Capacity Building
We help clients move through stages of capacity building, from one-way awareness and insight, to more dynamic two-way information sharing, and progressively through a change management process to authentic supplier ownership and empowerment. Capacity Building tools include virtual and in-person training, factory consulting, worker engagement and digital learning.
Factory Engagement: Our factory engagement approach addresses the root causes of performance gaps in a lasting way by demonstrating the linkage between business and social performance. The action-oriented approach starts with a performance diagnostic covering six key areas: Workforce Management, Production Management, Quality Management, Compensation, EHS, and Management Attitude. From there, our consultants take the factory through an action planning process that includes on-site training, monthly KPI tracking, remote mentoring and worker surveys to measure impact.
Worker Engagement: Retailers and brands traditionally rely on compliance tools that provide a snapshot in time. Today, news travels faster than ever. Workers are using technology to expose working conditions, often making global headlines. Brands need more timely insight to detect issues before they become a larger challenge and to minimize supply chain disruption.
At the same time, suppliers face increased expectations from buyers when it comes to compliance and human rights. Audits alone do not offer suppliers the means to improve business and social performance in a lasting way. Suppliers need better insights to support workplace management to improve staff retention, increase employee morale and productivity, and enhance communications between workers and supervisors.
ELEVATE is a pioneer in supporting buyers and suppliers to use technology-supported worker engagement. Our Worker Engagement tools reach over 5 million workers at thousands of workplaces in over 30 countries. In 2017, ELEVATE acquired the award-winning Laborlink technology. In 2018, we created the industry’s first Integrated Assessment providing workers an anonymous feedback channel as part of the audit process. And in 2020, we acquired WorkerApp, developed by Fung Academy to support factories with 365-day worker engagement via survey, feedback and dynamic training content. ELEVATE’s Worker Engagement services increase visibility to risk, improve compliance, and enhance workforce management to reduce vulnerability and increase well-being.
Digital Learning: ELEVATE Digital Learning provides an innovative and scalable approach for delivering social and environmental performance training to factories, farms, vendors and brands. Our eLearning courses are multi-lingual and use fully animated video and interactive exercises, moving beyond typical click-and-read style online training. Programs are administered through EiQ Learn, our learning management system (LMS), or client-managed systems. Over 1 million ELEVATE eLearning courses have been completed by learners around the world. Find out more here.