Your questions answered
You probably have a few questions about the SAQ process, including how long it takes to complete the questionnaire, the type of documentary evidence required, the level of confidentiality or the impact your responses may have on your customer relationships.
We have provided responses to the most frequently asked questions below.
If the answer to your question is not included below, or you need to chat through the process a little more, please get in touch.
Why is addressing modern slavery important to your customer or client?
The reality is that modern slavery and human trafficking remains a global and growing issue, and that supply chains are vulnerable. Most companies have complex global supply chains which could include suppliers in countries known to be high risk for worker exploitation and modern slavery.
Companies committed to responsible and ethical business practices believe that responding to modern slavery risk is the right thing to do and helps meet the expectations of shareholders, customers and investors.
As a supplier, addressing potential risks in your supply chain has direct economic benefits for your business, demonstrates your ethical credentials and enables your customers (or your suppliers’ customers) to meet the reporting requirements of the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) or similar legislation.
Why has our organisation been selected to do the SAQ?
Your customer believes that the identification and management of modern slavery risk within their supply chain is an important component of their commitment to build a strong partnership with you and other key suppliers as well as providing service excellence.
You are a critical partner to enable and support your customer to manage modern slavery risks within your collective supply chain.
Your customer can’t tackle this issue alone and completing the SAQ will enable you to identify your strengths and highlight opportunities for improvement.
What do you mean by a ‘safe space’ to provide information?
We are working with your customer to create a ‘safe space’ for robust, honest and open dialogue with you and other suppliers to ensure that all information provided during this supply chain risk assessment remains confidential at all times.
It is not our (or your customer’s) intent to criticise or find fault with your current systems and processes, but rather work together to identify mutually beneficial solutions to address this important and emerging issue.
We encourage you to be open with us, and in return we promise to be equally open, that we will treat your information with respect and provide support where we can.
What impact does the Modern Slavery Act have on our organisation?
The Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) came into force on 1 January 2019. The Act requires large businesses and other entities in Australia with annual consolidated revenue above $100 million to publish annual reports on actions taken to assess and address modern slavery risks in their operations and supply chain.
The annual Modern Slavery Statement is expected to cover, at a minimum, the structure, business and supply chain of the organisation; internal policies, due diligence and remediation processes relating to modern slavery; risk areas for potential modern slavery impacts and actions taken to assess and address these risks.
Further information:
Who are the external consultants coodinating this saq and can we trust them?
SD Strategies Pty Ltd has been selected by your customer to assess potential risk in your organisation’s operations and supply chain based on our experience and reputation in this sector. We have been working closely with your customer to identify operational gaps and supply chain risks relevant to modern slavery.
Our team is well versed in your customer’s company, supply chain management processes and culture and we have signed an Non-Disclosure Agreement (‘NDA’) with them.
We provide support to a wide range of industry sectors on environmental, sustainability and human rights issues. We will work with you and your customer to guide you through the modern slavery SAQ process and seek to create positive outcomes for all stakeholders.
Learn more about SD Strategies, our experience and our work.
Is it compulsory for us to complete the survey?
This initiative is extremely important to your customer. As one of their key suppliers, they trust that addressing this issue is also important to you and strongly encourage your organisation to take the time to complete this survey.
You will receive a tailored report (a Corrective Action Plan or ‘CAP’) which will further assist you in understanding and mitigating modern slavery risks in your own operations and supply chain.
Your CAP is a valuable starting point for your own compliance with legislative requirements and / or meeting the requirements of customers captured by modern slavery legislation and other international legislation and conventions focussing on labour rights and human rights.
When does the survey open and how long do we have to complete it?
You will be notified about the opening and closing dates of the survey by your customer. Generally you will have three to four weeks to complete the SAQ, however this timeframe can vary depending on your customer’s requirements.
Who in our organisation should complete the SAQ?
Please ensure you have a single point of contact for your organisation should we need to obtain more information or track progress. This person is not responsible for completing the entire SAQ, but rather ensuring that comprehensive and accurate information is provided from people across your organisation.
As the SAQ seeks information on a wide range of topics, we recommend engaging representatives across your business to provide input.
This includes people from key businesses areas such as operations, sourcing and procurement, policy and strategy, legal and governance, sustainability and CSR, human resources and training, media and communications, risk and compliance, and others.
What kind of supporting documentation or evidence is required?
The SAQ requires you to provide tangible evidence for some responses by uploading supporting documentation or links to websites. Examples of documentary evidence includes policies, codes of conduct, internal guidance materials, reports, training materials, case studies, websites etc.
Specific questions that require evidence (depending on your response) and the type of documents sought are listed in the SAQ Guide.
What if we don’t provide EVIDENCE?
Wherever possible, we encourage you to provide documentation as tangible evidence of actions taken to manage risk as it will help identify gaps and inform recommendations for your business.
We understand that documentation might not always be readily available or in some instances is still being developed. Where this is the case, please provide details in the survey of what stage you are at so we can work with you to identify areas for improvement.
With written notice, we will accept supporting documentation via email for up to a week following the closing date of the survey.
How will our responses be used?
Information provided in the survey will be analysed by us. An overall summary report of all survey outcomes will be provided to your customer with high level findings and broad recommendations to strengthen systems and processes to manage modern slavery risk across thier supply chain.
You will be provided with a tailored report (a CAP) specific to your organisation which outlines potential risks, the effectiveness of steps you are taking to manage these risks and broad recommendations on how to address them. The report will be issued to your customer who will then share it with you.
NO INFORMATION PROVIDED IN YOUR RESPONSE WILL BE PASSED ON TO OTHER ORGANISATIONS OR USED FOR PURPOSES OTHER THAN YOUR CUSTOMER’S MODERN SLAVERY PROGRAM.
When will we receive our results?
We will analyse your responses and those of other suppliers undertaking SAQ results and preparing draft reports immediately after the survey closes. How long the analysis takes depends on the number of responses received but generally this process takes approximately six weeks.
Your customer will review the reports first and will provide you with a report and CAP specific to your organisation.
We will keep you posted if timeframes change.
What on-going commitment does our customer have to addressing modern slavery risks?
We all know that there is no ‘quick fix’ to eradicate modern slavery.
Ethically responsible businesses are pleased to see that the spotlight is firmly shining on this issue from all sectors of our society such as government, business, investors, shareholders, NGO’s and the broader community. Over the next few years, businesses across Australia (and internationally) will be on a steep learning curve, figuring the best way to map their supply chain, identify modern slavery risk, develop due diligence processes as well as train and engage their staff and suppliers on this issue.
The Australian Government expects that it may take up to three years for businesses to develop and implement new strategies and approaches for managing and mitigating supply chain risks. We believe that long term partnerships and collaboration are essential to effectively address and mitigate risks.
Can we share our survey results with other customers?
Absolutely!
The information you gather and the report you receive as part of this survey will be a valuable resource as you engage with other customers on modern slavery.
This issue is not going to ‘go away’ - in fact pressure on companies to take action to manage modern slavery risk is growing globally. As annual reporting requirements are enshrined in the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth), entities captured by the Act will need to report every year on what they are doing to manage risk in their operations and supply chains. This has important implications for your company and how you do business.
We encourage you to share your survey outcomes and let your stakeholders know that you are actively addressing modern slavery risks in your operations and supply chain.
Where can we get help if we can’t understand a specific question?
You can contact us anytime about the SAQ in general or the objective of specific questions.
