lab of tomorrow

lab of tomorrow
Explore new business and development
Sustainable garment production in Cambodia
through effective labour inspections
4–6 October, 2016 in Berlin, Germany and
28 November – 2 December, 2016 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
lab of tomorrow
Sustainable garment production in Cambodia through effective labour inspections
GARMENT PRODUCTION IS CAMBODIA’S LARGEST INDUSTRY with goods worth
over US$ 7.5 billion exported in 2015. More than 700,000 garment workers are distributed
among approximately 1100 factories, half of which hold export licenses.
Many of the world’s largest brands produce apparel in Cambodia and are striving to produce
in a sustainable manner. Part of the challenge they face is not knowing which factories
comply with international labour standards.
Although a system employing around 500 inspectors and auditors is in place to inspect and
improve the conditions under which garments are produced, progress in the growing industry
is still very slow. There are diverse reasons for this including that inspectors lack the
necessary resources to conduct effective inspections. Furthermore, factory owners often lack
the knowledge and means to bring about transformative change through the inspections.
The lab of tomorrow will thus focus on creating innovative, business-driven solutions
in the form of prototypes. These will enable relevant actors such as inspectors from
the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, factory owners and international buyers
to contribute to a more sustainable garment production in Cambodia.
Funding will be available for testing and iteration of prototypes in Cambodia. If you feel that
you can contribute to solving this challenge, you should participate!
lab of tomorrow
Sustainable garment production in Cambodia through effective labour inspections
HOW MIGHT WE REDESIGN LABOUR INSPECTIONS SO THAT THEY CONTRIBUTE MORE
EFFECTIVELY TO SUSTAINABLE GARMENT PRODUCTION IN CAMBODIA?
Better Factories
Cambodia (BFC)
Approx. 30+
inspectors
Fragmented system of
labour inspections results
in inspection fatigue
Conducts
unannounced
labour
inspections
Limited enforcement
power to withdraw
licences
International
buyers
and brands
Core Challenges/Problems
Key stakeholders
Limited ability to audit labour
standards → Subcontracted
factories are not exposed to
the same system of labour
inspections
Financial constraints
Lack of technical
equipment and training
Conducts regular
and unannounced
labour inspections
Little coordination and
preparation of inspections
Low reputation/recognition
by factories and brands
Language barriers
as a result of ~90%
foreign, mostly
Chinese factory
ownership
and management
Partially conduct
their own audits
Lack of oversight regarding
factories’ compliance with
intl. and company-specific
standards
Ministry
of Labour and
Vocational Training
(MLVT)
Approx. 400 labour
inspectors
Approx. 600 exporting
garment factories
Approx. 500
subcontracting
non-exporting
garment
factories
Lack of
guidance on how to
implement
improvements
Limited recognition of
inspections as a tool to
improve standards and thereby
increase productivity
No means to track
progress towards
improving labour
standards
Weak link between inspection
results and competitiveness
yields no incentives for
improvement
lab of tomorrow
Sustainable garment production in Cambodia through effective labour inspections
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS INCLUDE:
→ Transferring technology for inspection management, quality management
→ O
ptimisation of value creation and supply chain (e.g. integrating product-specific know-how and demands of the buyers etc.)
→ Development of education and training programmes
POSSIBLE PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE:
Apparel brands
Auditing & system certification specialists
In
Cambodia
Factory owners
overnment representatives
G
(Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training,
Ministry of Commerce)
IT companies (data analytics, tracing,
monitoring GIS systems etc., application
service/mobile solution providers)
Auditors and Inspectors
Supply chain experts
Development organisations
Development organisations
Foundations
Foundations
If you would like to participate or learn more about the lab of tomorrow, feel free to contact us!
[email protected] / +49 30 72614-311
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In
Europe