Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) is a framework that focuses on improving safety, quality, productivity, and efficiency in the workplace by managing the interactions between humans and the systems in which they work. To ensure that HOP programs are effective, organizations need to measure and evaluate their performance. In this white paper, we will explore how organizations can measure and evaluate the effectiveness of their HOP programs.
As noted by Dr. Hollnagel, “The goal of HOP is to create a work environment that is resilient. adaptive, and efficient.” By measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of HOP programs, organizations can create a work environment that is constantly improving and evolving.
Safety Performance Metrics
Safety performance metrics can be used to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of HOP programs. These metrics can include measures of incident rates, near-miss reporting rates, and safety culture surveys. By establishing meaningful safety performance metrics, organizations can track progress over time and identify areas for improvement. As noted by Dr. Todd Conklin, a leading expert in HOP, “Metrics are important because they provide a way to measure progress and identify areas for improvement.”
Safety Culture Assessments
Safety culture assessments can also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of HOP programs. These assessments can provide valuable feedback on the organization’s safety culture, including the effectiveness of leadership commitment, employee involvement, and incident investigation. By conducting safety culture assessments, organizations can identify areas for improvement and develop targeted strategies to address them. As noted by Dr. Sidney Dekker, a leading expert in HOP, “Safety culture assessments provide a snapshot of the organization’s safety culture and can help identify areas for improvement.”
Incident Investigations
Effective incident investigations are another way to evaluate the effectiveness of HOP programs. By investigating incidents thoroughly and identifying systemic factors that contributed to the incident, organizations can learn from their mistakes and make improvements to prevent similar incidents in the future. As noted by Dr. Erik Hollnagel, a leading expert in resilience engineering, “Effective incident investigation is critical to identifying areas for improvement and preventing future incidents.”
Learning from Near-Miss Incidents
Learning from near-miss incidents is another way to evaluate the effectiveness of HOP programs. Organizations should encourage workers to report near-miss incidents and use them as opportunities to identify and mitigate risks before an actual incident occurs. By learning from near-miss incidents, organizations can identify areas for improvement and prevent future incidents from occurring. As noted by Dr. Conklin, “Near-miss reporting is an important tool for identifying potential hazards and making improvements to work processes.”
Observations and Coaching
Observation and coaching by leaders can be an effective way to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of a Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) program. This approach involves leaders observing work processes and providing feedback and coaching to employees to improve their performance and identify areas for improvement.
In conclusion, measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of a Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) program is essential for organizations to identify areas for improvement and prevent incidents from occurring. Safety performance metrics, safety culture assessments, effective incident investigations, learning from near-miss incidents, and observations and coaching by leaders are all effective ways to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of HOP programs. By adopting a comprehensive approach that involves multiple evaluation methods, organizations can create a work environment that is safe, productive, and efficient. As noted by Dr. Hollnagel, “HOP is about creating a work environment that is resilient, adaptive, and efficient.” By continuously evaluating and improving their HOP programs, organizations can achieve this goal and create a culture of safety and continuous improvement.
Conklin, T. (2018). Pre-Accident Investigations: An Introduction to Organizational Safety. CRC Press.
Dekker, S. (2014). The field guide to understanding ‘human error’. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
Hollnagel, E. (2014). Barriers and accident prevention. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
Johnson, C. W. (2015). Organizational learning and HRO: Organizational learning in the global context. Routledge.
Reiman, T., & Oedewald, P. (2015). The resilience handbook: Approaches to stress and trauma. Routledge.
Salmon, P. M., & Stanton, N. A. (Eds.). (2013). Human factors methods: A practical guide for engineering and design. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
