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Upcoming Training Events
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SA8000�:2008 Standard Revisions Training Course
Ongoing- Web-based
SA8000� Basic
Auditor Training
August 29-Sept 2, Guangzhou, China Sept 12-16, New Delhi, India Sept 12-16, Emeryville, CA Sept 19-23, Sao Paulo, Brazil
SA8000� Advanced Auditor Training Aug 8-10, Sao Paulo, Brazil Aug 21-23, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Sept 14-16, Shenzhen, China Sept 18-20, Shenzhen, China
Professional Development Series
Sept 22-23, Portland, OR
Full training schedule _________________
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accepting applications for Fall 2011 interns
(New York, NY)
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Social Accountability International (SAI) is a non-profit, multi-stakeholder organization established to advance the human rights of workers by promoting decent work conditions, labor rights, and corporate social responsibility through voluntary standards and capacity building.
SAI is headquartered in the United States with field representation in Brazil, China, Costa Rica, India, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Philippines, Switzerland, and UAE.
For newsletter inquiries contact:SAI Communications Manager- Joleen Ong, jong@sa-intl.org |
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 Thinking Beyond the Surface: Enhanced SA8000� Course
Updated Basic SA8000� Auditor Training Course Emphasizes Real Life Supply Chain Challenges & Practical Techniques
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SA8000 Basic Auditor Training course participants gather at the conclusion of the course, which took place on July 4-8 in Hamburg, Germany
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In 1998, SAI rolled out its first auditor training course. It sought to train certification auditors and professionals from a wide range of backgrounds and interests. Over the years, the growth of the CSR sector has brought in a diverse group of participants who seek to learn more about becoming a social auditor, and address real labor issues faced in a company's supply chain. Initially most participants were experienced ISO auditors; now more individuals from all codes and standards have participated in this training program.
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Participants from SAI's SA8000 Basic Auditor Training course in Sao Paulo, Brazil on January 17-21
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In response to this evolution, SAI has continually updated its Basic SA8000� Auditor Training course. Now SAI introduces a holistic update/revision that incorporates over 13 years of feedback from auditors, certification bodies and companies, information from SAAS calibration meetings, and more advanced learning techniques. As one of SAI's flagship programs, the course provides the core competencies necessary for supply chain management and auditing with the SA8000� standard as a framework to assure social compliance.
"With the new Basic SA8000� Auditor Training course, the key thing we've done is provide participants with really practical skills that they can use in the field," said Craig Moss, Director of Corporate Programs and Training. "We've added more simulated audit experiences, and we really focus on the idea of auditor attitude skills and knowledge."
Natural biases on the part of the auditor, quite often not realized, are a continual challenge that auditors face. To address this, the course integrates a series of real-life examples to raise complex issues for discussion of the problem and possible remedies. For example, an auditor may feel that workers generally are not interested in joining trade unions, and that perception could well alter the techniques used to elicit information from workers.
"For social auditors, there are two main phases: the discovery phase, and the 'so what?' phase," explained Doug DeRuisseau, SAI's Director of Field Services and Lead Trainer. Mr. DeRuisseau developed the course 13 years ago and has regularly improved it.
"With the discovery phase, the goal is to identify those issues that do not conform to the letter and intent of the standard so that actions can be taken for remediation. This activity is accomplished through interviews with workers, managers and external stakeholders, a review of records and documents, and the use of sensory perceptions such as observing the work site and work process."
"During the 'so what?' phase, it will fall to the auditor to decide whether or not the corrective actions set forth by the company are adequate to meet the 3-fold test (identify the root cause, correct the documented non-conformance, and effectively implement preventive action) and when they will be completed. Thus, although auditors do not consult or recommend a course of action, they indirectly influence the company and the action taken by their very acceptance or rejection of the corrective action."
The Basic SA8000� Auditor Training course takes place in locations around the world. It is offered in various languages -- Spanish, Chinese, and Portuguese and others. It is the first step towards becoming an accredited SA8000� social auditor and a critical step in understanding the labor aspects of the supply chain. All BSCI auditors are required to take the training program; the course now includes a special module on auditing to the BSCI system. Participants also include corporate supply chain managers, government officials, trade unions and NGOs. SAI offers free places to local trade union and NGO staff members.
