Participatory Steps Research Articles

A new method to co-design agricultural systems at the territorial scale - Application to reduce herbicide pollution in Martinique

CONTEXTChronic environmental pollutions are one of the most striking examples of negative externalities of intensive agriculture. To address this issue, an agroecological transition is necessary, requiring new design methods: While most design methods are suited to the field or farm scale, some innovations require an approach at the scale of the territory. OBJECTIVEIn this article, we propose a new method to design an agricultural territory aiming to overcome an environmental pollution issue, i.e. to identify one or more combinations of agricultural practices, implemented by the farmers of the territory that reduce water pollution. METHODSWe implemented the new method following three steps: first, we used a sociotechnical diagnosis to identify cognitive biases that prevent the actors from innovating in a disruptive way. Second, we used the KC method (based on CK theory) to allow actors to innovate in a disruptive way. Third, we used a serious game to continue the design of the innovations and to test and assess them in a safe place. We implemented this new method in the Galion River watershed in Martinique (French West Indies) whose river is polluted by herbicides. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONUsing the method, actors have overcome existing path dependencies. Based on this, the method made it possible to design different innovations across scales in a participative way and with a systemic territorial point of view. Here, actors designed 15 innovations that enhance either the territory or the pooling of its resources. Among these, there was the sharing of the service of an itinerant breeder or the implementation of an ecotouristic circuit. Actors combined innovations across scales into three scenarios that created a new agricultural territory with fewer agricultural herbicides in the river. SIGNIFICANCEWe suggest adding two participatory steps to improve the level of genericity of the method: a first step to discuss the initial question and the general organisation of the participatory process, followed by a second step dealing with how to insert the designed innovations in the serious game. Finally, we recommend this method in other territories requiring collective practice changes.

Learner Verification: A Methodology to Create Suitable Education Materials

Background:Learner verification and revision (LV&R) is a research methodological approach to inform educational message design with the aim of producing suitable, actionable, and literacy appropriate messages to aid in awareness, adoption of healthy behaviors, and decision-making. It consists of a series of participatory steps that engage users throughout materials development, revision, and refinement. This approach is congruent with Healthy People 2030 communication objectives to improve access to information among diverse, multicultural, multilingual populations, and enhance health care quality toward health equity.Brief description of activity:To illustrate LV&R, we describe its use in three cancer education projects that produced targeted information about (1) inherited breast cancer among African Americans (brochure); (2) colorectal cancer screening among Latinos (photo novella and DVD); and (3) smoking-relapse prevention among patients receiving cancer treatment (video). We discuss rationale for its application in the three exemplars and extrapolate lessons learned from our experiences when using this approach.Implementation:A qualitative approach entailing individual or group-based discussions helped to examine the elements of learner verification (i.e., attraction, comprehension, self-efficacy, cultural acceptability, persuasion). The following steps are reported: (1) preparation of materials, interview guide, and recruitment; (2) interviewing of participants; and (3) evaluation of responses. Data were analyzed by use of a coding system that placed participant responses from each of the elements into data summary matrices. Findings informed revisions and refinement of materials.Results:LV&R was effectively applied across the three cancer education projects to enhance the suitability of the materials. As a result, the materials were improved by using clearer, more salient language to enhance comprehension and cultural acceptability, by integrating design elements such as prompts, headers, and stylistic edits to reduce text density, incorporating preferred colors and graphics to improve aesthetic appeal, and including actionable terms and words to bolster motivation and self-efficacy.Lessons learned:Results suggest that LV&R methodology can improve suitability of education materials through systematic, iterative steps that engage diverse, multicultural, multilingual populations. This approach is a critical participa-tory strategy toward health equity, and is appropriate in a variety of education, research, and clinical practice settings to improve health communications. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2021;5(1):e49–e59.]Plain Language Summary:This article describes the use of a systematic approach called “learner verification” used for developing educational materials. This approach involves obtaining feedback from audience members to ensure that the information is understandable, attractive in design, motivating, and culturally relevant.

