ACCOMPANIES THE ‘MANAGING HEALTH AT THE WORKPLACE’ GUIDEBOOK

MODULE 1 HOW TO DO A SELF-ASSESSMENT, SET HEALTH GOALS, AND DEVELOP ACTION PLANS

MODULE1:HowtoDoaSelf-Assessment,SetHealth

Goals,andDevelopActionPlans

Howdoyoudeterminewhatyourfactory’shealthgoalsandimprovement

activitiesshouldbe?Andhowcanyoumanagetheseactivitiesthroughshort-

termandlong-termplanning?

Thismodulegivesanswerstothosequestions.

Ifyouhaveneversetgoalsorcreatedplansfor

yourhealthfunctions,thismodulewillgiveyou

toolsandsuggestionsforimplementinga

planningprocessthatallowsyouto:

• Setgoalsbasedoncommonstandardsandacceptedgoodpractices

• Assessyourfactory’scurrentactivities• Determineshortandlong-termpriorities• Turnthoseprioritiesina3-monthaction

planforquickimprovementandannual

planscontinuousimprovement

Youmayalreadyhaveaprocessfordeveloping

actionorannualplans.Ifso,youshouldapply

thetoolsandsuggestionsbelowyoufinduseful

toyourownplanningprocesses.

Theoverallgoalisforyourfactorytobeableto

manageitshealthactivitiesinamoreeffective

wayANDhelpthehealthstaffimprovethe

qualityoftheclinicandtheirhealthactivities.

ThesuggestedHealthPlanningprocessinvolves

fivesteps:

1. Formingahealthplanningworkinggroupthatrepresentsmanagement,healthstaff

andworkers.

2. Doingaself-assessment–usingtheScorecardtoolaswellasaskingforinput

fromworkersandmanagement.

3. Prioritizingareasforimmediateandlonger-termactionbasedontheresultsof

theself-assessment

4. Developingandimplementingashort-termactionplanforrapidimplementationover

3-4months.

5. Developingandimplementinganannualplanformoresystemicchangesand

continuousimprovement.

Experienceincompanieswitheffective

workplacehealthprogramsshowsthatitis

importantto“thinkbig,startsmall,actfast–onestepatatime.”

STEP1:FormaHealthPlanningWorkingGroup

YouwillneedtonameaSeniorManagerfrom

thebusinesssidewhoisresponsibilityforthe

planningprocessandforhealthactivities.The

SeniorManagershouldputtogetherasmallor

large“HealthPlanningWorkingGroup”to

implementanimprovementprocess.

WhoshouldparticipateintheWorkingGroup?Itshouldinclude:

• Atleastoneseniormanager• Thefactoryhealthstaff,and• Workerandmiddle-management

representativesfromotherpartsofthe

factory.

ThesizeoftheWorkingGroupshouldreflect

thesizeofthefactory.Itisgoodtoincludea

representativesfrom:

• Humanresources,healthandsafety,finance,compliance,engineering,andline

supervisors.

• Lineworkersandlaborrepresentatives

YoumaydecidethattheWorkingGroupshould

bemadeupofmembersoftheHealthand

SafetyCommittee.Thisinagoodwaytobuild

itscapacityofthatgroupandensurewide

factoryrepresentation.

TheWorkingGroup’sprimaryroleswillbeto:

1. Leadtheself-assessment(Step2).2. Prioritizeareasforimmediateandlonger-

termaction(Step3).

3. Developashort-term(3-month)actionplan.(Step4)

Theserolesalsoinvolveengagingtherest

factoryinitsworkandcommunicatingaboutits

activitiesandprogress.Thisgroupmayalsohelp

developandimplementanAnnualHealthPlan.

Youmaydecidetohavesubgroupsofthe

Workingthatareresponsibleforpartsofthe

assessmentorimplementationactivities.

STEP2:DoaSelf-Assessment

TheSeniorManagerandWorkingGroupwillset

ashorttimeframeforcompletingtheself-

assessment,preferablywithin2-3weeks.You

needtoassignspecifictaskstoeachmembers.

Andattheendoftheassessmentperiod,the

WorkingGroupwillmeetasawholetoreview

thefindingsandcometoaconsensusonthe

overallassessment.

