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Databases |
Section 5
Processes of the ICTI CARE FoundationArticle 5.1 – Date CertainAim of the process 5.1.1 The aim of the Date Certain process is to ensure the maximum number of toy factories enter the ICTI CARE Process by requiring their toy brand and retailer clients to commit to a date after which they will only contract product manufactured by factories that are in the ICTI CARE Process as outlined below. Application procedure 5.1.2 To apply for participation in the Date Certain program, a senior officer of the toy brand or retailer needs to fill out a pledge form declaring that it will require that all its suppliers comply with the ICTI Code of Business Practices and the ICTI CARE Process by a specific date.
5.1.4 Application for a Date Certain is covered by the general terms and conditions of the ICTI CARE Foundation1. A clear reference to these terms and conditions must be a part of the pledge form. Date Certain Database 5.1.7 Upon receipt of a correctly completed pledge form, the ICTI CARE Secretariat will add the company or subsidiary to the Date Certain Database on the ICTI CARE website. This listing is mandatory. Use of ICTI CARE Seal of Commitment 5.1.8 Subject to a separate licensing agreement2 between the company and the ICTI CARE Foundation, the company is then entitled to use the ICTI CARE Seal of Commitment in its promotional material including stationary, reports, brochures and websites. This licensing agreement must be signed by both parties before the Seal of Commitment can be used. Scope of commitment 5.1.10 Date Certain companies commit themselves to buy only from factories that are in the ICTI CARE Process and either have a Seal of Compliance or have completed the first audit and have agreed to a Corrective Action Plan to address the identified violations identified, if any. The sourcing commitment naturally applies to countries where the ICTI CARE Process is active. At the same time, the ICTI CARE Foundation encourages all toy brands to make their suppliers in other countries comply with the standards of the ICTI CARE Process. Remediation procedure 5.1.12 Should the ICTI CARE Foundation becomes aware of a Date Certain committed company that is contracting products from a factory that does not have a Seal of Compliance and is not in the ICTI CARE Process, the ICTI CARE Secretariat will contact the Date Certain committed company and request an explanation and its proposal on how it will remedy the situation.
If either of these conditions are not met, the ICTI CARE Foundation reserves the right to remove the Date Certain committed company from the Date Certain Database and request that the company immediately cease using the ICTI CARE Seal of Commitment in any of its public or private materials. Quality Control 5.1.14 The ICTI CARE Foundation will survey all Date Certain companies at least once a year to monitor how these companies are implementing their commitment. The results of the survey will be made available to the Governance Board and may serve as the basis for a Remediation Procedure as outlined above. Article 5.2 – Convergence ProcessAim of the process 5.2.1 The aim of the Convergence Process is to seek formal recognition of the ICTI CARE Process by retailers and other social compliance systems. The use of a unified standard benefits factories, brands, manufacturers, and retailers alike by requiring fewer audits at factory level and fewer sets of rules and procedures to comply with. Types of recognition 5.2.2 The ICTI CARE Foundation recognizes that one size doesn’t fit all and is open towards different types of recognition of the ICTI CARE Process. In general, such recognition can fall into one of four categories.
5.2.3 While different types of recognition may lead to different results, they all represent some degree of convergence and reap some benefits for factories in the ICTI CARE Process. The ICTI CARE Foundation looks for the best possible recognition agreement with retailers and external systems as possible. Legal documentation of recognition agreements 5.2.4 To the extent possible, the Convergence Process must be documented in order to be able to demonstrate the achieved benefits to factories and manufacturers in the ICTI CARE Process. It is the responsibility of the Director of Operations in whose area the retailer or external system is headquartered, or who has been conducting or supervising the convergence process to pursue this written agreement.
Publication of legal documentation 5.2.6 Convergence Process agreements should be listed on the ICTI CARE website as a part of the Convergence Database3. Pilot projects 5.2.8 In some cases and, in particular, with larger retailers or external systems, the President/CEO of the ICTI CARE Foundation can decide to enter into a pilot project with that particular retailer or system to explore the possibility of convergence.