The new course was rolled out May 2-6, 2011 in Istanbul and July 18-22, 2011 in New York. Coming soon: an online SAI course to serve as part of the Advanced SA8000� Auditor Training course. It's a refresher to the concepts learned in the Basic course. View the training schedule to find a course near you.
For more information, contact SAI Training Manager, Kate Critchell at KCritchell@sa-intl.org .
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Support Structures for Dominican Sugarcane Producers
After Four Years of Project Cultivar, the ACC Consuelo Continues its Efforts as a Model for Independent Producers
 The Asociaci�n de Colonos del Ingenio Consuelo (ACC Consuelo), a producer's association of 263 independent sugarcane producers in the eastern region of the Dominican Republic, was founded on October 2, 1974 in the town of Consuelo. ACC Consuelo brings together sugarcane producers, traditionally called "colonos", and supports them in agricultural production. It assists producers in negotiations with local sugar mills on the contract price of harvesting and delivery of sugarcane, lending important inputs for production, e.g. tractors, and helps members gain access to credit and new markets.
Building these support structures has been advantageous for the independent producers, and an overall Project Cultivar success that continues after that project's conclusion. The colonos continue to meet because of the benefits they've experienced from being an organized professional group.
Sugarcane supplier Estanislao Sano, a member of the ACC Consuelo, personally recalls the advantages of being unified. During the 2011 harvest, his truck was carrying tons of freshly-cut sugarcane and just missed the cut-off for delivery to the local sugar mill for processing. All the work put into the planting, growing, and harvesting of the sugarcane appeared to be in vain after the mill's refusal, and the sugarcane quality depreciated in value with each passing minute. But Mr. Sano was fortunate: after placing a call to Alejandro Sabino, the current president of the ACC Consuelo, a buyer was found. "Thank goodness, [Sabino] was able to contact another company, and they bought my sugarcane," said Mr. Sano. "Thank goodness he was able to help me."
The ACC Consuelo is a model for independent producers: it leverages their strengths, and improves access to the technology and infrastructure for production, financing and access to credit. It is challenging for a small producer to take on these large costs alone, especially in the volatile agricultural sector. ACC Consuelo also helped to organize the widespread, dispersed group of sugarcane producers by centralizing communication and establishing a clear line to reach all of them.
The vibrancy and cooperation of this organization is a new path for ACC Consuelo. Prior to its involvement with Project Cultivar, the activities of the association had ground to a halt. When the international demand for sugar declined in the 1980-1990s, and the nationalized sugar mills began to close- sugarcane production and the work of the ACC Consuelo waned in response.
"It was difficult to reactivate the organization at first because the colonos did not have a culture of working together as one unit...it used to be every man for himself," said David Figueroa, Program Coordinator for the Center for Cultural Research and Support (CIAC) who plays a main role in providing training and technical assistance to ACC Consuelo producers. "They used to negotiate with the sugar mills individually which made it difficult to obtain a good price for their sugarcane. But now, working together, they are able to negotiate better prices."
Through Cultivar, SAI and local partner CIAC, supported ACC Consuelo to strengthen the organization to help its producers improve the historically precarious working conditions, and to become competitive in the ethical market place. Currently, production is on the rise due to factors such as higher import quotas from the United States and the European Union, plus demand for biofuels and other sugarcane processing outputs. The need for the ACC Consuelo has returned.
"CIAC worked to bring ACC Consuelo out of anonymity, so that it would be recognized by the sugarcane industry. Before Project Cultivar they weren't taken into consideration," said Mr. Figueroa. "Now, with more resources, members can earn more, pay their workers better, and provide safer, cleaner workplaces for themselves and their workers. They will continue to work together because they see the benefits."
