TRANSFORMING  
THE FUTURE OF  
SOCIAL AUDITING  
2022  
Annual Report  
In 2022, APSCA Member  
Auditors and Firms helped...  
Combat employee  
exploitation  
Management admitted the  
mandatory overtime and stopped  
the practice immediately”  
Identify forced  
labor  
An APSCA Auditor helped uncover  
forced labor at a factory employing  
more than 1,200 workers”  
Influence pending  
legislation  
External engagement was key  
to influencing legislation of vital  
interest to members”  
And much, much more…  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
2
In ꢀꢁꢀꢀ, APSCA worked  
to better serve the needs  
of Member Auditors and  
Firms...  
• Provided up to 10 CPD hours for  
Member Auditors  
• External engagement resulting in  
feedback on pending legislation  
impacting Social Compliance  
auditing  
• Streamlined and enhanced exam  
documentation  
• Developed 2030 Strategy  
• Maintained Auditor/Member Firm  
annual fees at same level since 2018,  
while delivering more services  
• Connected Members to job  
opportunities  
• Held first hybrid Annual Meeting of  
Members and Stakeholders  
• Launched new communications  
channels  
New directives such as  
enhanced human rights due  
diligence and restrictions  
on imports of goods made  
from child or forced labor  
are making our work more  
important than ever before.  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
3
President & CEO  
Rona Starr  
EXECUTIVE BOARD  
A Member Representatives  
Stakeholder Advisory Board  
Representatives to the  
Executive Board  
Secretary - Justin Bettey  
Rajan Kamalanathan  
Anastasia Spathi  
Chair - Avedis H Seferian  
Laura Chapman Rubbo  
Mark Spears  
B Member Representative  
Frank Dorssers  
B/C Member Representative  
Treasurer – Greg Gardner  
C Member Representative  
Jon White  
Registered Address:  
1747 Pennsylvania Ave, Suite 1000  
Washington DC, 20006 USA  
+1 630 418 8548  
director@theapsca.org  
theapsca.org  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
4
CONTENTS  
ABOUT APSCA  
6
7
LEADERSHIP LETTERS  
- President & CEO  
7
9
- Executive Board Chair  
APSCA ACCOMPLISHMENTS  
KEY NUMBERS  
10  
11  
APSCA MEMBERSHIP  
12  
13  
14  
15  
16  
19  
20  
21  
22  
24  
25  
AUDITOR DEMOGRAPHICS  
STRATEGIC OVERVIEW  
STRATEGIC PILLAR: PROFESSIONALISM  
STRATEGIC PILLAR: FUTURE PROOFING  
STRATEGIC PILLAR: IDENTITY  
CASE STUDY: IDENTIFYING FORCED LABOR  
AMM & APSCA TEAM UPDATES  
ANNUAL MEMBERS MEETING  
EVENT FEEDBACK  
2023 OUTLOOK  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
5
ABOUT US  
The Association of Professional Social  
Compliance Auditors (APSCA) is an association  
promoting the use of independent social  
compliance audits as a tool to advance  
workplace and factory conditions globally.  
OUR VISION  
For Member Firms and Certified Social  
Compliance Auditors (CSCA) to be trusted  
professionals in social compliance  
auditing.  
OUR MISSION  
To enhance the professionalism, consistency  
and credibility of individual Auditors and  
organizations performing independent social  
compliance audits.  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
6
 
