OPERATIONALISING THE ‘S’ IN ESG: SOCIAL IMPACT, HUMAN RIGHTS & DUE DILIGENCE IN AFRICA
This workshop will offer insights on how organisations are (and should be) moving beyond pledges to systematic human rights due diligence (HRDD) across operations and supply chains.
Description
Driven by the increasing conscious local and international regulations, investor pressure, and the need for licences to operate the calls for organisations to adhere to robust impact assessments, grievance mechanisms, and integration with governance to address risks like forced labour and discrimination have been growing, ensuring genuine social value and compliance.
This intensive workshop moves beyond theory to provide a practical, actionable roadmap for integrating and managing the Social (S) pillar of ESG within African business and investment contexts. The programme focuses on the unique social dynamics, regulatory landscapes, and stakeholder ecosystems across the continent.
Participants will gain a deep understanding of human rights due diligence (HRDD), social impact measurement, community engagement, and the management of critical issues like modern slavery, gender equality, and just transition.
Through case studies, interactive exercises, and expert-led sessions, attendees will leave with frameworks, tools, and strategies to implement effective social risk management and value creation in their organisations.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, stakeholders should be able to:
- Clearly explain the strategic, financial, and operational imperative for robust social governance within African markets.
- Confidently apply international standards (UNGPs, ILO) within the specific regulatory and cultural contexts of African nations.
- Design and initiate a step-by-step human rights due diligence process tailored to their organisation’s operations and supply chains.
- Proactively address critical social issues such as community conflict, labour rights violations, gender inequality, and just transition challenges.
- Select and apply relevant metrics and methodologies to measure, value, and report on social performance and impact.
- Create a practical, phased strategy to integrate social considerations into core business processes, risk management, and reporting
How will this Training Course be Presented?
Online
The Course Content
Day 1: Foundation Day - The Why: Understanding the ESG and HRDD Landscape in Africa Today
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Time |
Session Title |
Description |
Outcome |
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08:30 - 09:00 |
Welcome & Opening Remarks |
Informal introductions. Participants share their name, organisation, and what they hope to learn. |
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09:00 - 09:45 |
Keynote: The ‘S’ in ESG unpacked: Human rights, labour practices, and community impact |
Why social factors are a critical driver of business resilience, license to operate, and access to capital in Africa. Overview of regional trends and investor pressures. |
Outcome: Participants understand how governance and ESG interlink, and where the “S” should live within corporate structures. |
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09:45 - 10:45 |
The King Code V: Integrating social sustainability and ethical leadership into governance structures |
Principle on stakeholder inclusivity Principle on responsible corporate citizenship Board and management accountability for social impacts Case Study |
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10:45 - 11:00 |
Coffee Break |
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11:00 - 12:00 |
Legal frameworks and indicators |
Outlining international and national laws regarding ESG and human right due diligence Identifying sector-specific red flags UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) – The foundational HRDD process. ILO Fundamental Conventions and their relevance to African supply chains. The African Union’s Agenda 2063 and its social dimensions. Navigating the interplay between international standards and national laws (e.g., South Africa’s B-BBEE, Nigeria’s CSR legislation) |
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12:00 - 13:00 |
Interactive Wrap-Up |
Interactive session: Case study analysis of South African companies (Woolworths, Anglo American, or Naspers) Activity: Map your company’s “S” priorities using a King V lens |
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Day 2: Strategy Day - The "How": Identification & Response: Practical Skills & Intervention
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Time |
Session Title |
Description |
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08:45 - 09:00 |
Day 1 Recap |
Quick recap Questions from previous day |
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09:00 - 09:45 |
Practical Tools to Identify, Prevent & Mitigate Social Risks |
Identifying risks: Child labour, forced labour, discrimination, and community displacement in African supply chains Sectoral deep dives: Agriculture, textiles, extractives Risk mapping workshop: How to build a social risk matrix Interactive Exercise: Participants assess sample supply chains and identify risk hotspots Due diligence in practice: Screening, audits, worker voice mechanisms, and supplier engagement |
Participants gain the confidence to implement due diligence and integrate social risk into enterprise risk management systems. |
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09:45 - 10:45 |
From Commitment to Practice – Implementing Human Rights Due Diligence |
Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) – frameworks, steps, and expectations under global and regional standards Assessing actual and potential social & human rights impacts. Integrating and acting upon the findings: Embedding HRDD into policies and management systems. Tracking the effectiveness of responses. Communicating how impacts are addressed (transparency & reporting)
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10:45 - 11:00 |
Coffee Break |
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11:00 - 11:30 |
Sector-specific breakaway session |
