Sharing resources to reduce the burden of due diligence assessment on suppliers

Joining forces is more powerful than working in silos. So we provide a forum for our members to share and converge their approaches to assessing suppliers.

This helps minimise duplication, costs, and unnecessary use of resources and time. And ultimately, it makes supplier evaluation more effective and efficient for everyone.

A photo of two Asian factory workers – one is in a white uniform handling products, while the other is in a suit jacket with an iPad. A photo of two professional colleagues looking at a computer screen.

We help our member companies optimise their approaches to responsible sourcing programmes, learn from each other and improve as a collective. We:

  • facilitate a discussion forum for supply chain due diligence approaches and supplier assessment tools
  • co-create sharing mechanisms to enable the mutual recognition of supplier assessments, including a framework for the mutual recognition of audits
    help members avoid duplication by sharing pre-competitive information on human rights assessments
  • provide benchmarking and guidance on leading practices for due diligence, notably supplier codes of conduct, which lay out companies’ requirements for doing business with suppliers
Working group

Mutual Recognition Working Group

Members discuss the convergence of supplier assessment tools in this working group. They focus on audit implementation, and the role of audits in the future landscape of tools to tackle human rights and environmental due diligence. The group’s objectives are to:

  • reduce supply chain audit and assessment burdens through mutual recognition
  • promote convergence of evolving supplier assessment approaches
  • build members’ understanding of the changing landscape of supply chain due diligence
  • make the link between purchasing practices and mutual recognition
Working Group

HREDD Convergence Working Group

A dedicated working group is leading a bespoke project, with the support of Proforest and in collaboration with the Consumer Goods Forum, to converge assessment requirements for HREDD management systems in supply chains.

Using pre-existing materials, it aims to recommend a methodology for members and beyond on conducting HREDD assessments to lessen the burden on suppliers.

The timeline for the deliverable is Q4 2024.