AUDIT FREQUENCY


The SIZA programme aims to build into the scheme robust assurances of the management of risk in respect of the supply base in the South African agricultural industry. The programme subscribes to the following which can be used to mitigate and manage risk:

  • Visibility of a supplier
  • Transparency ― the supplier must be willing to share information on compliance status
  • Commitment to improve ― the supplier must demonstrate a commitment to improve compliance levels and continually provide information that supports this.

The SIZA Environmental programme is improvement-led, not audit-led and uses the SIZA Environmental Audit Frequency Matrix to support this position. It creates four categories of risk: Platinum (3-years), Gold and Silver (2-years), and Bronze (1-year), where the Platinum category has the most stringent qualifying criteria. This will allow a SIZA member to be rated according to these risk categories and earn the right to move to a higher category where the reward for this is a less frequent audit.  However, it also builds into the system a range of tools beyond the audit that, if used in combination rather than isolation, will provide more extensive cover and management of risk between audits making the programme more robust. For example, the programme will involve various verification activities such as second-party verification site visits and desk-top assessments via the completion of Environmental Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQs) that will take place between audits. The SIZA programme has identified various activities and actions that will be in place in order to mitigate and manage risk. While the 3rd-party audit is an important component of this, it is the activities between audits that will support sustainable and continuous improvement.