Fair procurement for the public sector - Proof questionnaires The further development of the proof questionnaire was part of the project ‘Procurement fairändern’. The project was funded by Engagement Global with its service center Kommunen in der Eine Welt with funds from the BMZ. It was supported by Fairtrade Germany. Proof questionnaires: Effectively anchor sustainability criteria The wealth of sustainability criteria that public buyers can demand has become complex. Proof questionnaires provide formulations for criteria and appropriately assigned proofs so that you can incorporate them into your textile tenders. The latest version was developed by FEMNET 2023 with the City of Trier. Practical tip: Inform bidders We recommend that you use the tender documents to publish an explanatory information sheet on the sustainability criteria (e.g. what they refer to, how they are evaluated or to which lots/product groups they apply). Thus, offering companies know better how to deal with it. Examples can be found in the Sustainability Compass or in the online Proof Questionnaire Generator tool. Since 2015, FEMNET has been developing the field-tested questionnaires in cooperation with municipalities. The big advantage: They create transparency by defining in advance which quality marks and alternative evidence companies may submit. This also facilitates the subsequent examination in the context of the evaluation. All submissions have been legally reviewed. Proof questionnaires can be integrated into the tender documents as simple questionnaires or as an interactive, digital table. Depending on how good the market availability for the respective product group is already (mart research!), they are mandatory in the list of services or optionally anchored in the surcharge. The digital version facilitates the subsequent examination and evaluation of the submitted evidence, as these are mapped in a structured manner (see below). Contents of the evidence questionnaires The contents of the questionnaires vary depending on the focus of the tendering municipalities. You can use these completely (all questions) or in extracts (e.g. only selected individual questions, e.g. on subsistence wages or complaint mechanisms) for your own tenders. A combination of criteria is also possible. Please note, however, that more up-to-date templates also take into account more up-to-date standard versions of quality marks that may not yet be included in older templates. We recommend that you always use the most up-to-date version of the respective criterion. The latest version was released by FEMNET at the end of 2023 as part of a Pilot project developed with the city of Trier. In 2024, it will be put into practice for the first time by the city of Karlsruhe. In this article, we will give you some background on the criteria included. For download, please find below an overview of previous proof questionnaires and all criteria in the latest templates (from 2023 and 2022). Criteria set 1: Corporate due diligence obligations in the manufacture The contents of this questionnaire are based on the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act. Larger companies with more than 1,000 employees must hold the included evidence for the last stage of the supply chain (fabrication) anyway. With the help of the questionnaire, you can also reward small and medium-sized enterprises for complying with their due diligence obligations and assuming responsibility for the risks at their supplier companies. The following criteria are included in Questionnaire 1 of 2022 and 2023: Submission of a Declaration of Principles Definition of an internal company jurisdiction and implementation of regular Establishment of a Risk management Risk analysis Anchoring of Prevention measures grabbing of for the production plant Remedial actions Support measures Establishment of a Complaint procedure Actively working on Living wages This, in turn, is a central concern of workers in producing countries worldwide. If you want to use individual measures, we particularly recommend the last two questions: Well-functioning Complaint mechanismsIt is essential to be able to address human rights violations. The demand for Wages that are enough to live on Criteria set 2: Social criteria for raw fibre production Use these 2022 formulations to call for social criteria (ILO core labour standards and more) for a further stage of the supply chain. These questions are not included in the 2023 Evidence Questionnaire, but can be used in combination with the other sets of criteria. The following criteria are included in Questionnaire 2 of 2022: Compliance with the ILO core labour standards (for cotton and polyester) Guarantee of Occupational health and safety Provision of: (for cotton and polyester) and sufficient water Sanitary installations (for cotton) Criteria set 3: Ecological criteria for raw fibre production These criteria may be required in particular for clothing made of cotton or (recycled) polyester. The following criteria are included in Questionnaire 2 of 2023 (and in some cases in 2022): Controlled organic farming 100% natural fibres (e.g. cotton) Synthetic fibres: with limited antimony and less VOC emissions Fresh fibres (polyester) Synthetic fibres: Use of Recycled fibres (polyester) Reduction ofWater consumption Criteria set 4: Other environmental sustainability criteria Product-related to climate-damaging CO emissions are determined and reduced. Withdrawal systems are an essential building block on the way to a circular textile industry.The following criteria are included in Questionnaire 2 of 2023:2 CO Reduction from -emissions 2 for the delivered clothing Withdrawal systems in the login area . There you can first compile your criteria (from templates or by hand inputs) and then export them to an interactive table at the touch of a button and without Excel knowledge. The two above-mentioned evidence questionnaires from 2023 and 2022 are deposited there as templates. Please note the attached hint texts when using. When using the tool, you will be supported by a (to be found under the menu item ‘Proofing’) within the Free tool: Evidence questionnaire generator (PDF).In the digital version, all proof questionnaires of a procedure are collected in a table document. Bidders must submit the completed table together with their bid. The municipal companies EBK and TBK of the city of Konstanz have successfully used such a digital table in practice in 2022. free tool "Proof questionnaire generator" When creating such tables, you will be supported by the My compass Platform compass sustainability detailed step-by-step instructions With the help of these templates, you can anchor ambitious sustainability criteria in your procurement procedures and send a clear signal to the market that fair and ecological criteria are important to you in production. This will help the market to develop more in this direction in the future. The evidence questionnaires are so-called ‘qualified self-declarations’, which are much more credible than the ‘simple self-declarations’ still permitted under public procurement law: Instead of merely ensuring compliance with sustainability criteria, companies must explain how they implement them in concrete terms. In addition, you also facilitate access to the procedure for companies that do not (yet) have quality marks, which means that you can potentially receive more offers and strengthen competition. Why are proof questionnaires worthwhile? Downloads & links After all, sustainable procurement is ultimately not about promoting individual quality labels and seals, but about making global supply chains more sustainable! (developed for the city of Trier) (developed for and used by the city of Konstanz, further information see below) Proof questionnaire 2023 - WORD file Interactive proof questionnaire - EXCEL fileProof questionnaire 2022 - WORD file Criteria overview: Contents of the supporting questionnaires 2023 and 2022 - PDF file (to fill in for bidders) (Links to tender documents in the Sustainability Compass) : (information to follow) Practical examples for the application of proof questionnaires (included in the supplement) • Call for tenders for workwear of the City of Karlsruhe in 2024 (Inclusion in the eligibility (with a minimum score) and in the award) • Call for tenders for rental laundry at the disposal companies Konstanz and the technical companies Konstanz in 2022 • Call for tenders for service and protective clothing of the City of Karlsruhe in 2020 (included in the supplement) back