5.2.11 Throughout the pilot project, the responsible contact person of the ICTI CARE Foundation should maintain as close contact as possible with the other party. Disputes 5.2.14 Should disputes between factories and the recognizing retailer or system arise that cannot be solved simply on the basis of the legal documentation, the relevant ICTI CARE Foundation Director of Operations or the President/CEO will contact the parties and try to work out an amicable solution. Article 5.3 – FundraisingAim of the process 5.3.1 The aims of the Fundraising Process are to raise seed financing for the operation of the ICTI CARE Foundation until the process becomes self-sustaining and to ensure buy-in by companies that are a part of the ICTI CARE Process. Use of fundraising 5.3.2 Fundraising is intended only as an interim solution to cover costs of the operation until the process is self-sustainable based on its own revenue model. As the ICTI CARE Process expands into new markets, fundraising may be used during the initial phase to cover the costs of setting up the system in new markets. This does not change, however, the fundamental principle that the process should be able to pay its own way. Donation levels 5.3.3 Donations are categorized in the following levels.
Recognition of donations 5.3.4 It is an important part of the Fundraising process to give appropriate recognition to donors. Different levels of donations will receive different levels of recognition. Legal status of the ICTI CARE Foundation Article 5.4 – BudgetAim of the process 5.4.1 The aim of the budget process is to ensure that the ICTI CARE Foundation has a solid financial underpinning, which enables it to fulfill its mission. Article 5.5 – Governance Board meetingsAim of the process 5.5.1 The Governance Board meets bi-annually to decide on issues of strategy and vision to keep the work of the ICTI CARE Foundation and the ICTI CARE Process moving forward. Article 5.6 – TAB meetingsAim of the process 5.6.1 The Technical Advisory Boards are entrusted with ensuring the technical integrity of the ICTI CARE Process, cover special cases, add/change procedures, etc., including simple day-to-day issues. It serves as a forum for dialogue for the members. Article 5.7 – Revisions of the ICTI Code of Business PracticesAim of the process 5.7.1 The aim of the review and revision processes is to ensure that the ICTI Code reflects business realities and continues to provide a sound basis for the ICTI CARE Process. Initiation of the process 5.7.2 The authority to revise the ICTI Code of Business Practices lies with the ICTI Board or its Executive Committees. The authority to alter elements of the ICTI CARE Process that implements the Code lies with the ICTI CARE Foundation Governance Board. The ICTI Executive Committee can, on recommendation from the Technical Advisory Boards, decide to initiate one of two processes, namely a Organization of the work 5.7.4 The Technical Advisory Boards will among themselves organize the work related to the review or revision as they see fit. A working committee with representatives from all TAB’s should be appointed. Consensus building process 5.7.6 The outcome of a code review or a code revision needs to go through a global consensus-building process, which includes:
Decisions are made on a consensus basis. Each step in the process must have a reasonable comment period of no less than four weeks. Communicating the revised code 5.7.7 The revised code must be posted on the ICTI Website and the ICTI CARE Website.
5.7.9 The related ICTI CARE Code Framework (i.e. Guidance Documents and other documentation) should be updated to implement the changes made to the Code.
Article 5.8 – Revisions of ICTI CARE Code FrameworkAim of the process 5.8.1 The aim of this process is to make sure that the ICTI CARE Code Framework (i.e. the documentation that surrounds the ICTI Code of Business Practices) remains updated to reflect the provisions of the Code and the current practices in the marketplace. Article 5.9 – Complaint handling proceduresAim of the process The ICTI CARE Foundation is committed to handling complaints in an open, transparent, and professional manner. To that effect, procedures have been put in place for handling three different types of complaints.
All complaints must be dealt with in an open and transparent manner and replied to in writing.
1NOTE: Needs to be developed as part of legal documentation – important to keep separate from the terms and conditions of ICTI Asia Ltd. |
Handbook Table of ContentsSection 1 Section 7 |
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