Community Benefit SA

Community Benefit SA provide one-off project funding to assist incorporated, non-government non profit charitable and social welfare organisations to:

• Improve the well-being, quality of life, community participation and life management skills of disadvantaged individuals and communities
• Develop and strengthen communities across the metropolitan, rural and remote regions of South Australia.

The need for expansion

Because of its focus upon working conditions SA8000 tends to concentrate upon businesses, industrial and manufacturing environments.
While this is undoubtedly the greatest area in need of improvement for western supply chains, it would do the standard no harm to widen its appeal to include other bodies such as government bodies and NGOs.Government bodies in particular are a large driver of a significant proportion of commercial activities in most countries. If they were to start to adopt SA8000 it would go a long way to improving labour standards across the world without the need for regulation

Social Accountability Philosophy

Our social accountability program is rooted in our high standards. We expect our suppliers to share these standards and our commitment to continuous improvement. We hold them accountable for creating programs that will identify and correct unacceptable conditions. We also look for actions to ensure sustained compliance and ongoing improvement over the long term. We believe that programs developed by suppliers themselves, based on an understanding of the issues and a commitment to basic principles, are the most sustainable.

Our most significant adverse environmental impacts are:

• Consumption of natural resources in the development, production, marketing and distribution of our publications and in our general office operations
• Emissions to the atmosphere from the use of carbon based energy in the production, marketing, sales and distribution of our publications and our general office operations
• The environmental performance of our suppliers
• Production of waste materials
  

SA8000 as a Guideline

In its operations aims management consultants uses as a guideline the SA8000 standard of Social Accountability International, the main aspects of which relate to preventing the use of child and forced labor, working hours and remuneration, occupational health and safety, freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining. The standard is based on the conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO), and on the United Nations’ Declaration of Human Rights, and the convention on the rights of the child, among others.

Course Content

• Overview of SA 8000 development and the implementation process
• Identification of significant social accountability issues pertaining to the organisation’s activities, products, human resource and services
• Identification of areas for improvement in social accountability performance that can be linked to financial benefits
• Ascertaining the status of compliance with applicable legal and other requests
• Interpretation of SA 8000 clauses
• Setting an SA policy
• Preparing for certification
  
  

This approach had several flaws:-

• Internal code of conducts is expensive proposition.
• Many a times, they are inefficient, since laws and customs vary widely.
• Codes were perceived as a proprietary form of managerial jurisprudence, applicable only to a section of employees. When transgression takes places, corrective actions are largely not transparent.
• Supply chains, catering to different customers, having to undergo multiple audits to different set of requirements. Sometimes individual auditors interpret these requirements differently, without being sensitive to the cultural practices. A point in case is the insistence of an auditor, while carrying out a code of conduct audit at Nepal on behalf of a German client, wanted all toilets to be provided with toilet papers, arguing about unhygienic practices!
  

Achievements & Improvements

• Safe and healthy working environment.
• Employees are free to share their views and suggestions, if any.
• First Aid facility along with trainer personnel.
• All safety equipments [PPEs] are provided and people are trained to ensure safety while working.
• Improved workers’/ labors conditions.
• Human friendly environment
• Workers are more sincere and dedicated towards work.
• Increased employee morale.
• Good understanding between workers and management.

The main motivations for an organisation to adopt the SA 8000 standard lead to the following:

• Preservation of the company’s credibility and reputation;
• Increase of the confidence of consumers and social organisations;
• Improvement of the relations with institutions;
• Control of the suppliers’ ethics and social fairness;
• Improvement of the work atmosphere.

A short statement about our work

Corporate Conscience Awards(CCA): Since their inception in 1987, CEP's Corporate Conscience Awards have come to epitomize prestigious recognition for corporate leadership in the creation of programs and policies that benefit all of a corporation's stakeholders. As more companies see social accountability as a business asset, they consider it an honor to be nominated for what the Washington Post has called "the business equivalent of an Oscar." The awards, open to companies worldwide, fall into two categories: Corporate Conscience Awards, which reward innovative ideas and leadership, long-term commitment, and documented results; and CEP Pioneer Awards, which encourage initiatives with high potential for social good, but that are too new to have a track record.