LEADERSHIP LETTERS  
A FEW WORDS FROM APSCA’S  
PRESIDENT & CEO  
“Transforming the future of social auditing” was the  
theme of our 2022 Annual Meeting of Members and  
Stakeholders and is also the theme of this report.  
It reflects our targets for 2023 as we move beyond  
consolidation toward implementing a new strategy  
that delivers genuine benefits for all stakeholders of  
the social compliance auditing profession.  
At a time of rising cost pressures globally, APSCA has  
held Auditor Membership fees at the same level since  
2017, while exams continue to be operated at cost.  
Communication with our  
Members is vital, and for this  
purpose we have launched two  
new communication channels,  
the Auditor Bulletin and the  
APSCA podcast”  
APSCA made numerous achievements for Member  
Auditors, Member Firms and all stakeholders during  
2022. This was particularly significant given that we  
were negotiating an uncertain global environment  
amid the continuing coronavirus pandemic.  
As another benefit for our Members, we are now  
helping to connect job opportunities across our  
LinkedIn community.  
In 2022 the number of CSCAs expanded dramatically,  
rising to 1,782 – an increase of over 550 from 2021.  
There are now CSCAs in 62 countries. APSCA also  
welcomed more than 500 newly enrolled Auditors  
and one new Member Firm.  
As an organization it is important to celebrate impact  
and success. Our Members are making a real difference,  
as demonstrated in the case study published in this  
report concerning forced labor practices.  
This growth amid difficult global conditions is an  
enormous achievement for our profession. The CSCA  
status and the achievement it represents is part of  
our mission to enhance the credibility, consistency  
and professionalism of Member Firms and CSCAs to  
be the trusted professionals in compliance auditing.  
The expansion in our Member Auditors is equally  
significant and I congratulate our team for this  
outstanding result.  
It was fantastic to see the success of our first hybrid  
Annual Meeting of Members and Stakeholders (AMM),  
held in December 2022 both in-person and online.  
There were an impressive 1,400 registered participants,  
marking a big vote of confidence in our profession.  
A special thanks to TUV Rheinland for kindly hosting  
us at their headquarters in Cologne, Germany.  
The three-day AMM gave Member Auditors the  
opportunity to earn up to 10 CPD hours across four  
sessions, resulting in positive feedback from  
our Members.  
APSCA continues working hard  
to better serve the needs of  
our Auditors”  
Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is  
an ongoing focus and it was pleasing to see the  
response of Members to the APSCA CPD policy  
released in 2021. There was an enormous volume  
with more than 100,000 hours of CPD completed by  
APSCA Auditors in 2022, including more than 39,000  
Auditor records approved.  
We conducted an extensive review of documentation,  
with the key focus being to streamline and simplify  
information for Members. As a global organization,  
tools such as right-click translate for all documents  
further enhance access for all.  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
7
 
These CPD credits are the result of APSCA’s external  
engagement throughout the year, leading to panels  
on important issues such as pending legislation,  
freely chosen employment and auditing within the  
mining industry (conducted in conjunction with the  
London Metal Exchange and the OECD).  
Another important element of the AMM concerned  
APSCA’s new strategy. This was developed by  
the Executive Board and APSCA Management  
throughout 2022, gaining approval from the Executive  
Board at its September meeting.  
At the AMM, APSCA announced that working groups  
had been established to review the agreed funding  
to support the new strategy’s implementation. We  
look forward to progressing this further in the year  
ahead for the benefit of all stakeholders.  
As noted by our Chair in this report, new directives  
such as mandatory environmental and human rights  
due diligence (EHRDD) and restrictions on imports of  
goods made from child or forced labor are making  
our work more important than ever before.  
With the world now reopening after the enormous  
challenges posed by COVID-19, it is pleasing to look  
ahead with confidence to a better future for our  
profession and for advancing workplace conditions  
globally.  
As always, I encourage you to take advantage of the  
opportunities available from being part of APSCA. As  
a membership organization, we are only as strong as  
our Members. Please reach out to ensure your voice  
is heard as we work to build a better APSCA and  
stronger profession for the benefit of all.  
Rona  
Rona Starr  
President & CEO  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
8
A FEW WORDS FROM APSCA’S  
EXECUTIVE BOARD CHAIR  
Avedis Seferian  
Chair, APSCA Executive Board  
Let me begin by offering my heartiest congratulations  
to everyone associated with APSCA for the successes  
achieved in 2022. The progress made is doubly  
impressive given what a challenging year it was on so  
many different fronts.  
The implications of EHRDD laws on business  
are discussed in a recent article by Brent Wilton  
(available here on APSCA’s website), where he  
calls on APSCA and the social compliance audit  
profession to seize the opportunity to be seen as the  
lead practitioners in the EHRDD process.  
Demand for social audits is  
growing, and the clients we  
serve are asking that those  
audits be done by APSCA-  
certified auditors. This is great  
news for the social compliance  
audit profession!  
Additionally, restrictions on imports of goods made  
with forced or child labor are also growing in the  
United States, Canada and Mexico, as well as  
Australia.  
This regulatory trend will only continue. APSCA is  
well placed to assist companies in this emerging  
space, helping the social compliance industry  
develop the new skills and innovative solutions  
needed for companies to expand their reach over  
their entire supply chains.  
With the (relatively recent) return to attending  
events in-person, I have been able to have many  
in-depth conversations with a wide range of  
stakeholders. The information we are gaining from  
shared experiences makes clear there are many  
opportunities and challenges on the horizon for us,  
both as social audit firms and as individual auditors.  
The new strategy we have put into place will allow  
APSCA to address these new realities effectively.  
It is an exciting time for us all in the industry, so let’s  
tackle the many issues we need to address and  
continue our quest to be the trusted partner for  
our clients!  
Clients are increasingly turning their attention to  
the requirements of emerging legislation covering  
mandatory environmental and human rights due  
diligence (EHRDD) across their supply chains.  
There are already laws in force in a number of  
countries - such as Japan, France, Germany, and  
the Netherlands - and a very far-reaching EU-wide  
directive is making its way through the European  
Commission.  
Thank you for your ongoing support as we press  
forward on our important work in the year ahead.  
Avedis  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
9
 
