Interview: Starting your HRDD Journey
In this interview, Rosan van Wolveren, Learning Coordinator at Fair Wear, explains why the HRDD Academy was created, how it supports brands at different stages of their journey, and how it helps make HRDD practical, scalable, and credible.
For those new to it, what is the HRDD Academy, and why was it created?
The HRDD Academy is Fair Wear’s hands-on learning platform designed to help brands implement impactful Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) in their supply chains. We created it because many brands want to do the right thing, but don’t always know where to start or how to translate policies into practical action. The HRDD Academy guides them step-by-step, from foundational learning to active implementation, using tools, case-based guidance, and stakeholder validated resources.
What are the unique characteristics of the HRDD Academy?
Three things make our Academy unique:
Practicality: everything is built with real world examples.
Stakeholder validation: our content integrates worker perspectives and 25+ years of Fair Wear experience.
Scalability: brands can move at their own pace while still accessing expert guidance and a community of peers. It’s not just learning; it’s learning to implement.
The HRDD Academy now includes three access levels. Can you explain what brands can expect as they progress?
Yes, the Academy participants follows the HRDD journey:
Understanding HRDD introduces the fundamentals and core steps of HRDD.
Unpacking HRDD dives deeper into topics like purchasing practices, Gender, Freedom of Association (FOA), and risk analysis through stakeholder validated information and learning modules.
Active HRDD, our newest level, equips brands to actively apply HRDD using practical tools like the Risk Scoping Tool and Country Profiles.
The structure ensures brands start with clarity, build confidence, and ultimately develop the capability to embed HRDD in daily operations.
The Risk Scoping Tool is highlighted as a major innovation. How does it help brands?
It helps brands go from ‘we know HRDD is important’ to ‘here’s exactly where your most urgent risks are. The tool allows users to scope risks per production country, using validated risk data and stakeholder insights by Fair Wear. It supports prioritisation, which is one of the most challenging HRDD steps for brands. Brands tell us it makes HRDD feel much more actionable and evidence based.
What kind of feedback do you typically receive from participating brands?
Brands appreciate that the Academy is clear, structured, and extremely practical. They also value how the Academy saves time, instead of searching for reliable information, everything is curated and aligned across the HRDD steps. And increasingly, brands tell us the Academy helps them prepare for new upcoming regulations.
How does the Academy support brands that are not Fair Wear members?
We created the Academy precisely so any motivated brand, regardless of size or membership, can build strong HRDD systems. Brands receive access to the HRDD learning journey, tools, and expert guidance similar to what Fair Wear members use. It’s an accessible entry point for brands wanting to start working on Human Rights Due Diligence.
How can the Academy help protect brands from future legislation?
Legislation is becoming clearer: companies will need to demonstrate structured, risk-based HRDD processes. The Academy helps brands prepare early by offering a pathway that is aligned with OECD expectations and upcoming due diligence requirements. Whether the regulatory landscape moves fast or slow, brands that start now are the ones who will be ready, and credible, later.
Can you share a success story from a brand using the HRDD Academy?
We’ve seen brands shift from feeling overwhelmed by HRDD to confidently prioritising risks and engaging with suppliers in concrete improvements. Some brands have even used the Academy to support internal alignment across departments like sustainability, buying, and compliance. One brand recently told us the Academy ‘finally gave us a shared language for HRDD,’ which is exactly what we aim for.
We’re also refining how the Academy supports retail partners who want to encourage their supplier brands to improve HRDD.
What’s your main message to brands who are considering joining the Academy?
The main message is simple: you don’t have to navigate HRDD alone. The HRDD Academy gives you a clear, structured path to implementing HRDD in a credible and meaningful way. Whether you’re at the beginning of the journey or already doing a lot, there is always value in joining a learning community built around real world implementation.