SA 8000 includes

The SA8000 standard and verification system is a credible, comprehensive and efficient tool for assuring humane workplaces because it includes:

• A standard that covers all widely accepted international labor rights.
• Factory-level management system requirement for ongoing compliance and improvement.
• Independent, expert verification of compliance: Certification of facilities by auditing bodies accredited by SAI. SAI accreditation ensures that auditors have the procedures and resources needed to conduct thorough and objective audits. There are currently nine organizations accredited to do SA8000 certification.
• Involvement by all stakeholders: Participation by all key sectors, including workers and trade unions, companies, socially responsible investors, nongovernmental organizations and government, in the SA8000 system. Such participation is required with the Advisory Board, drafting and revision of the standard and auditing system, conferences, training, and the complaints system.
• Harnessing consumer and investor concern: The SA8000 Certification and Corporate Involvement Program help consumers and investors to identify and support companies that are committed to assuring human rights in the workplace SA8000 Standard Elements.

Evaluating the Impact of SA 8000 Certification

The Social Accountability 8000 Standard (SA 8000), along with other types of certification standards and corporate codes of conduct, represents a new form of voluntary "private-governance" of working conditions in the private sector, initiated and implemented by companies, labor unions, and nongovernmental activist groups cooperating together. There is an ongoing debate about whether this type of governance represents real and substantial progress or mere symbolism. This paper reviews prior evaluations of private codes of conduct governing workplace conditions, including Ethical Trading Initiative's Base Code, Nike's Code of Conduct, and Fair Trade certification. The authors then discuss several best practices that should be employed in future evaluations of such codes of conduct. Key concepts include:

• An ongoing debate is raging about whether such codes represent substantive efforts to improve working conditions or are merely symbolic efforts that allow organizations to score marketing points and counteract stakeholder pressure by merely filing some paperwork.
• Evaluations designed with the features described in this paper will help introduce systematic evidence to these important debates. This could help identify which particular codes are best able to distinguish organizations possessing superior working conditions.
• Such evaluations may shed light on which elements of the codes are most effective, which types of monitoring systems represent best practices, and which areas are most in need of improvement.
  

SA8000:2001

The most respected standard in the field of Social Accountability is Social Accountability International’s SA8000:2001 standard. This standard was developed in 1997 and is the widest recognised standard globally. Aims Management Consultants is accredited by SAI to deliver assessments to SA8000 and, as the leading global management systems provider, is in a unique position to assess organisations from a wide range of sectors and countries.

Approach had several flaws

• Internal code of conducts is expensive proposition.
• Many a times, they are inefficient, since laws and customs vary widely.
• Codes were perceived as a proprietary form of managerial jurisprudence, applicable only to a section of employees. When transgression takes places, corrective actions are largely not transparent.
• Supply chains, catering to different customers, having to undergo multiple audits to different set of requirements. Sometimes individual auditors interpret these requirements differently, without being sensitive to the cultural practices. A point in case is the insistence of an auditor, while carrying out a code of conduct audit at Nepal on behalf of a German client, wanted all toilets to be provided with toilet papers, arguing about unhygienic practices!

Proving your commitment to just & equitable working conditions

Is an international standard on social accountability management system that encourages organizations to develop, maintain and apply socially acceptable workplace practices. The Standard is developed by Social Accountability International (SAI), an affiliate of the Council on Economic Priorities, is viewed as the most globally applicable workplace standard.
Is an international standard on social accountability management system that encourages organizations to develop, maintain and apply socially acceptable workplace practices. The Standard is developed by Social Accountability International (SAI), an affiliate of the Council on Economic Priorities, is viewed as the most globally applicable workplace standard.
Certification to SA 8000 lets customers know they can trust that you have implemented the necessary internal processes to ensure basic human rights for your employees.

