SOLVE Programme
Author(s): Vittorio Di Martino, David Gold and Annette Schaap Country: International - International Labour Organisation
Is the intervention sector specific?	No
Is the intervention usable with different enterprise sizes?	Yes
Is the intervention equally applicable to both genders?	Yes
Is the intervention based on theory?	Yes
Can the intervention approach be adapted/ tailored?	Yes
Does the intervention promote CSR and how?	The intervention was not explicitly linked to responsible business practices although it does promote employee well-being.
Does the intervention promote social dialogue and how?	The SOLVE programmes promotes dialogue by training participants in communication with various stakeholders (workers, supervisors, managers, trade unions, and policy makers) through simulation exercises
Overview (including risk assessment and law – legal requirements etc.): SOLVE (Stress, tobaccO, alcohoL & drugs, HIV/AIDS, ViolencE) is an educational programme with an interactive element; with the overall aim of assisting the integration of work-related psychosocial issues (including stress, alcohol and drugs, workplace violence and harassment, HIV/AIDS and tobacco use) into the development of: • a comprehensive action-based organisational policy promoting employee health and wellbeing; • and the development of an occupational safety and health management system to assure smooth development, implementation and evaluation of the developed policy. The SOLVE programme supports a proactive approach, accomplished through education and training, in effectively addressing the development and negative consequences resulting from a poor/inadequate psychosocial working environment on both the health of the individual and on the resiliency and productivity of an organisation. The SOLVE programme has been used in a large variety of occupational sectors and sizes of enterprises.
Implementation: The SOLVE programme is a 32-hour interactive course for operational managers. It is designed to provide essential knowledge and tools necessary for participants to develop a comprehensive corporate policy; including psychosocial factors. This programme consists of eight different modules. • An introductory module, which identifies the problems found in a poor psychosocial working environment (stress, drugs and alcohol, violence, HIV/AIDS and tobacco), the economic ramifications and consequences of such an environment, and the goals and objectives of the SOLVE programme. • The second module, discusses managing emerging health-related problems at work. This module demonstrates the interrelationship between the five health-related problems (stress, drugs and alcohol, violence, HIV/AIDS and tobacco) presented in the SOVLE approach and the application of a management model to address these problems through a common policy and coherent action. • The following five modules discuss, in more detail, the five health-related problems due to the psychosocial working environment: stress, alcohol and drugs, violence, HIV/AIDS, and tobacco. The focus of these modules is to demonstrate the prevalence of the problem, and educate participants on its causes and consequences to the individual and the organisation. The principle aim of these modules is to educate and enable participants to describe the elements of a policy statement, which will constitute the foundation of an organisational strategy allowing for a response to combat these five health-related problems. • The final module, entitled ‘action’, requires participants to develop an action plan, whilst integrating the learned SOVLE concepts into a comprehensive workplace policy. The SOLVE programme is a highly interactive programme, which uses case study analysis, simulation exercises and policy development activities to reach its objectives. This course is usually conducted over four days; however, this time period can be longer, if the course is divided into smaller units. The programme is designed to work optimally with a group of 16 participants. Ideally the group should consist of four workers’ representatives, four government officials, and eight employers or their representatives. During the course, six simulation exercises are conducted; these simulations are linked together by a story line, which begins on the first day and ends of the last day of the programme. The story is an on-going scenario with problems that require high level of participation of management decision-making for resolution. The last element of the SOLVE programme is dedicated to action planning. At the end of the course participants are required to develop an action plan, indicating how the learned and acquired SOLVE concepts will be applied in the participants’ respective organisation within three months following the completion of the programme. Employees, and/or their representatives, are integral in this last phase of the SOLVE programme; in the development a suitable action plan to address psychosocial issues in the workplace.
Practical applications: The SOLVE programme is designed as an interactive tool and educational programme that uses stimulation exercises and role-plying to engage participants to increase knowledge and awareness of psychosocial issues, and develop knowledge-based strategies for preventative action and management. The SOLVE programme is led by a trained facilitator and has a fully developed training manual; thus, facilitating the ease in which to administer the programme.
Innovative aspects: The SOLVE programme is an educational programme that examines both policy and shop floor action to address psychosocial problems at the workplace in a comprehensive manner.
Evaluation (including process issues, outcomes and sustainability): SOLVE has been evaluated from an educational perspective. A pre-session and post-session questionnaire assessing participants’ knowledge, attitudes, perception and beliefs following each module is conducted. Additionally, participants in the SOLVE programme are interviewed; assessing their degree of satisfaction with the programme and the perceived applicability and importance of its content. A three month post-course report on the developed action plan is submitted and reviewed.
Benefits (including cost effectiveness): The subjective assessment of participants’ satisfaction of the programme has been overwhelmingly positive. Additionally, participants have noted the use of the SOLVE course as a useful tool in the development of comprehensive policy and to initiate action to address psychosocial issues in the workplace. Participants demonstrate a large degree of acquisition of knowledge; as result from participating in the SOLVE programme.
References: Di Martino, V., Gold, D., & Schaap, A. SOLVE: Managing Emerging Health Related Problems at Work. Available at www.ilo.org/safework/solve.
Comments: The SOLVE programme is an adaptable programme, which offers a multiple course package meeting the needs of various stakeholders: including, managing directors, mid-level manager, peer counsellors, and workers. Employees and supervisors participate in the SOLVE programme during the action planning stage; and are an integral in the translation of the developed comprehensive organisational policy into effective action.