Summary

This document outlines the initial elementsthat will make up an ‘FAQ’ document for SEIA’s commitment statement and its implementation by participants. The aim of the document is to:

»Articulate more details about the program

»Answer basic questions that entities may have to consider joining the effort

»Provide awareness raising

SEIA’s SOLAR Commitment Program –FAQ v.1

Initial Sections of questions to be answered:

»Participation:

  • What does it mean to participate?
  • Endorse commitment including executive level support
  • Proactively manage your company adherence to Commitment
  • Require and proactively manage your Tier 1 suppliers to adhere to the requirements set forth in the commitment (training/capacity development, risk assessment, auditing, corrective action plans)
  • Reporting requirements: Share KPI data with SEIA
  • What kinds of organizations can participate? Open to any entity
  • What are the requirements? Does this refer to the commitment? If not, how is it different than participation requirements?
  • How much does it cost? No Cost to SEIA
  • Do I have to be a SEIA member to participate? Any entity is encouraged to use the commitment for their own purposes, SEIA will be tracking and supporting participation of SEIA member entities.
  • Are SEIA members required to participate in the Commitment program[SR1]? This is where the incentivizing should come from… since this is voluntary it is up to us to provide value to encourage companies to WANT to participate. SEIA should only provide positive feedback for entities participating in the commitment program.

»The Commitment Statement:

  • When did SEIA adopt this Commitment Statement? Dec. 2011
  • What is the scope of the statement?
  • Do you require audits against the statement? Recommend auditing as an integral part of all supply chain management programs
  • Who was involved in developing the Statement? Christine (Stakeholder engagement, SEIA companies?)
  • Do I need to communicate this to my suppliers? YES
  • WHY NOW?
  • How is this similar/different from existing supply chain initiatives such as the EICC?

»The Performance indicators

  • How do you know Participants are implementing the Commitment?
  • Who was involved in creating the performance indicators? Advisory Board
  • When and how often do participants report against their indicators and to whom?

»Transparency:

  • When will reporting against the indicators be public?

»General:

  • Who can I contact for more information?
  • Where can I get more information on the EICC Code of Conduct?

Governance:

  • Grievance Mechanism?
  • Who is part of the Advisory Board and what are their main roles/responsibilities?
  • What is SEIA’s role in managing the Commitment?
  • Why is the Commitment voluntary and a requirement for SEIA membership?
  • What will be the process for changing requirements to the Commitment Statement or for changing implementation practices?
  • What if a SEIA member company repeatedly violates the commitment or has egregious violations?

Development of the FAQ

As questions are posed and the pilot year is launched, we will add to the FAQs accordingly.

[SR1]One thing – can members adopt the commitment without participating in the program??