Social accountability 8000

Social Accountability 8000 (SA8000) has been developed by Social Accountability International (SAI), known until recently as the Council on Economic Priorities Accreditation Agency.

SA8000 is promoted as a voluntary, universal standard for companies interested in auditing and certifying labour practices in their facilities and those of their suppliers and vendors. It is designed for independent third party certification.

SA8000 is based on the principles of international human rights norms as described in International Labour Organisation conventions, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

It measures the performance of companies in eight key areas: child labour, forced labour, health and safety, free association and collective bargaining, discrimination, disciplinary practices, working hours and compensation. SA8000 also provides for a social accountability management system to demonstrate ongoing conformance with the standard.

The Role of Interested Parties

Interested parties, such as NGOs and unions, have played a major role in SA8000 -- from the development of the Standard to the preparation of audits. They will be consulted by auditors before the audit takes place and will continue to have major responsibilities after certification and accreditation occur. Individual workers and non-governmental organizations have a significant role/say in the process--the right to appeal. Through an appeal to the certification body, a local organization can challenge the decision to certify a supplier (i.e., seek revocation of the certification) if they have evidence to support major violations. Indeed, if a local factory receives certification but you (or another interested party) were to have evidence that the factory was in violation of SA8000, a community-based organisation could appeal. As a result, firms will need to consider public recommendations very seriously. For its part, CEPAA will convene meetings of NGOs and encourage certification firms to offer comprehensive training in SA8000 auditing techniques for NGO staff. Likewise, any interested NGO can appeal to CEPAA to revoke the accreditation of a certification firm on the basis, for example, of evidence demonstrating a pattern of improper or incomplete audits or any other violation of the accreditation standard.

Feature Benefits of General Membership:

• Association assistance with your business needs through Membership Networking
• Savings to your “bottom Line” with our Supplier Discounts of up to 50% off the list price.
• With our Manufacturer Discounts you will save on new equipment and on replacement parts of up to 20%.
• Continue your education for free with our, free admission to the Sweeping Seminars at the NPE and NPE West Shows. Discounts offered on other seminars at the show.
• Get the most updated industry information in our Quarterly Newsletter
• We will provide you with a source to assist with your health insurance and other benefits through our Health & Benefits Solutions Program
• If you are new to the sweeping industry we offer a Mentoring Program to help you with the challenges of starting a business.

QUALITY AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY POLITICS

Apuania Corsi’s direction strategic decision to adopt a social responsibility quality system has been dictated by the conviction that the satisfaction of its own employees and its own clients is the fundamental element to consider for guaranteeing the good business course in terms of efficiency, effectiveness of the trials and ethicality of behaviours.

• Absolute prohibition of childish job and forced job
• Total respect of the laws on the safety of the job, hygiene and accidents prevention system
• Association’s right support and own workers collective bargaining
• Employees liberty and dignity respect, prohibition of any coercion, verbal offenses and not, what they are set as injurious of the personal dignity of the workers
• Abstention from any practice that you involve the exercise of tied up discriminations to the race, to the sex, to the religious opinions and politics, to the social class and the age.
• Guarantee of a dignified salary and respect of correct job schedule defined by the legislative and contractual dispositions
• Undertake to conform you to all the current national and other laws and to respect of international tools listed by the norm SA8000.
• undertake continuous improvement with the purpose to protect and to respect your workers.

AIMS MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS METHODOLOGY FOR SYSTEMS CERTIFICATION

Consultancy assignments are taken up by the company for improvements in the Quality, Environment and Safety performance of the organization, apart from achievement of certification. Following approach is followed in all the consultancy assignments.
In order to find out the current status of implementation of systems in the organization, a Gap Analysis is carried out to find out the weak areas on which more efforts can be made for improvements and smooth implementation.
Awareness programmes are organized for Senior and Middle Management level personnel on the requirements of Quality, Environment / Safety, as appropriate.
The organization's personnel are assisted in the preparation of various documentation required for meeting the requirements of relevant International Standards.

