URSA

– Understanding Responsible Sourcing Audit

URSA (Understanding Responsible Sourcing Audit) is an audit protocol which enables an independent assessment of a supplier’s performance and compliance against all applicable laws and regulations and the additional requirements of Unilever’s RSP. The Responsible Sourcing Policy (RSP) is based on 12 fundamental principles and is aligned with our business goals of reducing our environmental footprint and increasing our positive social impact. Our supplier partners become part of a continuous improvement process, in which they not only meet compliance requirements but are also audited for their positive social impact.

The Fundamental Principles

Across Unilever we’ve set industry leading benchmarks for responsible sourcing to deliver on our commitment to sustainable growth.

Mandatory Requirements

We have introduced Mandatory Requirements for our suppliers to establish and maintain a business relationship with Unilever.

Continuous Improvement Benchmarking

We have introduced a three-stage continuous improvement process for suppliers, with a progression from the Mandatory Requirements required to work with us, through advancing to Good Practice to achieving and maintaining Best Practice.

URSA goes wider and deeper than industry accepted protocols and assesses supplier practices in Labour Standards, Health & Safety, Human Rights, Business Integrity, Environmental Management and Land Tenure Rights. Undergoing an URSA audit is necessary to meet Unilever’s requirements to climb the RSP ladder in order to achieve the Good Practice Benchmark.

The Best Practice Level will involve joint projects in collaboration with our suppliers and currently, the scope is still under definition.

This document is intended to aid Unilever MBS (Marketing and Business Services), Capex and MRO suppliers. We want to ensure you are successful, so it is important that you are familiar with the protocol and the Responsible Sourcing Policy.

Typically, these businesses have a central office with management structures to administer the provision of staff. Therefore, the auditor will need to evaluate both the head office operation and a sample of sites in which workers involved in Unilever services are located.

This briefing document will guide you through the audit process and provide the necessary information for you to understand what is expected and enable you to be prepared to undergo an URSA audit.

LIST OF USEFUL DOCUMENTS

1. Applicable laws and regulations
2. Labour contracts
3. Employee handbook (terms and conditions of employment)
4. Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA)
5. Training records
6. Government Inspection Reports, e.g. sanitation, fire safety, structural safety, environmental compliance, etc.
7. Accident and injury log – Details of most common issues/ Details of any serious issues
8. Emergency action procedures
9. Evacuation plan
10. Time records for the past 12 months
11. Payroll records for past 12 months
12. Piece rate records for the past 12 months (if applicable)
13. Insurance, tax and other required receipts Many more etc.