This article answers common questions about the Converged Assessment Framework (CAF).
General
- What is the Converged Assessment Framework (CAF)?
- How does the CAF help my facility?
- What are the three parts of the CAF?
- How often is the CAF updated?
- Does the CAF provide a score or certificate?
Data Collection Tool
- What is the SLCP definition for "workers" in Tool questions?
- What are "applicable legal requirements"?
General
What is the Converged Assessment Framework (CAF)?
The Converged Assessment Framework (CAF) is a standardized framework developed by SLCP, together with industry stakeholders, to reduce duplicate social audits and improve the quality, consistency, and comparability of social and labor data across global supply chains. It provides a standardized way to collect foundational social and labor data with no scoring. Facilities collect the data once, have it verified through the SLCP process, and can then share the verified data with multiple business partners. This helps reduce audit fatigue while providing credible and actionable data to support Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) and other social compliance programs.
How does the CAF help my facility?
The main goal of the CAF is to reduce audit fatigue. This means facility may spend less time and money on repetitive audits. By using one standard framework, facility can provide credible and actionable data to all your business partners at once.
What are the three parts of the CAF?
The CAF is made of three important elements that work together:
- Data Collection Tool: The set of questions the facility answers about its working conditions. Find more information about Data Collection Tool in this article.
- Verification Protocol: The rules that Verifiers follow to make sure the data is accurate. Find more information about the Protocol in this article.
- Verifier Guidance: The instructions that help Verifiers complete their work consistently. Find more information about the Guidance here.
How often is the CAF updated?
The CAF is updated regularly to stay aligned with international labour standards and national laws, and in general these updates happen every 1-2 years in consultation with SLCP signatories and other stakeholders. For more information about CAF in general you can read this article. In case you want to know more about the current version of CAF, please visit this article.
Does the CAF provide a score or certificate?
No, SLCP and the CAF do not provide a score, grade, or certificate. However, CAF data will indicate whether facility had any legal non-compliances during the verification. These are not scored nor graded but are documented in the SLCP report as Verifier finding. Within the context of SLCP, a non-compliance means that the facility is not in compliance with either national legislation or international labor standards (such as for instance ILO Conventions). For more information see question What are "applicable legal requirements"?.
Data Collection Tool
What is the SLCP definition for "workers" in Tool questions?
When referring to "worker(s)" in the Data Collection Tool we are talking about:
- People working on/with the facility’s product or directly involved in the operations of the facility. Those involved in production of goods, and those involved in operations related to the product (e.g. distribution) are included.
- Workers do not have a supervisory role, meaning they do not have direct or indirect reports
- Some examples of what’s considered as "workers": cutters, sewers, Quality Control workers, packers, etc. (all workers who contribute to producing the product), boiler workers, mechanics (machine repair persons), and workers who load product onto trucks.
What are "applicable legal requirements"?
Applicable legal requirements are the laws and standards that facilities and Verifiers must consult when answering any Tool question that references the law, such as questions using the phrases "in line with legal requirements" or "legally required."
Applicable legal requirements include four main sources:
1. ILO Core Conventions
The ILO Core Conventions provide the baseline for determining compliance with fundamental rights at work. They cover four key areas:
- Child labor (C138 and C182)
- Discrimination (C100 and C111)
- Forced labor (C29 and C105)
- Freedom of association and collective bargaining (C87 and C98)
You can find all ILO Core Conventions here.
2. Other ILO conventions in force in the country in question
Depending on a country's legal system, the provisions of ratified conventions may need to be incorporated into national legislation to be in force. You can find these conventions here.
3. National laws and regulations
The laws and regulations that apply in the jurisdiction in question. You can find these here.
4. Collective Bargaining Agreements
Collective Bargaining Agreements apply where the provision in question is at least as favourable for workers as the relevant legal requirements.
If there are no applicable legal requirements for a specific question, consult the "More Info" section in the Tool for guidance on how to proceed. For countries where the Law Overlay is available, applicable legal requirements are already set out for you. Find more information about the Law Overlay in the dedicated support article.