Creating an engaging human rights e-learning programme for PMI

To develop a 30-minute global e-learning programme for all 70,000+ employees to raise awareness of human rights across the business. PMI wanted an interactive, engaging e-learning programme that would emphasise why human rights are important to the business and how to respect them in all steps of the value chain. Aligning the e-learning’s modules with some of PMI’s key salient risks (child labour, forced labour, freedom of association, and environmental stewardship) made it current and relevant to employees.

To create the e-learning, we worked in partnership with PMI to develop an architecture that enabled employees to have autonomy over the order in which they completed the sections. The programme included case studies that focused on rightsholders in the value chain and the potential human rights risks that they face. This brought the human rights issues to life and helped learners to see situations from the different perspectives of the people working on a farm, in a factory, in an office and in the local community.

The e-learning programme also helped to engage stakeholders right across the business, providing an introduction to international human rights standards and explaining how PMI addresses risks. It also incorporated time for self-reflection so employees could relate what they had learnt to their own area of work.