APSCA Newsletter - November 2018

During November, the CSCA Exam (Part 1) Soft Launch reflected the culmination of an extensive development and piloting program. The exam is considered a significant milestone in the realization of our mission and will reinforce competencies considered critical to the function of a Social Compliance Auditor.

We are also excited to introduce Kelly-Jo Potts as our Member Services Manager.  As our Member base continues to grow, Kelly-Jo's diverse industry experience will further strengthen delivery of APSCA's services in support of our Auditors and Audit Firms.

During our upcoming AGM we look forward to reflecting on a positive year and sharing with you, our vision for 2019 and beyond: "Building credibility, promoting trust"

​APSCA Member Firm Applications
The Member Firm Application process was released to those firms who have previously contacted APSCA enquiring about membership at the end of October.  Details, including the Application Form and costs, will be posted on our website after our Annual General Meeting in December.
CSCA Exam Part 1 – Soft Launch 22 – 24 November
The CSCA examination is recognized as a critical means to enhance the credibility of our Member Auditors. The examination has been in development for some 12-months with recent optimization through piloting. During November we held the first scaled launch; 103 Auditors from 39 of our Member Firms participated in the event with 87 successfully completing the exam.
 
Discover the development of the CSCA Exam from pilot to launch!​

The full launch is scheduled to begin 17 December 2018 and many of our Member Auditors already scheduling their on-line exam.

Our monthly newsletter now reaches over 1,500 subscribers each month! We encourage our Member Firms to have their auditors subscribe to APSCA's newsletter to stay up to date here. Further, if you have a friend or colleague that may be interested in APSCA please share this newsletter with them via the link below.
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APSCA Member Services Manager
APSCA would like to announce that Kelly-Jo Potts has joined the APSCA Team as the Member Services Manager.

Kelly-Jo Potts is a corporate social responsibility (CSR)/social compliance and marketing professional who has worked with businesses, service providers, and stakeholders to drive safer and improved working conditions for supply chain workers, globally. With over 9 years in a variety of CSR and marketing roles in London and Los Angeles, Kelly-Jo understands the challenges and opportunities in social compliance.  Prior to joining APSCA, she spent the last couple of years engaging independently with various organizations including helping manage and support social compliance, worker well-being, and sustainability related projects for clients, some of which include, the Social & Labor Convergence Project, The Economist Intelligence Unit, MANAUS Consulting, and Fortune 500 companies.

Kelly-Jo is fluent in Spanish and English and holds a BA in political science with a minor in Spanish from Saint Mary's College of Moraga, California.Kelly-Jo will manage activities associated with the onboarding of new members (Firms and Auditors) and CSCA exam enrollments.  

Please join us as we wish Kelly-Jo a warm welcome to the team!  Kelly-Jo’s contact email is Kellyjo.potts@theapsca.org

​APSCA Annual General Meeting
APSCA will be hosting our 2018 Annual General Meeting on 4 December in Hong Kong – we are excited to have more than 125 registered participants.  We would welcome all interested parties to hear of our 2018 successes and plans for 2019 and beyond.  Participation by Members (Firms and Auditors) is voluntary and is open to all interested parties.

Venue:  Holiday Inn Golden Mile
               50 Nathan Road
               Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Date:    4 December 2018
Time:    1300 - 1600
Cost:      Nil

Download the agenda here.

​Intertek - Ethical Sourcing Forum New York City 

Intertek hosted a half-day roundtable discussion with industry experts around some of the critical issues in the supply chain. Topics discussed included:

• Actions and learnings from expansion into in-depth Modern Slavery and Forced Labor issues in the supply chain 
• Ways in which companies are successfully launching Mutual Acceptance Recognition Programs 
• Updates from APSCA and other industry insights

From Left: Avedis Seferian (WRAP President & CEO and APSCA Executive Board Chair), Betty Kluchinsky (The Walt Disney Company), Brian Kramer (PepsiCo), Christian Ewert (amfori\BSCI).

From Left:  Rachelle Jackson (Arche Advisors), Ross Nova (LL Bean), Kenneth Kennedy (Homeland Security Investigations Forced Labor Program).