When seeking to solve a social or human rights challenge, including in a human rights due diligence process, the following iterative queries provide a guided approach:
We understand that the protection of human rights and wellbeing is a shared accountability across communities, governments, businesses and other institutions.
This is why we take a systems-developmental lens in serving our clients across businesses, UN and NGO sectors. With our clients, we clearly delineate the roles of each actor, whether state or non-state, business or non-profit, as well as formal or informal. Once clarified we set out the duties and responsibilities of each and the interrelation amongst all.
Problems and issues must be identified and understood in their contexts. This is why we integrate socio-economic, cultural and historical considerations and nuances in our insights.
Research & Assessments
What do you understand about the issue?
Human Rights Impact Assessments and specific issue-focused research on areas from child labour, forced labour, human trafficking, modern-day slavery, gender and more. Our research reports vary from in-depth, comprehensive mapping of situations and actors, to brief summarised slidedecks which outline the top issues of salience and relevance in a given sector or area.
With on-the-ground experts across 35 countries around the world, Embode ensures data gathering is carried out in local languages, using national networks and platforms as well as both desk-based and in-person interviews. Embode tailors methodological approaches within set limitation of time, resources, and other context-specific challenges when conducting social risk assessments.
Strategic vision must be both conceptually sound and backed by stakeholder consensus. Without one or the other, the goal remains elusive.
Strategy & Roadmaps
What do you desire about it?
Strategic Action Plans, Corporate and Organisational Policy and Frameworks, Timebound Roadmaps. Validation and Consensus building through briefing events, stakeholder consultations and validation workshops. Our recommended steps and strategies are designed with both the client organisational landscape as well as ensuring alignment with international and national laws and standards.
We study client organisational boundaries and structures, the situational evidence and existing system-based solutions on the ground. Designing and developing a vision to respond to social risks and human rights violations require both a shared understanding of the issues, as well as consensus amongst internal and external stakeholders. This is why we formulate strategic action plans using an iterative process of briefing, validation and review. The goal is that all actors are on board and bought-in to the plan, its timeframe and the resources it will take.
Institutions and systems are made up of both people and processes. This is why capacity building must strengthen and develop robust systems of risk identification, mitigation and remediation.
Processes and Training
How do you implement and carry out your response?
Training, learning events, technical coaching, practice coaching, formulation of Standard Operating Procedures and Frameworks, such as through the Ganapati Initiative. Our capacity building services include both online and in-person events and programmes across technical areas such as laws and regulations (both international and national), issues such as child labour, forced labour, gender and equality, and responses such as grievance mechanisms, remediation and referral. Outputs are delivered in English and local languages such as Thai, Malay, Bahasa, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Khmer, etc.
Capability building focuses on both people and processes in organisations, as well as both technical and adaptive skills and dynamics. Through learning events, trainings and coaching, technical capacity can be provided as professional skills and knowledge building. Through procedures, coaching and design of processes, people in teams and organisations
No one stakeholder can solve the issue alone. A shared accountability requires both an organisational and a inter-organisational joint approach across an area, sector or supply chain. .
Supply Chain and Social Programme Partnerships
Who do you need to partner with and how do you work together?
Ganapati Initiative (Embode's flagship supply chain collaborative programme), social project development and design, brokering partnerships and consortium collaborations across industry, government, NGOs and rightsholder groups as well as project implementation through industry memberships bodies i.e. AIM-Progress and Responsible Mica Initiative.
As an independent consultancy, we ensure we are made up and appreciate the specific perspectives and challenges of each sector and actor. This places us in a unique position to facilitate, broker and strengthen relationships and communications across any given supply chain, sector or country context. This has included assessing and referring remediation agencies to corporate sustainability teams, selecting a short list of partners for NGO programming, designing context-appropriate projects for industry peak bodies such as AIM-Progress.
People are made up of men, women, girls and boys, who each have both needs and responsibilities of family, community and society at large. Engagement requires meeting them as whole persons, with the dignity and capability of influencing.
Rightsholders and Workers' Voices
How effective is your response and how are you making impact?
Community worker and rightsholder consultations, farmer-focused surveys, and child-centred programming. These are delivered through identification, inclusion of rightsholders in assessments, local community events and the practice of confidential, open-ended interviews with impacted people. Participatory and non-invasive techniques are utilised in consultatative and data-gathering sessions and with vulnerable men, women, girls and boys.
Tailored methodologies are developed for each project, unique to its locality (i.e. country, farm, factory etc) and the rightsholder (men, women, boys, girls, migrants, workers, farmers, managers, government officials or NGO staff). Teams are oriented to implement methodologies in relevant languages and to ensure engagement is trauma-informed, and cognisant of political, historical, socio-cultural and economic dynamics.
