Translating modern slavery supply chain policy ambitions into practice: activating behavioural triggers

现代奴役是一个普遍而持久的问题，据估计，全球有2490万人被迫劳动。消除现代奴隶制是一项艰巨的挑战，因为COVID-19的影响正在持续，相对于社会因素，商业决策中的商业优先权正在增加。在国际上，供应链透明度（TISC）原则是近期立法的核心，如英国《现代奴隶制法案》（2015年）和澳大利亚《现代奴隶制法案》（2018年）。前提是，大公司供应链的透明度将使他们对全球供应链中的现代奴隶制进行更严格的调查和管理。然而，人们对透明度与社会责任实践之间的联系知之甚少；对多层供应链的研究是有限的，披露往往是象征性的，而不是实质性的，现代奴隶制声明提供了模糊的承诺，缺乏所采取行动的细节。因此，本研究计划的目的是建立能力，以发展对商业决策者的行为和态度如何影响对社会负责的供应链实践的理解。最终，这将支持政策的执行，以防止产生现代奴隶制受害者和幸存者康复和支持的高昂人力成本。该计划将扩展已经与主要利益相关者建立的关系：政策制定（英国内政部），政策实施（皇家商业服务，CCS），大公司，非政府组织（例如道德贸易倡议，ETI），专业协会（特许采购和供应学会，CIPS）和学术界。研究方法认识到现代奴隶制中视觉上隐含的主题，如透明度。因此，将在参与性行动研究（PAR）方法中结合使用照片激发方法。摄影将被用来将人们在私下和工作中看待现代奴隶制的方式展现出来。它将确定从业人员对现代奴隶制的态度和行动，并将揭示参与者对其影响普遍问题的能力的看法（机构）。与PAR的结合将使理论见解在实际环境中得到评估。这将通过政府采购政策和实践以及政府承包商的供应链决策者来实现。参与性办法将提高所有参与研究方案的人的意识，帮助确定变革的机会和后果，以适应更面向社会的供应链做法。该研究金将在扩大这些关系的能力建设方面发挥关键作用，并通过研究影响政策和实践协调变化的发展。CCS将向选定的一级供应商的参与者提供访问，通过这些供应商将调查供应链实践。重要的是，该项目将与ETI合作并共同创造研究方法，ETI直接与个人和组织合作，通过培训和教育打击现代奴隶制。我的奖学金将与澳大利亚皇家墨尔本理工大学（商业与人权中心）、CIPS和国际奴隶制博物馆作为研究合作伙伴，共同设计、推荐和传播结果。该计划的核心成果是促进供应链透明度高质量研究的发展，可用于支持社会责任立法和组织实践。

Modern slavery is a pervasive and persistent problem with estimates that globally 24.9m people are in forced labour. Eradicating modern slavery is a grand challenge made arduous by ongoing COVID-19 effects that are increasing commercial priorities in business decision making, relative to social factors. Internationally, transparency in supply chain (TISC) principles lie at the heart of recent legislation such as the UK Modern Slavery Act (2015) and Australia's Modern Slavery Act (2018). The premise is that transparency in large companies' supply chains will commit them to more rigorous investigations and management of modern slavery in global supply chains. However, links between transparency and socially responsible practices are poorly understood; research in multi-tier supply chains is limited and disclosure is often symbolic rather than substantive, with modern slavery statements providing vague commitments that lack details of action undertaken. Hence, the aim of this research programme is to build capacity for developing an understanding of how business decision-makers' behaviours and attitudes impact socially responsible supply chain practices. Ultimately, this will support policy implementation in a manner that prevents the creation of modern slavery victims and the high human costs of survivor recovery and support. The programme will extend relationships that have already been established with key stakeholders in: policy making (UK Home Office), policy implementation (Crown Commercial Service, CCS), large corporations, NGOs (e.g. the Ethical Trading Initiative, ETI), professional associations (Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, CIPS) and academia.The research methodology recognises the visually connoted themes in modern slavery, such as transparency. Therefore, photo-elicitation methods will be utilised in conjunction within a participatory action research (PAR) approach. Photo-elicitation will be utilised to bring to the surface the way people see modern slavery both in private and at work. It will establish practitioners' attitudes and actions relating to modern slavery and will reveal participants' perceptions about their ability to influence prevailing issues (agency). The combination with PAR will enable theoretical insights to be assessed in practical contexts. This will be through Government procurement policy and practice and government contractors' supply chain decision makers. The participatory approach will raise the consciousness of all involved in the research programme, helping to identify opportunities and consequences of change to accommodate more socially-oriented supply chain practices.The fellowship will be pivotal in building capacity to extend these relationships and, through research, influencing the development of coordinated changes to policy and practice. The CCS will provide access to participants in selected tier-one suppliers, through which supply chain practices will be investigated. Importantly, the programme will engage and co-create research methods with ETI who work directly with individuals and organisations to combat modern slavery through training and education. My fellowship will engage with RMIT University, Australia (Business and Human Rights Centre), CIPS and the International Slavery Museum as project partners for research co-design, recommendations and dissemination of results. The core outcome of the programme is to contribute to the development of high-quality research on transparency in supply chains that can be used to underpin socially responsible legislation and organisational practice.