INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PAGES ers, amongst other measures. - - -All questions related to the actions that a company takes to address risks in its supply chain should be streamlined in order to reinforce the interrelationship between a compa- ny’s broader strategy and any spe- cific actions taken with suppliers. Questions related to verifying, es- calating and if necessary ending business relationships with supply chain partners should be strength- ened to include a measure of qual- ity. The Higg BRM should strengthen its evaluation of how companies are collaborating by driving towards the frequency and scale of such col- laborations and including collabo- ration with trade unions as an op- tion. The Higg BRM could also eval- uate how companies themselves are evaluating the initiatives that they are relying on for aspects of their due diligence process (e.g. cer- tifications, initiatives providing sup- plier training and capacity building). Step 4. Track - - -The Higg BRM should incorporate an evaluation of the quality of the indicators and targets selected. For example whether they are appropri- ate to the risk. The Higg BRM should better enable qualitative and flexible reporting on indicators and targets. The Higg BRM should evaluate how companies revise their strategy when they determine that their ef- forts to address risks are not ef- fective.Module (FEM) and the Facility Social & Labor Module (FSLM) are only rele- vant for manufacturing and not currently applicable to agriculture. -The Higg BRM should evaluate whether the content of public communica- tions includes all elements recommended in Step 5 of the OECD Garment Guidance and the quality of those communications. -The Higg BRM should evaluate the availability and accessibility of public communications. For example, are communications accurate, current, clear and user-friendly and, importantly, do they enable intended users to access information. -The Higg BRM could seek to evaluate how companies are communicating with impacted workers and other impacted stakeholders. Step 6. Provide for or co-operate in remediation when appropriate - Monitoring Labour Risks Through Technology The OECD Secretariat is collaborating with Article One to research the use of technology in monitoring labour risks in the supply chain. The following is an initial draft paper for consultation at the OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector. This briefing paper provides an overview of the current landscape of different technology solutions to monitor supply chain labour risk across sectors. Spe- cifically, the paper seeks to provide a shared understanding of the following: • •Positive impacts and risks associated with the use of these technologies Risks to Workers Associated with the Use of Technology Solutions • •Opportunities to Implement Responsibly Barriers to impact and scale Current Landscape of Technology Solutions for Monitoring Supply Chain Labour Risk Over the past three decades, companies in the apparel, footwear, toy, electron- ics, and other sectors have primarily relied on codes of conduct and social compliance audits to monitor and address labour risks in their supply chains. In recent years, a range of new technology solutions have come to market. The growing suite of supply chain human rights technology solutions primarily focus on three user groups: •Companies: typically large multinationals with global brands that retail fin- ished product to endusers •Suppliers: typically manufacturers that supply raw materials, processed materials, semi-finished or finished products to companies that then retail finished products under their brand name/s •Supply chain workers: labourers employed directly or indirectly by suppli- ers in the first tier.Step 5. Public communications - -The questions related to public com- munication under the Higg BRM should be adapted to focus on a company’s most significant risks and impacts. The Higg BRM should align expec- tations on public communications across all sections. This recognis- es that the Facility EnvironmentalThe Higg BRM should evaluate how companies are engaging in processes to enable remediation in relation to impacts which they may have caused or contributed to within their supply chain. The design and objectives of technology solutions will vary according to the intended user group. Solutions can be categorized by platform – desktop-based, mobile-based, block chain, artificial intelligence/machine learning – and by ap- plication – worker voice and engagement tools, risk assessments, capacity NCM-MARCH 2020 49