social@risk - a tool for responsible sourcing

Purpose and goal

Labour- and other human rights violations are endemic to production in global supply chains. Recent policy reports and academic research come to the conclusion that the prevailing auditing system is insufficient to address related social and environmental risks. Globalworks developed a new approach to detect rights violations and measure social risks. Our system, social@risk, screens social media, extracts information on grievances, and identifies rights violations. In 2017 Globalworks calibrated social@risk together with pilot clients.

Expected results and effects

Globalworks conducted fifteen test cases; eleven in the garment industry and four in the electronics sector. We benchmarked our results against the backdrop of internal auditing protocols, investigative reports, and open access databases. From the benchmarking exercises and client feedback we concluded that our system provides new information, and more detailed information. The next step is to develop social@risk into a system that continuously monitors social media for grievances in various risk countries and sectors.

Planned approach and implementation

Globalworks worked together with VAUDE, a leading outdoor sports brand. Globalworks screened all Chinese factories supplying VAUDE and identified a series of previously unknown social risks. In addition we calibrated social@risk as a tool for public procurement. In this context we collaborated with the national coordinator for social responsibility in public procurement, Kammarkollegiet, and the public procurement authority (upphandlingsmyndigheten). We delivered a comprehensive report on social risks at four Dell suppliers in China.