Cultural background, gender, and institutional status have an effect on the evaluation of multi-disciplinary participatory action research.

Research and development increasingly apply participatory approaches that involve both stakeholders and scientists. This article presents an evaluation of German and Tanzanian researchers’ perceptions during their activities as part of a large interdisciplinary research project in Tanzania. The project focused on prioritizing and implementing food-securing upgrading strategies across the components of rural food value chains. The participants involved during the course of the project were asked to provide feedback on 10 different research steps and to evaluate eight core features related to the functioning and potential shortcomings of the project. The study discriminated among evaluation differences linked to culture, gender, and institutional status. Perceptions differed between Tanzanian and German participants depending on the type and complexity of the participatory research steps undertaken and the intensity of stakeholder participation. There were differences in perception linked to gender and hierarchical status; however, those differences were not as concise and significant as those linked to nationality. These findings indicate that participatory action research of this nature requires more targeted strategies and planning tailored to the type of activity. Such planning would result in more efficient and satisfactory communication, close collaboration, and mutual feedback to avoid conflicts and other problems. We further conclude that it would be advisable to carefully incorporate training on these aspects into future project designs.

Optimising finishing pig delivery weight: participatory decision problem analysis

The seemingly straightforward question of optimal pig delivery weight is more complex than meets the eye. Despite abundant research insights, the industry continues to request additional applied scientific decision support on the delivery weight problem. The current objective is to investigate whether and how the complex decision of delivery weight can be reshaped (reframed) into a more tangible and comprehensible system of factors that matter for making the right decision. We used a participatory decision problem analysis, which resulted in modelling blueprints that incorporate factors prioritised by stakeholders for determining optimal delivery weights. How to efficiently organise such a ‘problem reframing process’ is case-specific: it depends on the objective, the initial problem understanding by the stakeholders, and their learning potential. Efficient co-learning is a prerequisite for successful participatory problem analysis. Our study reveals that the first step in such a process of ‘problem reframing’ should therefore be to answer the question of how to effectively organise co-learning among stakeholders and researchers, instead of starting with a correct and detailed representation of the problem. Useful guidelines for participatory problem reframing processes are (1) providing sufficient participatory learning steps, (2) having few and clearly defined objectives per learning step, (3) providing adapted learning tools per step, (4) establishing a common language and (5) deliberately choosing stakeholders based on prior knowledge of the problem or its context, potential motivation or incentives to be part of the participatory process step and potential role in up-scaling the co-learning process to a larger group of beneficiaries.

Incrementality and Regional Bridging: Instruments for Promoting Stakeholder Participation in Land Use Management in Northern Germany

ABSTRACTParticipatory processes and knowledge exchange between researchers and practitioners have the potential to strengthen land-use-related research and development projects. However, they face a variety of challenges, such as competing interests and trust issues, differences in worldviews between stakeholder groups and researchers, and problems in addressing the complexity of issues at hand. We discuss a participatory guiding principle process for sustainable land use management that was undertaken in four case-study areas in northern Germany. We present two methodological aspects that address the aforementioned challenges: (i) the use of incremental participatory steps toward guiding principles and (ii) the integration of regional project managers as bridging organizations. The incrementality of the process increased feedback options, transparency, and the likelihood of reaching a consensus. The activities of the regional project managers served to provide unique access to stakeholders and expert knowledge, supported knowledge exchange, and ensured the consideration of regional demands.

