Turning insights into action: Strengthening manufacturer inclusion at SLCP

In 2024, Transformers Foundation released a report examining how supplier exclusion in fashion’s multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) limits their potential to drive collective action. The findings highlighted gaps in governance, accountability, and supplier inclusion, intended to spark reflection across the ecosystem. One year on, we’ve welcomed updates from MSIs on how the report has shaped internal discussions, governance, and supplier engagement. In this post, we hear from the Social & Labor Convergence Program (SCLP) on their reflections, actions taken, and governance updates planned for 2026. We’re grateful that this work has been received in the spirit it was intended: as a catalyst for honest collaboration and a step toward the systemic change needed to better centre suppliers in sustainability decision-making.

By Janet Mensink, CEO at the Social and Labor Convergence Program

As a multi-stakeholder initiative (MSI), the Social and Labor Convergence Program (SLCP) aims for a collaborative, representative and inclusive approach to driving better working conditions in global supply chains. 

We have diverse stakeholder representation on our Board, local country leads in our five focus countries, and a commitment to valuing the voice of manufacturers, brands and other parties. 

At the same time, as a small and relatively young non-profit organization, we recognize that continuous improvement and openness to change are essential to successful collaborative relationships. We are grateful to the Transformers Foundation for highlighting opportunities to enhance manufacturer inclusion in our Program.  

Transformers Report, Collective Action Remagined: A Call for Far Process and Supplier Inclusion in Fashion’s Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives, analysed four fashion MSIs, including SLCP, to study how suppliers are included and engaged in shaping the sustainability agenda. The report made a helpful distinction between structural and functional exclusion of manufacturers in the sustainability debate. It helped us to get a deeper knowledge and understanding on the problem and its root causes. The report assessed whether MSIs were contributing to exclusion of manufacturers – that is, as an MSI, were we adequately including manufacturers in our mandate to drive change?  

I’m proud to say the collaborative and flexible nature of our organization means we have the ability to embrace criticism, and turn it into change for the better. We took the analysis head on and have spent the past year tackling the challenges made clear to us through the report. 

Learning and taking action

Upon initially reading the report, the Senior Management Team at SLCP spent time in reflection-mode. I decided to meet with the authors of the report and discuss with them, directly, to truly understand the issues and what more we could be doing as an MSI to amplify the manufacturer perspective.  

We embraced the feedback in the report and recognised our shared values with Transformers Foundation; namely to ensure a fair and equitable supply chain, where manufacturers' voices are valued and heard, along with all our stakeholders. We wanted to directly address the feedback that the report highlighted for MSIs – that there were things we could do, within our control, to encourage greater manufacturer inclusion. 

We held an open discussion with the full SLCP team and Board, facilitated by Transformers Foundation. This discussion ensured everyone understood the report’s findings and reinforced manufacturer inclusion as a priority across all workstreams. 

One of the major changes we decided to implement was to significantly reduce the fee for manufacturers to become a Signatory of SLCP. Our Signatories get to vote on all strategic decisions and contribute directly to the development of the Program. A lower fee removes one of the barriers to participation and responds to the report’s findings that engagement can feel imposed rather than co-created, and that compliance demands often leaves manufacturers with limited resources to participate meaningfully.  

We also had a dedicated session on the report findings within our Board. This was prepared and co-facilitated by the manufacturer representative Board members and Transformers. It helped SLCP to have a collective understanding and framework on manufacturer inclusion and our role as an MSI. One of the key take-aways was that we could reach another level of inclusion by critical analysis of our decision-making processes. 

We conducted a critical review on governance decisions at the Board level, and how we ensure all stakeholders, and particularly manufacturers, are included at an early stage and throughout the process. We looked at how we can further experiment with different ways of decision making, and go beyond ‘traditional’ working groups, rather using votes, surveys, manufacturer caucus meetings, and other means of engagement. 

At the Secretariat level, we also reviewed our organizational structure and roles. This led to us establishing a new resource, a Stakeholder Engagement Manager, specifically to focus on manufacturer stakeholders. This role will be key in building out and implementing SLCP’s manufacturer engagement strategy for 2026. 

Looking ahead

The 2026 manufacturer engagement strategy will have specific aims for inclusion, such as ensuring manufacturers are prioritised in decision making, through equal representation in meetings and other avenues. We’ll also focus on fostering ways of working and communication that suits the needs of manufacturers. 

Another key element of the strategy is encouraging manufacturers to join as Signatories. With the reduced fees and better inclusion practices at SLCP, we hope this will result in real impact for manufacturers – to experience the benefits of helping to shape the Program. 

The work we have done over the past year is only the beginning. As we continue to deepen our engagement, our goal remains clear: to move beyond providing a seat at the table and toward ensuring all stakeholders can meaningfully influence the direction of SLCP.