Nearly half a million protective gowns and 250,000 masks handed over by Associates

Colombo, March 30, 2021 – As a gesture of gratitude, Associates from Brandix facilities island wide came together to manufacture export quality protective gowns and face masks (PPE) for frontline health workers in COVID-19 hospitals and treatment centers in Sri Lanka. The handover of PPE to these hospitals and treatment centres by Brandix Associates took place over the last few weeks.

In a show of solidarity with healthcare workers risking their health to treat COVID-19 patients, Brandix Associates manufactured export quality protective equipment including 490,000 protective gowns and 250,000 face masks that met the physical and micro-allergy testing standards by the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) prior to distribution. The protective gowns were distributed across 23 hospitals, while the facemasks were handed out to 9 hospitals by Brandix Associates from the community.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is unlike anything we have seen in our lives, and there is immense pressure on the frontline health workers treating those affected. Having received treatment for COVID-19 at one of the hospitals, I have seen first-hand the sacrifices made by them for our well-being. It gives me a sense of pride to be able to give back to them by ensuring that the PPE they wear are manufactured to the best standards and will protect them in the line of duty,” commented Nilanka Fernando – Associate Trainer of Brandix.

The Infectious Diseases Hospital, Homagama Hospital and Neville Fernando Hospital in Colombo, Punani Hospital in Batticaloa and Rambukkana Hospital in Kegalle were among those that received sizeable contributions of PPE. Additionally, Kahawatte and Nivithigala Hospitals in Ratnapura, Kegalle Teaching Hospital and Warakapola Hospital from the Kegalle District, and the Colombo North Teaching Hospital in Ragama were major beneficiaries of face masks.

Colombo, May 18, 2021 – Brandix Apparel Limited has handed over its former Brandix Casualwear apparel facility in Seeduwa to be converted to a 1200-bed Intermediate Care Centre for COVID-19 with immediate effect, to support the Government’s efforts to combat the ongoing wave of the Coronavirus pandemic. Converted by the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO), the facility will serve as a hospital to treat COVID-19 patients, with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Defense in charge of its management and administration.

The apparel facility was Brandix’s first facility to receive international recognition for its benchmark sustainability processes, and in 2008 was recognised as the World’s first Apparel Manufacturing Plant to be LEED Platinum certified. In its capacity as the Intermediate Care Centre, the solar powered and air-conditioned facility will operate with all current systems in place.

“The rising number of COVID-19 cases is a grave concern for us as a nation, and we are humbled to be able to offer our assistance to the ongoing efforts to curb the crisis. The Seeduwa facility was a flagship factory for Brandix, built to exacting environmental standards, and we are glad to hand it over to the Government of Sri Lanka as a solution to an essential need for the treatment of COVID patients,” stated the Spokesperson for Brandix Apparel Limited.

The Intermediate Care Centre in Seeduwa is fully equipped to care for 1,200 patients at any given time and has residential facilities for medical and support staff caring for patients. The Seeduwa facility is the third such factory to be handed by Brandix to combat COVID-19 in Sri Lanka, following the Punani Quarantine Facility in Batticaloa and Pinnawela Quarantine Center in Rambukkana, which were handed over for COVID relief activities last year.

Colombo, 25th May 2021: It has come to our attention today that a video circulating on social media raises certain concerns regarding our Brandix facility in Batticaloa. We would like to make the following clarifications.

The Brandix manufacturing facility in Batticaloa at full capacity operates with 5,012 direct employees. However, in keeping with the Health & Safety protocols advised by Health authorities, it was reduced to 4,050 by the Sinhala – Tamil New Year. Of this, the company can confirm that a total of 34 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 to date (25th May 2021) since their return to work from the Sinhala – Tamil New Year holidays.

Upon detection, in line with our Health & Safety protocols, the area PHI and MOH officials have been informed accordingly and recommended actions have been duly followed. We have additionally taken all the required measures to ensure the affected employees receive the necessary care, while remaining in constant contact with them to better understand their needs. We also continue to extend the necessary support to their families.

