As the COVID-19 pandemic grips the world, we at APSCA wish to extend our thoughts to you and your families. While this situation presents unprecedented challenges for all, we acknowledge these are particularly difficult for our Members and all those working within the social compliance audit industry.
As a global organisation, APSCA’s remote working arrangements remain unchanged during this time. However, all work-related travel has been suspended until further notice and Stakeholder Events scheduled for 2020 are currently on hold.
It is important to note, with the exception of industry events, APSCA’s primary functions remain fully operational and we are still available to assist you. Please reach out via email or connect with us via the links below.
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 via the link below.
In this this issue:
- Disciplinary Board Update
- New APSCA Website Live
- Stakeholder Board Appointment
- CSCA Examination Update
- Auditor Enrollment Summary
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Disciplinary Board – Allegations and Sanctions
APSCA Member Firms
The Disciplinary Board for Member Firms met in March to review one case that resulted in the issue of a warning. This is the third warning issued to a Member Firm, with each required to submit a corrective and preventative action plan to APSCA for review and subsequent monitoring by APSCA’s Code & Compliance Manager.
APSCA Member Auditors
Since 2017, APSCA’s Ethics and Integrity team have addressed over 120 allegations. A summary of allegations can be downloaded here
In the News
CEO and President of WRAP and Chair of APSCA’s Executive Board, Avedis Seferian addressed the challenges facing the sourcing industry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Writing in the Sourcing Journal [24 March 2020], Avedis commented “With consumer demand for clothing plummeting as a result of directives limiting social movement, we are seeing major brands and retailers cutting back on orders, with reverberations being felt all through the supply chain. And for those buyers who are still able to proceed, the question of how they can inspect their vendor facilities is a pressing one, as those same directives are making it impossible for auditors to visit factories in large swaths of the world”.
Read the full article here.
New APSCA Website Live
In late 2019, APSCA were made aware of website accessibility issues affecting certain countries. Following further investigation, a solution was identified and we are pleased to report our new website is now live.
Please note the website address has not changed. The new website can be viewed at www.theapsca.org.
Stakeholder Board Appointment
During February, we were pleased to welcome Magali Martowicz as a Stakeholder Board member. Magali is Sedex’s Director of Responsible Sourcing. She is passionate about making a genuine difference in the lives of workers and brings 12 years of responsible sourcing experience with her.
Read more about Magali here.
Cancelled – APSCA Stakeholder Event for 2020 (Germany)
Unfortunately due to the global impacts of COVID-19, APSCA have resolved to cancel the Stakeholder Event which was to be held at Cologne, Germany during June.
Further announcements on additional Stakeholder Events planned for 2020 will be made in due course.
Coming Soon – Resources Library on APSCA Website
APSCA is developing a Resources Library on the website to improve accessibility to reference documents (including available translations) for our Members and Stakeholders. These will include the likes of the Competency Framework, our Code & Standards of Professional Conduct, Glossary of Terms and Use of APSCA Number (Member Auditor Guide) and a Member’s Disciplinary Guide.
These documents are being translated into Spanish, and Chinese (Simplified / Traditional) and will be posted as they are finalized. We encourage you to stay tuned for news on when this page has been published via the newsletter. In the meantime, available documents are posted on the website and are publicly accessible via theapsca.com/about-us.
If there are additional resources you would like APSCA to consider for future inclusion in the library, please express your interest to director@theapsca.org – we welcome your input!
Membership Application Process
APSCA’s Audit Firm Membership Application process was formally released in November 2018. Details can be found on our website. All applications should be sent to applications@theapsca.org.
Important Reminder – Member Firm Deadline June 2020
ALL Member Firms who were accepted as an APSCA Provisional Member Firm prior to 2019, MUST reapply BEFORE June 2020.
If you are unsure if your firm needs to re-apply, please email director@theapsca.org
CSCA Examination Update
Despite sustained impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of examination during March were encouraging. Auditor progression through the CSCA program was bolstered by strong pass rates for the Part II exam – further increasing the cohort of Auditors advancing to the final stage in obtaining their CSCA status.
To date a total of 2,062 Auditors have passed Part I, 483 Part II and 41 Part III. Examination rates during 2020 are forecast to exceed 2019 totals by the end of April; as at the close of Q1 2020, Part I and Part II exam completions reflected 69% of 2019 totals.
Part I Exam Results
A total of 733 CSCA Part I exams have been completed during 2020 with a pass rate of 84%. Results of completed exams are provided below.
CSCA Exam Part II
A total of 512 CSCA Part II exams have been completed during 2020 with a pass rate of 75%. Results of completed exams are provided below.
For all CSCA Exams (Part I – III) auditors MUST confirm their eligibility BEFORE they schedule each exam. Please ensure you follow the guidance in the Auditor Handbook to notify APSCA prior to enrolling to sit the exam. If you have attempted an exam and experienced IT issues, you need to inform APSCA that you are rescheduling your exam to have a new invoice raised
CSCA Exams Part I and II are available in four languages (English, Spanish, Simplified & Traditional Chinese).
CSCA Exam Part III interviews anticipated to commence scheduling during May. Exams will be available in English, Spanish, Mandarin and Cantonese. We are finalising the scheduling process which has proven to be more complicated than Part I and II.
Auditor Enrollments
During February, the total number of enrolled auditors increased by just under 100 to 4,394 (as of 30 March 2020). The enrolled Auditors comprise approximately 66% Registered Auditors, 33% Associate Social Compliance Auditors and 1% Certified Social Compliance Auditors.
FAQs – Helpful Resources on the Website
Be sure to check out APSCA’s 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
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.
