Capability building tailored for Indian suppliers

AIM-Progress, a leader in responsible sourcing and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods space is collaborating with sponsoring brands (ABF, Unilever, Carlsberg, Coca-Cola, Danone, Pepsi Co., The Hershey) to roll out a capability-building program in India. The program, which runs from August 2024 to April 2025, will be run by the Centre for Responsible Business (CRB) in partnership with Quizrr.

Blended learning

The training will include a series of webinars and one in-person event (December 2024), featuring guest speakers from the government, the private sector, and civil society and brand-supplier networking opportunities. Additionally, some suppliers will have access to Quizrr’s digital training tools, accessible via our app, tablets, or desktops, to facilitate effective learning and implementation. All training sessions and materials will be in Thai to ensure clarity and engagement.

Purpose and goals

The overarching objective of the Program is to enable select Indian suppliers to understand, adopt, and integrate policies and practices on Business and Human Rights (BHR) and Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD). Towards that end goal, the project will work with brands and suppliers to build awareness and capacity on the fundamentals of these concepts and country-specific human rights issues and regulations.

Suppliers will gain:

• Deeper understanding of the concept, business case, and implementation of HRDD
• Increased awareness of forced labor trade bans and their impacts on suppliers 
• Knowledge of practical examples, best practices, and lessons learned on HRDD, grievance and responsible recruitment to inspire learning and action 

Given the impetus by the Indian government towards sustainability and circular economy in the India G20 Residency (2023) and the significant role Indian suppliers play in the global market, it is timely and crucial to work with Indian suppliers and multinational brands to encourage responsible and transparent value chains. India is currently one of the world’s fastest-growing economies with an annual growth rate of 7%. With the prominent roles the Indian suppliers play in agri-commodities and FMCG sectors, our blended learning program aims to work with the suppliers and brands to simplify emerging BHR and HRDD trends, laws, and regulations and make them accessible.  

The program brings together two credible learning organizations with complementary skill sets. CRB will ensure the program is locally and globally relevant while Quizrr will facilitate scale, innovation, and impact measurement. Together, the partners will curate and roll out specific digital training programs, webinars, and in-person events to meet the project objectives. Both partners will work closely with AIM-Progress to ensure streamlined and periodic communication with the brands and suppliers on the project agenda and expectations.  

Digital training

Digital training will be used as a way of ensuring basic knowledge of participants before they join a webinar as well as allowing participants to easily share learnings with others in their company. For example, parts of the Quizrr HRDD training can be used in a modular way (each module corresponds to one step in the OECD 6-step framework) to inform the HRDD webinars. Similarly, the Quizrr Grievance training is a short, animated program that can provide the basic concepts of building an effective grievance mechanism before webinar four on grievance. The digital pre-learning will also pave the way for more focused and less rushed presentations in the webinars.  

Quizrr Webinar

The webinars allow for personalized and interactive deep dives into the “how”. Content will be created based on contemporary BHR laws and expectations (global and domestic), domestic challenges, and issues. There will be local guest speakers for each webinar and the team will use different means such as break-out rooms and polling to make the process more interactive. The webinars will also provide an overview of best practices and practical case studies from real businesses in India.  

Quizrr in-person event

The in-person event will give suppliers the chance to network with other suppliers and buyers and deepen learning on key topics.  Feedback from brands and suppliers in previous years will be taken on board to ensure continuity and demonstrate commitment to the project objectives, suppliers, and members.  

Quizrr

Anulekha Hazarika, Regional Project Manager, Client Experience, India

CRB

Neha Tomar, Senior Program Manager at the Centre for Responsible Business