Implementation of the DfS methodology in selected partner enterprises in the textile sector of Pakistan

Accounting for 60% of its exports, the Pakistan textile sector is of utmost importance to the country's economy. Germany is Pakistan's largest trading partner within the European Union, accounting for 20% of Pakistan's total exports to the EU. Such close economic ties also imply a certain degree of sharing responsibility about the underlying international supply chains by all partners involved, particularly with regard to adherence to environmental and social standards within these supply chains. 

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) is working with its partners in Pakistan towards addressing social, occupational health and safety as well as environmental sustainability issues in the country's textile and garment sector. To enhance the active involvement and process ownership by the concerned stakeholders at various levels in the industry, GIZ and their local partners have jointly developed a methodology called “Dialogue for Sustainability” (DfS). 

DfS is a participatory change-management process at factory level that combines positive change management and supporting capacities building in the participating factories. The idea of DfS is to create conditions for an effective dialogue where top management, middle management, and workers (at all levels of hierarchy) work collectively towards sustainable solutions at both a strategic and an operational level. The DfS process also foresees fostering peer-learning within the sectors through moderated knowledge exchanges.

Building on previous experiences in supporting the implementation of the DfS methodology on environmental issues, adelphi together with its Pakistani partner Espire Consult worked with 25 factory change management teams in five Pakistan textile clusters to address "Productivity & Quality" as well as "HR & Labour Standards" issues. Using the DfS approach, the expert team of the consortium provided hand-holding support to the company internal change management teams (CMTs) in assessing and documenting the situation in hand (baseline), deciding on possible areas of actions, selecting key performance indicators, preparing and implementing company specific action plans as well as monitoring performance improvement. For the latter the expert team developed a dashboard reporting format. The intervention also focused on facilitating sector internal peer learning. The process was accompanied by various competence development measures, focusing on enhancing the technical, project management as well as facilitation skills of the CMT members.This also included a series of workshops about the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act which focused on the possible implications of the act for the manufacturers in the Pakistan textile sector and how to prepare for meeting the emerging conformance requirements.