APSCA Newsletter October 2019
October 31, 2019
In anticipation of the upcoming Annual General Meeting & Stakeholder Event, October offered yet another milestone with commencement of the CSCA Part III Examination Pilot. APSCA Member Services Manager, Kelly-Jo Potts commented “The CSCA Part III Examination Pilot reflects a significant step in APSCA’s development; it [the examination] is set to deliver our first ever Certified Social Compliance Auditors in December while Part I and Part II completion rates offer a strong foundation for continuing momentum”.
Auditor enrollments increased to over 4,060 during the month and we were pleased to welcome a new provisional Member Firm, EUROFINS | AQM.
Further highlights below.
Register Now – APSCA Annual General Meeting & Stakeholder Event
Please join us in celebrating APSCA’s 2019 achievements and strengthen your connection with industry peers.
Location: Shenzhen, China
December 11, 2019 Meeting and Event Schedule
- 10:00am – 12pm Annual General Meeting (APSCA Members Only)
- 1:30pm – 5pm Stakeholder Event (Open to All Interested Parties)
Both events will be held on December 11, 2019 in Shenzhen, China.
More details are available here.
Now on the Website – Use of APSCA Number (Member Auditor Guide)
To help inform and support our Member Auditors with the proper use of their APSCA Number, this brief guide addresses key uses of an Auditor’s membership number as noted under APSCA’s Code and Standards of Professional Conduct and Competency Framework.
To learn more, click here.
Provisional Member Announcement
We are pleased to welcome one new provisional Member Firm: EUROFINS | AQM.
Congratulations our newest APSCA Member Firm on your commitment to the realization of APSCA’s mission “To Enhance the Professionalism and Credibility of individuals and organisations performing independent social compliance audits”.
For information on Firm Membership definitions and how your Firm can commence the application process please visit our website.
Membership Application Process
APSCA’s Audit Firm Membership Application process was formally released last November. Details can be found on our website. All applications should be sent to applications@theapsca.org.
Reminder: ALL members who joined APSCA between 2015 – 2018 MUST reapply before June 2020.
CSCA Exam Part III Pilot & Soft Launch
As APSCA continues to advance towards having certified social compliance auditors (CSCA) we are excited to announce that we are currently piloting the third and final portion of the CSCA exam with approximately 50 auditors representing 24 firms. This pilot started 15 October and will conclude 13 November.
During mid-October, the team were in Alabama conducting the initial round of auditor interviews participating in the Part III exam pilot. APSCA will continue conducting a soft launch of Part III over the course of the coming weeks with an additional 5 interviewers, located in 5 different countries to cater for our diverse auditor community. Results will be shared at the Stakeholder Event in December.
Above Left: APSCA Team at ProctorU mid-October, onsite (Left to Right); Kelly – Jo Potts (APSCA Member Services Manager), Kara Chan (Exam Development & Implementation Team Member), Tara Holeman (Exam Development & Implementation Team Member) and Rona Starr (APSCA President & CEO). Above Right: CSCA exam remote testing session
Above: The ProctorU Testing Room where the proctors monitor and manage APSCA exams
Above: While in Alabama, the APSCA Team celebrated Tara’s birthday with a surprise early morning breakfast at the Waffle House. A fun start to our day of piloting! (Left to Right; clockwise) – Kelly – Jo Potts (APSCA Member Services Manager), Tara Holeman (Exam Development & Implementation Team Member), Rona Starr (APSCA President & CEO) and Kara Chan (Exam Development & Implementation Team Member).
APSCA Webinars
APSCA hosted three informational webinars on September 4/5 to inform and answer questions from our Member and stakeholders regarding the CSCA exams and APSCA’s Code and Standards of Professional Conduct.
To view a copy of the webinar presentation with speaker notes, Q&A summary, and recording of the presentation, please visit our website – APSCA’s newsletter updates here.
CSCA Exam Part I
A total of 1,575 CSCA Part I exams have been completed to date with the pass rate holding at 81%. Since examinations commenced, approximately 12% of scheduled exams have not been completed. Of these uncompleted exams, some 57% were due to participant forfeiture (failure to present for exam) and 38% due to IT issues.
CSCA Exam Part II
A total of 106 CSCA Part II exams have been completed, with a pass rate of 67%. Since examinations commenced, approximately 6% of scheduled exams have not been completed with the majority due to participant forfeiture (failure to present for exam).
The CSCA Exam Part II (English) launched 21 September 2019. Auditors are encouraged to consult with their Member Firm to confirm eligibility to sit for the [Part II (English)] exam. Please ensure you follow the guidance in the Auditor Handbook to notify APSCA and register for the exam.
We will announce when Part II (Simplified Chinese and Spanish) are ready for booking.
APSCA Auditor Enrollments
During October, the total number of enrolled auditors reached over 4,060 with 67% Registered Level Auditors (RA) and 33% Associate Social Compliance Auditors (ASCA).
We are also pleased to report the enrolled Auditor cohort comprises 42% female, 58% male and 0.07% other (Note values may not add up due to rounding).
FAQs – Helpful Resources on the Website
Be sure to check out APSCA’s newly updated FAQ page. Have a question? We’ve got answers here.
Don’t see a question/ answer you’re looking for? Contact us at Director@theapsca.org
APSCA Out and About
November 12 – APSCA speaking at Intertek: Action Against Modern Slavery (Ethical Sourcing Forum) – Sydney, AU
Tickets are available here.
Our monthly newsletter now reaches over 2,300 subscribers each month! We encourage our Member Firms to have their auditors subscribe to APSCA’s newsletter to stay up to date here. Further, if you have a friend or colleague that may be interested in APSCA please share this newsletter with them via the link below.