We have identified first contacts and those identified were immediately sent home for self-quarantine according to protocol. All requested details of close contacts were shared with the PHI and MOH, and PCR tests organised for all close contacts as per the directive of Government Health authorities. All those in quarantine continue to be monitored closely and a PCR is carried out and the employees are cleared prior to their return to work following the completion of the mandatory 14-day self-quarantine period.

The company follows this strict proactive protocol to ensure that any person identified with COVID-19 does not transmit the disease within their communities. In addition to this, since last year, we ensure that pregnant employees, employees with pre-existing chronic conditions, and other identified categories remain at home, with full salaries and allowances paid for the duration of their home stay.

A delegation consisting of the Regional Director Health Services – Batticaloa, Regional Epidemiologist, Medical Officer – Environment and Occupational Health, and Regional Malaria Officer of the Batticaloa Regional Director of Health Services (RDHS) visited the Brandix Batticaloa facility on 25th May 2021. Upon assessment, the officials confirmed that the facility was fully compliant with the Health & Safety protocols in place, reaffirming our compliance towards ensuring the health and well-being of our employees. As an extended preventive measure, we have temporarily halted operations at the Batticaloa facility until 30th May 2021 and will continue to work in adherence to the directives of the Health authorities to safeguard our employees.

Our facility in Batticaloa provides direct employment to over 5,000 members of the community from across the Batticaloa district and beyond, and ensuring their health and well-being is a top priority for our organisation. As the first apparel manufacturer to establish operations in the district, we have continued our efforts to make a positive impact by providing livelihoods to those who are both directly and indirectly employed, as well as by addressing the needs of the communities through our CSR initiatives. We continue to uphold our commitment as a safe and responsible employer and member of the community in Batticaloa.

Updated – Colombo, 29th May 2021: It has come to our attention that a video circulating on social media raises certain concerns regarding our Brandix facility in Batticaloa. We would like to make the following clarifications.

The Brandix manufacturing facility in Batticaloa at full capacity operates with 5,012 direct employees. However, in keeping with the Health & Safety protocols advised by Health authorities, it was reduced to 4,050 by the Sinhala – Tamil New Year. Of this, the company can confirm that a total of 70 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 to date (29th May 2021) over the weeks since their return to work from the Sinhala – Tamil New Year holidays.

Upon detection, in line with our Health & Safety protocols, the area PHI and MOH officials have been informed accordingly and recommended actions have been duly followed. We have additionally taken all the required measures to ensure the affected employees receive the necessary care, while remaining in constant contact with them to better understand their needs. We also continue to extend the necessary support to their families.

We have identified first contacts and those identified were immediately sent home for self-quarantine according to protocol. All requested details of close contacts were shared with the PHI and MOH, and PCR tests organised for all close contacts as per the directive of Government Health authorities. All those in quarantine continue to be monitored closely and a PCR is carried out and the employees are cleared prior to their return to work following the completion of the mandatory 14-day self-quarantine period.

The company follows this strict proactive protocol to ensure that any person identified with COVID-19 does not transmit the disease within their communities. In addition to this, since last year, we ensure that pregnant employees, employees with pre-existing chronic conditions, and other identified categories remain at home, with full salaries and allowances paid for the duration of their home stay.

A delegation consisting of the Regional Director Health Services – Batticaloa, Regional Epidemiologist, Medical Officer – Environment and Occupational Health, and Regional Malaria Officer of the Batticaloa Regional Director of Health Services (RDHS) visited the Brandix Batticaloa facility on 25th May 2021. Upon assessment, the officials confirmed that the facility was fully compliant with the Health & Safety protocols in place, reaffirming our compliance towards ensuring the health and well-being of our employees. As an extended preventive measure, the temporary halting of operations put into effect on 26th May 2021 has now been extended to 7th June 2021, a decision made by the company Management, taking into consideration the recommendations of the Health authorities. We will continue to work in adherence to the directives of the Health authorities to safeguard our employees and the community.

Our facility in Batticaloa provides direct employment to over 5,000 members of the community from across the Batticaloa district and beyond, and ensuring their health and well-being is a top priority for our organisation. As the first apparel manufacturer to establish operations in the district, we have continued our efforts to make a positive impact by providing livelihoods to those who are both directly and indirectly employed, as well as by addressing the needs of the communities through our CSR initiatives. We continue to uphold our commitment as a safe and responsible employer and member of the community in Batticaloa.

