Evaluation of an online learning platform on ethical compliance in Bangladesh
Bangladesh Garment Factory By Fahad Faisal (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons
The UpSkill e-learning and assessment platform developed by Green Grade Solutions in the UK (GreenGrade) is aimed at increasing the awareness of ethical compliance in ready-made garment factories in Bangladesh through an online self-paced learning process. The new learning process was tailored towards ensuring worker welfare and safety through building ethical compliance capacity at the factory floor. The aim was to address the gap in health and safety knowledge experienced within most middle and newly promoted managers within Bangladeshi apparel factories.
Together with GreenGrade and the Natural Resources Institute at the University of Greenwich, UK, SEI-Y evaluated the UpSkill project which took place between September 2014 and July 2015. The following are the main findings from the qualitative baseline and evaluation process that was carried out using online surveys and personal interviews.
Participants
A total of 23 factories and 61 individuals participated in the baseline and evaluation process. Their roles ranged from managers of ethical compliance, human resources, or corporate sustainability, to senior executives and legal officers; some participants had been in their role for up to 15 years. On average more than 90% of the senior and mid-level employees in the factories were male, whereas among the workers the majority, 65%, were female.
Findings
The evaluation of the Upskill e-learning platform shows that it has:
1. Helped participants to implement and improve the practice of ethical compliance procedures in their factories. Among 23 individuals who participated in the personal interviews, 91% said they implemented or improved ethical compliance measures after using the e-learning platform. The measures improved included fire safety (22%), ensuring usage of safety guards in the factories (16%), handling of hazardous chemicals (16%), improving housekeeping (16%), improving awareness of floor workers through providing training to them (16%), improving workers’ motivation in adhering to safety guidelines (6%) and implementing safe hygiene facilities for women workers (6%). Most of the respondents (75%) expressed clear intention to implement additional measures, but they noted that more time was needed to implement them to the full extent.
2. Helped to create motivation among the management and staff to focus more on ethical compliance. A majority (80%) of those interviewed mentioned that their managerial staff is now more motivated to implement ethical compliance measures. Use of the platform helped to create a critical mass to initiate new improved ideas and helped to create an atmosphere of renewed enthusiasm to implement ethical compliance measures.
3. Delivered personal benefits. Among the interviewees, 80% stated that the e-learning platform benefitted them personally. For example, 35% expressed that their level of knowledge had increased due the e-learning platform, 25% were subsequently given more job responsibilities which enhanced their influence, 10% experienced better job prospects, and 10% had received a pay rise. Only 20% did not report any direct personal benefits from having used the e-learning platform.
4. Improved knowledge on ethical compliance or has helped to refresh existing knowledge. Key lessons learned covered emergency and fire safety (28%), proper handling of hazardous materials (25%), housekeeping and hygiene (18%), workers’ health and safety requirements (13%), and safe accommodation for the workers (8%).
5. Helped users to respond to complaints and reduce the number of accidents. About 85% found the e-learning platform helpful in responding to the complaints. Among those who reported reduction in factory accidents, approximately 64% believed that it was associated with an increase in awareness and 36% believed that improved safety measures in the factories helped towards reducing accidents.
The e-learning platform covered different aspects of ethical compliance and the results of the evaluation show that people valued different parts of the e-learning platform. For example, in the evaluation survey of the pilot 24% of participants indicated they valued questions to do with housekeeping most, but 36% stated they valued that part of the e-learning platform the least. Similarly, for some the management system related questions were of most interest (36%), whereas others thought that these were least interesting (28%).
Participating in the UpSkill learning process has led to many positive impacts for the users and changes to ethical compliance in the factories. To improve ethical compliance in a factory, however, many other factors needed to be considered, as reflected in participant’s answers to questions about the barriers to implementation or improvement of ethical compliance. For example, 20% of participants replied that the motivation of management and workers was not as strong as it should be to make the necessary changes in their factories and that teaching more staff about ethical compliance issues could potentially help overcome this barrier. A further 5% of participants mentioned that despite motivation from management the additional costs and time required to make the necessary changes were a barrier at the moment.
The wider social and political context could also affect the improvements in ethical compliance in the factories. However, when asked, factory workers stated that they had seen no unrest in 2013. Only two of the fourteen factories that participated in the evaluation process were closed down or affected by the hartals following the decision of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA). In the beginning of 2015, the political unrest and transport strikes could have affected the participants’ ability and time to engage with the e-learning platform. However, those interviewed in May and June 2015 did not mention political unrest or hartals as barriers to how well they had been able to learn.
Overall, the UpSkill e-learning platform has had a positive influence on the ethical compliance within the Bangladeshi apparel factories that participated in the project. The learning process has contributed to addressing the gap in health and safety knowledge of managers as well as building capacity at the factory floor.
Download the full evaluation report UpSkill (PDF 
, 2,376kb)