SRops was engaged to undertake an Environmental and Social Due Diligence (ESDD) of an existing pharmacy retail chain in Vietnam, on behalf of a Financial Institution. A core component of the work was understanding E&S management at the corporate level and the oversight of subsidiaries and individual retail locations and warehouses. This was completed through corporate management interviews and assessment of the E&S procedures at the corporate level in addition to site visits to individual operations throughout Vietnam. 

The primary objectives of the ESDD were to:

• Assess the Target’s conformance status with respect to local & international requirement

• Identify any gaps and prioritize them in terms of significance

• Recommend appropriate corrective actions plan (CAP’s) to close gaps and align E&S performance with local and international requirements

• Set timelines for implementation of CAP based on assigned priority

• Prepare a bespoke Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP), and

• Assess the capacity and resources of the Company to implement the ESAP requirements.

SRops was commissioned to conduct a Human Rights Assessment at the designated shipyard, utilizing the methodology prescribed in the Client's Guidelines for Labour Rights Assessments and Labour Checklist. Acting as an independent consultant, SRops was tasked with evaluating the shipyard's adherence to both local legal requirements and international standards. 

The key objectives of the Human Rights Assessment were to:

• Assess the shipyard's compliance with Client's Guidelines, local labor laws, and international labor standards;

• Identify areas of non-compliance and opportunities for improvement, prioritizing them based on significance;

• Highlight positive practices and operational strengths that align with best practices;

• Recommend corrective actions to address identified gaps and ensure alignment with legal and international labor standards;

• Develop an actionable Improvement Plan, complete with prioritized timelines for implementation.

SRops was commissioned to conduct a comprehensive Human Rights Assessment of a generic fish product supply chain in Vietnam, for UK buyers and encompassing farms, hatcheries, feed mills, and intermediaries. For farmed prawns, the Human Rights Assessment delved deeper, evaluating the entire chain from hatcheries to processing plants. 

SRops deployed a multi-pronged approach involving on-site visits for worker interviews, document review, and operational observations, alongside community engagement to understand potential human rights concerns. The final report will detail any violations, recommend improvements in labor practices and community well-being, and outline strategies for an ethical and human rights-respecting aquaculture supply chain. 

The key objectives of the Human Rights Assessment were to: 

• Identify and assess the positive activities and negative human rights impacts of the business activities and relationships in the aquaculture industry.

• Identify interventions that clients can individually or collectively take to mitigate or remediate negative impacts and increase positive impacts on relevant stakeholders including workers, and communities. 

• Perform against the Danish Institute of Human Rights Institute, referencing ILO Core Conventions and recommendations as defined in the UNGP and ETI Base Code, Section II of Agenda 21, and Principles of Environmental Management related to identified aspects. 

SRops was commissioned to undertake Age Verification and Child Labor Investigation at one of the Client's wood product manufacturing suppliers, where the Client previously received an email from a whistleblower to report serial cases of potential child labor. 

The objectives of the Investigation were to: 

• Conduct off-site surveillance surrounding factories & community to verify the employment of child labor

• Locate child labor home addresses

• Access them and their family at their home for off-site interview 

• Official site visits with suppliers and factory management opening meeting

• Documents review to understand how effective the age verification system at the factories is, and to understand the recruitment procedures at the factories, and confirm if children are being employed

• Interviews with child workers identified

• Closing meetings with remediation proposal and follow-ups.