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The goal of the WRAP certification program is to promote and verify legal, humane and ethical production practices around the world. Participation in the WRAP certification program fully demonstrates the sewn products industry's commitment to promoting socially responsible business practices through firm adherence to the WRAP principles. The main steps are: Step 1: To become eligible for certification, facilities must complete the following three-step process:
A. Your facility submits a registration form to WRAP and pays an application fee of $1,195 to start the certification process. The facility will be given six months (starting from the date of registration) to prepare for the full certification requirements. After receiving the registration form, WRAP will send a confirmation letter (with an identification number) and a "Self-Assessment and Monitoring Manual" to the facility to help you verify whether your existing policies, production procedures and practices meet the requirements of the program.
The application fee is used to cover the administrative costs of implementing the program. The application fee is non-refundable and remains valid for six months. If the facility fails to obtain a certificate during this period, the facility will need to reapply to participate in the WRAP certification program.
The manual states that your facility should be able to answer affirmatively to the questions related to each principle or provide other appropriate evidence of implementation of the principle.
B. The facility must be able to demonstrate that it has implemented procedures to implement the principles for at least ninety days.
C. Once your facility can answer the questions in the affirmative for each principle, or can provide other appropriate evidence of implementation of the principles, your facility must then select an approved independent monitor from the approved list in the country where the facility is located. The facility must submit the completed self-assessment package (facility profile, questionnaire and document audit sheet) in the Self-Assessment and Monitoring Manual to the selected monitor and WRAP.
D. After WRAP receives the registration form and application fee, your facility will be issued a facility reference number, which represents your identification for participation in the program. After receiving the number, you must write this number in all future official documents and communications with WRAP. Step 2: The factory arranges for an on-site assessment of compliance with the principles by an approved independent monitor. The monitor verifies that the factory facility has implemented each production principle.
A. Your facility must select an approved independent monitor from the approved list in the country where the facility is located. The facility must enter into a contract with the selected monitor and pay the latter for his services, and arrange a date that both parties deem appropriate for the monitor to conduct the first on-site assessment inspection. Before inspecting the facility, the monitor will review the self-assessment package submitted by your facility to verify that it has been completed. The self-assessment package consists of the following: 1) Facility Profile; 2) Production Principles Questionnaire; 3) Facility Compliance Document Audit Sheet. The above documents can be found in the Self-Assessment and Monitoring Manual.
B. An independent inspector will conduct an on-site compliance assessment at your facility. The purpose of the on-site compliance assessment is to verify whether your facility has the necessary evidence to prove compliance with the WRAP production principles.
C. After the independent monitor completes the on-site compliance assessment, he/she will provide a summary of the assessment results to the facility before leaving the facility. The independent monitor will also submit a copy of the completed facility monitoring report and registration recommendations to the WRAP Certification Committee.
Within 60 business days of your facility entering into a contract with a WRAP-approved independent monitor, the independent monitor will provide you with one of the following: 1) a recommendation for facility certification or 2) a corrective action plan. Step 3: The monitor submits an assessment report with recommendations regarding the compliance assessment. WRAP issues a certificate to the eligible facility.
A. After completing the initial on-site compliance assessment, the independent monitor will submit the results of the facility monitoring report to WRAP, indicating that a favorable facility certification recommendation or corrective action plan has been issued to the facility. The independent monitor will provide WRAP with all relevant results of the initial on-site compliance assessment and/or follow-up work on any corrective action plan that has been issued.
B. The WRAP Certification Committee will review and evaluate all relevant compliance assessment reports and evidence. The WRAP Certification Committee will issue certificates to qualified participating facilities.
C. WRAP certification is valid only for a specified period of time. The validity period of certification will be determined by the WRAP Certification Committee based on established certification guidelines (developed according to the risk of the facility), including but not limited to: the performance of the facility; the process by which the facility obtains the independent monitor's recommendation; the independent monitor's evaluation results; and the facility's past practices and operating environment.
Your facility will be subject to unannounced audits during the certification period to assess risk. The audits will be conducted in accordance with the certification guidelines.
Facilities at risk are those that are considered to be at risk beyond reasonable levels in maintaining full compliance with the WRAP Production Principles. Facilities considered at risk will be subject to annual certification and unannounced follow-up audits until the facility has demonstrated that it has implemented best practices in accordance with the WRAP Production Principles for at least two consecutive certification periods. The Certification Committee will then re-evaluate the facility's performance and risk.
All other facilities that demonstrate compliance with the WRAP Production Principles will be issued a certificate that is generally valid for two years, during which time WRAP personnel may inspect the facility at any time without prior notice.
At the end of the first certification period, your facility may apply for recertification. When applying for recertification, the facility must pay a non-refundable certification program entry fee; a completed Production Facility Self-Assessment Packet (with updated information); and a facility monitoring report completed by a WRAP-approved independent monitor. The recertification processing fee is expected to be equal to the fee charged for a new application for the same period. Step 4: Verification Step 5: Post-inspection |