Therearetwopartstodoingaself-assessment:

• UsingtheScorecardasaself-assessmenttoolthatprovidesgoodpracticeindicators

forhealthservices,factorymanagementof

healthandcorporateleadership.

• Engagingworkers,supervisorsandfactorymanagementintheassessmentbygetting

theirinputintohealthservices,issues,and

concerns.

Youshouldmakesuretheself-assessmentisafactory-ledprocess.Itisfinetohaveanexternalexperthelpwiththeassessmentand

giveinputandanotherperspective.However,

youshouldNOTturnovertheassessmentto

theexpertalone.

TheWorkingGroupandthefactorymustown

thisprocess.

Ifyouassignsubgroupstodothedifferentparts

oftheself-assessment,youshouldmakesure

thesubgroupsarerepresentative.

DoNOThaveonlymanagersassessthe

ManagementandLeadershipindicatorsoronly

thehealthstaffaloneassesstheHealthServices

benchmarks.

UsingtheScorecard.

TheScorecardisasetofsuggestedstandards

andgoodhealthpracticesthathavebeen

adaptedforfactories.Ithasthreecategories:

• HealthServices(Clinic&HealthStaffPractices)

• ManagementSystems• CorporateLeadership

TheScorecardprovidesindicatorsforeachof

thesecategoriestodiscussandassess.Thinkof

theseaspossibleKeyPerformanceIndicatorsforhealth.TheScorecardusesasimplescoring

system:

□ Green–Allelementspresentandfunctional(noimprovementneeded)

□ Yellow–Someelementsmissingfortheindicatorornon-functional(some

improvementneeded)

□ Red–Significantelementsoritemsmissing(majorimprovementneeded)

□ Back–Notenoughinformationornotapplicable

Manyindicatorsmaynotbeapplicabletoyour

factory–atleastimmediately.Butthesemay

pointtoareasforlonger-termimprovement.

Beforeyoustarttheself-assessment,the

WorkingGroupshoulddiscussconcernsabout

theassessment.Herearesomekeypointsfor

membersandfactorymanagementtoknow:

1. TheassessmentisNOTaboutcomplianceandreporting.TheScorecarddoesNOTgive

youagrade.ItisYOURtoolforidentifying

areasforimprovement.

2. TheScorecardisonlyvaluableasatoolifpeopleusingitdotheirbesttogiveafair

judgmentofhowthefactoryperformson

theindicators.

3. Expecttofindmanyyellowandredindicators.Thesewilldeterminemanyof

thethingsyouwillwanttoimprove.

Engagingworkers,supervisorsandfactory

management.

TheScorecardgivesyouspecificindicatorsto

assess.Yet,youalsoneedtotalktopeers–

workers,supervisors,seniormanagement.

Theinformationyoulearnfromco-workerswill

informtheWorkingGroupabouthealthgoals

andpriorities–tocomplementtheScorecard.

WorkingGroupmembersshouldasktheirco-

workersabouthealthpracticesrelatedtothe

Scorecardindicators,suchas:

• Dotheyfeeltheyaretreatedwithrespectbythehealthstaff?

• Howcomfortabletotheyfeeldiscussingpersonalinformationwiththehealthstaff?

• Doestheclinicprovidethemprivacyandconfidentiality?

• Dotheyreceivethekindsofhealthinformationtheyneed?

ExampleofaFairScorecardAssessment

Let’ssayyourfactoryhassomeeducation

materials,butonlyfor2-3healthissues.The

nursesarefrequentlyrunningoutofthe

materials.

Andthosepostedonthewallareoldand

ripped.Afairself-assessmentwouldbea

YELLOWforindicators2.4.1-3.Thatis,youdo

havesomematerials.Buttherearesome

challengestosupply,quality,andtypes.

YouarenotaREDfortheseindicators.But

assessingyourselfasagreenbecauseyouhave

somematerialswouldignoretheneedto

makeimportantimprovementstothisarea.

Youwanttoexploreco-workersexperience

withhealthservicesandstaff,theirhealth

needs,concernsandchallengesANDtheirideas

forimprovement.

STEP3:PrioritizingAreasforImmediateand

LongerTermAction

OncetheWorkingGrouphascometo

consensusaboutthefinalassessmentbasedon

theScorecardanddiscussionswithco-workers,

itneedstodecidewhattodo.

