Introduction

In an era of increasing global scrutiny, consumers, investors, and regulators are demanding that businesses not only generate profit but also uphold fundamental human rights and demonstrate strong social responsibility throughout their operations and extended supply chains. The ability to conduct effective social audits and ensure rigorous human rights compliance is no longer a niche concern but a critical imperative for maintaining brand reputation, mitigating legal and operational risks, and building truly sustainable enterprises. This essential training course focuses on Social Audit and Human Rights Compliance, equipping professionals with the specialized knowledge and practical methodologies to systematically assess social and labor conditions, identify potential human rights abuses, and implement robust corrective actions to drive ethical conduct and accountability across the entire value chain.

This intensive training course delves into the core international human rights frameworks and labor standards, including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, ILO Conventions, and widely recognized social auditing standards like SA8000 and SMETA. Participants will gain hands-on experience in planning, executing, and reporting on social audits, encompassing critical areas such as working hours, wages, health and safety, child labor, forced labor, and discrimination. Crucially, the course emphasizes moving beyond mere checklist compliance to fostering genuine, sustainable improvements in workers' rights and well-being. By the end of this training course, you will possess the expertise to strategically enhance your organization's human rights due diligence, embedding ethical practices that safeguard both people and long-term business value.

Target Audience

• Compliance Officers
• Human Resources Professionals
• Supply Chain Managers & Procurement Specialists
• Internal & External Auditors
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Managers
• ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Professionals
• Legal Counsel (Labor & Human Rights Focus)
• Brand & Reputation Management Teams

Course Objectives

• Understand the fundamental concepts of social audit and its role in human rights compliance.
• Learn about key international human rights frameworks and labor standards (e.g., UNGPs, ILO Conventions).
• Master methodologies for identifying and assessing human rights risks in business operations and supply chains.
• Develop skills in planning and conducting effective social audits (e.g., SMETA, SA8000 principles).
• Understand best practices for evaluating working conditions, wages, and working hours.
• Learn about preventing and detecting severe human rights abuses, such as child labor and forced labor.
• Explore best practices for designing and implementing effective grievance mechanisms.
• Master techniques for engaging with workers and local communities during social audits.
• Understand the process of analyzing social audit findings and developing corrective action plans.
• Learn about reporting on social performance and human rights due diligence.
• Apply practical social audit and human rights compliance strategies to real-world scenarios.

Duration

5 Days

Course Content

Module 1: Introduction to Social Audit & Human Rights

• Defining social audit and its significance in ensuring human rights compliance.
• Exploring the global landscape of business and human rights.
• Understanding the business case for ethical labor practices and social responsibility.
• Overview of key international frameworks: UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).
• The interconnectedness of social audit with ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) performance.

Module 2: International Human Rights & Labor Standards

• Learning about fundamental International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions relevant to working conditions.
• Understanding core human rights principles: non-discrimination, freedom of association, collective bargaining.
• Delving into specific issues: child labor, forced labor, human trafficking.
• Exploring the roles of national laws and industry codes of conduct.
• Benchmarking against global labor standards.

Module 3: Human Rights Risk Assessment & Due Diligence

• Mastering methodologies for identifying and prioritizing human rights risks across operations and supply chains.
• Techniques for conducting effective human rights due diligence.
• Understanding contextual risks (country, sector, product-specific).
• Developing a risk-based approach to social audit planning.
• Integrating human rights risk assessment into business processes.

Module 4: Social Audit Methodologies & Standards

• Principles of effective social auditing.
• Learning about widely recognized social audit standards (e.g., SA8000, SMETA, BSCI).
• Developing audit plans, checklists, and protocols.
• Techniques for conducting site visits, documentation review, and management interviews.
• The importance of unannounced audits and off-site worker interviews.

Module 5: Key Audit Areas: Labor Practices & Conditions

• Mastering techniques for auditing working hours and wages compliance (e.g., minimum wage, overtime, deductions).
• Assessing health and safety conditions, emergency preparedness, and worker training.
• Evaluating fair treatment, anti-discrimination, and disciplinary practices.
• Auditing recruitment practices to prevent forced labor.
• Ensuring freedom of association and collective bargaining rights.

Module 6: Remediation, Grievance Mechanisms & Stakeholder Engagement

• Understanding the importance of effective grievance mechanisms for workers.
• Developing and implementing robust corrective action plans based on social audit findings.
• Strategies for engaging with affected workers, local communities, and civil society organizations.
• Best practices for ongoing monitoring and follow-up on remediation efforts.
• The role of collaborative approaches in driving systemic improvements.

Module 7: Social Audit Reporting & Future Trends

• Strategies for preparing clear, transparent, and actionable social audit reports.
• Communicating human rights performance to internal and external stakeholders.
• Understanding the role of assurance and verification in social reporting.
• Exploring emerging trends: digital tools for social auditing, modern slavery legislation, human rights litigation.
• Contributing to a culture of integrity and respect for human rights within the organization.

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org  Tel: +254 702 249 449

Training Venue

The training will be held at our Skills for Africa Training Institute Training Centre. We also offer training for a group at requested location all over the world. The course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, and buffet lunch.

Visa application, travel expenses, airport transfers, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Skills for Africa Training Institute certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org  Tel: +254 702 249 449

Terms of Payment: Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 10 working days before commencement of the training.