APSCA  
ACCOMPLISHMENTS  
Since our founding in 2015, APSCA has continued to advance the profession of social compliance  
auditors, promoting the use of independent social compliance audits as a tool to advance  
workplace conditions globally.  
THE APSCA JOURNEY  
•
Hybrid AMM — 10 CPD hours  
for auditors  
Executive Director  
Formation of:  
•
•
•
•
Enhanced 2030 strategy  
1,782 CSCAs across 62 countries  
Practice Exams Part I and II  
All exam parts available  
with translations  
•
•
•
•
APSCA Incorporated in USA  
Auditor Exam Pilot in Chinese  
Enhanced Audit Firm Application  
Launched Part I CSCA exam  
in English  
•
Executive Board  
•
•
Launched Part II CSCA exam  
in additional languages  
First Audit Firm Ethic  
Committee meeting  
• Working Groups to develop Code  
and Competency Framework  
• 1st AGM  
2002-15 2015 2016  
2017  
2019  
2021  
2022  
2018  
2020  
•
•
•
Launched Part I & II CSCA Exam  
in 6 additional languages  
1,200 Certified Auditors  
•
Adopted– Code of Conduct,  
Competency Framework  
Enrol Auditors  
Launched Part I and II CSCA  
•
Foundational  
Initiatives  
Formationof  
exams in additional languages  
Pilot Part III in 4 Languages  
•
APSCA  
•
•
•
•
•
Stakeholder Board  
Auditor Exam Piloted in  
Adopted Code & Standards of  
Professional Conduct  
English  
•
•
First Ethics Board Meeting  
42 Certified Social Compliance  
Auditors (CSCA)  
An auditor wrote to us saying -  
I was on an emotional roller coaster and was ready to throw in the  
towel, but thanks to encouragement from others, I kept with it and  
achieved my goal of becoming a CSCA”  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
10  
 
KEY NUMBERS  
105  
COUNTRIES  
55  
FIRMS  
17,000 +  
EXAMS  
OVER  
4,900  
AUDITORS  
1,782+  
CSCAs across  
62 countries  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
11  
 
APSCA  
MEMBERSHIP  
MEMBER AUDITORS  
EXTRA MEMBER BENEFITS  
Auditors are the most important part of APSCA and  
we continue working to further support our Member  
Auditors through their professional growth.  
Additional developments for the benefit of APSCA  
Member Auditors during 2022 included:  
• Enhancements to exams’ supporting  
infrastructure including:  
APSCA Auditors continue to sit and pass the Part III  
exam in solid numbers. In 2022, the number of CSCAs  
increased to 1,782 in 62 countries – up more than 550  
from 2021 and representing 37% of Member Auditors.  
o All documentation including the Auditor  
Handbook to enable right-click translate-  
functionality, ensuring Auditors have access  
to information in a timely fashion.  
MEMBER FIRMS  
APSCA was pleased to welcome during 2022 a new  
Member Firm, Global STD, based in Guadalajara,  
Mexico.  
o Created ‘How to book’ documents which  
supports the booking, testing of equipment  
and preparation for the exams.  
• Launched Part I and II practice exam.  
In addition, during 2022 all Firms who were provisional  
members under the original 2015-2018 process either  
exited membership or achieved full membership.  
• Launched Part III alternate language exam  
with translators.  
• Development of Part III practice exam  
(launched in January 2023).  
• Initiated plan with our exam partner, ProctorU  
to open 1,500+ in-house testing centers in  
115 countries for Part I and II exams.  
• Two new communication channels launched  
(Auditor Bulletin and the APSCA Podcast) to  
support knowledge sharing.  
• Produced podcasts and quarterly newsletter.  
APSCA has worked to connect job-seeking auditors  
with opportunities at Member Firms by posting  
and sharing employment opportunities within our  
LinkedIn community. In 2022, APSCA shared 35 job  
postings from more than 20 countries across more  
than 20 firms. To participate in this, tag us in your  
Linkedin Post #APSCA and email  
director@theapsca.org.  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
12  
 