TheWorkingGroupshouldmeetasawholeto

discussandrankyourprioritiesforactionusing

yourfinalassessment.Itshouldmakealistof

areasorindicatorsforimprovementbasedon:

□ AlltheYELLOWandREDindicators□ Allsuggestionsforimprovementfromco-

workers

Tool1belowmaybeusefulfororganizingthis

activity.Ithasyouranktheimprovementareas

byplacingtheminthefollowingcategories:

• Areas/Indicatorsforimmediateaction–Thesewillgointothe3-monthactionplan

fortheWorkingGrouptoimplement.

• Areas/Indicatorsforlong-termaction–Thesewillgointoa12-monthannualplan

• Areas/Indicatorsthatarecannotbeaddressedinthenextyearorsobutneed

actionin2-3years.

• Areas/Indicatorsthatarenot(currently)applicableandareunlikelytobe

consideredinthenext2-3years

Thisactivitywillhelpyouquicklysortyour

assessmentfindings.ButtheWorkingGroup

stillneedstoprioritizethoseareasorindicators

forimmediateactionaspartofdevelopinga3-

MonthActionPlan.

Membersmayendupidentifyingmanyareas

forimprovementthatcanbecompletedin

threemonths.Butitcannotdoallofthemat

thesametime.

Theyshouldprioritizetheareasforimmediate

actionusingthesefourprinciples:

1. IncludeallYELLOW/REDhealthindicatorsthatprotectworkerhealth.Forinstance,if

theinfirmarystocksoldorpoorquality

medicinesordangerousmedicalwaste

(needles)isnotdisposedofproperly,these

needtobefixedimmediately.

2. Findquickwinsthatcanbeeasilyimplemented.Itisimportantforany

processtoshowmomentumandbuild

supportaroundvisible,desiredchanges.

3. Prioritizesuggestions,ifdoable,fromworkersormanagement.

4. Includeashort-termprioritiesforManagementSystemsandCorporate

Leadership–notjustHealthServices.Itis

easytoprioritizeonlyhealthservices

indicators.Theseareawilllikelybethe

focusofmuchaction,butitshouldnotbe

theonlyarea.

Theareasforimprovementthatdonotmake

thelistforimmediateactionshouldbeputinto

thelistfortheAnnualPlan.

STEP4:DevelopandImplementa3-Month

ActionPlan

Youshouldputthekeyinformationfromyour

self-assessmentandprioritizationintoaclear

ActionPlanformatthatdefines:

• Thetasksrequired• Startandfinishdates• Personresponsiblefor&personsengaged

incompletingthetask

• Resources/supportneeded• Timetableforprogressreviews

SeeTool2foranActionPlantemplate.Ifyou

alreadyuseaplanningtool,thenyoushoulduse

yourowntool.

DevelopingtheActionPlan

TheWorkingGroupshouldjointlydevelopthe

draftplananddeterminethetaskstobedone.

TheSeniorManagershouldmakesuretheseare

intheplan:

• Alistallthetasksandsubtasks(orsteps)thatneedtobecompleted,notjustmajor

actions.

• Clearstartandfinishdatesforthecompletiontasksandsubtasksaswellas

theActionPlan

• Apersonresponsibleforthecompletionofeachtaskaswellasthepeoplewhowill

engagedinthetask.

• Arealisticsetofgoalsandactivitiesthatyoucanachievein3months.

• AdequateResourcesandSupportneededtosucceed,includingclearapprovalfroma

supervisorsorseniormanagement.

Thedraftplanitshouldalsobesharedwidelyso

thatseniormanagement,linesupervisors,and

workerssothateveryonecanprovided

feedbackandknowswhatisinitandwhois

responsible.ThenCorporateLeadershipneeds

toapprovetheplanandauthorizeits

implementation.

Thefinalplanshouldbewrittendownifnot

inputtedaprojectmanagementprogramsuch

asExcel.

Implementinga3-MonthActionPlan.

Youwillsuccessfullyimplementtheactionplan

iftheWorkingGroupputsinplacearegular

processforreviewofprogressandproblem

solving.TheSeniorManagerforhealthshould

alsomeetregularlywiththoseindividualswho

areresponsibleforspecifictaskstomakesure

theyhavethesupporttheyneed.