Social Accountability International (SAI) SA8000

In 1997, Social Accountability International (SAI) was established and convened an expert, international, multi-stakeholder, Advisory Board to partner in developing standards and systems to address workers’ rights. Representatives of trade unions, human rights organizations, academia, retailers, manufacturers, contractors, as well as consulting, accounting, and certification firms, by consensus, cooperated to develop the Social Accountability 8000 (SA8000) Standard. Published in late 1997 and revised in 2001, the SA8000 Standard and verification system is a credible, comprehensive and efficient tool for assuring humane workplaces. The SA8000 system includes:

• Factory-level management system requirements
• Independent, expert verification of compliance
• Involvement by stakeholders
• Public reporting
• Harnessing consumer and investor concern
• Research and publication

SA 8000 KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Be senior management led.
• Be focused on continuous improvement.
• Be focused on prevention rather than reaction.
• Be supportive of workers’ rights and workers participation.
• Be compliant with local laws/codes.
• Be proactive in promoting ethical sourcing.
  

Systems & ITES Related

Aims Management Consultants, over the years, has earned a name in the field of training. Within the training division of aims managment consultants, regular trainings is being given on Six Sigma, Lean, TQM, Quality Improvement Techniques etc. Also, there is a dedicated team of Lean Auditors / Lead Tutors who are regularly conducting Lead Auditors courses on ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001:1999. Apart from open house and in-house Lead Auditor Courses, QGS conducts awareness programmes / Internal Auditors programme on ISO 9001 / ISO 14001 / OHSAS 18001 / SA 8000 / HACCP / BS 7799 (ISO 27001:2005) / BS 15000

• NRBPT approved Lead Auditor Courses for 9001:2000 aims management consultants has already organized more than 300 lead auditor training programs in India and abroad.
• NRBPT approved Advanced Environmental Management Systems Auditing course for14001 aims management consultants has already organized more than 100 programs.
• OHSAS 18001 – Occupational Health & Safety – Advanced Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems Auditing Course.
• ISO 9001:2000 internal quality Audits – ISO 19011
• ISO/TS 16949 Auditing in accordance with QSA
  
  

Flexible work arrangement

Savantage understands that employees have diverse and active lifestyles; therefore, we encourage flexible work arrangements, allowing employees to maintain a healthy balance between their professional and personal lives. Flexible work arrangements can include modified work hours, reduced or compressed work weeks, and work from home hours. Flexible work arrangements are designed to allow the employee the flexibility they need, yet still meet the full needs of our clients.

Certification in accordance with the requirements of SA 8000

Many enterprises introduce their Quality Management Systems as per the requirements of the ISO 9001:2000 standard. Meanwhile it becomes necessary to introduce the Environmental Management System as per the requirements of the ISO 14001:1996 standards and the Occupational Safety Management System as per the requirements of the OHSAS 18001:1999 standards, as part of the customers’ requirements. Many company managers have already started with the introduction of these systems but only a few of them are prepared to meet the new requirements for social responsibility of enterprises, as stipulated in SA 8000:1997.
Leading companies in the world have for many years believed that reliable partners may only be those companies that act ethically in relation to society as a whole and in particular in relation to their collaborators, and when they treat them with respect and provide them with the necessary working conditions.
Standard SA 8000 “Social responsibility” was developed in order for enterprises to be able to reaffirm their social responsibilities in performing their businesses.

Why a workplace Standard?

• Needed to standardize codes of conduct; inconsistencies resulted from lack of grounding in international human rights norms.
• Competing codes of conduct created supplier confusion.
• Needed a standardize verification system to ensure ongoing compliance (i.e. companies) taken a task for having a code, but not upholding it)
• Without certification as a goal, corrective actions were often delayed or not taken.