AUDITOR  
DEMOGRAPHICS  
AUDITOR BY LEVEL  
ALL AUDITORS –  
Employment Type  
37%  
EMPLOYED  
CSCA  
73%  
25%  
2%  
SUBCONTRACTOR /  
FREELANCE  
19%  
RA  
NO EMPLOYMENT  
LISTED  
44%  
ASCA  
NUMBER OF  
AUDITORS  
APSCA EXAM PASS RATES  
PASS PART II  
within their first  
two attempts  
PASS PART III  
within their first  
72%  
two attempts  
PASS PART I  
within their first  
two attempts  
85%  
75%  
4,901  
MEMBERSHIP FEES PAID FOR BY:  
C MEMBER FIRMS  
AUDITOR PAY FEES  
A MEMBER FIRMS  
39%  
13%  
25%  
23%  
B MEMBER FIRMS  
TOP 10  
AUDITOR RESIDENT COUNTRIES  
USA  
ITA  
TUR  
4%  
2%  
4%  
CHN  
MEX  
32%  
BGD  
IND  
8%  
3%  
5%  
VNM  
5%  
THA  
BRA  
2%  
2%  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
13  
 
STRATEGIC  
OVERVIEW  
APSCA has developed a new strategy focused on enhancing the profession of social compliance  
Auditors, positioning our association as the leading body in our field globally.  
• Enhance the user experience through improved  
2017 STRATEGY  
business practices.  
APSCA’s original strategy developed in 2017 had  
• Review the exam process to ensure it is  
five pillars, in line with what an industry association  
effectively and efficiently evaluating the  
starting out on its journey to professionalize should  
knowledge, skills and competencies of Member  
focus upon.  
Auditors including identification of emerging  
issues.  
These pillars comprised Validation (examination  
process), Governance (establishing the Executive  
Board, Financial Stability), Ethics & Integrity,  
• Identification of emerging issues and including  
into CPD and the examination process.  
Communication and Data Systems and Processes.  
c) Identity  
ENHANCED STRATEGY  
• Expand APSCA’s reach and influence internally  
and externally on behalf of APSCA Members in  
relevant forums.  
During 2022, APSCA Management and the Executive  
Board worked together to enhance APSCA’s strategy.  
While maintaining a focus on exams, the strategy also  
looks forward to external engagement, to providing  
input into emerging issues and pending legislation  
that is occurring globally and impacting on our  
profession.  
• Build awareness across the profession, industry  
and society.  
• Recognize the importance of the principle of  
transparency in human rights due diligence  
processes and offer training for social auditors.  
The three pillars for our 2030 strategy are  
Professionalism, Future Proofing and Identity.  
This comprises the following:  
These pillars were presented during our Annual  
Meeting of Members and Stakeholders (AMM), in  
Cologne, Germany in December 2022. The strategy  
presentation was panelled by members of the  
Executive Board, who answered questions from  
participants.  
a) Professionalism  
• Enhance the professionalism and credibility of  
APSCA Member Firms and Auditors.  
• Become an association of and for Social  
Compliance Auditors.  
Part of the strategy work included the Executive  
Board’s formation of three working groups:  
• Review the governance and oversight of  
APSCA’s governing boards and committees.  
1. Governance – review the current Executive Board  
structure and identify improvements to ensure  
APSCA is set to implement the strategy;  
b) Future Proofing  
ꢀ.Strategy and funding of the strategy;  
• APSCA to increase market adoption and  
capacity levels amongst stakeholders through  
communication and marketing strategies that  
articulates social auditing as a required and  
valued profession.  
3. Examinations and capacity of social compliance  
auditors.  
Following feedback from these working groups,  
APSCA will further advance the 2030 strategy.  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
14  
 
STRATEGIC  
PILLAR  
PROFESSIONALISM  
As part of APSCA’s continuous improvement plan  
focused on benefiting Members and the social  
compliance profession as a whole, we have  
examined how enhanced systems, processes, and  
documentation can be implemented.  
APSCA seeks to ensure that its data system can  
manage the growth in membership, as well as  
ensuring that the information remains secure and  
adheres to privacy requirements.  
Highlights for ꢀꢁꢀꢀ included:  
• The Governance team reviewed progress  
made by Members in meeting established  
deadlines, including raising annual invoices  
for Membership fees, providing annual  
acknowledgement and meeting exam  
deadlines.  
• Introduced a new status of ‘Expired’ reflective  
of Member Auditors who have been lapsed for  
more than two years, along with a process of  
re-entering APSCA at a time they choose.  
• Reviewed documentation, focused on  
streamlining and simplifying information for  
Members. This included:  
o Updates to the Privacy Policy, Standard  
Contractual Clauses, Cookies and responses  
to GDPR queries and other information often  
exam related. This involved working with  
lawyers in the US, UK and Germany.  
• Migration of Email Server/ Mail Service provider  
to support Part III enhancements, including  
the migration from Go to Meeting to Microsoft  
Teams to integrate translators.  
A presentation on APSCA’s Governance  
activities was held as part of the 2022  
Annual Update, with a recording available  
via this link.  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
15  
 
