing halal market in the United States where the principles of Magen Tzedek might be applied.  Thus, the project has the potential to help bring ethical manufacturing standards implementation to a significant portion of processed foods industry and hopefully make a deep impact there. 

August 10-11- Global G.A.P. Consultation Workshop and Auditor Training SAI Advisory Board member Dorianne Beyer presented her Draft Interpretation for the U.S.A. of Global G.A.P.'s Risk-Assessment on Social Practice (GRASP) in Atlanta, Georgia.  The final Interpretation issued August 24 will be used by all Global G.A.P. auditors assessing those U.S. farms who voluntarily agree to honor GRASP's requirements.  

September 6-8- Social Responsibility and the Public-Private Investment for the Construction of Peace SAI Program Director Judy Gearhart spoke at this conference, hosted by GTZ in Valledupar, Colombia. The key objective of this conference was to strengthen the multi-stakeholder capacity of those involved in sustainable development.

September 11- Bangladesh Workers' Rights Advocates Released The top two officials of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity (BCWS) were released after being detained since August 12. SAI applauds the swift efforts of the ILRF, Human Rights Watch, and the US Congress for urging their immediate release. Click here to read SAI's joint letters to Bangladeshi officials

September 13- Solar Panels you can Install with a Clear Conscience SA8000 certified factory, Yingli, a Chinese solar-power panel manufacturer, is notably recognized in the Guardian for adopting a management system for protecting workers' rights, as required in  becoming certified.

September 14- ISO 26000 Guidance Standard Approved for Publication After five years of development, ISO26000 will give organizations guidance on implementing social responsibility. This standard is expected to be published on November 1, 2010. To see how ISO26000 compares with the SA8000 standard, click here

September 14-19- Right Livelihood Award 30th Anniversary Conference SAI President Alice Tepper Marlin, a 1990 RLA Laureate, participated in this conference in Bonn, Germany. She was amongst 80 RLA laureates who gathered to discuss the world's most urgent problems, to call for change, inspire, give hope and celebrate 30 years of the Right Livelihood Award. Click here to see photos from the event

September 16- New York University Law- Conference on Labor Dispute Resolution SAI Program Director Judy Gearhart presented at this roundtable discussion. Agenda items included recent developments in foreign businesses and CSR, Chinese perspectives, and other global efforts.

September 21- Raising Billions to Address Globalization with Networks SAI President Alice Tepper Marlin was included in this Networking Action blog entry that focused on the Global Action Networks' work to 'address globalization. This blog is produced by Steve Waddell, click here to subscribe

September 23- Introduction to Corporate Social Responsibility and Its Business Benefits SAI Corporate Programs & Training Director Craig Moss delivered this keynote speech at the Eco Petrol Annual Supplier Conference conference in Bogota, Colombia. Sponsored by EcoPetrol, participants included over 250 of Eco Petrol's suppliers from the manufacturing and service industries.