The Department of Labor and Employment's involvement in the development of the WISE methodology dates back from 1976 to 1985 when checklists were developed and training courses on improving working conditions and productivity in small and medium-sized enterprises were organized with technical and financial support from the International Labour Organization (ILO). Parallel efforts were also being undertaken in other countries. Some of the courses were carried out to test the methodology then being developed by the ILO, and which resulted eventually in the publication of the Action Manual and trainers' Manual entitled Higher Productivity and a Better Place to Work in 1988. With financial assistance from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and technical support from ILO, the DOLE through the Institute for Labor Studies implemented a pilot project from August 1989 to November 1990 based on the ILO training methodology. Results of the pilot test led to additional inputs and further improvements to the ILO approach. The successful implementation of the pilot test paved the way for the implementation of a bigger three year (1994 - 1996) project under the sponsorship of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In the Philippines it has been known as Project WISE: Work Improvement in Small Enterprises.
WISE is a unique approach for improving productivity and working conditions in small enterprises. It entails the conduct of action-oriented training program that links better working conditions to higher productivity for owners and managers using:
WISE has been proven effective in generating simple and low-cost improvements linking productivity and product quality to better and safer workplace conditions. Small enterprise owners/managers are encouraged to consider improvements more favorably if they are inexpensive. Good operating practices can often be implemented with little cost, and therefore have a high return on investment.
The direct recipients of the project are the labor inspectors and technical staff of the DOLE, at the national and regional offices, and other personnel and training staff from the cooperating government, private and labor organizations who shall comprise the implementing teams and core of trainers for the project. They have been trained to propagate the concept and benefits of WISE to as wide a clientele group as possible.
The ultimate target group, however, are the small entrepreneurs and workers who are expected to be able to appreciate the relevance of implementing workplace improvements and make voluntary commitment to install such improvements in their respective enterprises or areas of work.
Owners and workers of small enterprises with employment ranging from 10-99 workers are the primary target group.
From the ultimate target group WISE further segments its market. Priority industries are:
For more information on WISE, please contact Labor Standards Research Division, Bureau of Working Conditions,
3/F Department of Labor and Employment Building, Muralla Street, Intramuros, Manila.
Tel: +63.2.527.3473 or +63.2.527.5808 and Fax: +63.2.527.3478.
For further information, please contact the South-East Asia and the Pacific Multidisciplinary Advisory Team (SEAPAT) at
Tel: + 63.2.815.2354 or + 63.2.819.3614 and Fax: + 63.2.812.6143
E-mail:
seapat@ilo.org
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Created by SF. Approved by WRB. Last updated on 31 August 1999.