REPORTS ON THE ETI IMPACT ASSESSMENT 2006

The ETI code of labour practice:
Do workers really benefit?

Findings and recommendations from the most comprehensive impact assessment of labour codes to date.

When they join ETI, companies commit to implementing the ETI Base Code in all or part of their supply chains. But how exactly have different member companies put this commitment into practice? Has their work on implementing the Code really made any difference to workers, and if so, how? Do some approaches to implementation work better than others? How can impact be improved?

In 2003, ETI commissioned the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) to conduct a 3-year study that set out to answer these challenging but important questions. The study included in-depth research on the activities of 11 member companies in 5 key sourcing countries, and involved interviews with all key stakeholder groups.

The final findings and recommendations from this study are available to download for free. We have divided them into ten reports, so that readers can choose the level of detail they want to go into.

If you already know which report(s) you want, click on the relevant link(s) in the “Download reports” box at the top of this page to download the PDF file(s).

If you want to know more about the different reports and what they cover, please see below. With the exception of the Summary, simply click on the report title for further details, including the full contents page of each report:
 

About the reports

Summary report (5 languages)

This six-page document summarises the key findings and recommendations from the study. It is available in english, french, spanish, vietnamese and simplified chinese. It is also available in print – please contact the ETI Secretariat to order printed copies. To download the summary in any of these languages, click on the title above.

Part 1: Main findings and recommendations

This is the report of the main findings and recommendations from the study. It includes detailed recommendations for ETI, brands and retailers, suppliers, trade unions, NGOs, auditors and governments, and incorporates good practice case studies that illustrate how these recommendations can be put into practice. For a more detailed description of Part 1 and the full list of contents, click on the report title above.

Part 2: Case study reports - detailed findings:

The detailed fieldwork comprised six case studies in India, Vietnam, UK, South Africa, Costa Rica and China. Part 2 comprises six documents that report the more detailed findings from each of the case studies. They will interest readers who want more in-depth information on labour issues and code impacts in these countries. For a description of each report and the full list of contents, click on the relevant link below:

Part 2A: India (garments)

Part 2B: Vietnam (garments & footwear)

Part 2C: South Africa (fruit)

Part 2D: Costa Rica (bananas)

Part 2E: UK (horticulture)

Part 2F: China (scoping study)

Part 3: How and where members are implementing codes

Part 3 describes the findings from the first phase of the study, which looked at how and where ETI member companies were implementing codes when the study began. It includes a description of the scale and scope of members’ code implementation activities, and categorises the different management approaches they were using to implement their codes. For a more detailed description of Part 3 and the full list of contents, click on the report title above.

Part 4: Research methology

Part 4 provides a detailed account of the research approach and methodology, and is aimed at those who are interested in conducting a similar impact assessment or study or want to learn more about the approach used. For a more detailed description of Part 4 and the full list of contents, click on the report title above.

 

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This series of reports has been prepared by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and the views expressed do not necesarily represent the views of ETI or of its member organisations. IDS is responsible for the accuracy of information contained in the document and its recommendations have not necessarily been endorsed by ETI.

© Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, 2006

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See also:

ETI Library: Press releases/bulletins 2006:

• 19 October - A preliminary response by the Ethical Trading Initiative to IDS’ study
• 19 October - Ten years of ethical trade brings benefits to workers – but more needed
• 19 October - Global brands not solely responsible for workers’ rights

ETI Activities: Research projects: Impact assessment.

ETI Events: Conferences: Biennial conference 2005: Workshop - Assessing our impact

ETI Resources: Other resources: Impact assessment