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Validated Audit Process Frequently Asked Questions

Information and Communication Technology companies are working through the


Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) to improve sustainability and
social responsibility within the global supply chain. These companies recognize a
mutual responsibility to ensure working conditions in the ICT industry are safe, that
workers are treated with respect and dignity, and that manufacturing practices are
environmentally responsible. The Validated Audit Process (VAP) is a collaborative
approach to auditing to those standards.

1. Who is the EICC?


2. What is the Validated Audit Process (VAP)?
3. How does the VAP process work?
4. What is the scope of a Validated Audit?
5. Who owns the Validated Audit Report?
6. Can the Validated Audit Report be shared with multiple customers?
7. How is confidential information protected?
8. Who pays for the Validated Audit?
9. How much does a Validated Audit cost?
10. What are the payment terms for a validated audit?
11. How long will an audit of a facility take?
12. How long is the Validated Audit Report valid?
13. When can I purchase or request a Validated Audit?
14. In which countries can validated audits be conducted?
15. When will the audit date be scheduled?
16. What level of quality can be expected from a Validated Audit?
17. How are the auditors of the EICC VAP certified?
18. Will a certificate be issued once all the corrective actions have been adequately addressed?
19. Who are the VAP Contacts?
20. What are the roles and related EICC contracts of the parties in the VAP?
21. Who administers the VAP?
22. Where can I obtain a copy of the EICC Insurance Certificate?
23. How many companies have undergone a Validated Audit?
24. I have more questions about the VAP; whom should I contact?

Who is the EICC?


The Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) is a group of companies working together to create a comprehensive set of
tools and methods that support credible implementation of the EICC Code of Conduct throughout the Electronics and Information and
Communications Technology supply chains.
What is the Validated Audit Process (VAP)?
The Validated Audit Process is an industry solution for improving business practices by providing companies assurance in identifying
risks and driving improvements and robust management systems for labor, ethics, health, safety and environmental conditions in the
Information Communication Technology supply chain. It is a third party Validated Audit service that provides an independent audit of a
supplier, potential supplier, and/or a companys own facilities.

The end-to-end process and the Audit Firm are independently managed by the EICC Audit Program Manager (APM) to ensure process
integrity and adherence to the EICC VAP Quality Management Guidelines. The Auditee is required to provide necessary Corrective
Action Plans following the release of the Validated Audit Report (VAR) and undergo a closure audit as needed.

How does the VAP process work?


There are five primary steps to the EICC VAP process, all of which are guided by the APM.

Step 1: Initiate Request - company requests an audit of a supplier or it's own facility and get started with contracts.
Step 2: Scheduling - finalize cost and scheduling with a selected audit firm.
Step 3: On site Audit
Step 4: Report - ensure quality assurance and the release of the VAR. This step covers planning for Corrective Action Plan
(CAP) management.
Step 5: Follow Up - CAP management and Closure Audit verification.

Additional detail is available in the EICC VAP Process Overview brochure.

What is the scope of a Validated Audit?


The scope of a Validated Audit includes all common and customer specific areas of a facility or portions as agreed to by the APM and
the Auditee.

Who owns the Validated Audit Report?


The VAR is always owned by the Auditee. The Auditee Agreement obligates the Auditee to provide access to and distribution of the
VAR to interested Audit Buyers who are approved by the Auditee and to ensure the VAR results are available for industry wide
aggregation and reporting. The Auditee is free to provide the VAR to additional customers at no cost beyond the initial cost of the audit.

Can the Validated Audit Report be shared with multiple customers?


By design the VAP provides for sharing of the VAR at the discretion of the Auditee. There are three primary functions that allow for this:

EICC VAP Contract agreements ensure approved customers will receive the VAR.
EICC VAP Quality Management guideline ensures that a confidentiality review is conducted as part of the quality assurance
process.
The scope of the VAP audit is arranged by the VAP APM and the Auditee to ensure it covers areas of a facility that are
appropriate to the Auditees customers.

How is confidential information protected?


All parties in the VAP will sign a non-disclosure agreement, known as the Agreement for the Exchange of Confidential
Information (AECI), with the EICC. The Audit Program Manager and the Audit Firms are under the same confidentiality agreements
with the EICC and are the only parties with access to confidential information required throughout the VAP. Information will be available
as defined by the VAP contracts and existing business agreements. Any sensitive information will be protected in compliance with all
applicable legislation.
Who pays for the Validated Audit?
There are two primary ways in which Validated Audit Reports are generated based on who the Audit Buyer is:

Scenario One: Audit Buyer is the Auditee


Scenario Two: Audit Buyer(s) is a customer

The Audit Buyer will pay the cost of services (Validated Audits, CAP Management, and/or Validated Closure Audits) in advance of the
audits being conducted. This may require audit buyers to get special permission from their purchasing and procurement departments.

How much does a Validated Audit cost?


The fee includes Audit Program Management and the Third Party On-Site audit cost. Costs vary due to the size and complexity of a
specific facility. Details will be provided as your company engages with the APM.

What are the payment terms for a validated audit?


Audit buyers will be invoiced for the VAP audit as a part of the contracting process before the audit is scheduled. Payment terms are 60
days. Audits can be scheduled and conducted once the contracting is completed, but the final audit report will not be released until
payment has been received.

How long will an audit of a facility take?


