Public Comment Invitation
Draft Code of Professional Conduct &
​Competency Framework for Social Compliance Auditors

As you are aware, APSCA has been moving towards its Mission “To Enhance the professionalism and credibility of the individuals and organsations performing independent social compliance audits”. This has involved APSCA utilizing Working and Consultation groups, which comprised of industry experts and practitioners, who have been integral in the development of the APSCA Code of Professional Conduct and the Competency Framework for Social Compliance Auditors.

We are excited to be opening these draft documents for Public Comment to ensure all stakeholders in the social compliance industry have an opportunity to provide feedback as we near the finalization, release and implementation of the certification process for social compliance auditors.

Please follow the link to the Public Comment page on our website to log your feedback:  http://www.theapsca.org/public-comment.html

Please note the surveys will be open until 31 August 2017.

New Member Firm
APSCA’S Executive Board is pleased to announce a new member firm this month; LSQA.  This brings our total firm membership to 24.
APSCA’s membership is continuing to grow with another three firms undergoing the application process, which includes Third Party Due Diligence and an interview to ensure all our members meet APSCA’s standards.
Welcome LSQA to APSCA!

For more information on becoming a member of APSCA, please see our website: http://www.theapsca.org/membership.html or email: director@theapsca.org

APSCA – Executive Board Meeting
The APSCA Executive Board met in London in June to review the Code of Professional Conduct and Competency Framework for Social Compliance Auditors and prepare for the release of those documents for public comment.

Left to Right:  Wesley Wilson, Avedis Seferian (APSCA, Chair), Rona Starr, Greg Gardner, Antonio Astone,
​Pierre-Yves Dupont, Frank Dorssers.
Absent from Photo but present at the meeting:  Randy Rankin, Betty Hutchison, Christophe Liebon & Fred Waelter.

APSCA’s Work-In-Progress
With the progress towards public comment for the draft APSCA Code of Professional Conduct and Competency Framework for Social Compliance Auditors,  APSCA hosted a session to brainstorm what Implementation and a pilot could look like.  This team met 14 June in London and had productive discussions to move this work forward.

The session comprised of representatives from Arche Advisors, DNV GL, Elevate, GSCP, ICS, LRQA, Sedex, SGS, Walmart, WRAP and APSCA.

Left to Right:  Alberto Sartori (DNV), Kevin Franklin (Elevate), Cecile Huertas (ICS),  Sonja Schmid (GSCP),  Wesley Wilson (Walmart), Randy Rankin (Independent),  Rona Starr (APSCA), Avedis Seferian (WRAP), Effie Marinos (SGS).
Absent from photo but present at the meeting:  Greg Gardner (Arche Advisors), Ged Farmer (LRQA),
​Jonathan Ivelaw-Chapman (Sedex) and Peter Marriott (SGS).

​FTA (BSCI) Unleash Opportunity Conference
APSCA attended the BSCI Meeting in Brussels in June 2017 where 3 members / stakeholders participated on the “Planning for 2030 – The Future of Supply Chains and Auditing” discussion panel.

Left to Right:  Jonathan Ivelaw-Chapman (Sedex), Christophe Liebon (Intertek), Ian Spaulding (Elevate).

APSCA Auditor Round Table Sessions
APSCA conducted “Auditor Round Table” sessions during June in Paris, London, Shenzhen and Shanghai.  This was an opportunity for us to share the progress which APSCA has made as well as discuss the draft Code of Professional Conduct and Competency Framework for Social Compliance Auditors, gather feedback and answer their questions. 

Discussions were robust and productive and gave APSCA the forum to meet face-to-face with our Member Firms, local managers and auditors, which is invaluable to our ongoing progress.
​
Thanks to all that attended these sessions!

Launch of “Out & About”
We have created a new page on our website to showcase the numerous meetings, conferences and forums our member firms attend.  Check it out!    http://www.theapsca.org/out–about.html

Should you have any photos to share, please email us at director@theapsca.org

New Member Firm
APSCA is pleased to announce another new member firm: Verner Wheelock Associates Limited.  This takes our membership to 23.
​ We welcome Verner Wheelock and look forward to their contribution moving forward.

​
​New Sedex Representative on Stakeholder Board
Jonathan Ivelaw-Chapman (CEO, Sedex Group) has joined the Stakeholder Board representing Sedex.  Sedex are committed to APSCA’s mission to enhance the professionalism and credibility of the individuals and organisations performing independent social compliance audits. 

Welcome Jonathan! 

---

Sedex Responsible Sourcing Conferences
In April May, APSCA participated in the three Sedex Conferences held in London, Shanghai and Sydney.
​These presented great opportunities to talk and network with a range of stakeholders in the industry and to promote the benefits membership to APSCA brings.  Brands were particularly interested in understanding APSCA’s work and the credibility it will bring to social compliance auditors via the certification process. 

Rona Starr (APSCA) presenting at the Sedex Conference in April in London, UK.