Colombo, Sri Lanka: COVID-19 has led to an unprecedented health and economic crisis, deepening the existing poverty and climate crises. As Sri Lanka works to build ‘forward’ better coming out of the pandemic, driving change in the people-environment nexus to protect the health of people and natural resources is key to a future that does not repeat the crisis we are in today. In this context, clean sustainable energy can provide affordable solutions that are in line with climate targets and can help mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.

Against this backdrop, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) partnered with Brandix Apparel Limited to promote renewable energy in Sri Lanka through the facilitation of Model Fuelwood plantations for a Sustainable Energy Supply in Sri Lanka.

Against this backdrop, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) partnered with Brandix Apparel Limited to promote renewable energy in Sri Lanka through the facilitation of Model Fuelwood plantations for a Sustainable Energy Supply in Sri Lanka.

Speaking about this partnership, the Resident Representative of UNDP in Sri Lanka, Robert Juhkam stated, “As nations prepare for the COVID-19 aftermath, there is a tremendous opportunity for a reset. Ambitious green recovery plans will help countries restore their economies while deepening their energy transition. Now is a good time for Sri Lanka to accelerate a transition to clean energy to sustain a recovery that’s better for all.”

As a clean energy source, sustainable biomass energy has the potential to boost local economies. UNDP’s partnership with Brandix, a leader in apparel manufacturing in Sri Lanka at the forefront of efforts towards Sustainability, and a conscientious user of energy, will ensure that Sri Lanka has a low carbon growth whilst enhancing the company’s initiatives towards promoting the use of sustainable biomass energy. Some of the major initiatives entail assisting suppliers of biomass energy to adopt SLS 1551, a standard for sustainable biomass energy, as well as establishing sustainable fuel wood plantations.

Commenting on the partnership, Brandix Group Head of Engineering , Ilthimas Ahamed stated, “In line with Brandix’s journey towards achieving Net Zero Carbon status by 2023 across all our manufacturing locations in Sri Lanka, we have converted all our furnace oil fired boilers to biomass boilers with the expectation of making available sustainably sourced biomass for our renewable energy demand. This MoU also reaffirms Brandix as the first corporate entity to step forward in our efforts to ensure that the biomass used by Brandix is responsibly sourced from certified suppliers under SLS 1551. Further, as an extension, we will continue to engage our Associates to take part in the UNDP energy plantation programme across the country via a home garden concept, thus paving way for them to enhance their livelihoods while being active participants in our Sustainability agenda.”

Sustainable energy is readily available, affordable, and reliable. However, in many developing economies, the potential for large scale renewable energy remains largely untapped. Investments in this area can help Sri Lanka and other countries reap the full development and climate benefits of clean energy ahead of the 2030 Sustainable Development agenda.

Accenture deploys ‘Brandix iConnect’, based on SAP® SuccessFactors® solutions, in just four months

Colombo, Sri Lanka and Bangalore, India; August 27, 2020 – Accenture has helped Brandix, a leading apparel manufacturer in Sri Lanka, implement SAP® SuccessFactors® solutions to consolidate all of its human resources (HR) processes into a single technology platform.

The platform, internally branded as ‘Brandix iConnect,’ is part of Brandix’s journey to future-ready its operations. As a central hub for the company’s HR services, Brandix iConnect brings together real-time data and consolidates processes to provide employees with a modern digital experience that is user and mobile-friendly.

Accenture helped implement the Brandix iConnect solution in just four months and continues to support Brandix in its digital endeavors through the transformation of its manufacturing, supply chain, finance and HR operations.

“As a company that passionately embraces its vision of ‘delivering inspired solutions,’ we always strive for and achieve world-class standards in everything we do,” said Ashroff Omar, Group Chief Executive Officer of Brandix Apparel Limited. “Our successful transition to a state-of-the-art HR platform is a testament to the willingness of our people to embrace change and adapt in ways to future-ready our operations. I look forward to leveraging our best practices in HR to energize our people to deliver inspired solutions to our customers.”

