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Transparency in the Supply Chain Project News
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01-Feb-2008 |
Transparency in the supply chain project half way |
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The midterm conference on 1 February, 2008 marked the completion of the first year of the GRI/GTZ Transparency in the Supply Chain Project. Ten out of twelve participating suppliers completed their sustainability reports and six joined their clients, the trainers and GRI representatives at GTZ Headquarters in Eschborn, Germany to discuss the experiences of 2007 and to look forward to the future. It was an opportunity to exchange ideas and a chance for the suppliers to personally hand a copy of their reports to their clients.
To read about the background of the GRI/GTZ Transparency in the Supply Chain project, go here.
The two-year project has been divided into two halves, with the first half focusing on training and the creation of reports by the suppliers and the second half focusing on gathering feedback. The lessons of the project will be consolidated into a publication to support and promote reporting in the supply chain. The midterm conference was the first opportunity for representatives of all the different types of contributors to the project to talk. The outcomes of the conference will find their way into the project resource document, a study of supply chain reporting which will be presented at the Amsterdam Global Conference on Transparency and Sustainability in May 2008.
The MNEs (the clients) did not necessarily expect reports as an outcome of the project and were positively surprised by the number and quality of the reports. The main focus of the MNEs in this project was to convey the relevance of sustainability issues to the suppliers, raise awareness, and get a better insight into the supply chain. They hoped to see enhanced sustainability management in the suppliers. Reporting has proven to be a catalyst for sustainability management.
Most suppliers had no idea what to expect from the project when they started. They have found their own value in reporting, but it showed that the client/supplier relationship is important in stimulating suppliers to take up reporting. The stimulus by MNEs for suppliers to start reporting proved an important first incentive. However, relatively soon most suppliers came to understand that the practice of understanding CSR and CSR requirements of MNEs and measuring impacts, as well as reporting is something that is beneficial for their own organization beyond what it means for their relationship with their clients and/or MNE partners in this project.
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01-Feb-2008 |
10 SME reports ready |
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The first year of the project could be successfully closed on the eve of the midterm conference with 10 reports by the suppliers in the various regions. There where two reports from Daimler suppliers in India, Varroc Engineering plant VII and Victor Gaskets, three reports from Otto Group suppliers, Art on Stitch, Shunde Hengfa Knitting Garment Company, Topkapi Iplik, two from Puma suppliers Impahla and Vimal Clothing and three reports from the Telefònica suppliers in Chile, Interplus, Newpost and Sinstel.
The finalized reports can be downloaded here. Should a report be missing, please send it to wiemer@globalreporting.org in PDF format and no larger than 5MB. |
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02-Oct-2007 |
Mid-term Conference date confirmed |
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The GRI/GTZ project’s mid-term conference will be hosted by GTZ in Eschborn, Germany, on Friday the 1st of February.
It was decided to postpone the conference from its original December schedule in order to ensure all the reports in the projects are rounded off in time.
The conference will be open to all interested parties. It will be an opportunity to discuss the suppliers reports produced in 2007 and discuss reporting in the supply chain. The conference outcomes will contribute to the project resource document, the compilation of learning and feedback on the project.
A detailed agenda and schedule will be released within the next few weeks.
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21-Aug-2007 |
Steering Committee Meeting date confirmed |
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The second steering committee meeting for the GRI/GTZ project will be on the 20 November 2007. It will be hosted by GTZ in Berlin, Germany. The meeting will focus on the upcoming mid-term conference the 1st of February and the expectations for 2008.
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21-Aug-2007 |
Workshop with Puma Suppliers in South Africa |
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Puma South Africa hosted the first South African project workshop for three of its suppliers on the 18 - 19 July. During the first day of the workshop the suppliers were provided with a background to the project and introduced to the main concepts involved in sustainability reporting.
Day two consisted of a highly interactive session with participation from the suppliers, the Puma South Africa representative, consultants and the GRI representative.
The workshop helped suppliers to acknowledge the benefits they could realize for their companies through sustainability reporting, especially when supported by the regional consultant in the context of the project.
The South Africa workshop was the final first-round workshop in the wider project. In each case the general training methodology was adapted to suit the various regional contexts.
The workshops have been successful in disseminating
information and furthering understanding about sustainability issues. Furthermore, they have provided a basis for understanding the challenges faced by suppliers and their reporting needs. Hopefully this will provide them with a firm foundation as they begin the reporting process.
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20-Jul-2007 |
Workshops in Chile |
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To date two project workshops have been held at the Telefònica head office in Santiago, Chile. In the first, the three participating suppliers came together and were introduced to the concept of sustainability reporting. The importance of reporting was emphasized by the CEO of Telefònica Chile when he spoke at the event.
The workshop built an understanding of the shared sustainability challenges between the buyer and supplier. Furthermore, it reinforced the importance and role of stakeholder engagement in the process. On going challenges for the business were identified, including ways to link their sustainability impacts to business operations, and obtaining buy-in from the rest of the company.
Overall the results were a step forward, as one of the supplier’s CEOs, Nicolas Kipreos, put it: “At first I was very skeptical about this whole project and our own involvement. Now I am really excited to take part in this project. It is great to learn from a leader in the CSR field such as Telefònica and it is great to see their commitment [the CEO was part of ceremony] and that they will mentor us through the project and treat us equally.”
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All participants together for the first workshop (click for a larger image)
The second workshop began with individual coaching sessions that allowed the consultant and the suppliers to delve into the specifics of each company. Reporting strategies were discussed in the group session that followed.
Commitment was certainly evident among the workshop participants. Two challenges for the companies moving into the reporting period are successful stakeholder engagement and coming to grips with their transparency. The initial results of the companies’ efforts are expected to be ready in time for the third workshop, mid-October. |
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20-Jul-2007 |
Workshop in India |
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Daimler Chrysler (DC) welcomed three of its suppliers to its headquarters in Pune, India for a workshop between the 24 and 25 April.
The first day of the workshop served to provide background to the project and the concept of sustainability. Dr. Kadlaskar, Head of Corporate Affairs and Finance of DC India took the opportunity to present the company's sustainability goals and report to the suppliers.
Roleplaying during the first day (click for a larger image) |
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Through a series of very successful role plays both the suppliers and DC India, gained an appreciation of each other’s perspectives on sustainability issues, as well as further insight into their own. The workshop also led to an increased understanding by DC India of the challenges faced by its suppliers in Pune.
The representatives of these suppliers increasingly appreciate sustainability concerns and two of the three suppliers already have actively engaged stakeholder groups. The challenge now for these workshop participants is to create sufficient buy in from the rest of their companies. It is hoped that DaimlerChrysler will play an active role in carrying out this important process. |
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10-Jul-2007 |
Transparency in the supply chain opinion paper released |
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Please see the main news item here. |
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10-Jul-2007 |
The ENDS Report writes about the GRI/GTZ project |
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