HUMAN RIGHTS DUE DILIGENCE (HRDD)

Supply chain mapping is foundational to responsible and transparent business partnerships. We enable clients to attain full sourcing visibility via a process of identifying and documenting all parties involved in the procurement and production of goods and services, creating a global map of supply chains. This involves visualizing and plotting the flow of materials, goods, and manpower, along with risk rating indexes designed to develop targeted HRDD programs.

Mapping your supply chain with FWC provides a single data platform with an integrated analysis of factory management practices, factory worker conditions, supply chain risks, and brand exposure.

Compliance audits are conducted on-site and assess suppliers (factories) in the context of client codes of conduct, national laws, ILO guidelines, and human rights conventions. We examine and report on all significant aspects of a supplier’s operations:

  • Safety at Work
  • Hours of Work & Rest Periods
  • Compensation
  • Living Wage
  • Statutory Benefits
  • Freedom of Association
  • Employee Welfare
  • Human Rights Compliance

Employees are central to FWC compliance audits; we engage not only with agents, factory owners and management, but also extensively with production workers and their representatives.

Post audit, we guide and motivate suppliers through corrective action plans. Our approach is transparent and collaborative – solutions, not sanctions. We work closely with suppliers to ensure that they understand the specific nature of all issues identified and accompany them in setting realistic timeframes for effective remediation.

Identifying supply chain risks is the cornerstone of actionable remedial plans. The endgame, however, is to reach a place where suppliers embrace and attain compliance without constant oversight.

Capacity building empowers suppliers and their employees to take ownership of the process of positive change. FWC develops bespoke supplier training and employee engagement programs attuned to individual workplaces and cultures. Building capacity from the ground up fosters continuous improvement and sustainability in supply chain compliance.

FWC human rights assessments affirm compliant practices and identify adverse human rights impacts in supply chains. We will review your supply chain map to assess and prioritize actual and potential issues, then prepare an action plan to address these. Assessments include the following key features:

  • Planning & Scoping | We work closely with client procurement teams to establish baselines against which assessments are conducted. Planning and scoping determine topics that are most relevant, without excluding unanticipated issues. While much of this information is collected via desktop research, its usefulness in terms of preparedness for targeted fieldwork cannot be overstated.
  • Supply Chain Diagnosis | A full review of your supply chain in the context of internationally recognized human rights conventions and responsible sourcing principles.
  • Stakeholder Engagement | Meaningful engagement and consultation with relevant stakeholders (agents, suppliers, employees, etc.)
  • Targeted Fieldwork | An targeted examination of a reflective sample of supply chain distributors, factories, workers, and communities.
  • Vulnerable Groups | Identification of individuals, groups, and/or populations whose rights may be adversely impacted, paying special attention to those of heightened vulnerability and/or risk of marginalization.
  • Remedial Plan | Proposal of appropriate action to avoid, prevent, mitigate, or remedy actual and potential adverse human rights impacts.

  • Insight | A residential study that takes compliance beyond the confines of factory walls and into the communities where workers live. Examples include field studies of rural rosehip harvesting in southern Chile, hibiscus farming in Sudan, artisan textile co-ops in Peru, migrant worker welfare in Mauritius, and living wage studies in India.

    These field-based programs identify salient risks and social challenges with a view to mitigation and remediation via practical initiatives by which factories can positively impact the communities from which they draw their workforces.

  • Say | www.say-fwc.ie

    An employee wellness program combining online and in-person interviews for a balanced mix of candour and confidentiality. FWC interviewers engage with employees of all levels in the workplace to understand their views and experiences – real dialogue, real people, real feedback. Employees are also invited to share views anonymously via a confidential online platform. The combination of one-on-one listening and a safe place to share views provides an insightful and unfiltered window into workplaces around the world.