Benefits to Members

Becoming environmentally responsible and adopting sustainable values has clear benefits for your business, including

• Financial savings: you spend less on electricity and water
• Increased revenue: raising environmental awareness amongst consumers leads to more bookings
• Competitive edge: improving your marketing profile gives you the edge

General Consulting about SA 8000

Throughout the implementation and social accountability system process, you may need to ask questions and receive clarification on important issues. Aims Management Consultants can provide General consultation support to you and your organization

Course Objective

On successful completion of the course, students will be able:

• to understand the ‘drivers’ behind corporate social responsibility
• to understand the development of Codes of Conduct and SA 8000, and the principles of the labour standards adopted
• To identify the role of stakeholders in social accountability auditing
• To be competent in key skills required to carry out monitoring and verification of Codes of Conduct and auditing to SA 8000 requirements

Aims management consultants offers certifications according to SA8000

The International Certification Network IQNet recently received the accreditation for Social Accountability 8000 (SA8000). In its role as partner organization and founding member, aims management consultants is therefore authorized to offer certification services for this increasingly important standard to its customers.
SA8000 is based on the principles of international workplace norms contained within the ILO (International Labour Organisation) conventions, UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The fundamental focus of SA8000 is to improve working conditions around the world. This intent has pioneered the way forward for organisations to improve and demonstrate their corporate social responsibility (CSR) with regards to basic human rights in the workplace.

Aims Management Consultants Programs to Advance Social Accountability

Aims Management Consultants links companies, individuals and governments that want to support responsible practices through their purchasing, employment and investment activity. The goal is for human rights standards to become embedded in the supply chain or workplace governance structures, so that the promise of improved social performance for workers and businesses can be realized. The following aspects of aims management consultants work help to achieve these goals.

• Training and Technical Assistance: Training of auditors, workers, managers and suppliers. Aims Management Consultants certifies individual auditors and helps companies in the implementation process by providing training and information.
• Accreditation:aims management consultants licenses qualified auditors to certify workplace compliance with social accountability standards. SAI regularly audits the auditors. It does not audit factories or farms.
• Improvement of Auditing Effectiveness: Constant review of the auditing process; an open complaints and appeals system; regional roundtables to review auditing challenges and share best practices; and fostering greater involvement by NGOs and trade unions.
• Research and Development: Drafting and revising of social accountability standards, guidelines for the independent verification of compliance, examples of good practices and the costs and benefits of certification.
• Corporate Programs: Focus on helping companies extend the principles and management systems approach unique to SA8000 throughout their supply chains by assisting the process of integrating social compliance into supplier development and supply chain management.

What is information security?

Information security is the protection of information to ensure:

1. Confidentiality: ensuring that the information is accessible only to those authorized to access it.
2. Integrity: ensuring that the information is accurate and complete and that the information is not modified without authorization.
3. Availability: ensuring that the information is accessible to authorized users when required.

Eight quality management principles

ISO 9000 is based on eight quality management principles:

• Customer focus, resulting in customer requirements being met and in efforts to exceed those requirements;
• Leadership, aiming to create an internal environment in which people are fully involved;
• Involvement of people, who are the essence of an organization;
• Process approach, bringing about improved efficiency in obtaining the desired results;
• System approach to management, leading to improved effectiveness and efficiency through the identification, understanding and management of interrelated processes;
• Continual improvement, which becomes a permanent objective of the organization;
• Factual approach to decision-making, based on an analysis of data and information; and
• Mutually beneficial supplier relationships, derived from an understanding of their interdependence.

Contributions for clients

Contribution is particularly:

• increase of credibility of organization,
• improvement of firm's culture of communication with employees,
• image of each entrepreneurial subject.

It is possible to apply this norm to supplier chains too, where management of risks (following from invoking of possible inhumane working practices, exploiting of working of children) could became outstanding element, which could have in its own consequence significant influence to exercise of products and services in the market. It is possible to suppose, that in the European context application of SA 8000 norm could be important competitive advantage, particularly at supplies, which are funded from public sources.