For more information, please contact SAI Program Associate, Eliza Wright- EWright@sa-intl.org
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Improving Labor Standards Performance in the Middle East
SAI's Craig Moss Contributes Article to UN Global Compact Yearbook 2011 about Labor Rights and the Arab Spring  | |
(Photo: Reuters) Protesters wave Egyptian flags during a protest in Tahrir square, Cairo, in April 2011
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On July 5, the UN Global Compact published its 2011 Yearbook, focusing on exemplary entrepreneurial commitments to establish a blueprint for corporate sustainability.SAI Corporate Programs and Training Director, Craig Moss contributed the article "Improving Labor Standards Performance in the Middle East," detailing his experience in Egypt and the Middle East, and highlighting a specific case where a company's commitment improving its social performance saved an estimated $2 million in potential lost revenue. In April 2010, SAI was working with an Egyptian company based in Cairo, to help it build an internal social performance team, which would help improve internal communications through freely elected worker representatives. Nine months later, prior to one of the Arab Spring's national strikes in Cairo, the worker representatives spoke with management, citing palpable improvements, recognizing the management's efforts to establish and respect communication channels. "There are real positive benefits from involving workers in the operations of a company, and creating a dialogue," said Mr. Moss. "Businesses in the Middle East are starting to recognize that the pursuit of economic growth through employment creation and income generation should be balanced with protection of the basic rights of workers." For companies looking to get started, SAI's Social Fingerprint� Program offers companies a process-based approach to measure and improve system development and implementation. Out of the nine categories that Social Fingerprint� uses to evaluate a company's labor standards performance, the following three were identified as key fundamental building blocks in Egypt and the Middle East: 1) Management systems; 2) Internal social performance team; and 3) Worker involvement and communication. SAI's currently offers the course, "Social Fingerprint�: Building an Internal Social Performance Team " to help participants gain the tools and techniques to establish this important mechanism to improve the social performance within a company. Click here to watch a short demo video of the course.
Click here to read the article, excerpted from the UNGC 2011 Yearbook. For more information about the Yearbook, click here. For more information, contact Joleen Ong at jong@sa-intl.org.
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Measure & Improve: Management Systems in the Jewellery Supply Chain
SAI Helps Rosy Blue Factory in China Develop Management Systems to Meet the Responsible Jewellery Council Code
 As reported in the June 2011 issue of the newsletter, SAI's partnership with the Responsible Jewellery Council offers new opportunities for both organizations to promote social compliance throughout the jewelry supply chain. Rosy Blue, the world's largest diamond manufacturer and an SAI Corporate Program member, is working with one of its diamond and stone processing suppliers based in Linyi, China [Rosy Blue Linyi Factory] to help improve its management systems to support its efforts towards meeting the RJC Code of Conduct. SAI Lead Trainer Mike Lee, based in China, made a follow up visit to see progress based on the agreed improvement tasks defined during the first visit. "We are continuously looking for improvement opportunities that take into account the conditions, challenges and risks specific to their markets, and also define appropriate strategies and responses to these problems," said Iris Van der Veken, Manager of Corporate Affairs Global at Rosy Blue. "Rosy Blue supports self-regulatory standards and ensures that the company meets its own sustainability goals consistent with the values of our business...our partnership with SA8000 � in China and Thailand enhances this vision. The external verification by SAI helps us to understand our position and how we can continue to move forward." This effort is part of SAI's Social Fingerprint� Program, and demonstrative of its 'measure and improve' approach. Prior to the first visit, Linyi had completed the Social Fingerprint � Self-Assessment, and then Mr. Lee and SAI Lead Trainer Shirley To conducted a Social Fingerprint � independent evaluation of the supplier, which was used to help it measure any current gaps between its current labor practices and the RJC code, in order to help determine how to improve. They helped the factory form an Internal Social Performance Team, which included managers from multiple departments as well as worker representatives. In the follow-up visit, Mr. Lee focused on helping Linyi Factory to determine which corrective actions were fully implemented and to prioritize what to do prior to the upcoming RJC audit. Additional training was provided to the Team. "We believe the key to improving communications and implementation is improvement in the category of training and capacity building," affirmed Ms. Van der Veken. "Trained, committed people throughout the company are what turn the policies and procedures of a management system from paper to action. Also there we see the expertise of SAI as a tremendous added value to putting our company values into action." Linyi Factory is preparing to be audited against the RJC Code of Conduct. As a follow up, it is planning to seek SA8000 � certification. Interested in a custom training course for your suppliers? For more information, contact Kate Critchell, SAI Training Manager at KCritchell@sa-intl.org. Back to top
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GSCP & SAI Announce Partnership
To Harmonize Efforts & Build the Capacity of Global Supply Chains
 SAI and the Global Social Compliance Programme (GSCP) are pleased to announce they will partner to harmonize efforts, as SAI joins the GSCP's Partner Organisations Network to build capacity and implement best social and environmental practice in global supply chains. As SAI and the GSCP work in complementary fields, this partnership acknowledges the importance of collaborating on activities to avoid overlap and duplication of activities and resources.
