What responsible-sourcing evidence can a directory actually show?

“Ethical supplier” is an attractive label but can hide complex labour and human-rights questions. A code of conduct alone is only one piece of a due diligence process.

What the primary source can establish

The OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct is the first-party reference for this guide. The OECD guidance helps businesses understand and implement due diligence for responsible business conduct. It does not investigate or endorse any named supplier on Source Ledger. The steps below are our editorial method for making a buyer-facing field more precise.

A field-level check

Identify the specific risk, relevant operations or tier, evidence source, assessment date, response and follow-up. Ask how issues are identified and remediated, not only whether a policy exists. Keep company self-reporting attributed.

Write down the exact field, the party that supplied the information, the original document or page, the date seen and the scope of the check. If a reviewer took an action, record that action rather than a general “verified” label. Reopen the source when the transaction or underlying document changes.

Where the inference stops

Do not infer that absence of public allegations means absence of harm. Do not present a directory article as an audit of a named company. OECD guidance describes due diligence, not a certification issued by this site.

A missing answer is a question to resolve, not permission to substitute a guess. Separate a statement by the supplier from a public record and from a documented human review. No source in this article proves a quality ranking or an existing buyer relationship.

What to record before deciding

Explain the method and evidence limitations. A named claim requires a separate, carefully reviewed company-specific record.

This entry describes how to evaluate evidence. It is not a dossier for a real company, an approval decision or a substitute for transaction-specific professional review.

Common question

Does signing a code of conduct prove responsible conduct?

No. It is a commitment; implementation and outcomes require separate evidence.

Related guide

Continue with How ISO 20400 can inform a buyer's sourcing questions for another field-level check.