Table of Contents:
SLCP Process flow chart:
Before going into the different steps it is wise to keep at hand this document that explains the different assessment statuses. An assessment status is assigned to your assessment to indicate where you are in the process. This status consists of three letters. Your status can be found at all times via your Gateway and AH account. We refer to these statuses in the following steps.
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Step 1:
Register on the e-learning platform to enroll in the Facility Course and Certificate. This course rewards the trainee with a certificate after completion of three of the seven available e-learning training modules. These three modules aim to familiarize you with the SLCP process and system before you start the assessment:
1) Module 3: Data Collection Tool
2) Module 6: Gateway
3) Module 7: Accredited Hosts
To access the e-learning platform click here.
It takes about 3-6 hours to complete the three modules. After completing the modules within the Course, the facility receives a certificate with a unique CODE. This CODE needs to be added to the facility’s Gateway profile within two weeks of registration on the Gateway.
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Step 2:
Create a profile on the Gateway. Click on “login” and then on “register” to create an account.
After filling in the initial information (and clicking on “create account”) you will receive an automated email to confirm your email address:
- Continue your registration by clicking the link you receive over email
- Log into the Gateway and fill in your profile information
- Click save button at the bottom of the page
- Request approval on top of the page
In order to have their Gateway profile approved, a facility must:
- Not already have an approved profile on the Gateway
- Be located in one of the countries/regions where SLCP is already operating – see the Gateway homepage for an updated list of countries/regions
- Provide a general and official company email address (not a personal/non-business address like Gmail or Hotmail)
- Fill in all information in English
- Put the company name in the name field (and not an individual/employee name)
The general rules for a facility name are:
- Name matches the name on business license;
- If there are multiple factories under a manufacturing group, use group name first and then facility name like:- Group Name Company - Facility Name Factory
- Name is not used by any other facility
- Name has to be in English.
It takes about 2 working days to approve the profile after it has been submitted for approval.
Once your Gateway account has been approved, proceed to Step 3.
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***FACILITIES ALREADY ACTIVE ON Higg PLATFORM MUST FOLLOW THE STEPS GIVEN BELOW
When your facility already has a Higg account and has already filled in the self/joint-assessment (FSLM), and would now like to proceed to the verification of that assessment data (vFSLM), you need to connect your Higg account to the SLCP Gateway:
- Create a profile on the Gateway following step 2
- Once approved, add the Gateway facility ID to your Higg account
After this, your Higg and SLCP accounts will be connected. Check if your assessment is correctly linked to the Gateway by verifying that your assessment now has a Gateway assessment ID (PRJ######). If so, you can skip step 3 and proceed to step 4.
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Step 3:
To start your self-/joint-assessment, you need to choose the Accredited Host that you would like to use for the assessment and verification.
Create an account on the Accredited Host platform of your choice. You can view your option in the Accredited Host menu item of your profile on the Gateway. To set-up an account on the Accredited Host, you need the facility ID from the Gateway (as per STEP 2).
To link to an Accredited Host:
- In your profile on the Gateway, click the AH link in the menu tab "Accredited Hosts" in your Gateway profile, to navigate to the AH website.
- Log in with your existing account, register, or, (in the case of FFC) ask your customer for login details.
For more information, see:
Find out more about the Accredited Hosts and their platforms in e-learning module 7.
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Step 4: Assessment status ASI (Assessment Initiated) to ASC (Assessment Completed)
Now that you have access to the Accredited Host (AH) of your choice: You either fill in the self/joint assessment online on the Accredited Host platform or, download the Data Collection Tool (Excel file) from Accredited Host and fill in the Excel file offline and then upload back on the AH platform. We recommend to fill in the Tool online, to avoid issues related to downloading/uploading of data.
For more information, see:
ASI stands for Assessment Initiated – this assessment status indicates that you are in the process of conducting the self-/joint-assessment either online through the Accredited Host or offline through the Excel file.
In general, it takes a couple of days to complete an assessment. If you are completing it online, please remember to save the data. The assessment covers all worker-related records from hiring to termination. To complete the questions, you will need input from your Human Resources department, administration department, and production department.
ASC stands for Assessment Completed – the assessment status indicates that you have finished your assessment.
If Online: you have completed the data entries and pressed the button “Assessment Completed”.
If Offline: you have uploaded the Excel file on the Accredited Host platform and reviewed, completed, and revised the data according to the Accredited Host data validation process, then pressed the button “Assessment Completed”.
Note:
- Upload all documents required for a Verifier’s offsite review or information needed for verification prior to the on-site verification. All attachments will be available to the end user as well (after verification), so do not include confidential information.
