Best Practice Example

Transcription

1 Interview Information Date: Duration: 80 min Remarks: Best Practice Example Result: UQuality Score:U 87 points UTransfer Score: 90U points A. General Enterprise Information Company / Organisation Magistrat der Stadt Villach / Municipality of Villach Postal Address Rathausplatz 1 City 9500 Villach Country Austria Name (Contact Person) Position (Contact Person) Dr Claudia Pulcher Business group leader organisation, personnel, controlling -Address (Contact Person) HTUclaudia.pacher@villach.atUTH Telefonnummer (AnsprechpartnerIn) Website HTUwww.villaUTch.atH Sector / Branch (NACE) Public organisation Number of Employees 967 Publications (Sources) Age Sex male female Total < to Total 967-1

2 The number of women is 498, which is 51.50%; the number of men is 469, which is 48.50%. The date of reference is B. Policy & Corporate Culture: Description (max. 500 words) The Municipality of Villach, the second largest city in Carinthia, employs about a thousand people. In 2000 the organisation of the city administration was reformed and during the restructuring a mission statement was created for the first time in As health promotion in the municipality was considered to be the task of the management, the Business Group 5 (organisation, personnel, controlling) was asked to conduct a project on WHP. The mission statement process was already in full swing, so the WHP project Villach Gesund (Healthy Villach) was able to influence it in the direction of health promotion. Within the project lifetime of three years the behaviour and awareness of the employees concerning health and the whole organisation Magistrat Villach should undergo a process of change. In order to fulfil these ambitious targets, they were at first limited to general WHP objectives concerning existing problems and know sick leave data. These were:- - benefits for the employer as well as the employees - health promotion and the prevention of illness - reduction of sick leave - increased performance, job satisfaction and motivation for the employees - improvement of internal communication - increased attractiveness as an employer The first SALSA survey and the results of the health circle work were used to produce more finely tuned aims. These included:- - measurable and sustained improvement relating to - overwork - stressful social climate (in some areas) - Quality and behaviour of management - general decrease in the average length of sick leave - reduction of stress caused by pressure of work and time - review of the mission statement - replacing the snacks offered in the town hall canteen with more healthy food - improving the quality of the lunches in the town hall canteen This resulted in a new internal management training course, divers communication seminars, an additional topic health for the employee appraisal talks, and discussion on the - 2

3 importance of good communication in the organisation. By reworking the mission statement and including the WHP results, it was possible to develop a health promoting code of behaviour (dealing with information, criticism, anti-stress seminars, talks on bullying, burn out, time management, etc) which was included in the mission statement. It should be stressed that almost all employees could be reached through the mission statement discussion. To ensure success and sustainability, suitable scientifically recognised methods were used (e.g. SALSA as survey and evaluation instrument). Each measure was evaluated by the participants using a standardised feedback sheet. The topic of health was included in the annual employee appraisal talks, the health circles and steering group will continue to meet, and the management training course begun in 2007 will also continue. A particular advantage that must be mentioned is the annual budget for WHP. A health page was started in the Magistrat intranet to inform all employees about the project s status and all the health-related activities. It is updated regularly. All manual workers receive the information in written form. The Health Journal, a report published by the project management, is sent electronically to all employees. Those with no PC receive a printed copy. - 3

4 C. Organisation & Structure: Description (max. 500 words) No group was formed for mental health, as this is one of the four pillars in the WHP concept (spirit, communication, exercise, nutrition). The following groups were set up for WHP as a result of the project: - steering group, health circle, project team, external advice and evaluation. Steering group: This is the decision making body in the project. As WHP should be included in all the organisation s processes, it was important that this responsibility should be carried by persons representing different areas of the organisation. This was considered when forming the steering group. Representatives of the management, the medical officer, personnel representatives, representatives of AMI Villach (Institute of Occupational Medicine and Psychology) and the AUVA, as well as two external advisors (KGKK, LQ2). This shows that the Magistrat Villach found it important to have representatives of the management and decision makers in the steering group, so that they could be active in designing the project, promote WHP and be both critical and constructive when discussing the possibilities for development and improvement. Project team. The project team consisted of the project leader and a project assistant. The project leader, Dr. Claudia Klatil, has worked for the Magistrat since 2003 and is a member of the Board of Directors. She attended the training course for project leaders in The position of project assistant was first filled by public management students from the University of Applied Sciences, Carinthia. In the first phase, Stefanie Schnoffegger worked on the project from 26 February tol 31 August 2007, followed by Carmen Poschinger from 11 February tol 5 September Dora Kawalle was given a one-year full-time position from 1 September The main focus of the project assistant was on organising and carrying out seminars and courses, analysis of course evaluation and generally assisting in the project. Additionally, a member of the personnel department was available if necessary. Health Circle: The health circles task was to look at the resources and problems in their environment, and then to find the causes and effects and possible solutions. From the very beginning it was obvious that the participation of the employees was essential, as only they could develop measures which would fulfil their needs. This meant that they were the experts for their own workplace. To ensure the health needs were adequately covered, a health circle was formed for each of the 6 fields of operation, and one further one for the kindergartens (7 quality circles). - 4