Group A: Community Relations & Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC): Meaningful stakeholder engagement and grievance mechanisms Group B: Labour Rights & Decent Work: Addressing issues in formal and informal workforces, subcontracting Group C: Gender Lens & Inclusion: Operationalising gender equality, preventing GBVH in the workplace
Each group covers:
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10:30 - 12:00 |
Breakaway session report back |
Cross-sector share and synthesis Key insights from each sector |
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12:00 - 13:00 |
Toolbox: Measuring Your Social Impact |
Introduction to basic impact measurement frameworks. What metrics matter? |
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Day 3: Action Day - The "What's Next": Prevention & Action Planning
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Time |
Session Title |
Description |
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09:00 - 09:15 |
Day 2 Recap |
Key learnings Emerging questions |
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09:15 - 10:00 |
Measuring, Valuing, and Communicating Social Performance |
Measuring Social Impact & ROI: Moving from anecdotal to data-driven: Key social metrics and KPIs. Introduction to frameworks: GRI, SASB, and the Value Balancing Alliance methodology. Practical tools for social impact assessment and valuation |
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10:00 - 10:45 |
Reporting, Assurance and Integration |
Crafting credible social disclosures for sustainability reports (aligned with IFRS S1/S2, GRI). The role of external assurance for social performance data. Integrating social data into enterprise risk management (ERM) and board-level strategy. |
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10:45 - 11:00 |
Coffee Break |
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11:00 - 12:00 |
Remediation and grievance mechanisms: Designing effective systems for victims of exploitation or discrimination |
Panel discussion: Lessons from African businesses leading on social sustainability |
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12:00 - 13:00 |
Personal and Organizational Action Planning: Panel: What to do and expect next |
Individual sphere of influence mapping 30/60/90-day action planning Resource toolkit review Working Session: Complete action plans |
Participants walk away with a draft roadmap to strengthen their “S” reporting and remediation strategies |
Who is this Training Course for?
- Supply chain managers and procurement officers
- HR professionals and compliance officers
- CSR and sustainability teams
- Executives and board members
- Social workers and child protection services
- Police officers and investigators
- Immigration and border officials
- Labor inspectors
- Healthcare professionals (especially emergency and community health)
- Frontline service providers
- Advocacy and policy staff
- Volunteers and outreach workers
- Educators and university staff
- Journalists and media professionals
- Legal professionals
- Religious and community leaders
- Students in relevant disciplines (social work, law, business, medicine)
- Industry-specific adaptations (construction, hospitality, manufacturing)
- Youth-focused versions for schools/universities
- Community awareness version for general public
Prerequisites
Facilitator: Colleen Theron: CEO: Ardea International
Colleen founded Ardea in 2010 (back then, as CLT-Envirolaw) with the vision to harness her niche legal expertise in order to help companies understand how to meet their legal obligations for sustainability and business and human rights and create progressive voluntary best practice standards.
Tackling modern slavery in supply chains and communities is a key passion of hers.
Colleen is a tri-qualified solicitor with over 25 years’ legal and commercial experience of working with businesses and NGOs across sectors at both a strategic and operational level. She provides training to both directors and employees on human rights, modern slavery and sustainability issues.
Colleen has a LLM (with distinction) in Environmental Law from the University of Aberdeen. She is recognised by The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners as a leading environmental law practitioner. Colleen is a fellow of IEMA and a fellow at the Centre for the Study of Modern Slavery, St Mary’s University. Twickenham. She is also an independent legal consultant and consults with Re:Links
Colleen’s indefatigable passion for combating human trafficking, led her to found the not-for-profit organisation Finance Against Trafficking. Colleen lectures on business and human rights and environmental issues at Birkbeck School of Law. Recently she taught on an MBA programme at the University of Pisa on responsible business practices and modern slavery transparency in supply chains and teaches on sustainable supply chains at the University of Westminster. She has spoken widely on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, modern slavery and sustainable business.
She sits on the advisory board for LexisPSL Environment. She has been appointed to development committee of the Social Responsibility Alliance and is also appointed to APSCA’s disciplinary board. Colleen is currently on the BSI committee developing a standard guidance note on modern slavery.
She was previously a member of the steering group of the British Association for Sustainable Sport (BASIS) and was an executive member and trustee of the UK Environmental Law Association for seven years has recently been appointed by Positive Luxury to their Advisory Council. She is also an Acre accredited expert.
Colleen is a regular contributor to the legal and professional press and authored numerous chapters in published books. Her most recent book ‘Strategic Sustainable Procurement: law and best practice’ is published by Routledge. She has also published a chapter on ‘Modern Slavery and Transparency in Supply Chains’ in ‘The Modern Slavery Agenda: Policy, Politics and Practice in the UK published by Policy Press.
Colleen was part of the Modern Slavery Garden team which won Gold at the Chelsea Flower Show 2016 and has been nominated for an award by the Anti-Slavery Awards group. She has set up an anti-trafficking hub at the Towers Convent school in West Sussex.
She was recently nominated as on of the UK’s top 100 Influencer of business on modern slavery and ethical business issues.