Context: Better Work Vietnam Enters a New Strategic Phase
The Better Work Programme, a joint initiative of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC – part of the World Bank Group), began operating in Vietnam in 2009 under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the ILO, the IFC, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Over the past 17 years, the Programme has worked alongside garment and footwear enterprises to improve compliance with labour law and strengthen competitiveness within global supply chains.
Building on this foundation, Better Work is entering a new strategic phase focused on long-term sustainability and on empowering capable local organizations to carry the work forward. In this phase, rather than delivering services directly to individual factories, Better Work will focus on strengthening capacity at the sector and national levels, while transferring service delivery to qualified local organizations under an Implementation Partner model. This approach allows the knowledge, tools and good practices the Programme has built to continue being carried forward by local organizations, and to reach more enterprises and industries in the future.
RBV – The Selected Implementation Partner
Under this new model, Responsible Business Vietnam Co., Ltd. has been selected as an organization to directly deliver Better Work’s factory-level services — including assessment, advisory and training — while Better Work Vietnam continues to hold strategic oversight, ensure quality, build the capacity of stakeholders, and maintain engagement with international brands and national partners.
Under a formal Agreement with the ILO, RBV will use Better Work’s tools, methodology and systems to carry out activities that support enterprises in meeting the Programme’s quality standards. As a social enterprise operating under the Law on Enterprises of Vietnam, RBV fully meets the ILO’s rigorous selection criteria, including:
- Staff capacity and technical expertise, with a strong understanding of Better Work’s methodology and approach
- A quality monitoring system
- A transparent governance structure
- Readiness to scale in the future
What Stays the Same, What Changes?
The transition of service delivery to the implementing partner has been carefully planned, with the goal of ensuring continuity and avoiding disruption for enterprises and brands during the handover:
- Service package unchanged: Factories will continue to receive the full service package as before, including compliance assessment, improvement advisory and training.
- Assessment tool unchanged: Assessments will continue to use Better Work’s Compliance Assessment Tool (CAT).
- Report format unchanged: Assessment reports, progress reports and Improvement Plans will continue to keep the same format and data fields as before;
- Data system unchanged: All accounts, data and reports from previous cycles will continue to be stored on the existing system, and remain accessible to enterprises and brands.
Who Is RBV?
RBV (Responsible Business Vietnam Co., Ltd.) is a social enterprise operating under the Law on Enterprises of Vietnam, headquartered in Hanoi. Guided by the mission “Empowering Business, Shaping a Sustainable Future for All,” RBV believes that enterprises can thrive while ensuring decent work for their employees.
RBV provides three main service groups:
- Assessment: labour and supply chain compliance assessment.
- Consulting: ESG-integrated consulting and solutions to improve corporate governance effectiveness.
- Training: capacity-building training on responsible business practices.
An experienced team of experts, a methodology proven through years of implementation in Vietnam, and a rigorous quality management system are what enable RBV to meet the ILO’s exacting standards and become a trusted partner alongside Better Work in this new phase of development in Vietnam.
Contact Information
For further details or support, enterprises may contact RBV through:
- General email: vietnam@rbv.com.vn
- Phone: +84 986 181 021
- Service registration: registration@rbv.com.vn
- Feedback: feedback@rbv.com.vn
Enterprises interested in learning more can refer to the Frequently Asked Questions about this transition at: rbv.com.vn/en/faqs