ItisrecommendedthatduringtheActionPlan

implementationyou:

• HoldregularWorkingGroupmeetingseverytwoweekstotrackprogressand

addresschallenges.

• CommunicateregularlyontheActionPlanwithworkers,linesupervisorsandsenior

managementinthefactory:

□ Informthemofplannedactivities.□ Seekfeedbackandsuggestions.□ Reportonprogressandsuccess.

• Takenotesonalltheareasofimprovement,and

• Celebrateduringtheprocessoncompletedtasksandimprovementsandrecognize

workinggroupmembersfortheir

successes.

Attheendofthethreemonths,theWork

Groupshouldmeettoassessitsperformancein

implementingtheActionPlan:Whatwassuccessful?Whatareasneedmorework?Whatdidthegrouplearnduringtheprocessforfutureplans?

CaseStudy

Workersandsupervisorscanbepartnersin

supportingbetterhealthpractices.Afactory

thatimplementednewhealthpracticeshad

engagedworkersandsupervisorsinthe

improvementprocesssaythisinactionduring

ameetingofitsPerformanceImprovement

CoordinatingCommittee(PICC).Aworker

complainedthatoneofthenursesdidnot

treatherwithrespectwhensherequesteda

sanitarynapkin.Aftermuchdiscussionand

debatewiththeinfirmarymanager,thePICC

decidedtodeterminethetruth.Aworkerwas

senttoobservethebehaviorofthenurseto

thisworkerandconfirmedthecomplaint.The

manageroftheinfirmaryreprimandedthe

nurseandtrainedheronfriendlyand

respectfulprovisionofservice.

TheSeniorManager,withmembersofthe

workinggroup,shouldreporttosenior

leadershipontheoutcomeoftheActionPlan.

Theyshouldalsoprovidesuggestionsfornext

steps.

Itisveryimportanttheseniormanagement

celebratethesuccessesachieved,highlightthe

improvementsandrecognizepubliclythe

workinggroupmembersfortheirwork.

STEP5:DevelopandImplementanAnnual

Plan

TheActionPlanshouldnaturallyleadintothe

developmentofanAnnualPlan.Youmaywant

tochangethemake-upoftheHealthPlanning

WorkingGroupbasedonthelessonslearned

fromtheActionPlanningProcessaswellasthe

performanceofitsmembers.

TheWorkingGroupfortheAnnualPlanmay

newordifferentmembers.

The3-MonthActionPlanisaboutquickwins

andrapidaction.TheAnnualHealthPlanis

aboutlonger-termimprovementsandchanges.

TheAnnualPlanalsoservesastheprimarytool

foryouto:

• Managehealthstaffandclinicfunctions,• Setfactoryhealthprioritiesandgoals,• Driveimprovementbasedinperformance

indicators,and

• Holdpeopleaccountableandrewardperformance

DevelopinganAnnualPlan

YourfirstHealthAnnualPlanshouldbebased

ontheScorecardself-assessment,priority

areasforlonger-termimprovementidentified

bytheWorkingGroupandunfinishedactivities

intheActionPlan.

TheSeniorManager,healthstaffandother

membersoftheWorkingGroupshouldcome

togethertocreatetheAnnualplan.This

WorkingGroupshould:

• Setadeadlinefordraftingtheplan–preferablywithinamonth.

• OrganizetheAnnualPlanaroundthethreeScorecardcategoriesforimprovement:

HealthServices,ManagementSystems

andCorporateLeadership.

• Createmeasurabletargetsforeachplanactivityorgoalsastheseshouldbecome

keyperformanceindicatorsforhealthin

thefactory.

• Getinputfromworkersandmanagementontheplangoalsandindicators.

• Puttheplanintoaprojectmanagementprogramformonitoringandfollowup.

Tool3providesanAnnualTemplate.Thekeyis

tosetadeadlineforeachindicatorwithina

specifictimeframe(quarter,monthoryear).

Otherwiseyoucannotcheckprogress.Youcan

alwaysresetthetimelinesandtargetnumbers

asneededtoreachyourgoal.

TheScorecardindicatorsshouldformthecore

ofthefactory’sKeyPerformanceIndicators

(KPIs)forhealthservicesintheAnnualPlan.