Amy Yan (SGS) supported Rona Starr (APSCA) at the Sedex Conference in May in Shanghai, China.

Sedex Conference in May in Sydney, Australia. 
Left to Right:  Richard Boele (KPMG Australia), Rona Starr (APSCA), Andrew Martin (Foreign Trade Association),
​David Mullen (Simplot Australia).

Intertek Ethical Sourcing Forum
​APSCA were proud to participate at the Intertek Ethical Sourcing Forum in New York on 5 May to share and discuss APSCA’s progress towards the development of a certification process for social compliance auditors.  Our panel was made up of members from both our Executive and Stakeholder Boards.

Left to Right:  Rona Starr (APSCA), Wesley Wilson (Walmart), Avedis Seferian (WRAP), Laura Rubbo (The Walt Disney Company), Greg Gardner (Arche Advisors), Christophe Liebon (Intertek).  Photo taken by David Schilling (ICCR).

​Annual Members’ Meeting – Social Labor Convergence Project
The Social & Labor Convergence Project is facilitated by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC).  The Annual Members’ Meeting was held in Bangalore, India in May which was attended by APSCA’s Executive Board Chair, Avedis Seferian and Tara Holeman, APSCA Working Group 1 member. 
The Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s vision is of an apparel, footwear, and home textiles industry that produces no unnecessary environmental harm and has a positive impact on the people and communities associated with its activities.

Avedis Seferian (APSCA Chair) and Tara Holeman (Working Group 1 member) presenting at the Annual Member’s Meeting in Bangalore, India.

To receive up-to-date information regarding APSCA and our work in progress ensure you sign-up to receive our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn if you haven’t already!  

New APSCA Members
APSCA’s Executive Board are pleased to announce the acceptance of 3 new member organisations, bringing APSCA’s membership to 22.  The new members are Counter Human Trafficking Compliance Solutions, Extensive Standard Technical Services Co., Limited (ESTS) and Openview Service Limited.    

These new members have demonstrated the competencies required via an application process, Third Party Due Diligence and an interview, to ensure all members are professional organisations which meet APSCA’s standards.

APSCA is very excited to be growing at this pace, having 9 founding members in August 2016 and growing to 22 in April 2017.

Please join us in welcoming our new members!

New Stakeholder Board Member
​APSCA is pleased to announce that Betsy Borrelli, Senior Vice President & Partner – FleishmanHillard New York has joined APSCA’s Stakeholder Board.

Elizabeth (Betsy) Borrelli has more than 20 years of global experience focused on issue, reputation and crisis management. This includes stakeholder engagement, communications and corporate social responsibility. She is known for creating strategic alliances and mobilizing, leading and managing multi-stakeholder groups and internal cross-functional teams in addressing complex issues and initiatives. Her work has spanned across the consumer product, pharmaceutical, apparel, airline and financial services sectors.  

---

Industry Meetings
APSCA’s Executive Director was privileged to be invited to present “What’s New Within APSCA” at both the Sedex Stakeholder Forum and AIM-Progress meeting, held in London in early April.

Rona Starr, Executive Director APSCA, presenting at the AIM-Progress Meeting (photo taken by Transitional Media.

We also participated in two very informative sessions hosted by KPMG.  The first was held in the House of Lords in London and later that day in the KPMG offices in London.  These sessions focussed on Human Rights – Risk to People or Risk to Business?    Both events started with an informative opening by Lord Dr Hastings of Scarisbrick with reflections by various people including Richard Boele (Head KPMG’s Global Business & Human Rights Network).

For access to “Addressing Human Rights in Business, Executive Perspectives”  click the link below:

Addressing Human Rights in Business – Executive Perspectives

Closing out the week, APSCA participated in a working session with 20 other organisations, hosted by Consumer Goods Forum focusing on Forced Labour. 

We are very excited about the opportunities to meet, hear what others are working on and discussing ways in which we can work together for the greater good of our industry and to improve the overall lives of those which we come into contact with.

Lord Dr Hastings of Scarisbrick CBE, Global Head of Corporate KPMG
and Rona Starr, Executive Director APSCA.

APSCA Milestones
In February we published our milestones for how we were going to achieve our goal of establishing a certification process for Social Compliance Auditors.  We have been tracking very successfully towards that goal, however, as we continued to make progress we realised the need to make a few changes to our plans.  Our enhanced milestone goals see us taking all 3 Working Groups out to Public Comment in June, instead of our original plan of going individually – starting in March.  So whilst it may be perceived as having missed a major milestone, this change will actually see us finalise earlier than anticipated. We are very grateful to our Working Group members as well as our Consultation Group members for their continued participation and feedback, which sees us grow and succeed.

Below are our updated High Level Milestones or refer to our website www.theapsca.org

To receive up-to-date information regarding APSCA and our work in progress visit our website www.theapsca.org. Ensure you sign-up to receive our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn if you haven’t already!  ​