STRATEGIC  
PILLAR  
FUTURE PROOFING  
EXAMS  
The Exam Team worked with Members to  
successfully complete more than 4,900 exams.  
Measures to further support Member Auditors  
included:  
• Launched Part I and II Practice Exams, resulting  
in increased pass rates.  
• Reviewed all pre- and post-exam material, with  
a focus on simplification to enable Auditors to  
easily work their way through the exam process.  
This included:  
o One page document highlighting the  
exam process, from booking to testing of  
equipment, preparing and completing the  
exam, inclusive of supporting documentation.  
“It is one thing to know your stuff and be a  
good Auditor and another to be exam ready  
to manage information responses and time  
management.”  
o Document to explain exam results.  
o Enhanced feedback across all exam parts.  
“Challenged to pass their exams, the Auditors  
were provided with extensive support,  
coaching and mentoring from other CSCAs  
to understand, assess and overcome key  
requirements and gain key learnings from  
multiple sources.“  
• Enhanced Auditor Handbook and Competency  
Framework.  
• Calibration sessions with Part III interviewers.  
• Part III Exam: use of a third party translation  
company, Languageline, including identification  
of independent translators to support where  
Languageline capability is low or inadequate.  
“Online modules and learning materials also  
greatly benefited their learning process.”  
• Produced podcasts and enhancements to the  
Resource library.  
“Having our Auditors go through the APSCA  
exam was a great exercise for our audit firm.  
We were able to identify gaps in the Auditor’s  
knowledge and take immediate action to  
provide more bespoke training.“  
Further advice and tips on the exams is available on  
the APSCA website. A presentation on the APSCA’s  
exam activities was held as part of the 2022 Annual  
Update, with a recording available.  
“As a consequence we noticed that the quality  
of audits improved as well.”  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
16  
 