ThevalueoftheScorecardgoesbeyondself-

assessment.Scorecardcanhelpeducatethe

healthstaff,managementandworkersonwhat

constitutesgoodhealthpracticesand

procedures.Thisknowledge,inturn,helps

buildfactory-widesupportforimprovements.

(SeeCaseStudy)

ImplementingtheAnnualPlan.

YouwillimplementtheAnnualPlanby

reviewingtheplanregularlywiththehealth

teamandothersgivenresponsibilityfor

meetingthegoals.

TheSeniorManagerforHealthshouldhavethe

overallresponsibilityformanagingtheAnnual

Plan.

Thisincludes:

• Establishingregularmeetingswiththehealthstaff,management,andothersto

determineprogressontheplan,address

challenges.

• Puttingthehealthgoalsandprioritiesintojobdescriptionsandperformancereviews

ofhealthstaff.

• Creatingahealthplanningprocesssothatanewannualplanisdevelopedeachyear

basedonreviewofthecurrentplan,anew

self-assessment,andprioritizationofnew

goals.

• Communicatingwithco-workersregularlyabouttheAnnualPlangoalsandseeking

feedback.

Theplanmayalsoberevisedduringtheyear

basedprogressandchallengesandemerging

healthneedsinthefactory.

Itisgoodideatodoaself-assessmentoncea

yeartogiveanobjectiveviewofprogress.From

timetotime,youmaywanttohaveanoutside

healthexperttousethetoolandhisorher

expertisetoprovideanexternalperspectiveon

yourprogressaswellasontheskillsofyour

healthstaff.

RevisionstotheAnnualPlanshouldbeguided

byhealthandotherinformationyoucollect

fromhealthservicesandoutreach.SeeModule

6HowtoCollect,AnalyzeandUseData.

TOOL 1: PRIORTIZATION WORKSHEET

Prio

ritie

s (In

dica

tors

/ Ac

tions

Nee

ded)

Short Term (3 Months)

Long Term (12 Months)

Future Considerations Not Applicable Currently

1. Health Services 2. Management Systems 3. Corporate Leadership

1. Health Services 2. Management Systems 3. Corporate Leadership

1. Health Services 2. Management Systems 3. Corporate Leadership

1. Health Services

2. Management

Systems 3. Corporate

Leadership

TOOL 2: ACTION PLAN TEMPLATE 3 MONTH ACTION PLAN

STATUS REPORT

BENCHMARK/ INDICATOR

PRIORTY ACTION TASK

PERSON RESPONSIBLE/ SUPPORTING PERSON

START DATE

END DATE

RESOURCES/ SUPPORT NEEDED

WEEK 2 WEEK 4 WEEK 6 WEEK 8 WEEK 10 WEEK 12

HEALTH SERVICES

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM/ CORPORATE LEADERSHIP

TOOL 3: ANNUAL PLAN TEMPLATE ANNUAL

BENCHMARKSINDICATORS/ACTIONS

TARGET(%or

number)

PERSONRESPONSIBLE

EVIDENCE(report,data)

COMPLETEDYES/NO

RESOURCESNEEDED

QUARTER1

QUARTER2

QUARTER3

QUARTER4 NOTES

HEALTHSERVICES

MANAGEMENTSYSTEMS CORPORATELEADERSHIP

This module was designed and produced through funding from the Levi Strauss Foundation as well as technical assistance on content and development by the Evidence Project (Meridian Group

International, Inc.) under its USAID contract.

The Levi Strauss Foundation advances the human rights and well-being of underserved people touched by our business.

The Evidence Project is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the terms of cooperative agreement no. AID-OAA-A-13-00087. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of the Evidence Project and Population Council and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

The Evidence Project uses implementation science—the strategic generation, translation, and use of evidence—to strengthen and scale up family planning and reproductive health programs to reduce unintended pregnancies worldwide. The Evidence Project is led by the Population Council in partnership with INDEPTH Network, International Planned Parenthood Federation, PATH, Population Reference Bureau, and a University Research Network.

Meridian Group International, Inc. is a woman-owned, small business that works with the private and public sectors to create innovative programs and partnerships that benefit both business and society. As an Evidence Project partner, Meridian combines implementation science with its extensive experience implementing workplace health programs and promoting better policies and practices.