5 Work process: After the process of analysis and diagnosis, (internal collection of sick leave figures, evaluation of workplaces, SALSA survey) and the kick-off event for the employees, the health circles were formed. During the planning phase they worked out suitable measures for the different thematic areas (including mental health). The steering group then decided which measures would be implemented. A project structure plan was developed, instructors were contacted, and a needs related programme was developed. There was constant contact to policy makers and the management during this time. The public medical officer, representatives of AMI Villach and external project consultants (LQ2) ensured that there was the relevant know-how in the work group on mental health. After the end of the project, Operation Group 5 (organisation, personnel, controlling) took on the task of ensuring sustainability. The health circles and steering group continue to meet, and the management training course begun in 2007 is continuing. A special advantage is that WHP has an annual budget. Additionally, there are resources available to Group 5 for the planning, development and organisation of measures. - 5

6 D. Implementation: Description (max. 500 words) Employee participation, empowerment, a holistic approach, and sustainability are held in high regard in the Magistrat Villach. Aims and target groups, special themes, definitions of needs and problems and a holistic approach were the ambitious guidelines, which led to a wide range of very different health promoting activities. The measures were listed under the respective category of the project (mind, communication, exercise, nutrition). A survey of the employees was carried out at the beginning of the project using the SALSA questionnaire after an intensive information campaign. This survey was the basis for the development of the course programme (seminars, workshops, lectures, courses) and was constantly added to as the project progressed. - creation of an internal management training programme with a module on Healthy Management - various communication seminars - raising the issue of good communication at managerial conferences, mission statement events, managers meetings, steering committee meetings, ( the highest management committee) - creation of a code of behaviour(from the health circle results) which was presented to all the employees several times during events, and which was included in the reworked version of the mission statement (enable appreciative communication, keeping appointments, orderly meetings, passing on information, objective criticism, praise for employees, not making fun of weaker team members, courage) - Reworking of the mission statement by two teams of editors including members of the management and the health circle. It did not need to be changed much, as the basic statements were still valid, but needed to be made more understandable. Parts of the code of behaviour which were not already included, or in another form, were added. (e.g. we give personal and respectful criticism, we promote and support each person, we solve conflicts quickly and sustainably ) - annual employee appraisal talks now include the topic of health and have been extended to include manual workers - improved cooperation with the works doctor and safety officer - various seminars and talks : anti-stress seminars, talks on bullying, burnout, self motivation, time management seminar It should especially be noted that almost every employee was reached through the kick-off event and the mission statement dialogue. The employee survey (SALSA) and the seven - 6

7 health circles helped to keep the employees constantly involved in the preparation and implementation of the work plan. An optimal flow of information was ensured by the intranet, the health journal, and the events, where the current state of the project and measures was reported, as well as through the many personal talks that the project representatives had with the employees, staff representatives and members of the health circles. Employees re-entering working life after a long absence are helped as far as possible by considering their individual needs, such as reduced volume of work or a flexible time model. - 7

8 E. Evaluation: Description (max. 500 words) The course of study Public Management at the University of Applied Sciences, Carinthia, was given the task of doing the accompanying evaluation of the project process before it actually began. This included the concept for the evaluation, the evaluation and documentation of the mission statement dialogue, as well as interviews using a structured questionnaire conducted with: - Members of the steering group - Members of the health circles - The moderators of the health circles - The project team - Employees who did not take advantage of the course programme and other special offers The annual results were first presented internally to the steering group and then documented in an evaluation report. The measures were constantly adjusted and optimised as a result of the continual monitoring of the process. As mentioned in D, a health survey of all employees using the SALSA questionnaire was carried out at the beginning of the project (2007), and an analysis of the sickness figures was also done. A second SALSA survey was done at the end of the project in order to measure the results. This was evaluated by the Upper Austrian Health Insurance. These were the results:- - There was a considerable improvement in social resources with respect to both colleagues and superiors since the first survey - Management behaviour improved - There was less stress - There was a reduction in the number of persons suffering from over/underwork - Organisational resources were improved (through the opportunity to participate, for example) - There was a reduction in bullying In comparison with other public organisations, Magistrat Villach is above average concerning the holistic nature of the tasks and the responsibility. There is hardly any over/underwork: there are good results for the social capital in comparison with other organisations and the variety of tasks and the possibility for promotion are also above average. - 8

9 Additionally, every measure was individually evaluated by the participants using a standardised feedback form. They generally received positive evaluation, e.g. a stress management seminar was considered good or very good by 86% of the participants. These positive results led to such measures being repeated during the project period (if financially possible) and they will be continued after the end of the project. The results collected will be used for further planning, the possible introduction of a year/six month programme or a special focus. Special measures will be used to strengthen positive results, so that these resources can be kept, if not even improved (setting special focuses in particular fields). As far as sustainability is concerned, WHP will remain an important topic for the Magistrat Villach. A certain amount of money will be made available every year in the further education area for WHP measures. The health circles will be used continuously in a certain form ( as in the mission statement development) and persons who have been trained will be available as contacts for health related questions. The steering group will continue to meet (e.g. once for needs analysis and the development of an annual plan, and once for the evaluation and further development) Additionally, measures will be carried out in cooperation with ASKÖ, AUVA, KGKK and the Volkshochschule (adult education institute, using a voucher for further education issued by the Chamber of Labour). Courses financed by employee contributions will also be held. The revised internal management training course, begun in 2007, continues to run and includes health promotion and employee-oriented management styles. - 9