> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.acelabusa.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# DFF Ethical Material Tracking Template
> Learn how to use Acelab's template to track ethical material selection based on Design for Freedom Principles.
*Written by Armaan Shah · Updated February 10, 2026*
***
## What Is Design For Freedom (DFF)?
Design for Freedom is a global movement initiated by the **Grace Farms Foundation to** **eliminate forced labor from the building materials supply chain**. CEO and Founder Sharon Prince leads this initiative to address a critical humanitarian crisis that often goes unnoticed in the construction industry.
*"Over the past few decades, substantive strides have been compounding to sustainably design and construct with less harm to nature; yet there is a startling blind spot in terms of the entropic brutality forced upon the workers who are critical to the production of the very materials we source. Their suffering should not be built into our construction."*
Sharon Prince, CEO and Founder.
The movement was **officially launched in 2020** with the publication of a groundbreaking report that established the basis for this new architecture justice movement. The report provides an in-depth analysis of raw and composite materials that are at significant risk of forced labor, including commonly used materials like timber, brick, glass, concrete, and steel.
***
### Core Principles of Design for Freedom
Design for Freedom is built on three fundamental principles:
1. **Find and Address Embedded Forced Labor:** Identifying where forced labor exists in supply chains and taking concrete steps to eliminate it.
2. **Pursue Ethical Decarbonization:** Recognizing the inseparable relationship between carbon in building materials linked to climate change and the suffering of forced labor in extracting and manufacturing those materials.
3. **Prioritize Circularity:** Embracing circular economy principles to reduce waste and the demand for new raw materials that may involve forced labor.
***
### Resources from Design for Freedom
The Grace Farms Foundation developed several resources to help professionals implement ethical material practices:
1. **[Design for Freedom Toolkit:](https://www.designforfreedom.org/download-media/design-for-freedom-international-guidance-and-toolkit)** Comprehensive resources for implementing ethical material practices.
2. **[Design for Freedom Report:](https://www.acsa-arch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/DFF-Report_011023-for-web.pdf)** The foundational report establishing the need for action.
3. **[Ethical Materials Tracking Schedule:](https://www.designforfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Ethical-Materials-Tracking-Schedule-DFF-Guidance-and-Toolkit.xlsx)** Tools to monitor material sources and labor practices.
4. **[Design for Freedom Self-Assessment Questionnaire:](https://www.designforfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Self-Assessment-Questionnaire-Guidance-Toolkit-2.12.pdf)** Templates to encourage organizations to assess progress, elevate internal dialogue, and promote external discussion.
5. **[Ethical Design Requirements, Division & Sample Specifications:](https://www.designforfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/DFF-Ethical-Design-Requirements-Specifications-Guidance-Toolkit.pdf)** Guidelines for incorporating ethical requirements into project specifications
6. **[Slavery and Trafficking Risk Template (STRT):](https://www.designforfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Slavery-and-Trafficking-Risk-Template-STRT-Version-3.3.xlsx)** Open-source template for modern slavery compliance and supply chain transparency.
7. **Responsible Certifications, International Frameworks and Standards List:** Filter certifications using the Responsible Certifications List in the Ethical Materials Tracking Schedule.
***
## Acelab’s DFF Ethical Material Tracking Template
Acelab’s template for Ethical Material Tracking by Design for Freedom is a pre-configured project framework within Acelab's Materials Hub designed to help architecture, engineering, and construction teams implement ethical material sourcing practices.
This template provides a structured approach to organizing, documenting, and verifying building materials, with an emphasis on supply chain transparency and ethical sourcing.
### Purpose of the Template
The primary purpose of this template is to streamline the process of reporting the Design for Freedom principles in construction projects by:
* **Creating a standardized framework** for ethical material selection and documentation.
* **Providing a central repository** for supply chain information and verification documents.
* **Facilitating collaboration** between project stakeholders on ethical sourcing decisions.
* **Generating comprehensive reports** that demonstrate compliance with ethical material standards.
* **Preserving institutional knowledge** about ethical material choices for future projects.
### Key Features
The template includes several specialized features to support ethical material tracking:
* Schedules automatically populated with fields to track material information based on Design for Freedom's principles.
* Schedule views organized by product category for reporting and collaboration.
* Integration with Acelab's extensive product database for research and specification.
* Collaborative tools for team communication about ethical sourcing concerns.
***
## How to Use Acelab's Template for Ethical Materials Tracking
### **Access the Template**
* From the Home page or Projects Page, click **Create a new project**
* Choose **Start from Template**
* Select the **DFF** **Ethical Material Tracking Template** from the available templates
* Learn more: [Create Project from Template](/help-center/working-on-projects/create-project-from-template)
### **Configure Project Details**
* On the **Projects Page**, locate your new project
* Click on the **pencil icon** at the top-right corner of the project image
* **Edit** the project details as needed, including name, ID, type, budget, etc.
* In the **Description** section, add your project's ethical sourcing goals
* Click **Update Project**
### **Update Documents and Invite Project Collaborators**
* Navigate to the **Project Info** page
* **Upload** any relevant documents related to ethical sourcing requirements
* Scroll down to the **Team** section
* Click **Add Collaborators** and enter their email addresses
* Once collaborators join the project, assign appropriate **permission levels** to team members based on their roles
* Learn more: [Inviting Team to Project](/help-center/working-on-projects/managing-project-collaborators)
* Learn more: [Permissions in Acelab](/help-center/getting-started/permissions-in-acelab)
### **Research Materials**
* **Start a search** to find materials that meet your project requirements
* Use the top search bar, the Products button, or the Manufacturer button
* Add **filters** related to ethical sourcing certifications and documentation
* **Save** promising products to your project workspace
* Learn more: [How to find products](/help-center/searching-for-products/how-to-find-products)
### **Add Placeholder Products**
* Create placeholder products for products not yet in our database
* Learn more: [Adding Placeholder Products to Your Schedules](/help-center/working-on-projects/adding-custom-products-to-your-schedules)
### **Document Supply Chain Information**
* For each selected material, fill in the Ethical Material Tracking fields
* Note that several views are already available in the project
* To see the different views, click on the Views button at the top bar (the button displays the name of the view you are currently looking at, e.g. Default View).