The duration of a facility VA depends on the size (geographic and number of workers) and complexity (processes) of a facility, and may
range from 2 to 12 person days on site depending on the specific factors of a site. The actual planned time on site is determined by the
APM once a completed Self Assessment Questionnaire from the Auditee has been received.

How long is the Validated Audit Report valid?


A VAR is valid up to two years. Typically a new VA would be driven by a customer risk assessment and/or significant changes in a
facility such as in size or by adding additional processes, new management, etc. The reports can be obtained directly from the Auditee.
The APM will ensure Audit Buyers get access to the VARs they have purchased. The APM may provide a validation check with the final
released report as requested.

When can I purchase or request a Validated Audit?


Validated Audits can be requested at any time by contacting the APM.

In which countries can validated audits be conducted?


Validated Audits are conducted globally according to the availability of EICC approved auditors. Contact the APM for specific regional
details.

When will the audit date be scheduled?


Once a validated audit is requested, it is up to the Audit Firm assigned by the APM and the Auditee to confirm a mutually agreeable
date. An interested customer of the auditee may request a specific target date up front directly to the auditee. Confirming the schedule
is a part of the contracting process managed by the APM.
What level of quality can be expected from a Validated Audit?
The Validated Audit Process provides the highest quality information gathering and analysis of working conditions at a facility within the
industry. In order to ensure this consistent level of quality, the EICC has implemented the following key components of its program:

Independent selection and allocation of qualified third party audit firms and overall quality review through an expert Audit
Program Manager
Consistent governance based on the EICC Code of Conduct and the VAP Operations Manual
Independent performance review of each audit firm and qualified/certified auditor participating in the Validated Audit Process
Assurance of sufficient time on site with a minimum of 2 auditors to ensure the integrity and depth of information gathering
Optimized scope of coverage for seamless sharing of the resulting Validated Audit Report to multiple site customers at the
Auditees discretion
IRCA Recognized Labor and Ethics Auditor Training certification program for lead auditors
Independent management of the VAP Corrective Action program
Commitment to quality and continuous improvement per the Service Level and Quality Statement
Expert helpdesk on EICC Code of Conduct provisions and interpretation available to auditees, auditors, and EICC members
throughout the process

Contact the Audit Program Manager for the detailed VAP Quality Management Guidelines.

How are the auditors of the EICC VAP certified?


The APM used a rigorous process to select the current auditors based on training and experience. The EICC has contracted with Verit
to provide preparatory auditor certification training for Labor & Ethics. Information and class availability is posted on the Verit website.
Individual auditors may begin the process of obtaining EICC Auditor Certification for Labor & Ethics through the International Registrar
of Certificated Auditors (IRCA) after having completed the Labor and Ethics Auditor Training. In parallel the VAP continues to ensure
all of the selected Audit Firms have received VAP training from the Audit Program Manager until the necessary number of third party
auditors have been certified by IRCA.

Will a certificate be issued once all the corrective actions have been adequately addressed?
The VAP Operations Management Team (VAP OMT) is currently working to develop performance recognition such as a certificate of
performance. This is not available at this time but will be communicated to VAP participants once finalized.

Who are the VAP Contacts?


The VAP OMT has contracted the APM to manage and run the VAP process in collaboration with the EICC Administration company.
This includes technical audit and business program management.

Primary VAP contacts:

Audit Program Manager: VAP APM Team


Backup and escalation: Patrick Neyts, Mobile: + 32 495 23 9088
EICC Administrator: procurement set up and invoicing - Charlotte Valentine, +1 202-962-0167

Secondary contacts:

EICC Administrator: Audit Support


Non-VAP related inquiries: EICC Info

Work will be coordinated through the VAP OMT, which consists of the EICC Administrator, VAP workgroup representatives, and a
designated EICC Lead.
What are the roles and related EICC contracts of the parties in the VAP?
The following summarizes the roles and related contracts for VAP participants within the VAP process. Contract templates are available
athttp://www.eicc.info/VAP_prep.shtml and from the APM. Please note that the Auditee may also be the Audit Buyer.

Auditees (Contracted role is subject to the auditee agreement)


AUDITEE AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT FOR THE EXCHANGE OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION (AECI)

Auditee Customers
AGREEMENT FOR THE EXCHANGE OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION (AECI)
AUTHORIZED RECIPIENT ATTACHMENT (Attachment B)

AMS (Contracted Role: EICC Administrator)


Vectra International (Contracted Role: Audit Program Manager)
Third Party Audit Firms (Contracted Role: On-Site Audits Firms)

Who administers the VAP?


The EICC is the independent administrator and central contracting organization of the VAP. Audit Buyers execute contracts with the
EICC to purchase validated audits. The EICC contracts with the APM, the EICC Administrator, and the Third Party Audit Firms to run
the VAP. Auditees execute the Auditee Agreement. This is depicted in the VAP Contract Model:
Where can I obtain a copy of the EICC Insurance Certificate?
The EICC Insurance Certificate is available upon request from the APM.

How many companies have undergone a Validated Audit?


In calendar year 2010 the EICC completed 91 audits in 7 countries: Brazil, China, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, Singapore, South
Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.

I have more questions about the VAP; whom should I contact?


Please submit additional questions to the Primary VAP contacts listed in this document and posted on the EICC website.

(Last updated November 27, 2012)

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