Bridgehead Product Selection Criteria

Bridgehead Inc.

99-880 Wellington St.
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K1R 6K7
Tel: (613) 567-1455 Fax: (613) 567-1468
Email: bridgehd@oxfam.ca
Website: www.bridgehead.ca

1) COMMERCIAL CRITERIA

• Is the product well made and consistent in quality?
• Is it a product for which we do not already have a source?
• Will the product sell?
• Does the product fit into our marketing plan and product range?
• Is the product priced such that is will sell to Canadians and, yet still ensure a fair return to the producer?
• Are the documentation, labelling or quota requirements associated with the product problematic?
• Is the product easily and safely shipped without additional labour requirements in the Bridgehead warehouse?
• For catalogue products, does the product lend itself to sales through mail order?
• Is there significant product development work required?
• Will the product meet relevant Canadian federal safety requirements relating to food products, children's products, etc.?

2) ETHICAL CRITERIA

• Is there significant value-added in the making of the product?
• Is technology appropriate to the situation of the producer used in the making of the product?
• For craft products, does the item reflect the culture of the artisan who created it? Is it helping to keep a traditional are form alive?
• Will craft product promote respect and appreciation in Canada for the talents of our partners?

(Accepted by the Bridgehead Board of Directors, September 15, 1991)

Bridgehead Producer-Partner Selection Criteria

ISSUES TO CONSIDER WHEN REVIEWING PROSPECTIVE TRADING PARTNERS

(Please note, these questions are merely starting points for discussion with prospective partners. There is not solely one 'right' or 'wrong' answer to most of them. Bridgehead recognizes that the cultural context of our partners varies greatly from country to country and that this must be considered when evaluating trading partners. The policy is written in a question format to convey the complexities of the various issues we must balance when making our decisions.)

1) GOALS AND OBJECTIVE OF PRODUCER GROUP

• Why was the organization established?
  
  
• Is the group working with a particularly disadvantaged segment of society? ie. refugees, women, the handicapped, widows, those affected by or vulnerable to sexual exploitation?
  
  
• Does the organization have the broader social and political goals of bringing about a fairer sharing of wealth and power locally and internationally, or is its focus primarily economic?
  
  
• Is the organization a force for social change? Does it concentrate its efforts on helping individuals simply cope with poverty and powerlessness by providing them with a subsistence income, or does it also encourage an understanding of, and resistance to, the forces creating poverty and powerlessness? (For groups still in the initial stages of formation, is there the will to act as a force for social change?)

2) ORGANIZATION OF PRODUCER GROUP

• Is the producer group a formal co-operative, informal community- based workshop or community marketing agency, etc.?
  
  
• Do members have input into the management of the organization? Specifically, do they have a voice in decisions concerning the distribution of profits and orders? How is management recruited? do they tend to be educated outsiders or existing group members? What activities are undertaken to teach workers the co-operative philosophy and co-operative administration skills?
  
  
• How are new members chosen? Is membership open to all?
  
  
• Is the group affiliated with any other organizations?
  
  
• What role, if any, does government play in the organization?

3) DIRECT BENEFITS TO MEMBERS

• What wages are paid to members? Are wages considered fair within the context of the local economy? Are they higher than average? How do wages compare to those paid for local agricultural or factory labour?
  
  
• How many members are employed and how much work does the organization provide them? ie., full-time work, a couple of days a week, etc.?
  
  
• Is there equality of pay within the group for work of equal value? What is the ratio of the highest to lowest paid member?
  
  
• How much rice (or other staple) can one day's pay buy?
  
  
• What efforts are made to ensure working conditions are as safe as possible?
  
  
• What job training or skills development is offered to members?
  
  
• Are there other benefits such as savings schemes, annual bonuses, health insurance, day care, etc.?

4) SOCIAL PROGRAMMES

• Does the organization offer social programmes to its members such as literacy and numeracy training, primary health care education and awareness-raising surrounding issues affecting the group members and their communities?

5) ROLE OF WOMEN

• Are women encouraged to participate in al aspects of the organization, particularly in management, as part of a broader liberation or development process?

6) ECONOMIC IMPACT

• What is the broad economic impact of the group's activities on their community?
  
  
• Is the work they offer intended to supplement an existing economic activity or replace it? ie. Are members primarily farmers who are trying to top up their income in the off-season, or have they left the agricultural sector for the handcraft sector?
  
  
• Will the group likely provide stable work in the long term?
  
  
• Is the group helping a community to stay together by providing a viable economic alternative to urban migration?
  
  
• Does the group use locally available raw materials in its production process?

7) ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

• What are the environmental consequences of the group's production processes on the artisans/farmers, community and earth?
  
  
• What steps does the producer group take to minimize environmental damage?
  
  
• Where wood is used as a raw material, what efforts are being made to replenish it?

8) COMMERCIAL CONSIDERATIONS

• To what extent does the producer need the services of an Alternative Trading Organization?
  
  
• Does the producer have the necessary infrastructure to fill Bridgehead's orders accurately and in a timely manner?
  
  
• Has the group exported before? Whom are they currently selling to?
  
  
• Are Bridgehead producers already over-represented in a particular geographical region?
  
  
• Is the producer developing its domestic market in order to avoid a risky dependency on exports?

(Accepted by the Bridgehead Board of Directors, September 15, 1991)

[Other Fair TradeMarks] [ATOs]

Return to Main