In addition to aligning the company’s executive HR processes with global best practices, Brandix iConnect also supports the company’s sustainability goals. It has eliminated paper-based HR processes and enabled the integration of electronic records, the introduction of an online learning management system and the automation of the company’s performance management system. The new platform has also helped enhance Brandix’s talent management, succession, and learning and development processes.

“It was truly rewarding to witness the dedicated efforts of all teams in driving this project to its fruition, attesting to Brandix’s commitment to delivering on excellence backed by teamwork,” said Ishan Dantanarayana, Chief People Officer of the Brandix Group. “We believe that the transformative system will inspire and enable the Brandix force of ‘Inspired People’ to perform at their optimal.”

Suvasish Mohapatra, who led this project for Accenture Operations, added, “People lie at the heart of any business, and this HR transformation initiative is a key milestone in Brandix’s digital journey. The modernization of its HR processes with SAP SuccessFactors solutions will help boost productivity and improve the employee experience, better positioning Brandix to grow and succeed in a highly disruptive environment.”

Aaron Green, who leads SAP SuccessFactors in Asia Pacific and Japan added, “Employee experience has become a strategic priority for HR leaders and delivering engaging experiences is proven to boost productivity and drive better business results. Human experience management solutions—such as Brandix iConnect— are designed around what employees need, how they work and what motivates them – empowering them to do their best work and giving HR leaders the tools to accelerate business growth.”

About Brandix:

Brandix, the single largest employer in Sri Lanka’s Export industry and adjudged ‘Exporter of the Year’ at the 2018/19 Presidential Export Awards, operates apparel manufacturing units in Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Haiti and Cambodia. On a journey to deliver Inspired Solutions at every point of its operations, the company continues to develop, manufacture and market end-to-end apparel solutions to world-renowned brands, whilst inspiring sustainable development in the communities it operates in. For more information, visit www.brandix.com.

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services in strategy and consulting, interactive, technology and operations, with digital capabilities across all of these services. We combine unmatched experience and specialized capabilities across more than 40 industries — powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. With 513,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture brings continuous innovation to help clients improve their performance and create lasting value across their enterprises.

 

Brandix conducted the ‘Ran Daru Thilina’ initiative for the fifth consecutive year, providing over 8,500 children of the company’s Associates with schoolbags and stationery items for the new school year in an effort to inspire their education.

Since its inception in 2016, ‘Ran Daru Thilina’ has enriched the lives of over 28,000 children of Brandix Associates from nursery age to Grade 5. The schoolbag for children between Grade 3 – 5 contains exercise books, drawing books, colouring and standard pencils, rulers, glue and other essential items, while the schoolbags of younger children also include modelling clay, scissors and crayons.

Employees of the Executive cadre of Brandix too extended their support towards the distribution of schoolbags to children at their respective facilities, ensuring Group-wide involvement towards this endeavour.

Commenting on the initiative, Anusha Alles, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility of Brandix Apparel Limited said, “Ran Daru Thilina is a CSR initiative that is very close to our hearts. The cost of a child’s booklist for the year is a daunting expense for most to bear, and we felt the need to step in and help alleviate this burden for our Associates. In continuing this commitment for the past five years, it has been truly fulfilling to witness the development of these children as they pursue their education unhindered on a journey to become well-rounded, educated citizens of Sri Lanka.”

This year, children of 6,800 Brandix Associates employed across 25 facilities in Sri Lanka benefitted from the Brandix ‘Ran Daru Thilina’ initiative. Additionally, Brandix also facilitates the ‘Ran Daru Scholarship’ scheme, under which financial assistance is extended to Grade 5 children of Associates. This is also part of Brandix’s mission to inspire the education of children and improve the quality of life for its employees.

Brandix, the single largest employer in Sri Lanka’s Export industry and adjudged ‘Exporter of the Year’ at the 2018/19 Presidential Export Awards, operates apparel manufacturing units in Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Haiti and Cambodia. On a journey to deliver Inspired Solutions at every point of its operations, the company continues to develop, manufacture and market end-to-end apparel solutions to world-renowned brands, whilst inspiring sustainable development in the communities it operates.

