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On p.3 Google states: "In 2020, we hired an independent party to oversee an enterprise-wide modern slavery risk assessment, which aims to review Google against modern slavery indicators to help us understand potential gaps and opportunities for improvement, or identify new potential modern slavery risks that have emerged in our business operations and supply chains. We intend to complete the modern slavery risk assessment in 2021 with a report of findings and remediation plans to our Supplier Responsibility Steering Team and the Compliance Steering Committee"
This research constitutes conducting desk research because the company is conducting research into its own supply chain using a third party. It does not specify that risk-based questionnaires are required of its suppliers, nor does it name any software that it uses for risk-management.
However, within the Risk Assessment section of its report, Google shares its 2020 Supplier Responsibility Report, which states (p.10): "Through mechanisms such as supplier self-assessments, risk assessments, and third-party on-site audits, we gauge how suppliers are performing relative to our standards, identify potential risks, and address concerns". On p.18 of the 2020 Supplier Responsibility Report it further states that: "We ask new suppliers to complete a detailed self-assessment. The company’s responses help us see how closely it adheres to our Supplier Code of Conduct." Although the word "questionnaire" is not specifically mentioned, nor is it specified that "questions" are asked within self-assessments, it can be reasonably inferred that the company is assessing the modern slavery risks within its supply chain by asking how it compares to current company policy on modern slavery among other relevant topics to supply chain risk. Therefore, Google has fulfilled the risk-based questionnaires requirement of this metric.
However, since the company does not disclose within its statement that it performs supplier self-assessments, the use of risk-based questionnaires have not been disclosed, so it is outside the scope of our research.
In 2020 Statement:
"As part of the due diligence process, higher-risk suppliers complete a self-assessment questionnaire about their working conditions and management systems. The due diligence process also includes supplier background checks, examination of labor-related red flags that appear in publicly available databases and media sources, and a review of higher-risk suppliers’ names against human trafficking watch lists."
- Questionnaires are included
"n 2020, Google supported the development of the GBCAT toolkit on Addressing Forced Labor and other Modern Slavery Risks. The toolkit aims to help businesses that work in corporate supply chains to quickly identify areas that carry the highest risk of modern slavery and develop a simple plan to prevent and address those risks"
- Toolkit in development and will be implemented in 2021
In 2020, we hired an independent party to oversee an enterprise-wide modern
slavery risk assessment, which aims to review Google against modern
slavery indicators to help us understand potential gaps and opportunities
for improvement, or identify new potential modern slavery risks that have
emerged in our business operations and supply chains. We intend to
complete the modern slavery risk assessment in 2021 with a report of
findings and remediation plans to our Supplier Responsibility Steering Team
and the Compliance Steering Committee. p. 3 (in development)
We conduct due diligence on direct suppliers that are identified as having
higher risk through the assessments described in the preceding section
(collectively, the “higher-risk suppliers”).
As part of the due diligence process, higher-risk suppliers complete a
self-assessment questionnaire about their working conditions and
management systems. The due diligence process also includes supplier
background checks, examination of labor-related red flags that appear in
publicly available databases and media sources, and a review of higher-risk
suppliers’ names against human trafficking watch lists.
If we discover red flags, we conduct extensive and documented follow-ups
to address these issues. In certain cases, we may decide to no longer
pursue a relationship or to terminate our current relationship with a supplier. p. 3 (risk-based questionnaire)