The challenge
Civilmart wanted to develop a governance framework to comply with Australia’s Modern Slavery legislation and embed human rights and ethical business conduct into its procurement framework. With more than 2,000 suppliers, including some overseas, Civilmart wanted to positively influence its supply chain and actively work with suppliers on responsible procurement initiatives.
About Civilmart and this project
Civilmart is an Australian-owned and operated manufacturer of precast concrete products for the civil construction industry. Products include concrete pipes, tanks, culverts and blocks for retaining walls.
What is responsible procurement?
An organisation procures (purchases) responsibly when the goods and services it buys are made in environmentally and socially responsible ways. Responsible procurement benefits businesses, the environment, people and communities. Learn more in our responsible procurement Need to Know.
What is modern slavery?
Modern slavery involves exploiting other people for personal or commercial gain. It is a serious global issue and breaches human and labour rights.
Some organisations support modern slavery without realising it – through their supply chains.
Australia’s Modern Slavery Act 2018 requires larger companies and other entities to report how they prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains.
What we did
We worked with Civilmart to develop guidelines to promote responsible procurement. We also developed a process to identify supply chain risks and the suppliers who meet the guidelines. We updated Civilmart’s Modern Slavery Statement (published in Australia’s Modern Slavery Register) and created these resources:
- a Supplier code of conduct which explains Civilmart’s high-level ambitions for a more sustainable supply chain. By agreeing to the code, Civilmart’s suppliers commit to a given standard in their operations.
- a Supplier questionnaire and an evaluation process. The questionnaire asks suppliers to explain how they run their businesses. The evaluation process and checklist support the procurement team to understand how suppliers perform and assess if there are supply chain risks.
- a Modern slavery risk assessment supports Civilmart to check how suppliers comply with the Modern Slavery Act 2018 and helps it understand the sustainability profile of its procurement categories. The assessment reviews the risk level across five responsible procurement issues: modern slavery, governance, safety and wellbeing, environment and sustainability, and quality assurance. This will inform Civilmart’s procurement strategy.
We also wrote material for Civilmart’s suppliers, customers and website that explains the work it is doing. We trained Civilmart staff to help them understand the new framework. This means they can talk to customers and suppliers about how Civilmart is procuring responsibly and avoiding modern slavery.
How we are helping Civilmart to succeed sustainably
Strengthening relationships with suppliers
The framework lifts environmental and social performance across Civilmart’s supply chain.
Meeting customer expectations and remaining a preferred provider
Many of Civilmart’s customers also want to procure responsibly. By developing a responsible procurement framework, Civilmart has shown it values collaborative relationships with like-minded business partners and suppliers. It also demonstrates a commitment to raising awareness about modern slavery and human rights.
Strengthening social licence as a responsible and trustworthy brand
The framework shows that Civilmart commits to a safe and sustainable supply chain. It can confidently describe to stakeholders how it is achieving this.
Reducing risk
The framework ensures Civilmart complies with Australian regulations on modern slavery.
Attracting, engaging and retaining employees
Many people want to work for a business like Civilmart that procures responsibly and avoids modern slavery.
June 2023