FUTURE PROOFING (cont.)  
Disciplinary Board  
for Member Auditor  
Sanctions 2022  
ETHICS  
Ethics and Integrity is a vital part in achieving  
our mission of enhancing the credibility and  
professionalism of social compliance auditors and in  
raising our status globally as the leading organization  
for independent social compliance audits.  
14 REVOCATIONS  
The Ethics team worked throughout the year to  
improve case processing times, enhance policies and  
frameworks and build new guidance documents to  
better assist Members.  
5
SUSPENSIONS  
Other activities included participating in initiatives to  
improve data information sharing with collaborative  
programs to allow more visibility and help  
professionalize the industry.  
ꢂ WARNING  
The Ethics team also enhanced its communication  
output to keep Members and Stakeholders informed  
of trends, updates, and outcomes of the disciplinary  
process.  
5 UNSUBSTANTIATED  
PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT  
Consistent with its Mission of increasing the credibility  
of the profession and APSCA Members, APSCA has  
the authority to enforce its Code and Standards  
of Professional Conduct through our Disciplinary  
Process.  
Substantiation rate  
This includes disciplining Member Auditors who  
violate the provision of these documents. These  
Disciplinary Procedures describe the processes for  
enforcing the Code with respect to Member Auditors,  
and the bodies authorized to do so.  
DBMA meetings  
8
A presentation on APSCA’s Ethics activities  
was held as part of the 2022 Annual Update,  
with a recording available via this link.  
Cases heard in ꢀꢁꢀꢀ  
2
5
Substantiated  
2
0
(
a
t
B
o
a
r
d
l
e
v
e
l
)
Unsubstantiated  
(at Board level)  
5
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
17  
FUTURE PROOFING (cont.)  
VALIDATION  
APSCA supported CPD throughout 2022, releasing  
a policy regarding Training and Training providers  
in May 2022 with a phased implementation over  
the balance of the calendar year. The APSCA team  
recognized over 175 courses in 2022, to enable easier  
reporting for Member Auditors and to provide support  
in identifying training that was already identified as  
relevant to APSCA CPD.  
Continuous Professional Development (CPD) -  
the ongoing development and maintenance of  
Social Compliance Audit skills and competencies  
for Auditors who have reached their CSCA level  
or maintained their RA level – became mandatory  
in 2022.  
The CPD policy was released in early 2021, giving  
Members time to plan, prepare and train.  
The APSCA Annual Meeting of Members and  
Stakeholders (AMM) in December 2022 included  
several panels which covered emerging issues and  
were eligible for up to six (6) hours of CPD.  
This was reflected in the huge volume of CPD hours  
completed:  
An additional four (4) hour side session was available  
to Member Auditors to receive introductory  
training on the OECD Due Diligence Guidance  
for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from  
world class experts on this topic, TDI Sustainability,  
sponsored by the London Metal Exchange (LME).  
41,000 +  
approved Auditor CPD records  
in the data system for 2022  
19,400 +  
For APSCA, being able to offer CPD to our Member  
Auditors was at the forefront of the AMM Event  
planning, with every session available hybrid and  
recorded to include those unable to participate in  
real-time to benefit from the sessions and earn CPD  
hours as applicable. Over 1,400 registered participants  
across the sessions were eligible to receive CPD for  
attending the sessions either in-person, online or later  
on-demand.  
Recognized Training Course  
completions (attendees)  
12,500 +  
Independent Submission  
Training Course completions  
In December 2022, recordings of these sessions were  
added to APSCA’s pilot CPD On Demand Project,  
enabling participants who were unable to participate  
in the AMM to sign up and access the AMM materials  
and gain CPD training and credit hours.  
9,130 +  
(varying from 8-32 hours each)  
onsite audit records  
Following the review of 2021 CPD entries and  
feedback from Members, enhanced guidance was  
released in June 2022 identifying additional ways in  
which the work of advanced Member Auditors could  
be identified as CPD relevant. These included:  
o Developing & delivering training.  
o Mentoring peers during onsite audits.  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
18  
STRATEGIC  
PILLAR  
IDENTITY  
Communications is key to all of APSCA’s activities,  
supporting our expansion in reach and influence both  
internally and externally.  
APSCA continued to expand our communications  
activities, further supporting efforts to professionalize  
and raise the global standing of independent social  
compliance auditors.  
Key highlights for ꢀꢁꢀꢀ included:  
COMMUNICATION GROWTH  
• Newsletter audience expanded to more than  
4,ꢁꢁꢁ subscribers.  
• Social media audiences reached nearly 7,ꢁꢁꢁ  
people across APSCA platforms (LinkedIn, Twitter,  
YouTube).  
• Website traffic continues to grow, with a 25%  
increase in monthly users over a six-month period.  
LAUNCHED  
• Quarterly Auditor Bulletin.  
• APSCA podcast series.  
• Expanded website content, including new and  
informative articles.  
ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS  
AND STAKEHOLDERS (AMM)  
COMMUNICATION STRATEGY  
APSCA undertook with external consultants a review  
of our communication strategy, including a brand  
audit of positioning, capability statements, identity and  
audience engagement. Findings from this review will  
guide APSCA’s communications strategy in 2023 and  
beyond, with a focus of ensuring our communication  
reaches our key audiences, both internal and external.  
The 2022 AMM was successfully  
conducted as our first hybrid event,  
enhancing APSCA’s reach through  
numerous opportunities for  
networking, Member engagement  
and education and interested party  
participation (refer AMM – Page 22).  
Among the feedback received, email communication  
is the preferred means of engagement with the  
APSCA organization and therefore will continue to be  
a focus, among other communication channels.  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
19  
 
CASE STUDY:  
IDENTIFYING  
FORCED LABOR  
Independent social compliance audits are  
a proven method of improving workplace  
conditions globally. An APSCA audit in Thailand  
helped uncover forced labor at a factory  
employing more than 1,200 workers – yet  
another example of how APSCA is driving  
positive social change.  
Yet although these too are typical forms of  
forced labor, it is not the only way this issue  
presents itself in our modern world.  
This discovery in Thailand was a huge  
achievement and a giant leap forward in  
recognizing and preventing instances of forced  
labor in a contemporary context.  
‘Forced labor’ is not a term thrown around lightly  
in our industry, and importantly, it is one that  
requires greater attention and concern in the  
modern world. Many would assume that forced  
labor is something from the distant past that  
existed before we understood the full scope of  
workers’ rights and what constitutes inhumane  
workplace practices.  
Without the expertise of APSCA-certified  
Auditors, and without the support of  
collaborative programs, like amfori, that utilize  
these qualified Auditors, issues such as this  
uncovered in Thailand will continue to violate  
the rights of workers globally.  
In this case, there is now an informal agreement  
in place that outlines the plan for remediation  
and repayment of fees back to the workers,  
representing a massive win for the social  
compliance industry and the workers exposed to  
this incident.  
However, this is simply not the case.  
The International Labor Organization (ILO) reports  
that in 2021, 28 million people worldwide were  
subject to forced labor. These issues are not  
exclusive to any one region but involve the same  
violation of human rights wherever they occur.  
A recent case in a Thailand factory revealed more  
than 1,200 workers were being forced to pay  
recruitment fees to gain work, a classic example  
of forced labor in a modern context. The fees  
paid by workers totaled 7.4 million Thai Baht, or  
around US$195,000. This case of forced labor  
was discovered by an APSCA-certified Auditor  
on behalf of amfori, the leading global business  
association for open and sustainable trade.  
APSCA is striving toward safer  
work environments, and ultimately  
creating the world we all want to  
work in.  
Thanks to the hard work being  
performed by APSCA-certified  
Social Compliance Auditors, who  
employ their knowledge and  
integrity, forced labor is now being  
For many, such an incident may be  
unrecognizable as forced labor, as history may  
have us believe that forced labor is a concept  
mutually exclusive with actions like human  
trafficking or exploitation.  
recognized in all its forms.  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
20  
 
ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS  
& STAKEHOLDERS (AMM) AND  
ANNUAL APSCA TEAM UPDATES  
The 2022 Annual Updates with Live Q&A were  
a series of online-only, live question-and-answer  
sessions held on November 29 and 30, 2022.  
Registrants were provided in advance with five  
recorded presentations from APSCA team leads  
across topics including Exams, Ethics, Membership,  
Governance & IT, Continuous Professional  
Development (CPD) & Training.  
An impressive number of ꢃ89 people registered  
across six sessions, with over 2ꢃ0 questions  
submitted during the live sessions. Over 5ꢄ% of  
participants watched the pre-recorded sessions in  
advance of the live sessions.  
Participants were able to watch the videos in their  
own time and then join the live Q&A sessions on  
topics where they had further questions. The Q&A  
sessions ranged from 30 to 60 minutes across  
varying time slots to allow our global audience to  
engage in their own time zone. These sessions were  
also recorded with a summary of questions shared.  
Main topics discussed during live Q&A sessions  
APSCA  
The pre-recorded presentations are available via the APSCA website.  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
21  
 
AMM  
APSCA’s Annual Meeting for Members and  
A special thanks to Martine Croxall, BBC News  
Stakeholders (AMM), entitled “Transforming the Future presenter, for her keynote on public trust and how this  
of Social Auditing,” was held from December 6-9 in  
Cologne, Germany, hosted by TUV Rheinland.  
impacts on the BBC.  
Martine then moderated our first panel of the  
day on freely chosen employment, which had  
representatives from APSCA’s Member Auditor  
community comprising Melisa Cerizza (ARCHE),  
Laura Greene (ILO), Philip Hunter (IOM), Carolyn Kitto  
(Be Slavery Free) and Mike McDonnell (Intel).  
On Tuesday, December 6, APSCA facilitated two  
panels at the art’otel Cologne.  
The first panel, which focused on the evolving  
landscape surrounding APSCA’s work toward  
enhancing the credibility of the social compliance  
profession, was moderated by Avedis Seferian  
(WRAP) and included Greg Gardner, (ARCHE)  
Linda Kromjong (amfori), Therese Randazzo  
(US CBP) and Luis Rodrigo. (IOE)  
APSCA chair Avedis Seferian moderated a panel on  
pending legislation with panelist Therese Randazzo,  
who is the director of forced labor with US CBP,  
together with Reinhard Bier of TUV Rheinland and  
Luis Rodrigo from IOE.  
The second panel, “Why use APSCA Members”  
featured a discussion with collaborative programs that The December 8 program finished with a panel  
support APSCA and the use of APSCA Auditors. This representing the APSCA Executive Board presenting  
panel was moderated by Rona Starr (APSCA President the ‘2023 and Beyond Strategy’. The new strategy is  
& CEO), and included Avedis Seferian (WRAP),  
Linda Kromjong (amfori), Carole Hommey (ICS) and  
Janet Mensink (SLCP).  
focused on three pillars, comprising Professionalism,  
Future Proofing and Identity. This strategy was  
developed and approved by APSCA’s Executive  
Board, serving as the key guide for APSCA’s  
continued professionalization.  
On Thursday, December 8, participants were  
welcomed by Frank Dorssers, Senior Vice President,  
Global Field Manager System, Customized  
Services and APSCA Executive Board Member  
B Representative, followed by Dr Michael Fubi,  
Executive Chair of TUV Rheinland who offered  
inspiring words connecting the APSCA mission to the  
TUV’s own work in this space.  
This panel was moderated by our President and CEO,  
Rona Starr, with special thanks to Avedis Seferian,  
Frank Dorssers and Greg Gardner, all Executive  
Board Members, for supporting this panel and to the  
participants for the numerous questions submitted.  
In-person participants at Annual Meeting of Members & Stakeholders December 2022  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
22  
 