People Participation Towards Opisthorchis viverrini Prevention and Control in Chaiyaphum Province, Northeastern Thailand

This cross-sectional descriptive and qualitative study was aimed to study the people participation and their approaches toward the human carcinogenic liver fluke, Opisthorchis viverrini, prevention and control in Ban Chaun sub-district administrative organization (BCSAO) and Bamnet Narong sub-district municipality (BNSM), Bamnet Narong district, Chaiyaphum Province, Thailand between June 2013 and February 2014. Participants were purposive selected, included chiefs of sub-district administrative organizations, sub-district municipalities, sub-district health promotion hospitals (SHPHs), heads of village, and a further sample was selected with a multi- stage random sampling for public health volunteers, and villagers. The pre-designed questionnaire contained items for individualized status and the participatory steps of sharing ideas, decision-making, and planning, procession, evaluation, and mutual benefit, for the project O. viverrini prevention and control (POPC). In-depth interviews were used for collection of need approaches to POPC. With 375 participants who completed the questionnaire, it was found that people had a high level regarding to participate in the POPC, particularly in the process stage (X_ =3.78, S.D. = 0.56), but the lowest level was found in sharing ideas, decision making, and planning step (X_ =3.65, S.D. = 0.63). By comparison, participant status and organization did not significantly differ with people participation. In each step, Ban Chaun sub-district had a high level of participation in the step of sharing ideas, decision making, and planning toward POPC, more than Bamnet Narong sub-district municipality (t=2.20, p=0.028). Approaches for POPC in Ban Chaun sub-district and Bamnet Narong sub-district municipality included requirements for budget support, annual campaigns for liver fluke prevention and control, campaign promotion, risk group observation, home visiting, community rules regarding reducing raw fish consumption in their communities, and a professional public health officer for working in their communities, BCSAO, BNSM, and SHPH, for O. viverrini prevention and control. This study indicates that people realize that eradication of the liver fluke needs a continuous people participation for O. viverrini prevention and control in their communities.

Low-Cost Improvements for Reducing Multifaceted Work-Related Risks and Preventing Stress at Work

Types of low-cost improvements that can help reduce work-related risks and prevent stress at work are reviewed by examining simple improvements achieved by participatory action-oriented programs in different work settings. Programs reviewed include WISE (work improvement in small enterprises) projects in various industries, including POSITIVE (participation-oriented safety improvements by trade union initiative) activities by trade unions, and recent mental health interventions for work stress prevention. Participatory steps undertaken commonly comprise learning local good practices, group work on feasible improvement options and consensus building on immediate actions. These common steps are found effective for achieving multifaceted improvements at low cost in short periods. Typical low-cost improvements by work improvement programs cover materials handling, workstations, physical environment and work organization, whereas those by stress prevention programs additionally cover internal communication, restful schedules and social support measures. The planning and implementation of these improvements are usually facilitated by the use of action-oriented toolkits including good examples, action checklists listing practical low-cost improvements and group work sheets. Serial intervention studies confirm reductions in workplace risks, often with productivity increase, in both work improvement and stress prevention activities. Main contributing factors leading to these positive achievements are (a) simple procedures aimed at good practices in multifaceted risk management, (b) a clear focus on locally feasible improvements that have real impact on risk reduction, and (c) the use of locally adjusted action-oriented toolkits. These results demonstrate the importance of promoting participatory programs relying on multifaceted low-cost improvements in reducing the work-related risks and stress in varied work situations.

Roles of Participatory Action-oriented Programs in Promoting Safety and Health at Work

Reflecting the current international trends toward proactive risk assessment and control at work with practical procedures, participatory action-oriented approaches are gaining importance in various sectors. The roles of these approaches in promoting the safety and health at work are discussed based on their recent experiences in preventing work-related risks and improving the quality of work life, particularly in small-scale workplaces. The emphasis placed on the primary prevention at the initiative of workers and managers is commonly notable. Participatory steps, built on local good practices, can lead to many workplace improvements when the focus is on locally feasible low-cost options in multiple aspects. The design and use of locally adjusted action toolkits play a key role in facilitating these improvements in each local situation. The effectiveness of participatory approaches relying on these toolkits is demonstrated by their spread to many sectors and by various intervention studies. In the local context, networks of trainers are essential in sustaining the improvement activities. With the adequate support of networks of trainers trained in the use of these toolkits, participatory approaches will continue to be the key factor for proactive risk management in various work settings.

