CRITERIA

Exploitation of Labour

Freedom of Association & Collective Bargaining

Safe & Hygienic Working Environment

Accommodation

Child Labour

Living Wages To Be Paid

Working Hours Are Not Excessive

No Discrimination

Regular Employment

No Harsh Or Inhumane Treatment

Continual Improvement

General

Code

Law

Assess

Action Plan

Test Run

In order to help steer you through the Toolkit , here is a description of the steps you are going to take to complete your Action Plan.

First choose any criterion from left hand column in order to familiarise yourself with the main issues involved.

1. In order to help you decide whether your organisation is maintaining Sound Sourcing, have a look at the Co-op "Code" that relates with at criterion. You should then get an idea of the sorts of standards that the Co-op expects you to achieve.

2. As the Co-op Code expects legal compliance as the minumimum standard, you need to check that you are complying with your national laws. And just in case you haven't got them to hand, the "Law" pages direct you to where and how you can find them.

3. We suggest you do the next steps with other people (see Assess). You now have to make a judgement about each criteria by using the question / answer "Assess" pages. Dont click 'yes' to everything, as we know that nobody can be that good...and you want to leave yourself room to improve.

4. You will then develop an Action Plan (more) based on each of the criteria. After designating a responsible person, you will set a target. Targets are useful so that everybody can see progress. So these need to be SMART - Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic, Timetabled. You will also spell out when you think the targets can be achieved.

You will be able to find your way around wherever you are by using this graphic, which directs you through the steps for each criterion.

5. Finally you will Submit a Record of your responses to the Co-op. This will involve completing the continual improvement plan.

You will then be well on the way to meeting the Co-operative Sound Sourcing Standards.

Make a start with the first criteria...