The session was overwhelmingly well received, with  
over 990 registrants on the final day of our AMM.  
Session within a Session – Auditor Training  
On the last day of the event, December 9, APSCA  
facilitated a four-hour session focused on introducing  
APSCA Auditors to a complimentary area of audit  
to support the expansion of due diligence in the  
minerals sector.  
APSCA received a tremendous number of questions  
across all days of the AMM and all panels. Recordings  
for the sessions are available to registered users  
through Swoogo. Auditors who did not register or  
attend but would like to earn CPD can gain access to  
the recordings via the website.  
The training session, “Auditor Training – OECD Due  
Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of  
Minerals,” was introduced by Hannah Koep-Andrieu,  
Head of Due Diligence, OECD Centre for Responsible  
Conduct and Nicole Hanson, Responsible Sourcing  
Manager at the London Metal Exchange (LME).  
APSCA C Member Meet and Greet Session  
In December 2022, APSCA held its first ever  
C Member Meet and Greet Session, a networking  
event held in Cologne, Germany aimed at enabling  
C Member in-person attendees to connect.  
It aimed to allow Auditors to learn best practice  
auditing for standards that incorporate OECD Due  
Diligence Guidance for the minerals sector. The  
purpose was to start increasing the quantity and  
quality of Auditors for this sector and learn from  
industry experts with extensive OECD Guidance  
auditing experience.  
The event was attended by EB Members Jon White  
(C Member Firm Rep), OMEGA Compliance and Greg  
Gardner (B/C Member Firm Rep) ARCHE Advisors.  
The training, conducted by TDI Sustainability’s  
Julija Menise, Senior Vice President and  
Jeannette Greven, Sustainability Consultant,  
was suitable for Auditors with little or no minerals  
experience.  
Demand for OECD Guidance audits will be high in  
coming years, especially since 53% of LME listed  
brands are planning to be audited across different  
mineral standards. The training was not tailored to  
one specific standard but aimed to be cross-cutting  
across multiple standards, with the common thread  
being the OECD Due Diligence Guidance.  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
23  
EVENT  
FEEDBACK  
NOVEMBER 2022 ANNUAL  
ANNUAL MEETING  
UPDATE – FEEDBACK  
OF MEMBERS AND  
STAKEHOLDERS – FEEDBACK  
APSCA surveyed attendees of the November 2022  
Annual Update, a live Q&A event conducted online  
for the benefit of Members.  
APSCA surveyed AMM participants who noted:  
Some of the survey feedback included: .  
“Stakeholder engagement was  
participatory and discussion of  
high officials from brands, APSCA  
and other stakeholders made clear  
that professional social compliance  
Auditors will be more credentialed  
globally. This is the time for  
“It was easy to join – the relevant  
issues were explained well.”  
“The speakers delivered the topic in  
an understanding format.”  
“Useful information related to new  
developments in important issues.”  
social compliance Auditors to get  
recognized worldwide.”  
“Helpful to hear emerging issues  
that are impacting our profession  
direct from experts.”  
“Updates of the industry and  
legislation were very informative.  
The OECD training and forced labor  
panel were very helpful as well.”  
“Very easy process for registration,  
clearly stated plan for each session -  
I was able to plan and combine with  
my other activities accurately.”  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
24  
 
2023  
OUTLOOK  
APSCA anticipates ongoing growth in its  
activities and membership in 2023 as part of  
the continued professionalization of social  
compliance auditing. Our focus remains  
on providing all possible assistance to our  
Members, as we work together to advance  
workplace conditions globally.  
New restrictions on imports of goods made  
from child or forced labor are also growing  
in the United States and countries such as  
Australia, Canada and Mexico. Additionally,  
a pathway has been set out in the European  
Union for similar restrictions, including goods  
moving between EU member states.  
The need for independent social compliance  
auditors has never been greater. We are  
seeing real opportunities and challenges on  
the horizon for us, both as Social Audit Firms  
and Auditors.  
The implications of EHRDD on business are  
discussed by Brent Wilton in his recent article  
(available here on APSCA’s website).  
This regulatory trend will only continue, and  
we are well placed to assist companies in  
this emerging space. We will need new skills  
and innovative solutions to help companies  
reach the very bottom of their supply chains.  
That innovation lies within APSCA.  
Clients are now turning their minds to  
incorporating our work into the new  
environmental and human rights due  
diligence (EHRDD) requirements emerging in  
countries such as Japan, France, Germany, the  
Netherlands and within the wider European  
Union with its pending directive.  
APSCA Annual Report - 2022  
25  
 
TRANSFORMING  
THE FUTURE OF  
SOCIAL AUDITING  
2022  
Annual Report  
theapsca.org