- As long as the assessment is in either ASI or ASC status, the facility has editable access to the data. The facility has only read-only access to assessment in all the statuses after ASC.
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Step 5: VRP (Verification in Process) to VRC (Verification Completed):
VRP stands for Verification in Progress – this assessment status indicates that you have contacted Verifier Bodies (VB) by telephone or e-mail for quotes and selected your chosen VB on the Accredited Host platform. The VB has accepted and has started the verification.
The list of SLCP VBs can be found here. Identify through offline conversations which Verifier Body (VB) should conduct your verification. When an agreement is reached, select the VB on the Accredited Host and request verification.
Once the assignment is accepted by the Verifier Body, the following steps are followed:
- Verifier Body assigns Verifier(s) to the assessment on the Gateway
- Verifier views facility data online, or downloads Excel with facility data on the Accredited Host (AH) platform
- Verifier conducts an offsite review (not mandatory) and an on-site visit (mandatory)
- Verifier fills in the verification data online on the AH platform or offline in Excel (and uploads it to the AH platform)
- Verifier submits the verification data on the Accredited Host platform
For more information, see: FAQs on Verification
VRC stands for Verification Completed – this assessment status indicates that the Verifier has completed the verification on the Accredited Host (AH) platform. This must happen within 10 working days after the on-site verification is completed.
When the Verifier has completed the verification, you will receive a notification e-mail. Log into the AH platform and review the verification (within 14 calendar days after submission by the VB/Verifier).
Note: If you do not take action within the 14-day review and approval period, the Accredited Host will automatically accept the verified assessment report and change the assessment status to Verification Finalized (VRF). Once finalized, the report can no longer be changed.
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Step 6: VRF (Verification Finalized) or VRD (Verification Disputed)
VRF stands for Verification Finalized – this assessment status indicates that the facility has approved the report by clicking the button “Verification Accepted” on the AH platform. This status also automatically occurs 14 calendar days after the Verifier uploads the verified assessment report if the facility does not dispute it or approve it.
VRD stands for Verification Disputed – this assessment status indicates that the facility disputes the verification and has clicked the “dispute” button on the AH platform.
How do I raise a dispute?
Facilities have 14 calendar days to dispute a verified assessment report after it becomes available to them in VRC (Verification Completed) status. The dispute can only be raised via the Accredited Host platform and the facility must provide details about the dispute. This information will then be passed on to the Verification Oversight Organization (VOO) for review.
A dispute can only be raised once and only when issues related to:
(1) Verification process
(2) Verifier conduct
(3) The Verifier not following Verification Protocol
More detailed information is available in the SLCP Quality Assurance Manual
Disputes on question level will not be considered. Rather, the facility and Verifier/ Verifier Body must address these question-level disputes offline within the 14-calendar day timeframe after the assessment status becomes VRC. The Verifier can still make changes then.
The VOO will investigate the dispute, hearing all parties involved and conducting additional research, and come to a ruling. A dispute can be substantiated or not. Depending on the outcome, a Verifier may have to edit the report. Depending on the outcome, a report may be finalized (VRF) or invalidated (status VRI - Verification Invalidated).
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STEP 7:
The verified assessment (VRF) can be viewed, downloaded and shared with end users or other Accredited Hosts (AH) on the Gateway (see menu tab “Overview of my SLCP Assessments”).
You decide with whom you want to share your SLCP verified assessment, i.e. with which AHs and which end-users. No data is shared without a facility’s approval.
Share the final verified assessment report in PDF, HTML and Excel formats.:
- Share the report from the AH with AH users
- Share the report to another AH via the Gateway
- Share the report via email from the Gateway
- Download a copy (PDF) of the report from the Gateway and share
Click on this link to know: FAQs on Share - Verification
You have now successfully completed the SLCP process. Congratulations!
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Contact Details
Contact the SLCP Helpdesk for:
- General clarification on the SLCP process and protocol
- Support on Gateway account registration and approval
- Questions about the Data Collection Tool or interpretation of questions in the Tool
- Information related to the verification process
- Feedback and comments for continuous improvement of SLCP
- Concerns or additional support for a prolonged outstanding issue
- Contact details: submit a request on our SLCP Helpdesk
Contact your Accredited Host for:
- Challenges regarding the AH account registration, payment, and other account issues
- Solving a technical problem on an AH platform
- Information about the costs of accessing the AH platform
- Understanding the specific functionalities of the AH platform
- Information regarding the AH’s services and benefits