Corporate Social Responsibility Certification

In today's global economy, corporate social responsibility has become one of the top priorities for trade. Decreasing tolerance of poor working conditions represents a huge challenge for manufacturers, retailers, and suppliers - who must balance these ethical concerns with the need to produce high-quality products at low prices.
Aims Management Consultants global reach is our major strength, linking suppliers in one part of the world with buyers in another. We independently inspect factories and goods in the countries of origin across the whole supply chain, on behalf of clients and consumers located in the products' final market. In fact, aims management consultants auditors are currently monitoring thousands of factories per year, in more than 90 countries worldwide, for most major retail and brand companies.

Certifying companies based on an internationally recognizable standard to improve labor conditions

Social Accountability International (Aims Management Consultants)develops voluntary corporate social responsibility standards and certifies companies based on their implementation of these standards. The first of these standards, Social Accountability 8000 (SA 8000), includes a code of conduct for labor conditions and a verification system to ensure compliance.
SA 8000 draws on established business strategies for ensuring quality (such as those used by the International Standards Organization (ISO) 9000) and add several elements that international human rights experts have identified as essential to social auditing. In broad terms, aims management consultants enables organizations to be socially accountable by:

• Convening key stakeholders to develop consensus-based voluntary standards;
• Accrediting qualified organizations to verify compliance;
• Promoting understanding and encouraging implementation of such standards worldwide.

Aims Management Consultants was founded in 1997 as the Council on Economic Priorities Accreditation Agency (CEPAA). SA 8000 was a joint initiative among businesses, human rights NGOs, and trade unions, all of which have representatives on the Aims Management Consultants Advisory Board. Because of the need for standardization, these sectors came together to establish a code of conduct based on existing international standards along with a parallel verification system. Members of the Advisory Board brought together expertise in the fields of human rights, child labor, labor rights, socially responsible investing, auditing techniques, and management of large supply chains. After the initial drafting of the Standard by the staff at aims management consultants, the members of the Advisory Board met in various committees and sub-committees to finalize the language.

Now is the time to demonstrate your commitment to just and equitable working conditions

In the face of the corporate scandals uncovered over the past several years, a persistent wind of change is forcing companies to consider the full impact of their corporate activities and policies, particularly from customer / consumer point of view.Companies today aim at controlling and putting into practice the respect and promotion of human rights of all workers throughout the whole supply, production and distribution chain.SA8000 is an international standard that encourages manufacturing companies and other organizations to develop, maintain and apply socially acceptable workplace practices. SA8000, created in 1998 by Social Accountability International (SAI), an affiliate of the Council on Economic Priorities, is viewed as the most globally applicable workplace standard and can be assessed in any size facility in any geography and industry sector.Among the areas covered by SA 8000 are child labor, forced labor, health and safety, freedom of association and collective bargaining, discrimination, disciplinary practices, working hours, compensation and management systems. As well as setting standards governing workers' rights, SA8000 embraces existing international agreements, including International Labor Organization conventions, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

What Can UL Do For Me In Social Accountability Auditing?

UL’s social accountability audit staff are trained to the requirements of the ISO 9000 series as well as the SA 8000 standards and can provide audit, registration and certification services in ISO9000, QS9000, ISO 14001, TL 9000, VDA 6.1 as well as standards in environmental public health and aerospace, industry and company codes.
Services include Pre-Registration Evaluations (preliminary), Registration and Surveillance audits. Social Accountability audits may be complementary to ISO/QS 9000 and can be concurrent, sequential or integrated with ISO 9000, ISO 14001, and TL 9000, QS 9000 etc.

What is covered under SA 8000?

Amongst the areas covered by SA 8000 are: child labour, forced labour, health and safety, freedom of association and collective bargaining, discrimination, disciplinary practices, working hours, compensation and management systems and workers’ rights.
SA 8000 embraces existing international agreements, including International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. SA 8000, is a way for retailers, customers, suppliers and other organizations to maintain a just and decent work condition throughout the supply chain.