APSCA Newsletter August 2020

August 31, 2020

During August four Member Firms completed the revised membership application process to formally achieve full Membership status while another two Firms attained provisional status.

Following the announcement of 31 new CSCA’s in July, examination rates remain strong and results continue to reflect the positive progression of Member Auditors toward certification.

As September marks five years since APSCA’s inception we look forward to reflecting on the Association’s evolution and further celebrating the dedication and commitment of our growing membership.

Further highlights are provided below.

In this this issue:

Disciplinary Board – Allegations and Sanctions
Resource Library
Member Firm Announcements
Become a Member Firm – Update
Reminder – Remote / Virtual Assessments
APSCA Members in 2020 Top 100 CSR List
Competency Framework Update
CSCA Exam Webinars
CSCA Examination Progress
Auditor Enrollments
Reminder: Revised Due Dates for CSCA Exams
Save The Date – APSCA’s AGM and Stakeholder Online Event
APSCA Out and About

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Disciplinary Board – Allegations and Sanctions

To date, APSCA’s Ethics and Integrity team have addressed almost 130 allegations against Member Auditors across a number of violation classifications. Of these allegations against Member Auditors there have been almost fifty (50) cases resulting in the enforcement of sanctions.

A summary of all allegations and sanctions can be downloaded here.

Resource Library

To better serve our Membership and interested parties, we have established a Resource Library on the APSCA website. The library provides a comprehensive directory of member documents, key dates, exam guides and webinars for ease of access.

Visit our website to access the resources.

Member Firm Announcements

We are pleased to congratulate full APSCA Member Firms, ELEVATE, Omega Compliance Limited, Eurofins and TUV NORD along with our newest provisional Member Firms Ethical Trade Services Africa Limited and V-Trust on their commitment to the realization of APSCA’s mission “To enhance the Professionalism and Credibility of individuals and organisations performing independent social compliance audits”.

Full Members:

Provisional Members:

For a complete list of APSCA Member Firms, please visit our website

Become a Member Firm – Update

APSCA’s Become a Member document was recently updated with additional information to assist Firms in navigating the application process and to further clarify:

the various stages of review and
requirements / expectations of the applicant from commencement of the application process to final determination

Please download the latest version via our Become a Member Firm page for a detailed overview of the application process.

Reminder - Remote/ Virtual Assessments

Please be advised that APSCA does not consider virtual / remote assessments / audits a Social Compliance Audit. As such, an auditor cannot put their APSCA number on any virtual / remote assessment as these are not considered a Social Compliance Audit as defined in our Glossary of Terms and FAQ page. Should you have any question regarding this matter please contact APSCA via director@theapsca.org.

APSCA Members in 2020 Top 100 CSR List

APSCA is excited to celebrate the inclusion of numerous past and present Executive Board Members on Assent’s 2020 Top 100 List of Corporate Social Responsibility Influencers. Congratulations to those dedicated individuals and further all those in CSR that continue to drive positive change worldwide.

Read more here.

Announcing Pathway 4 – Competency Framework Update

APSCA has recently updated the Competency Framework to include a fourth pathway which enables Member Auditors to commence the examination process earlier. The latest version is available here.

We have also translated the Competency Framework into our current language offerings and will continue to update our Resource Library as more translations are finalized.

CSCA Exam Webinars

Part II – English / Spanish/ Mandarin
Throughout June and July, APSCA held several webinars to assist Member Auditors prepare for Part II of the CSCA examination program. Sharing insights into the exam format, the webinars outlined key differences between the Part I and Part II exams, and further common errors to avoid.

A recording of the webinar in English, Spanish, and Mandarin can be accessed via our new Resource Library. A PDF of the presentation and speaker notes are also available in English, Spanish, Simplified and Traditional Chinese.

Part III – English
In August, APSCA also hosted webinars to aide Member Auditors in their preparation for Part III of the CSCA examination program; the final exam in an auditor’s journey to attain certification. A recording of this webinar can be accessed via our Resource Library. Additional languages will be made available soon (including Spanish and Mandarin), as will the presentation and speaker notes in English, Spanish, Simplified and Traditional Chinese.

These webinars were developed specifically to optimize exam preparation and provide the greatest opportunity for success during the exam process. Exam candidates are encouraged to consult relevant resources prior to each exam.

Part III – Chinese (Mandarin)
APSCA will hold a further webinar in Mandarin on 4 September (China Time) and we encourage those auditors who are eligible to sit Part III or would like to learn more about the exam to join us. The webinar has been developed specifically for Chinese participants to optimize exam preparation and provide the greatest opportunity for success.

While ‘seats’ are limited, a recording of the webinar will be provided along with our Part III Exam – Guide to Success handout (currently available via our Resource Library).

For those interested in attending, registration is essential. Details of the live webinars in September are provided below:

When? September 4 (9:30am China)
Where? Online via GoToMeeting – You must register to join.

Dial-in details to be shared with registered attendees approximately 24-hours prior to webinar time. Registration via the link below.

CSCA Examination Progress

During August examination rates remained strong with the total number of completed exams now exceeding 5,100 with an overall pass rate of 76%. A summary of cumulative exam results can be downloaded below.

CSCA Exams Part I and II are available in four Languages (English, Spanish, Simplified & Traditional Chinese).

CSCA Exam Part III interviews commenced in August. Exams will be available in English, Spanish, Mandarin and Cantonese. The scheduling process has been finalized and we have started the process of contacting Firms / Auditors directly. Part III enrolment process is very different, each eligible Auditor MUST follow the process or risk having their exam cancelled and being disallowed from scheduling for up to 12 months.

Auditor Enrollments

As at 31 August 2020, total enrolled Auditors exceeded 4,100 with a summary by Auditor level provided below.

Reminder: Revised Due Dates for CSCA Exams

Due to COVID-19 and the enduring challenges faced by our auditing community, APSCA has reviewed and revised exam due dates for auditors sitting Part II and III exams.

The dates (below) are applicable to any Auditor who successfully passed Part I 90+ days prior to the Part II deadline or successfully completed Part II 90+ days prior to the Part III deadline.

If an Auditor is unsure whether this applies to them please contact APSCA via director@theapsca.org.

2020 – 2021
Part II

30 September 2020
- Chinese (Traditional/ Simplified)
30 March 2021
- English / Spanish (amended from September 2020)

Part III

30 June 2021
- Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese amended from December 2020)
30 October 2021
- English / Spanish (amended from June 2021)

REMINDER: For Auditors just obtaining their RA level status, you have 6 months from the date that you obtained RA to sit Part I exam if you are advanced in a language the exam is offered. APSCA is in the process of sending reminders, however if an Auditor does not sit within the prescribed time, they will be moved to ASCA. It is the Auditor / Firm’s responsibility to manage this.

FAQs

Check out APSCA’s FAQ page – it has been recently updated.

Don’t see a question / answer you’re looking for? Contact us at d irector@theapsca.org.

Save The Date – APSCA’s Annual General Meeting and Stakeholder Online Event

This year APSCA will be hosting it’s Annual General Meeting and Stakeholder Event online. The event is currently scheduled for early December 2020 with further details to be provided in September.

APSCA Out and About

Please note that due to the global impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, APSCA have postponed or cancelled all travel. Updates on any future travel will be provided as soon as practicable. Please visit our Out and About page for updates from some of our Member Firms on what they are doing to support the industry during this time.

In seeking to further support our Members, we also welcome you to tell us how your organization and auditors are navigating today’s dynamic work environment. It is our intention to share these insights across our media channels to foster industry collaboration and unite our community during this difficult period. Please send responses to director@theapsca.org.

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