About the data
Methodology
In this question you are being asked to identify whether the company publicly discloses their criteria for taking on new facilities before production commences to ensure the facility meets policies and standards. Start by looking for a description of if and how the company conducts supply chain audits or other forms of supplier assessment.
Where to look for this information:
- Corporate Social Responsibility report
- Company documents
- Company websites
- In Modern Slavery Statement or California Transparency Act disclosure
- Company code of conduct
- Parent company documents (only if the parent company is linked to from the brands website)
- Parent company policies (only if the parent company is linked to from the brands website)
- Parent company websites (only if the parent company is linked to from the brands website)
- Parent company code of conduct (only if the parent company is linked to from the brands website)
Good keywords for your searches include:
- Audit
- Factory visit/Assessment
- Supplier Compliance
- Social Compliance
- Assessment
- Monitoring
- Measurement or Performance Standards
- Off-site interview
Things to watch out for:
- There may be a requirement that the facility passes an audit before manufacturing commences or at a certain stage of commencing production/completing a first order.
- Good place to look for section 4 questions might be a company's Modern Slavery Statement or if they publish their Know The Chain response as well as their annual report.
- Facility-level assessment processes are typically audits
- Examples of criteria in place for new facilities to assure compliance with policies include self-assessments or audit requirements