Methodology

Based on the baseline data we aim to redesign practice using a ‘Change Laboratory’ approach. This method promotes the joint redesign of practice by researchers and practitioners. This will ensure active involvement of the actors in the diagnosing and solving issues in their situation, jointly with researchers and managers.

In the Baseline study, we will determine the factors that impact learning from incidents and the number of undesirable incidents for each team. Therefore, in this study we propose to measure safety culture as well as near misses and incidents.

The methodology will include a survey followed by focus groups or phenomenographic interviews to generate rich data, complimented with observations by the researcher. We will determine the current practices as well as desirable practice of learning from incidents in each team.

In the data Analysis, we will use an Activity Theory construct of an activity system to identify contradictions within and between the systems of each of our research settings that could impact the effectiveness and quality of learning from incidents.

Redesigned practices will be implemented as interventions in our case settings, and effectiveness and impact will subsequently be evaluated. Finally, cross sectional case studies will be developed, together with recommendations on implementing the interventions across the organizations involved in the study as well as other organizations in the Energy sector. Since some safety factors require different levels of knowledge, interventions required to learn from incidents will be at different levels.

The intervention will follow stages as described in the change lab method. These stages include:

1. Practitioners are shown data from and about their practice (baseline data analysis and contradictions surfaced by researchers);
2. Practitioners and researchers jointly identify problems seen in the data;
3. A systemic model of future activity aimed at improved learning from incidents is offered to practitioners;
4. Practitioners and researchers jointly redesign current practice.

During these stages it is important that a shared space can be opened on the shop-floor to help analyze earlier incidents. Depending on the context, the implementation of the change lab method can be adapted. For example: when learners are distributed online discussion tools or modelling tools can be brought in to help analysis.

(view Team page)