ISSUES IN FORMULATING and MONITORING INTEGRITY STANDARDS

CEPAA-Eileen Kohl Kaufman CONFERENCE BOARD: FEB 2000 WASHINGTON, DC

ISSUES INFORMULATING andMONITORING INTEGRITY STANDARDS


SA8000 EXPERIENCEINTERNATIONAL CONSENSUS ILO CONVENTIONSISO PROTOCOLS USED FOR ISO9000

AND ISO 14000FILLING A PERCEIVED NEED FOR

STANDARDIZATION OF REQUIREMENTS AND VERIFICATION PROCEDURES


TRANSPARENCYSYSTEMATIZATIONSTANDARDIZATIONREQUIREMENTS BASED ON ILO/OECDTECHNIQUE BASED ON ISO/GAAPDEVELOPMENT PROCESS--CONSENSUS,

CONSULTATION, TESTING


CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

AFFIRMATIVE VERIFICATIONRESPONSIBILITY AT OPERATING

LEVELLEVEL PLAYING FIELD


USERSCOMPANIES/BUSINESSEMPLOYEESCUSTOMERSNGOSTRADE UNIONSSHAREHOLDERSCOMMUNITY


IMPLEMENTATIONMONITORINGVERIFICATIONSURVEILLANCERELATION TO SOCIETAL NORMSRELATION TO INTERNATIONAL

CONVENTIONSRELATION TO NATIONAL LEGISLATION


WHO VERIFIES? WHAT?CONFORMANCE TO SPECIFIC STANDARDCONFORMANCE TO SPECIFIC MGT

PRACTICECONFORMANCE TO TRANSPARENCY

REQUIREMENTSEMPLOYEESNGOSTRADE UNIONS


VERIFICATION V MONITORINGEMPLOYEESNGOSTRADE UNIONSPROFESSIONAL

AUDITORSJOURNALISTS


formulating standardsScale of standard--scope organization sizetype of standard: management

standardgeographic scopespecificity


Verifying standardsAffordabletechniquepilot techniquesobjective evidenceworkable--field tests


Stakeholder consultation/contribution/involvement/Sectorsregionssizecivil societyNGOs trade unionsgovernment


processProblem identifiedindividual action:code developmentindividual action: code monitoringexternal verificationcollective/cooperative action: code

developmentcooperative action: code monitoringcooperative action: verificationlegitimization via multi stakeholder invol


Problem identified, definedactions to addresslearning from actionsdevelopment and implementation

and continuous improvement of more extensive/comprehensive actions


Workplace/labor rights codes of conductMany workplaces need improvement:

h&s, child labor, low wagesmany stakeholders interested in

improvementsingle organizations define minimum

(code of) conduct--set a floordemonstrated need for affirmative

evidence of code implementation


Workplace, cont. 1Larger number of groups involved, code

verifiers, code verifier evaluators, users of verification information

fragmentation of effort and information: multiplicity of codes, of verification systems/protocols

cooperative action: agreement on code and development with stakeholder involvement


Workplace, cont. 2Cooperative agreement on

standardized verification system--stakeholder involvement

multi-stakeholder participation in continuous improvement of workplaces and standard and monitoring system


Integrity standardsMany organizations identified needmany stakeholders interested in

improvementCOORDINATION of their effortsthey include: govts, MNCs, TUs, IMF,

WB, OECD, SMEs, NGOsindividual company and NGO codes of

conduct


Is, cont 1Development of reporting and

monitoring compliance with codes: forensic v. affirmative

stakeholder evaluation of effortsgroup action: integrity pacts in countrygroup action: int’l and nat’l rulesgroup action: dev of implementation

details for such rules


Is cont 2Group agreement on standardized

verification system--with stakeholder involvement

multi-stakeholder participation in continuous improvement of system


Sa8000 standard dedicated to operationalizing ILO and other international conventions

integrity standard dedicated to operationalizing the OECD convention


Why auditable?Feedback on implementation in

standardized, improvement facilitating way

certification provides external report on system implementation. Third party information, rather than dependent on interested parties

systematic corrective and preventive procedures, rather than forensic


Codes/conventionsWrite standard to define acceptable

evidence of compliance with conventiondefine certification procedures and

requirements to systematically provide evidence of compliance

continuously oversee and improve themdefine auditor qualification procedures

and continuously oversee and improve


Who should be coveredwhat level of detailattempt to specify proceduresattempt to specify output/results

ISSUES IN FORMULATING and MONITORING INTEGRITY STANDARDS

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