To the Finish Line of Higg FEM (TFL)

ABOUT

To the Finish Line of Higg FEM (TFL) is a programme initiated by GIZ and its partnered brands and organisation in 2023 - 2024, fostering Collective Action & Learning for Action on environmental performance improvement in Vietnam’s apparel supply chain based on Cascale’s tool Higg FEM 4.0. TFL is delivered in Vietnamese.

TFL is implemented by the Initiative for Global Solidarity (IGS) project under Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and sustained by TFL Vietnam Fund, building partnerships to develop and deliver impactful training that drives environmental improvements for the Vietnam apparel supply chain.

See TFL 2023 Information and Materials

KEY PRODUCTS

TFL Higg FEM Training

A massive online training in the form of weekly webinars, annually held in August – September. It provides practical knowledge on Higg FEM as well as other environmental topics while promoting Peer Learning through Best Practice Sharing and Industrial Insights. The training typically consists of 8 x 2.5 hours of Office Hours, followed by 6 x 2.5 hours of Drop-In-Clinics.

TFL Higg FEM Deep Dive

Yearly, TTAC will define the environmental topics of high priority for the TFL community.

Deep Dive 2023 consists of WASTE (Waste No More) and CAT++

Deep Dive 2024: GHG Internal Audit; GHG manangement system (tbd)

Higg FEM Meet-Up

An annual in-person workshop among the top Higg FEM practitioners in Viet Nam from verifiers, high-performance manufacturers, and brand specialists. It serves as a peer professional working group to calibrate the understanding of the Higg FEM 4.0 questions in the local context to improve data accuracy.

GOVERNANCE

TFL Viet Nam Fund and TFL Technical Advisory Committee (TTAC) are ‘collective action’ mechanisms to co-create training & advisory (T&A) products on environmental topics for the apparel supply chain in Vietnam.

TFL VIET NAM FUND

From 2024 onward, TFL is to be financed by private sectors and others, mainly brands’ contributions through TFL Viet Nam Fund – a not-for-profit fund managed by Sustainable Textile Solutions Corporation (STS) with the principle of Open Book Accounting.

Until June 2025, GIZ provides facilitation and quality assurance for TFL Funds’ activities during the transition process.

TTAC

To the Finish Line Technical Advisory Committee (TTAC) is a core branch of TFL Viet Nam Fund. TTAC provides experts’ technical assessments of TFL’s portfolio of products, including the TFL Higg FEM training programme and Higg FEM Meet-ups, while keeping TFL relevant.

Membership of the TTAC is decided via invitation and nomination of candidates with the required expertise as Technical Advisors. TFL calls for advice from TTAC members in an ad hoc and pro-bono basis.

TTAC co-creates and provides advice on, but not limited to, Key Products mentioned above with the following two main indicators:

Will the TFL Higg FEM training have the necessary quality and cost-efficiency to be financed by the industry and other partners?
Will the Higg FEM Meet-ups contribute effectively to systematic improvements in data accuracy, leading manufacturers one step closer to self-governance?

COORDINATION TEAM

Chi Phan.jpg

Chi Phan | GIZ Facilitator

Ms. Chi Phan is a Senior Project Officer at GIZ Viet Nam. She has Chemistry and Material Sciences background, and 20+ years of working experience in global textile supply chain in a broad spectrum of firms: Lead firm (Vestergaard), Manufacturer (Bao Minh Textile), Industry Coalition - Association (Higg Co & VITAS), Development (GIZ), and Scientific Consultant (IVCC and others).

Duong Dang | Programmme Coordinator

Ms. Duong Dang has Master’s Degrees in Transdisciplinary Social Development and Responsible Management & Sustainable Economic Development. She has worked for nearly 10 years as a project coordinator for different sustainable development projects in partnership with a diverse range of stakeholders, such as governmental agencies, schools and universities, for-profit businesses, etc., focusing on training and advisory.

TTAC MEMBER PROFILES

Bien Vu | Country Manager, Leadership & Sustainability

Mr. Bien Vu is a Cascale Higg FEM Approved Trainer, ZDHC Accredited Trainer, Cascale General & Chemical Specialist Verifier, and Technical Team Leader for TFL Higg FEM 2023. He is experienced in conducting Higg Index verification programmes for textile, garment & footwear industry facilities in SEA region.

Chinh Nguyen | Manager Environmental Sustainability, PUMA SE

Mr. Chinh Nguyen has a Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering and over 10 years of experience in various industries. He has covered different functions from Research & Development, Quality Assurance, Heath & Safety, Corporate Responsibility to Environmental Sustainability at multinational companies such as Total Energies, Petroineos, VF and PUMA… He has expertise in industrial standards/initiatives such as Higg FEM, ZDHC, Textile Exchanges, etc.

Linh Cao | Environmental Sustainability, ON Vietnam

Ms. Linh Cao has a Bachelor’s Degree in business administration and an MBA in sustainable fashion. She has 11 years of professional experience with sportswear and shoes, from the quality field to sustainability. She focuses on environment performance and circularity at ON Vietnam.

Minh Nguyen | Senior Manager - Compliance, Facility Engineering and Sustainability, Hanesbrands Vietnam Office

Ms. Minh Nguyen has over 20 years of manufacturing experience, covering different functions, such as operation, supply chain, quality assurance, system auditing, etc., at multinational companies such as Unilever, IKEA, and Hanesbrands. She has deep knowledge of LEAN, Sustainability and Compliance.

Oanh Nguyen | HSE & Sustainability Manager, Saitex International

Ms. Oanh Nguyen has a Master’s Degree in Health, Safety and Environment with 19 years of experience in Nike shoe factories and the garment industry. She is familiar with sustainability standards such as Higg FEM/ FSLM, Bluesign, B-Corp, Cradle to Cradle, Regenagri/ GOTS/ GRS/ RCS & OCS, SA8000, ISO 14001, Oeko Tex, Better Work among others.