The principal role of WISE trainers and other trainers in a participatory approach is facilitating and not teaching. The WISE methods fully rely on self-help of owners and workers in local small-scale enterprises and not on a classroom style lectures. The people in the workplaces have talent, experiences and skills for immediately improving their working conditions. WISE trainers should serve as facilitators so as to provide concrete support for existing self-help efforts towards improvements.
The main functions of the trainers are to :
This training course provides the necessary motivation and technical information to ensure that the action taken improves productivity and working conditions. This comprehensive course consists of eight steps:
During the weeks or months before the course, appropriate participants are identified and informed about the course and a suitable number agrees to participate. Trainers visit the participants' enterprises during the week preceding the start of the course, and develop course materials (especially slides) reflecting good local practices.
The first activity of the program is the formal opening wherein invited guest speakers as well as representatives of the local government and the regional labor offices give their messages on the importance of WISE. The actual course begins with a visit by all participants to a factory where they fill out a checklist covering the ideas for improvements. This is later discussed in groups which make presentations on priority actions. The first half-day training session is completed by the course introduction.
The following two days are devoted to half-day workshops covering the main technical content of the course through highly interactive presentations.
The participants form consultancy groups, visit each participant's factory and jointly prepare a list of potential improvements called an "Action Plan". They are also encouraged to participate in the "Small, Inexpensive and Clever" contest to find the best improvements.
After 3-4 days, the participants meet again and learn about implementation of improvement through case studies.
The participants carry out as many improvements as they can before the final workshop which follows the mid-course workshop. They prepare presentations showing their achievements and future plans.
The groups make their presentation, contest entries are presented, winners are announced and the course is formally closed.
The enterprise are supported in making further improvements and their progress is monitored and evaluated.
From 1994 - 1997 a total 2060 improvements have been planned and 1724 have been implemented, or about 84% implementation rate by enterprises which participated in WISE comprehensive courses. Very evident here is the positive attitude of owners and managers of small enterprises towards implementing low-cost improvements once they have achieved a level of appreciation of the WISE concept. Based on the statistics, each enterprise which participated in a comprehensive workshop was able to implement at least two low-cost improvements within the duration of the training course.
The objective of this training course is to create general awareness of the opportunities for improving working conditions and the benefits that might accrue. While this activity is much less likely to lead to immediate improvements, it can nevertheless be used as a means of exploring the possibility of local linkages and cooperation for future activities. The one-day workshop follows the lines of the checklist exercise and initial workshops as set out in the comprehensive approach. The first half-day would consist of a checklist application including group discussions and presentations. The second half-day would involve presentation of selected technical topics.
The data on the awareness course for entrepreneurs and workers from 1994-1997 are presented below:
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.