OAFP 9730 - Driving Social Impact in Global Supply Chains: From Theory to Practice

This practice-focused course equips students to analyze global supply chains as systems of power and

inequality, and to design feasible interventions that improve outcomes for workers, especially women and

groups in situations of vulnerability.

Moving beyond abstract frameworks, students will examine how companies, policymakers, unions, and

civil society actors use — and sometimes distort — tools such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business

and Human Rights, International Labour Organization standards, OECD Guidelines, and EU due diligence

regulation.

Across 12 interactive sessions, including action-learning exercises, simulations, practitioner presentations,

and role plays, students will build the skills to diagnose why harms persist despite compliance, identify

leverage points, and design worker-centered solutions that account for real-world constraints such as cost

pressure, sourcing dynamics, legal exposure, supplier relationships, and worker safety.

The course culminates in a capstone project where student teams present a consultant-style intervention

proposal grounded in systems change theory and operational reality.

• 10-slide deck (consultant style) + 2-page executive memo
• Team presentation (12 min) + Q&A (8 min)

Pre-reads in Google Drive