* Record material information in the Notes section (or another custom field you create)
* Upload verification documents or certifications provided by manufacturers in the Attachment column (or another custom field you create)
* Note areas where additional verification is needed (or another custom field you create)
* Learn more: [Editing Custom Field](/help-center/working-on-projects/editing-project-field-types)s
### **Engage with Manufacturers**
* Navigate to the **Manufacturer** page or **Product** page
* Click the **Contact** button (or the **Request Information** button)
* Select your Project
* Choose the type of information you need (or leave them blank)
* Send the request
* Check your **Conversations** page to see the responses
* Document all communication regarding ethical sourcing verification
* In Schedules, record the information gathered and update the material's status accordingly
* Learn more: [Requesting Product Information](/help-center/searching-for-products/requesting-product-information)
* Learn more: [Managing Conversations](/help-center/searching-for-products/managing-conversations)
### Export Views
* Click on click on the Views button at the top bar (the button displays the name of the view you are currently looking at, e.g. Default View)
* Choose the view you want to export
* Click on Export
* A CVS file will be downloaded to your device
***
## Best Practices
### Early Integration & Clear Goals
* Implement the template at project inception to ensure ethical sourcing is considered from the start.
* Define clear objectives and communicate them to all team members for alignment.
* Upload documentation about objectives to the Project Info page.
### Prioritization & Verification
* Focus on high-risk materials known for forced labor concerns, such as brick, glass, and solar panels.
* Develop a standardized verification protocol to ensure consistent evaluation across materials.
### Efficient Documentation
* Standardize documentation based on material risk levels to balance verification and efficiency.
* Maintain a library of verified suppliers and materials for future use.
* Record both decisions and their rationale to build institutional knowledge.
### Team Collaboration
* Assign specific team members to oversee ethical sourcing verification.
* Train all collaborators on ethical sourcing fundamentals and template usage.
* Schedule regular reviews to track progress and maintain momentum.
* Learn More: [Real-Time Collaboration](/help-center/working-on-projects/real-time-collaboration)
### Continuous Improvement
* Establish a feedback loop to refine verification processes over time.
* Identify common verification challenges to improve workflows.
* Develop firm-wide ethical sourcing standards based on insights from multiple projects.
* Learn More: [Firm Library Overview](/help-center/building-your-firm-library/firm-library-overview)
***
## Disclaimer
This documentation is provided for informational purposes only. We encourage you to consult the official Design for Freedom resources for the most current guidance. The template is designed to assist with ethical material tracking but does not guarantee compliance with all relevant regulations or standards.
***
### **Research Materials**
* **Start a search** to find materials that meet your project requirements
* Use the top search bar, the Products button, or the Manufacturer button
* Add **filters** related to ethical sourcing certifications and documentation
* **Save** promising products to your project workspace
* Learn more: [How to find products](/help-center/searching-for-products/how-to-find-products)
### **Add Placeholder Products**
* Create placeholder products for products not yet in our database
* Learn more: [Adding Placeholder Products to Your Schedules](/help-center/working-on-projects/adding-custom-products-to-your-schedules)
### **Engage with Manufacturers**
* Navigate to the **Manufacturer** page or **Product** page
* Click the **Contact** button (or the **Request Information** button)
* Select your Project
* Choose the type of information you need (or leave them blank)
* Send the request
* Check your **Conversations** page to see the responses
* Document all communication regarding ethical sourcing verification
* In Schedules, record the information gathered and update the material's status accordingly
* Learn more: [Requesting Product Information](/help-center/searching-for-products/requesting-product-information)
* Learn more: [Managing Conversations](/help-center/searching-for-products/managing-conversations)
### Export Views
* Click on click on the Views button at the top bar (the button displays the name of the view you are currently looking at, e.g. Default View)
* Choose the view you want to export
* Click on Export
* A CVS file will be downloaded to your device
***
## Best Practices
### Early Integration & Clear Goals
* Implement the template at project inception to ensure ethical sourcing is considered from the start.
* Define clear objectives and communicate them to all team members for alignment.
* Upload documentation about objectives to the Project Info page.
### Prioritization & Verification
* Focus on high-risk materials known for forced labor concerns, such as brick, glass, and solar panels.
* Develop a standardized verification protocol to ensure consistent evaluation across materials.
### Efficient Documentation
* Standardize documentation based on material risk levels to balance verification and efficiency.
* Maintain a library of verified suppliers and materials for future use.
* Record both decisions and their rationale to build institutional knowledge.
### Team Collaboration
* Assign specific team members to oversee ethical sourcing verification.
* Train all collaborators on ethical sourcing fundamentals and template usage.
* Schedule regular reviews to track progress and maintain momentum.
* Learn More: [Real-Time Collaboration](/help-center/working-on-projects/real-time-collaboration)
### Continuous Improvement
* Establish a feedback loop to refine verification processes over time.
* Identify common verification challenges to improve workflows.
* Develop firm-wide ethical sourcing standards based on insights from multiple projects.
* Learn More: [Firm Library Overview](/help-center/building-your-firm-library/firm-library-overview)
***