On June 21, the GSCP opened an Equivalence Process that will allow buying companies, initiatives and other organizations to benchmark their systems, tools and processes against agreed best existing practice as described in the GSCP Reference tools. SAI is working to benchmark SA8000� through the GSCP Equivalence Process. This Equivalence Process was established as a response to the increasing amount of variation in social compliance and environmental compliance standards, audit process methodology as well as requirements for auditing competence. The Equivalence Process integrates all existing GSCP Reference tools, which provide the neutral reference in this benchmarking exercise, allowing for comparability between systems - this will help to foster convergence in approaches, accelerate remediation and create the level playing field necessary for collaboration on capacity building.
The GSCP is a non-profit, cross-sector business platform facilitated by the Consumer Goods Forum, whose mission is to work for the continuous improvement of labor and environmental conditions in global supply chains. The GSCP is based on the principles of collaboration and inclusiveness, and supports existing systems in their sustainability aims.
For more information about the GSCP's Equivalence Process, visit http://www.gscpnet.com/equivalence-process.html . For more information, contact Joleen Ong, Communications Manager at JOng@sa-intl.org.
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SAI India: Competitive Selection Process for Trainers
 In response to the "Call for Trainers," released on April 18, SAI and project partners, the Deutsche Gesellschaft f�r Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and BSCI, received a significant number of applications, creating a competitive selection process for India-based trainers. Applications were received from all over India, including New Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai and Tirupur.
The trainer selection is an important process in creating the network of trainers to support cost effective and scalable trainings in India, as a key goal of SAI's joint Development Partnership (PPP), "Scaling Up Indian Responsible Business Initiatives." Selected candidates will be offered the 'Training of Trainers' (ToTs) and qualification process, which has been planned under the PPP project.
"In India we say that sowing the right seed is very important for a good yield- the same adage holds true for the selection of trainers," said SAI India Project Manager, Rishi Singh. "Our selection process ensures we identify and engage with good talent in order to effectively initiate the trainer network in India through the PPP."
The selection of trainers will be complete by the first week of August and ToTs will be scheduled accordingly. We thank all those who took time to apply for the trainer opportunities with the Centre of Excellence and offer support to form the network in India.
To learn more about the India PPP project, visit www.sa-intl.org/indiappp. For more information, contact Rishi Singh, India Project Manager at RSingh@sa-intl.org .
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Highlights & Announcements
 The State of Sustainability Initiatives Review 2010 Released by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), the review provides information on the market performance, governance, criteria coverage and implementation practices of key initiatives, including SAI's SA8000� standard, Rainforest Alliance and the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation (FLO). View this report @bit.ly/nyTJsa  | |
Watch a demo of the course: "Social Fingerprint�: Building Your Internal Social Performance Team"
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New Social Fingerprint� Course Demo Watch a demo on SAI's latest Social Fingerprint� course: "Building Your Internal Social Performance Team" View the demo @bit.ly/lQO80m Local Empowerment through Rapid Results The Rapid Results Institute (RRI), who teamed up with SAI to develop its latest Social Fingerprint� course, published this article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review. View the article @bit.ly/o0hDaZ Indian Voluntary Guidelines on Business Responsibility in India Release by the Indian Ministry of Corporate Affairs, these guidelines aim to strengthen and enable the Indian corporate sector to evolve into a global leader in responsible business. View these guidelines @ bit.ly/r8Sf6S  | |
SAI staff and interns stand with documentary filmmaker, U. Roberto Romano, after screening his film, "The Dark Side of Chocolate."
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The Dark Side of Chocolate On July 22, SAI welcomed documentary filmmaker, U. Roberto Romano to SAI's office to screen this important film about child labor on cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast. MADE-BY Annual Report 2010 This interactive report focuses on how 'sustainability in the fashion industry is moving from responsive to strategic." View it @ bit.ly/oCtztL SAI's Social Fingerprint� Program- the Gap and Timberland Check out this short blog post on the Fair Trade Journal, which highlights SAI's partnerships with companies through our Social Fingerprint� program. Read this @ bit.ly/qP3Ys6
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