Practical Ways to Facilitate Ergonomics Improvements in Occupational Health Practice

Recent advances in participatory programs for improving workplace conditions are discussed to examine practical ways to facilitate ergonomics improvements. Participatory training programs are gaining importance, particularly in promoting occupational health and safety in small-scale workplaces. These programs have led to many improvements that can reduce work-related risks in varied situations. Recent experiences in participatory action-oriented training programs in small workplaces and agriculture are reviewed.The emphasis of the review is on training steps, types of improvements achieved, and the use of action tools by trainers and training participants. Immediate improvements in multiple technical areas are targeted, including materials handling,workstation design, physical environment, welfare facilities, and work organization. In facilitating ergonomics improvements in each local situation, it is important to focus on (a) building on local good practices; (b) applying practical, simple improvements that apply the basic principles of ergonomics; and (c) developing action-oriented toolkits for direct use by workers and managers. This facilitation process is effective when locally designed action toolkits are used by trainers, including local good examples, action checklists, and illustrated how-to guides. Intervention studies demonstrate the effectiveness of participatory steps that use these toolkits in promoting good practices and reducing work-related risks. In facilitating ergonomics improvements in small-scale workplaces, it is important to focus on practical, low-cost improvements that build on local good practices. The use of action-oriented toolkits reflecting basic ergonomics principles is helpful.The promotion of the intercountry networking of positive experiences in participatory training is suggested.

Rejection Minimization in Parabolic Leaf Spring Manufacturing Unit in India

In this paper, practical means of facilitating participatory steps taken in productivity enhancement with the emphasis on rejection minimization programs in parabolic Leaf Spring Manufacturing Unit in India were reviewed. Productivity has been the key factor in any industry and it can be enhanced by minimizing the rejections and down time of machine. Parabolic leaf spring plays a vital role in the suspension system of any automobile, since it has an effect on ride comfort and vehicle dynamics. In this present work, various approaches and efforts made for productivity improvement are discussed with the emphasis on reduction of rejections in terms of End Gap and Camber Less in leaf spring in Parabolic Leaf Spring Manufacturing Unit in India. The output of this work is reduction in production cost via minimizing the rejection, reworking, efficient and economical utilization of all input resources. This work provides an extremely valuable practical framework to companies who recognize the parabolic Leaf Spring Manufacturing.

Facilitating participatory steps for planning and implementing low-cost improvements in small workplaces

In this paper, practical means of facilitating participatory steps taken in workplace improvement programs in small workplaces were reviewed. The reviewed programs included those organized by partners of our Asian inter-country network for small enterprises, construction sites, home workplaces and agricultural farms. Trainers who commonly acted as facilitators were found to play multiple roles in helping managers, workers and farmers take initiative and achieve immediate improvements. The participatory steps were more successfully facilitated when the trainers supported (a) building on local good practice, (b) focusing on a range of basic ergonomics principles, and (c) stepwise progress through feedback of achievements. The use of action-oriented toolkits comprising low-cost action checklists and group work guides was commonly helpful. The locally adjusted nature of the toolkits seemed essential. Trainers could thus help people build local initiative, plan and implement low-cost ideas through serial group work steps and confirm benefits in a stepwise manner. The review of the results suggested that a local network of trainers trained in the use of locally adjusted toolkits was vital for facilitating effective improvements in different small workplaces.

Participatory methods effective for ergonomic workplace improvement

Recent experiences in using participatory methods for ergonomic workplace improvement are reviewed to know how these methods can be effective in different settings. The review covered participatory programmes for managers and workers in small enterprises, home workers, construction workers and farmers in Asian countries. To meet diversifying ergonomic needs, participatory steps reviewed are found to usually follow a good-practice approach easily adjustable according to local needs. These steps are found to usually focus on low-cost improvements. They can thus lead to concrete results particularly by addressing multiple technical areas together. Typical areas include materials handling, workstation design, physical environment and work organization. Further, the review confirms that the participatory methods are always modified according to each local situation. This is done by developing a group-work toolkit comprising action checklists and illustrated manuals and by building a support network of trained trainers. It is suggested that participatory methods taking a good-practice approach by multi-area low-cost improvements through the group use of locally adjusted toolkits are effective for improving small-scale workplaces including those in developing countries.

