Building supply chain resilience to social risks across Asia
We work with supply chain businesses to improve HRDD capability
The Ganapati Initiative is dedicated to building resilience to social risks and developing capability of human rights due diligence (HRDD) with supply chain businesses across Asia-Pacific.
The Ganapati Initiative is implemented by Embode,
an independent human rights consulting agency.
The challenge of HRDD in supply chains
While corporations are increasingly in scope of HRDD requirements, how these should be assured and implemented in supply chains is complicated and requires methodological and iterative approaches.
Supply chain businesses are not a monolith. They are incredibly varied in size, age, culture as well as shaped by their national and socio-cultural contexts. Influencing and requiring social change in supply chain businesses is not the same as adapting product specifications or service requirements.
Audit and compliance initiatives are important in setting basic standards. However, they cannot solely be relied upon as HRDD measures. Where a supply chain business continues to have tenacious challenges and are not able to comply, it is usually a sign of a more systems or context-based issue.
What is the Ganapati Initiative?
The Ganapati Initiative is a collaborative supply chain focused programme to advance responsible recruitment and labour standards. The term ‘Ganapati’ is named after the mythological elephant-headed deity, ‘Ganesha’, revered throughout South and Southeast Asia, representing auspicious beginnings and remover of obstacles. The Ganapati Initiative seeks to enable, facilitate, and monitor responsible practices to ensure the experience of work is fulfilling opportunities for workers, their families and for their employers. Ganapati is currently operating across Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore.
Member’s Testimonial
Eric Lim, General Manager at Jebsen & Jessen Packaging
“The Ganapati Initiative helped us enhance our working environment and adopt responsible labour practices, strengthening our partnership with brands.”
Pictures of Our Engagement with Members
Engagement with TS Packaging in Malaysia
Engagement with Inventec in Thailand
What are our objectives?
We seek to monitor and measure the following targets:
Why is the Ganapati Initiative needed?
The Ganapati Initiative takes a systems-building, directly-collaborative approach to strengthening capability in supply chain businesses on standards of responsible recruitment and labour practices. Each supplier is assessed on their own strengths and challenges, following which Embode provides consulting services in a business-specific tailored and targeted way. Technical expertise imparted is fully aligned with international and national HRDD requirements.
How does the Ganapati Initiative work?
The Ganapati Framework sets the core focus area for capability strengthening across fundamental themes (adjusted per country):
1.
Foreign Employment Processes
This does not only involve compliance with national regulations but also of formal frameworks of origin countries.
2.
Recruitment Fees and Costs
The difference between the two are clarified and a standardised approach is taken towards Employer Pays Principle.
3.
Contracting standards
Basic minimum requirements for each worker are assured, such as contract in a language they can understand and terms are explained.
4.
Pre departure and Post arrival Orientation
Supporting worker orientation is effective, working both with the recruitment agencies and the employer organisation.
5.
Working conditions
Covering the fundamentals of pay, payslips and passport safety processes. This should also include access to healthcare.
6.
Living conditions
Including the basics of what workers are entitled to and expect to be safe and able to have a basic standard of living.
7.
Freedom of movement
Including access to transport and access to services, as well as the freedom to return home.
8.
Worker representation
This would include the right to freedom of assembly as well as adequate representation and engagement..
9.
Grievance Mechanisms
Both judicial and non-judicial mechanisms and referral services.
10.
Remediation
How to access internal and independent services to raise grievances.
How do we work with suppliers?
Each supplier participating in the Ganapati Initiative undergoes a 12-month journey across six phases, as follows:
Phase 1: Onboarding
Kick off meeting, confidentiality agreement and project set up.
Phase 2: Needs Assessment
Both a Self-Assessment and On-site assessment.
Phase 3: Collaboratively Agreed Action Plans (CAPPs)
Agreed prioritised focus on areas for strengthening.
Phase 4: Direct coaching and technical support
i.e. Policy development, training etc.
Phase 5: Additional Opt-In resources
Open training sessions, case clinics, partner agencies.
Phase 6: Monitoring, evaluation and data findings
Final reporting and findings.
The Initiative works directly with supply chain businesses to support their systems and processes.
What have we learned so far?
Ganapati Pilot: From 2023 to 2024, the Ganapati Initiative was piloted with support from nine AIM-Progress members. A total of 17 suppliers across Thailand and Malaysia participated in the initiative over 18 months. A summary report of the findings and insights has been published by AIM-Progress, ‘AIMing higher: Driving responsible recruitment practices in supply chains.’
