ValidatedAuditProcess(VAP)FrequentlyAskedQuestions

LastUpdateNov12,2009(regularlyupdated)
Contents
1.

WhowillpayfortheValidatedAudit?............................................................................................................................2

2.

WhoownstheValidatedAuditReport?.........................................................................................................................2

3.

HowlongistheValidatedAuditReport(VAR)valid?.....................................................................................................2

4.

WhencanIpurchaseorrequestaValidatedAudit?.....................................................................................................2

5.

WhoaretheVAPContacts..............................................................................................................................................2

6.

Howwillconfidentialinformationbeprotected?...........................................................................................................3

7.

WhoadministerstheVAP?.............................................................................................................................................3

8.

WhoaretheparticipantsintheVAPandwhataretheircontractedroles?..................................................................4

9.

WherecanIobtainacopyoftheEICCInsuranceCertificate?.......................................................................................4

10.

WhoistheEICCandGeSI?..........................................................................................................................................5

11.

HowaretheauditorsoftheEICCVAPcertified?........................................................................................................5

12.

WhendidtheEICCVAPstart?.....................................................................................................................................5

13.

HowmanyenterpriseshaveundergoneaValidatedAuditatthispoint?..................................................................5

14.

Whenwilltheauditdatebescheduled?....................................................................................................................5

15.

WhatitemsdoestheValidatedAuditcover?.............................................................................................................5

16.

Howlongwilltheauditofafacilitytake?...................................................................................................................6

17.

Willacertificatebeissuedonceallthecorrectiveactionshavebeenadequatelyaddressed?.................................6

18.

IhavemorequestionsabouttheVAP,whoshouldIcontact?...................................................................................6

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1. WhowillpayfortheValidatedAudit?
TherearetwoprimarywaysinwhichValidatedAuditReports(VAR)saregeneratedbasedonwhotheAuditBuyeris:

ScenarioOneAuditBuyeristheAuditee
ScenarioTwoAuditBuyer(s)isacustomerorgroupofcustomersoftheAuditee.

AuditBuyerswillneedtopaythecostofservices(purchasedValidatedAudits)inadvanceoftheauditsbeing
conducted.EICChaslimitedfundstocoverthecostsofperformingVAs.Thismayrequireauditbuyerstogetspecial
permissionfromtheirpurchasingandprocurementdepartments.

2. WhoownstheValidatedAuditReport?
TheVARisalwaysownedbytheAuditee.TheAuditeeAgreementobligatestheAuditeetoprovideaccesstoand
distributionoftheVARtointerestedAuditBuyers,approvedbytheAuditee,andtoensuretheVARresultsareavailable
forindustrywideaggregationandreporting.TheAuditeeisfreetoprovidetheVARtoadditionalcustomersatnocost
(beyondtheinitialpaymentfortheVAR).

3. HowlongistheValidatedAuditReport(VAR)valid?
AVARisvalidaslongasareceivingparty(i.e.,acustomeroftheauditee)believesitisstillanadequaterepresentative
verificationofpractices.(Guideline:typicallyanewVAwouldbedrivenbyacustomerriskassessment,and/or
significantchangesinafacilitysuchasinsizeorbyaddingadditionalprocesses,newmanagement,etc.)Thereports
canbeobtaineddirectlyfromtheAuditee.TheAPMwillensureAuditBuyersgetaccesstotheVAR(s)theyhave
purchased.TheAPMmayprovideavalidationcheckwiththefinalreleasedreportasrequested.

4. WhencanIpurchaseorrequestaValidatedAudit?
ValidatedAuditscanberequestedofafacilityandpurchasedatanytime,bycontactingtheAuditProgramManager
(APM).ThefeeincludesAuditProgramManagementandtheThirdPartyOnSiteauditcost.Costsvaryduetothesize
andcomplexityofaspecificfacility.DetailswillbeprovidedasyouengagewiththeAuditPM.

5. WhoaretheVAPContacts
TheEICCGeSIVAPworkgrouphascontractedtheAPMtomanageandruntheVAPprocessendtoend.Thisincludes
rolesasboththetechnicalauditprogrammanagerandthebusinessadministratorservicesroles.Intheseroles,theAPM
hasoverallresponsibilityforthedeliveryofEICCGeSIVAPthirdpartyauditservices.TolearnmoreabouttheAuditPM:
(PhylmarGrouphttp://www.phylmar.com/about/)
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PrimaryVAPcontacts:

Phylmar@eicc.info(AuditPM)overallbusinessrelatedinquiry,contracting,escalation
auditaccounting@eicc.info(AuditPM)participantswillreceiveemailsfromthisaccountforVAPinvoicing
Audits@eicc.info(AuditPM)technicalauditmanagement,auditcontent,processandotherauditdetails

Secondarycontacts:

info@eicc.info(EICCAdministrator)escalationorothernonVAPrelatedinquiries

WorkwillbecoordinatedthroughtheEICCGeSIVAPOperationsManagementTeam(orVAPOMT)withtheEICC
AdministratorandvariousEICCGeSIVAPworkgrouprepresentatives.

6. Howwillconfidentialinformationbeprotected?
AllpartiesintheVAPwillsigntheAgreementfortheExchangeofConfidentialInformation(AECI)withtheEICC.Atno
pointintheprocesswillEICCorGeSIcompanymemberrepresentativeshavevisibilitytoconfidentialinformationas
workgrouprepresentatives.InformationwillbeavailableasdefinedbytheVAPcontractsandexistingbusiness
agreements.Anysensitiveinformationwillbeprotectedincompliancewithallapplicablelegislation.