Mr. Basil Rajapaksa, Special Representative of the President and Head of the Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival and Poverty Eradication, symbolically handed over the first batch of face masks from a production of 200 million face masks for export by Brandix, to U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives Alaina B. Teplitz.

The handover took place at the Brandix Headquarters on 14th May 2020 in the presence of Mr. A. Sukumaran – JAAF Chairman, Mr. Ashroff Omar – Brandix Group Chief Executive Officer and Ms. Ranga Ranmadugala – Board Member of Brandix Apparel Limited.

U.S Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives Alaina B. Teplitz expressed her appreciation to Mr. Basil Rajapaksa and Brandix. “As the world combats this global pandemic, the long friendship between the United States and Sri Lanka is helping both our countries overcome this challenge. Our collaboration has resulted in quality products that can help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Impressively, the fabric used for the face masks was produced in Sri Lanka, while the chemicals used for the antimicrobial finish were made in the United States, demonstrating a synergy that benefits all. We look forward to continuing our cooperation with the Sri Lankan Government and Brandix to sustain the global supply of PPE.”

Mr. Basil Rajapaksa, Special Representative of the President and Head of the Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival and Poverty Eradication said, “We are proud that products manufactured in Sri Lanka such as these 200 million face masks are being exported to nations like the US, where it will play a vital role in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic. This collaboration between the two countries has resulted in sustaining our national economy, in addition to paving way for global customers to reach out to Sri Lanka for quality products in the months ahead. We are glad that a leader in apparel like Brandix utilized its resources to lead the way in this journey, giving the global market a glimpse of the advanced infrastructure and agility that is already in place within Sri Lanka, in order to meet the current and future market demands.”

The face masks produced by Brandix have been manufactured combining the efforts of over 15,000 of the company’s Associates and an extended network of several supply chain partners in the country. The face masks, produced as 3-ply and of cotton-based fabric with antimicrobial finish, is stretchable for better fit and meet stringent hygiene standards.

Speaking on the endeavour, Ms. Ranga Ranmadugala – Board Member of Brandix Apparel Limited commented, “The apparel industry is a key export revenue generator in Sri Lanka, generating $5.6 billion of exports in the last fiscal year itself. However, the unavoidable decline in trade and production output resulting from the COVID-19 crisis, has left the industry facing its toughest predicament in recent times, impacting Sri Lanka’s positioning against other apparel export markets. In this daunting background, the production of a large volume of face masks for export to the US is truly heartening as it reaffirms the continued trust and partnership the two nations uphold.” She added, “Despite the challenging conditions and the tough road ahead, the industry will continue to do its part to combat potential long-term impacts of the pandemic and bring in revenue to replenish the national economy. We are also happy that we can continue to sustain livelihoods through continued production as well. As a leader in apparel, we assure the Government of Sri Lanka that we will do our utmost to support the journey ahead.”

Brandix was awarded the highest accolade under the ‘Best Liquidity & Investment Solution’ category at The Asset Triple A Awards 2020 for its global Interest Enhancement (IE) solution facilitated by HSBC.

The IE solution, effective across Australia, India, Hong Kong, Mauritius, Singapore, Sri Lanka, United States and the United Kingdom, provides Brandix with an innovative and best-in-class solution to optimise its cash and interest yields globally within complex regulatory settings. It also enables Brandix to increase visibility and control globally via a single banking platform for all payments and collections, including standardised processes for effective management. This transformation took place following the centralisation and setting up of Brandix’s Treasury hub, collections and trading arm in Singapore, during which HSBC played an integral role as the company’s consultative partner as well.

Priyanke Perera, Head – Global Treasury of Brandix commented on the achievement, “We are honoured to be recognized at The Asset Triple A Awards 2020 for our efforts towards excellence in operational efficiency and optimisation of cash through the IE solution. HSBC has been our trusted advisor for over twenty years now and has a good understanding of our financial infrastructure and requirements. When exploring the option for a flexible and scalable solution to meet our unique business model, HSBC provided us with a solution leveraging their global network, capabilities and technology to best suit our needs. As a result, we are better able to centralise liquidity globally across Asia Pacific, United States and the United Kingdom with automated payments and reconciliation.”

