It is important to remember that monitoring is not the same thing as auditing. Monitoring includes an element of guidance, cooperation, and improvement. An audit comes later, and is a formal process for determining compliance that should usually be conducted by an independent third-party.
Again, all of the major emerging standards ” SA 8000, ISO 14001, AA 1000, the ETI ” will provide training for member company s staff, which will include discussions on the codes themselves , along with other important background information on labor and environmental policies for different regions and countries , and best practice techniques for monitoring and dealing with noncompliance issues. Social Accountability International, for example, provide the Corporate Involvement Program, which helps companies evaluate the SA 8000 platform, implement the standard, and then create an SAI- verified public report for stakeholders. The program includes training for managers, suppliers, and workers, and provides implementation assistance and access to a best practice supplier database.