Practical use of workplace improvements checklists for occupational health teamwork

The spreading use of workplace improvement checklists for occupational health and safety teamwork is reviewed in this paper. These checklists present practical improvement options in the action form and are used in different settings. Typical settings include small enterprises, agriculture, ergonomic interventions, needle stick injury prevention, mental stress reduction and various training workshops. Many concrete improvements have resulted in materials handling, workstation design and physical as well as psychosocial environments. The effectiveness of the checklists is found to derive from their practical nature. First, the check items present practicable improvements selected from among local good practices, including low-cost improvements achieved locally. Secondly, the checklists are suited for looking at multiple technical areas. Thirdly, the concise composition and the action form can facilitate participatory steps for planning and implementing practical improvements for risk reduction. Each checklist refers to basic occupational hygiene and ergonomics principles, and therefore is favorable for linking the checklist use with the process of risk management. The checklists reflecting local achievements can thus be effectively used in prioritizing necessary improvements. It is useful to design such checklists by adjusting the check items to good practices in different work settings and use them in teamwork involving local people.

Advances in Participatory Occupational Health Aimed at Good Practices in Small Enterprises and the Informal Sector

Participatory programmes for occupational risk reduction are gaining importance particularly in small workplaces in both industrially developing and developed countries. To discuss the types of effective support, participatory steps commonly seen in our "work improvement-Asia" network are reviewed. The review covered training programmes for small enterprises, farmers, home workers and trade union members. Participatory steps commonly focusing on low-cost good practices locally achieved have led to concrete improvements in multiple technical areas including materials handling, workstation ergonomics, physical environment and work organization. These steps take advantage of positive features of small workplaces in two distinct ways. First, local key persons are ready to accept local good practices conveyed through personal, informal approaches. Second, workers and farmers are capable of understanding technical problems affecting routine work and taking flexible actions leading to solving them. This process is facilitated by the use of locally adjusted training tools such as local good examples, action checklists and group work methods. It is suggested that participatory occupational health programmes can work in small workplaces when they utilize low-cost good practices in a flexible manner. Networking of these positive experiences is essential.

International Research Needs for Improving Sleep and Health of Workers

Research needs in identifying preventive measures dealing with working time arrangements and associated sleep problems are reviewed. These needs are based on the recognition of a range of risk factors for health involving disturbed circadian rhythms leading to various levels of sleep deficits. The review takes account of recent joint change approaches that address both working time arrangements and various relevant intervening factors. As examples of such approaches, voluntary industry-based guidelines for improving shift work are examined. Also reviewed is evidence indicating the effects of improved working time arrangements and sleep hygiene on the tolerance of workers working irregular shifts. Trends in action-oriented risk assessment are further discussed as the effects on health and sleep of these workers may be modified by complex aspects related to working situations, family and social conditions, personal characteristics and social support. Generally relevant are not only the relationships between sleep-affecting factors and health, but also advances in taking the various support measures. The effective use of participatory steps is found important in dealing with working time arrangements and associated health and sleep problems together. It is thus considered important to study (a) the efficacy of joint change approaches addressing complex sleep and health factors, (b) effective procedures for action-oriented health risk assessment in various work life situations, and (c) the relevance of innovative participatory steps to improving health and tolerance of workers. Future research topics mentioned by the participants of the international symposium on night and shift work held in Santos in 2003 are presented, and international efforts to promote research into these aspects in field conditions are discussed. Interactive research involving local people appears crucial.

Work improvement and occupational safety and health management systems: common features and research needs.