Stuart Rogers, Head of Wholesale Banking HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives commented on the recognition, “Our warmest congratulations to Brandix on winning the highest accolade awarded by The Asset Triple A Award 2020 under the Best Liquidity & Investment Solution category. We are very proud of this global recognition and the role HSBC played in setting up of their treasury, collection and trading hub based out of Singapore, especially the IE (Interest Enhancement) solution for global liquidity requirements. This is a landmark achievement in our decades long partnership with Brandix. We look forward to working together for many years more, supporting them with the strength of our expertise and the backing of our global network.”

Harish Venkatesan, Singapore Head of International Subsidiary Banking, Commercial Banking, HSBC also commented on the award, “Congratulations to Brandix for winning The Asset Triple A Best Liquidity and Investment Award. We continue to journey together with Brandix and work closely as Brandix’s operate its treasury hub, collections and trading arm in Singapore for operational efficiency. This is attestation to the strong strategic relationship between Brandix and HSBC, between Sri Lanka and Singapore corridor, to help Brandix across their operations on a global scale. With new developments in the treasury digital space and cash optimisation, Brandix would reap greater benefits from their automated liquidity management solution.”

Interest Enhancement (IE) has benefited Brandix by allowing 100% utilisation of HSBC’s operating balances participating in the service; as a result, IE improved Brandix’s yield for credit balances. It is well suited to both open as well as more restrictive markets with capital movement or FX controls, where regulation permits. The solution provides total transparency from a pricing and taxation perspective and ensures operating risk and cost are properly managed in the process without affecting the underlying banking structure and working capital requirements.

The Asset Triple A Treasury, Trade, SSC (Sustainable Supply Chain) and Risk Management Awards are industry excellence recognitions awarded annually to companies and financial institutions that have launched or helped implement initiatives in corporate treasury management, trade finance, supply chain and/or risk management. They are awarded to corporates (Triple A Client Awards) and financial services providers (Triple A Service Provider Awards), on in-country/territory as well as regional levels in Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and North America.

The award was accepted by Brandix Directors Ranga Ranmadugala and Dave Ranasinghe (L to R) on behalf of the company

 

Brandix was declared Sri Lanka’s ‘Exporter of the Year’ by the Export Development Board (EDB), in recognition of the company’s contribution to the nation’s economy at the 23rd Presidential Export Awards 2018/19, presided over by President Maithripala Sirisena.

The coveted top award, singling out Brandix as the highest contributor to the national economy across all categories of exports, was among six awards presented to the company. The awards, ‘Globally Operated Highest Foreign Exchange Earner’, ‘Net Foreign Exchange Earner’, ‘Employment Provider in the Export Industry’, ‘Contributor from the Regions to the Export Supply Chain’ and ‘Best Exporter Award – Apparel Sector’ were the other big wins for Brandix.

“As we humbly accept the recognition bestowed to our company by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, we acknowledge the vision and drive of a legacy, Mr. Martin Trust, who was instrumental in transforming the Sri Lankan Apparel industry and Brandix to become what it is today. Our progressive journey stems from his extraordinary mentorship and guidance, while our continued strength and success lies in the passion and dedicated efforts of our 60,000+ family of Inspired People,” said Chief Executive Officer of Brandix, Ashroff Omar.

This year marks the sixth ‘Exporter of the Year’ award for Brandix. As reinforced through its corporate DNA, Brandix continues to inspire and establish a sense of purpose in its people through its values of respect, integrity, teamwork and excellence. The company also remains true to its commitments towards the planet, as demonstrated through its sustainability journey and the most recent milestone of achieving the world’s first ‘Net Zero Carbon’ status for its manufacturing facility in Batticaloa. On a journey to deliver Inspired Solutions at every point of its operations, Brandix continues to develop, manufacture and market end-to-end apparel solutions to world-renowned brands, whilst inspiring sustainable development in the communities it operates in.

The Presidential Export Awards organized by the EDB is the highest form of recognition for top performing exporters with outstanding contributions towards national development. The award winners embody excellent competitive adherence in the exporting field and are selected through criterions based on exceptional product and market development aptitudes whilst fulfilling other social and environmental responsibilities.