One of the key priorities for the Social and Labor Convergence Project (SLCP) is to steer the industry away from duplication of efforts in auditing. Between 90 and 95 per cent of auditing has been found to be homogenous, meaning a waste of time, resources and effort for many firms. A converged assessment will, it is hoped, allow the sizeable resources previously designated for compliance audits to be redirected towards the improvement of social and labor conditions throughout the supply chain.

The convergence offered to companies by the organisation can redirect valuable resources towards capacity-buildings programs, or programs that really make a difference. SLCP, having started out with 33 signatories in October 2015, now has the support of 190 organisations.

Following its successful first phase in China and Sri Lanka, SLCP’s operation will be rolled out to eight new countries. SLCP operates an agnostic framework. Data is gathered and collated without any value judgments being made. The process of applying subsequent analytics, scorings or ratings is left in the hands of those utilising the resource. Major brands doing business in Sri Lanka have committed to adopt this tool for their suppliers.

The SLCP is also transitioning its name from project to program – indicating a level of determination to ensure the longevity of its work. This new moniker will be in place from January 2019.