7. WhoadministerstheVAP?
TheEICCistheadministratorandcentralcontractingorganizationoftheVAP.AuditBuyersexecutecontractswiththe
EICCtopurchasevalidatedaudits.TheEICCcontractswiththeAPM,theEICCAdministratorandtheThirdPartyAudit
FirmstoruntheVAP.AuditeesexecutetheAuditeeAgreement.ThisisdepictedintheVAPContractModel:

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8. WhoaretheparticipantsintheVAPandwhataretheircontractedroles?
ThefollowingsummarizesrolesandrelatedcontractsforVAPparticipantswithintheVAPprocess.Contracttemplates
areavailablefromtheAuditPM.NotetheAuditeemayalsobetheAuditBuyer.
Auditees(ContractedRole:Subjectofaudit,perVAPAuditeeAgreement)
AUDITEEAGREEMENT
AGREEMENTFORTHEEXCHANGEOFCONFIDENTIALINFORMATION(AECI)
AuditBuyers(ContractedRole:PurchasesandparticipatesasrequiredinVAPandreceivesVAR)
AGREEMENTFORTHEEXCHANGEOFCONFIDENTIALINFORMATION(AECI)
AUDITBUYERPURCHASEAGREEMENT
AUDITBUYERSTATEMENTOFWORK
AMS(ContractedRole:EICCAdministrator,andVAPOversight)
AuditProgramManager(APM)PhylmarGroup(ContractedRole:VAPAPM,TechnicalandBusinessManagement)
ThirdPartyAuditFirms(ContractedRole:conductonsiteaudits)

9. WherecanIobtainacopyoftheEICCInsuranceCertificate?
TheEICCInsuranceCertificateisavailableuponrequestfromtheAPMatPhylmar@eicc.info.

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10.

WhoistheEICCandGeSI?

ELECTRONICSINDUSTRYCITIZENSHIPCOALITIONTheElectronicIndustryCitizenshipCoalition(EICC)isagroupofcompanies
workingtogethertocreateacomprehensivesetoftoolsandmethodsthatsupportcredibleimplementationoftheCode
ofConductthroughouttheElectronicsandInformationandCommunicationsTechnology(ICT)supplychain.
(www.eicc.info)
GLOBALESUSTAINABILITYINITIATIVETheGlobaleSustainabilityInitiative(GeSI)isanorganizationthatfostersglobaland
opencooperation,informsthepublicofitsmembersvoluntaryactionstoimprovetheirsustainabilityperformance,and
promotestechnologiesthatfostersustainabledevelopment.(www.gesi.org)

11.

HowaretheauditorsoftheEICCVAPcertified?

ThecurrentauditorswereselectedbytheEICCGeSIValidatedAuditWorkgroupthrougharigorousselectionprocess,
basedontrainingandexperience.Theyareapprovedbutnotyetcertified.Subsequenty,alloftheselectedAuditFirms
havereceivedVAPtrainingfromtheAuditProgramManager.Anauditorcertificationandtrainingprogramiscurrently
underway,andonceitisreleasedinthefirstquarterof2010,alltheexistingauditorswillreceivethetrainingtoachieve
VAPcertification.Additionalauditfirmsandauditorswillalsobeabletotakethetrainingandbecomecertifiedonce
thisprogramisestablished.

12.

WhendidtheEICCVAPstart?

TheVAPprogramwasinitiatedin2007,andstartedwithaseriesofpilotaudits.Basedonlessonsfromthoseaudits,the
EICCGeSIVAPWorkgroupmodifiedaspectsoftheprogramandisnowintheprocessofrollingoutthenextiterationof
theVAP.

13.

HowmanyenterpriseshaveundergoneaValidatedAuditatthispoint?

OfficialValidatedAuditswereinitiatedin2009inChinaandMexico.AsofOctober2009,thefirstValidatedAuditisstill
beingscheduled.VAPpilotaudits,usingsimilartoolsandsimilarlytrainedauditors,wereconductedin2007,and
morethan70auditswerecompleted.

14.

Whenwilltheauditdatebescheduled?

TheauditwillbescheduledassoonastheAuditBuyerandtheAuditeeAgreementshavebeensigned.Forspecific
informationaboutanauditrelatedtoyourfacility,pleasecontacttheAuditPMAudits@eicc.info.

15.

WhatitemsdoestheValidatedAuditcover?

TheVAPmeetstheneedforahighquality,consistentandcosteffectivestandardindustryauditforlabor,ethics,health,
safetyandenvironmentalpracticesbasedontheEICCcodeofconduct(www.eicc.info),lawsandregulations.
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16.

Howlongwilltheauditofafacilitytake?

ThedurationofafacilityVAdependsonthesize(geographicandnumberofworkers)andcomplexity(processes),and
mayrangefrom3to8daysdependingonthespecificfactorsofasite.

17. Willacertificatebeissuedonceallthecorrectiveactionshavebeen
adequatelyaddressed?
TheVAPworkgroupiscurrentlyworkingtodevelopperformancerecognition,suchasacertificateofperformance.This
isnotavailableatthistime,butwillbecommunicatedtoVAPparticipantsoncefinalized.

18.

IhavemorequestionsabouttheVAP,whoshouldIcontact?

PleasesubmitadditionalquestionstothePrimaryVAPcontacts(Phylmar@eicc.info)and(Audits@eicc.info)whowill
obtainandanswerandwewillcontinuallyupdatethisdocumentandmakeitbroadlyavailable.

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