There is a growing trend in re-orientating occupational health research towards risk management. Such a trend is accelerated by the increasing attention to occupational safety and health management systems. The trend, also seen in many Asian countries, is offering new opportunities for strengthening primary prevention. Useful examples are provided from recent work improvement projects dealing with technology transfer, small workplaces and rural areas. Common features of both these work improvement projects and accepted occupational risk management principles are reviewed based on recent experiences in Asian countries. Such features seem highly relevant in examining the occupational health research strategies. These experiences clearly show that locally adjusted procedures for risk assessment and control must be developed. There are new research needs concerning (a) the effective ways to encourage voluntary control at the workplace; (b) practical methods for local risk assessment; and (c) the types of participatory steps leading to continual improvements in the varying local context. Criteria of action-oriented research that can contribute to more effective risk control in different settings are discussed. Six relevant criteria may be mentioned: (a) adaptive risk management; (b) work/risk relationships; (c) action-oriented risk assessment; (d) use of collective expertise; (e) participation of local people; and (f) mutual learning. It appears crucial to stimulate research into the practical risk control procedures adjusted to the local situation.

Healthy shiftwork, healthy shiftworks.

Reflecting diversifying shift systems, extensive effort is put into managing shiftwork and reducing safety and health risks. It is accepted that shiftworkers are exposed to particular risks inherent in their irregular work schedules. This raises the question of how and to what extent we can ensure healthy work life for shiftworkers. In answering the question, we need to identify effective measures to improve both shiftworking conditions and the health of shiftworkers. Based on recent experiences in managing shiftwork, we note three directions of such measures: (a) comprehensive action to avoid risk-enhancing conditions based on general guidelines, (b) risk control as to workload, worksite ergonomics and risk reduction, and (c) support for flexible and restful working life. International standards are obviously relevant to these three aspects. Our own experiences in applying a set of ergonomic checkpoints to plant maintenance shiftwork demonstrate the usefulness of focusing on flexible work schedules and on multiple job-related factors such as night workload, ergonomic environment, resting conditions and training. There is a strong need for participatory planning and implementation of multi-area improvements as well as for relying on flexible schedules and autonomic teamwork. We may conclude that healthy shiftwork and healthy shiftworkers are compatible with each other only when certain conditions are met. In achieving this end, we need to combine (a) comprehensive measures to improve work schedules and job life, (b) strict risk management and (c) locally adjusted participatory steps for continual improvement.

Collaborative field research and training in occupational health and ergonomics.

Networking collaborative research and training in Asian developing countries includes three types of joint activities: field studies of workplace potentials for better safety and health, intensive action training for improvement of working conditions in small enterprises, and action-oriented workshops on low-cost improvements for managers, workers, and farmers. These activities were aimed at identifying workable strategies for making locally adjusted improvements in occupational health and ergonomics. Many improvements have resulted as direct outcomes. Most these improvements were multifaceted, low-cost, and practicable using local skills. Three common features of these interactive processes seem important in facilitating realistic improvements: 1) voluntary approaches building on local achievements; 2) the use of practical methods for identifying multiple improvements; and 3) participatory steps for achieving low-cost results first. The effective use of group work tools is crucial. Stepwise training packages have thus proven useful for promoting local problem-solving interventions based on voluntary initiatives.

Ergonomics and technology transfer into small and mediumsized enterprises

The role of ergonomic interventions is discussed in relation to technology transfer into small and medium-sized enterprises within an economy and from industrialized to industrially developing countries. In view of the flexibility and other advantages of these enterprises, there is a growing potential to develop ergonomics interventions adjusted to their technology transfer needs. Recent positive experiences in technology transfer situations in small and medium-sized enterprises have shown that successful ergonomics interventions have some common features. These features include building on local practice, looking at multiple needs together and focusing on practicable solutions. Advances are further seen in action-oriented procedures where participation is especially important and in a range of low-cost solutions. It is essential to develop an integrated change strategy emphasizing (1) enabling methods that can lead people to immediate action in multiple aspects of work, (2) participatory steps with active participation of local people, and (3) flexible use of support tools and techniques and training about how and when to use these tools and group work techniques. Particular efforts are needed in utilizing effective support tools and techniques for finding work design alternatives and training to facilitate their appropriate use. Sharing design processes of such 'field ergonomics' with a focus on local and innovative action in this direction will be important.