CAF v1.7 includes some essential updates to keep the tool relevant and scalable. Watch our webinar to hear Senior Manager Assessment Data & Quality Susanne Gebauer talk through the new features.
Summary of the key changes in CAF v1.7
| Change | Explanation |
| Numeric data type requirements updated | This change improves data quality by enforcing numeric rules. This means, depending on the question, answers must be entered in a specific format. For example, age must be entered in a whole number and will not allow a decimal. |
| Questions in Step 1 separated and moved to Step 2 | Five questions were moved from Step 1 to Step 2. These relate to a facility implementing practices beyond what is required by law. This makes it clearer if a facility is complying voluntarily, even if they are not required to by law. |
| Question wording updated to more clearly identify non-compliances | Change made so a non-compliance is indicated with something that is not blank. The intent of the question in CAF v1.6 is now the opposite in CAF v1.7. Facilities and Verifiers should be mindful of this change to wording of non-compliances when completing an assessment or verification. |
|
Streamlined flow of questions in the Management Systems section |
These changes make it easier for facilities to fill out the questions and for Verifiers to verify them. The proposed changes do not impact mapping, since the results that each key yielded previously are still the same. The wording to get the same result, however, has been updated. |
| New questions to support Human Rights Due Diligence | 37 keys were added or amended, including the ‘More Info’ column, to capture additional information to align with HRDD frameworks and legislation across five key themes: Grievance Mechanisms, Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement and Worker Involvement, Worker Turnover, Climate Impact on Workers, and Privacy Rights. |
| Verification Protocol Updates | We’ve made changes to the Verification Protocol which will support data quality and include requirements for Verifiers to share SLCP’s emphasis on honest data. There will be more clarity on the existing requirement for the mandatory offsite day for Verifiers to prepare for the verification and write a detailed report. There will also be a requirement for the verification team to support the top three languages spoken by workers in facilities that have to support five or more languages to communicate with workers. |
| Technical enhancements |
SLCP is now available in 44 new countries and the tool will be translated in additional local languages. In future, we will be working closely with Worldly to enable further features that support data content and quality with mandatory narratives, attachments and quality checks. There will be a new role on the Worldly platform as a Quality Assurance Reviewer within the Verifier Body to facilitate report review and completion. There are also changes to improve the facility experience, including the option of verification-only assessments for small facilities undertaking their first SLCP assessment. This will make it simpler and easier for small facilities to complete and SLCP verified assessment, even if they have limited prior experience of social audits. In addition, a new feature enabling facilities to share key and important findings with brands will be introduced. This will allow a facility, by choice, to notify a brand of issues that are identified during the assessment process, rather than waiting until the assessment is completed. Increased controls on the assessment deletion and assessment finalization processes will also be put in place. A facility will be unable to delete an assessment once verification has commenced but will still be able to select an alternate verification body if required. We will also be enforcing a one-month timeframe for facilities to review an assessment before it is finalized. |
Frequently asked questions about the launch of CAF v1.7
Read through our frequently asked questions below. If your question isn’t answered, raise a ticket on the Helpdesk.
If I have already started a CAF v1.6 assessment, how long do I have to complete the verification?
After launch of CAF v1.7, facilities have six months to complete the assessment and verification processes and finalize their CAF v1.6 assessments. This means by 10 October 2025, all CAF v1.6 assessments must be finalized. Reminders will be sent to facilities to finalize their v1.6 assessments.
If I have already started v1.6 on Worldly, can I transition to v1.7?
Yes. Worldly will automatically convert any CAF v1.6 assessments that have not been started to CAF v1.7 at the launch date of the new version.
- If you have already purchased FSLM you should make sure to not start your module. If it remains not started at the launch, it will be automatically converted into the new version of the CAF.
- As long as the v1.6 assessment has not been started, there is no cost associated with converting to a v1.7 assessment.
- If you have posted a v1.6 assessment, Worldly will not allow you to convert to v1.7. If you have an active FSLM subscription on Worldly, there will be no cost associated with starting your new FSLM (v1.7). If you do not have an active subscription, you will need to purchase one.
Contact Worldly Helpdesk directly with further questions
What new countries will CAF v1.7 be available in?
Algeria; Angola; Armenia; Bahrain; Belize; Benin; Bolivia; Botswana; Brunei; Cameroon; Chile; Costa Rica; Cyprus; Dominica; Ecuador; Eswatini; Kazakhstan; Kosovo; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Liechtenstein; Luxembourg; Malawi; Malta; Monaco; Mongolia; Mozambique; Namibia; Nepal; New Zealand; Nigeria; Oman; Panama; Papua New Guinea; Paraguay; Qatar; Rwanda; San Marino; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Slovakia; Slovenia; Uruguay; Zambia.
SLCP is available in a growing number of countries/regions. For an up-to-date list of countries/regions where SLCP is currently available, have a look at the Gateway.
What new Languages will CAF v1.7 be available in?
CAF v1.7 is now available in Latin American Spanish, as well as the already existing tool translations of English, Chinese, Turkish and Vietnamese. CAF v1.7 will also soon be available in Italian.
How does CAF v1.7 better align with Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) requirements?
In CAF v1.7, 37 keys were added or amended, including the ‘More Info’ column to capture additional information to align with HRDD frameworks and legislation across five key themes. These were Grievance Mechanisms, Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement and Worker Involvement, Worker Turnover, Climate Impact on Workers, and Privacy Rights.
Some of the changes include requirements for additional information on the person reporting a grievance, the proportion of resolved complaints, and the average length of time to resolve a complaint. In addition, details about number and type of workers interviewed during the assessment have changed, and facilities will provide annual worker turnover numbers (in percentages). New keys were added in CAF v1.7 to address the impact of the climate on workers, addressing requirements for continuously monitoring and maintaining a specific regulated indoor temperature.
Are any costs changing with v1.7?
Yes. As part of the launch of CAF v1.7 and after careful deliberation by the SLCP Board, there will be a $50 increase of SLCP's verification upcharge fee for Verifier Bodies. This brings the total verification upcharge fee to $350 for CAF v1.7 verifications. Verification upcharge fees for CAF v1.6 assessments will remain at $300. See a full breakdown of costs here.
Will the new version of the CAF mean facilities have to answer more questions?
No, not necessarily. Step 1 of CAF v1.7 will have fewer questions than CAF v1.6. Step 2 will have slightly more, and Step 3 just two questions more. It’s important to note that facilities very rarely, if ever, answer the total number of questions available in any Step. Conditionality and modularity of the Data Collection Tool means that the average number of questions answered are as follows:
Step 1: 372
Step 2: 883
Step 3: 995
(Based off completed assessments between Feb 2024 – Feb 2025)
Related FAQs: For more information, check out the related FAQs.