Social Accountability Accreditation Services (SAAS)This page is about previous programs by SAAS. If you are interested in working with SAAS on a program similar to any of the below, contact saas@saasaccreditation.org.
Page Contents:
- SA8000 Auditor Training Provider Accreditation
- Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI)
- GoodWeave International
- Magen Tzedek
- InterAction
SA8000 Auditor Training Provider Accreditation
SAAS has previously offered accreditation services to organizations interested in delivering SA8000 auditing training courses, to support high-quality and consistent training for SA8000 auditors across the system.
About
In order to be qualified to conduct SA8000 audits, auditors must not only be employed by a SAAS-accredited CB, but also complete several stages of training and have a defined experience level. The required training curriculum is developed by SAI and aspiring SA8000 auditors may take the course with SAI directly or through one of our authorized external course providers.
SAAS’s Role
For many years, SAAS monitored course providers that wished to offer the required SA8000 training courses. Authorized course providers had to meet requirements set out in Procedure 250 (no longer available), which specified the curriculum for the five-day (36 hours) training course and established other criteria and methodology the course provider must meet.
Program Status
Beginning in 2020, SAAS ceased their role in authorizing SA8000 course providers and SAI is working to establish a new structure for authorization. Currently, the external course providers that were last authorized by SAAS are still able to offer official SA8000 courses. For a current list, see our Training page.
Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI)
SAAS has previously provided technical assistance and verification to amfori BSCI as a means of promoting workplace conditions that protect the human rights of workers and respect ILO conventions and national labor law. Amfori BSCI is a membership program designed to improve social performance in global supply chains.
About
BSCI is a voluntary system that helps over 2,000 member organizations worldwide monitor and improve social performance in their supply chains by supplying a common Code of Conduct and managing a coordinated audit program.
SAAS’s Role
BSCI has previously contracted SAAS to provide assurance for their auditing system. During this program, SAAS conducted regular office audits of audit companies and shadowed BSCI audits to verify that auditors across their system followed the proper auditing protocols and to gain insight into audit quality.
Goodweave International
SAAS has previously provided technical assistance and helped establish the accreditation system for the GoodWeave certification program, which aims to end child labor in global supply chains. The GoodWeave standard was developed for the handmade carpet industry initially, but has now expanded to apparel, home textiles, fashion jewelry, bricks, and tea.
About
In their certification program, GoodWeave inspects production facilities (including outsourced production, such as home workshops) to verify compliance with their standard—no child labor, no forced/bonded labor, documented and verifiable workplace conditions—and evidence of continuous progress to improve social performance. The GoodWeave label on a product helps consumers make informed purchasing decisions.
SAAS’s Role
GoodWeave has previously contracted SAAS to review their certification program and provide assurance services. SAAS assessed GoodWeave’s certification policies, procedures, and guidelines for alignment with accepted international standards—ISO Guide 65 (General requirements for product certification systems) and ISEAL’s membership requirements—and established an accreditation program that included regular office and shadow audits to ensure a credible, robust, and high-quality system, and to meet the demand for continuous improvement.
Magen Tzedek
SAI and SAAS have previously provided expertise in building socially responsible audit programs to help develop the Magen Tzedek certification program, designed to ensure that certified products were manufactured in a manner consistent with the Jewish tradition of justice and ethics.
About
In 2008, prominent leaders of Conservative Judaism formed a commission to develop a set of ethical standards to certify kosher food manufacturers in the US, resulting in the establishment of the Magen Tzedek Certification program. The cornerstone of this program was the Magen Tzedek Standard, a proprietary set of requirements for food manufacturers that met or exceeded industry best practices for treatment of workers, animals, and the Earth.
The U.S. kosher food industry is an important and significant section of the overall food industry; an estimated 40% of packaged foods in the US have a kosher mark. The Magen Tzedek certification was designed to function as a complement to the traditional Hekhsher kosher seal and to be applicable for a wide range of grocery products, including meat/poultry, dairy, dry grocery, canned/bottled goods, refrigerated/frozen products, and baked goods.
SAI’s Role
SAI and SAAS partnered with the Magen Tzedek Commission from its inception, helping design a sustainable system for certifying products that met the Magen Tzedek Standard. The SAI and SAAS team also worked to design and implement an effective system for verifying that practices are just and sustainable.
InterAction
SAAS has previously worked with InterAction to create, pilot, and manage an assurance system for their Child Sponsorship certification system. The experience InterAction gained through this partnership informed their development of future standards for high quality and highly trustworthy humanitarian services.
About
InterAction works to overcome poverty, exclusion and suffering by advancing social justice and basic dignity for all, with members in over 100 countries. The InterAction Child Sponsorship certification standards aimed to promote confidence that credentialed organizations provided child sponsorship services at the high level associated with the Child Sponsorship Certification standards and methodology.
SAAS’s Role
SAAS, in consultation with the Child Sponsorship Certification Working Group, developed procedures and guidance for a certification and accreditation process in compliance with InterAction’s Private Voluntary Organization (PVO) standard and conducted surveillance audits to monitor continued compliance. The certification program launched in 2004 and resulted in certifications for a number of Child Sponsorship Organizations.
The experience gained during certifications led to clarifications and improvements in InterAction’s standards. After SAAS’s oversight role was complete, the Child Sponsorship organizations continued to implement the program and guidance through a self-assessment and self-evaluation process.
