Recommendation
Buy-in
For
any recommendation to gain acceptance, it must be properly developed and
viewed as being a viable credible action which can be implemented, and
one that will result in demonstrable improvements. Each recommendation
means more work for someone, and we should strive to find solutions that
are effective, efficient and long lasting.
The
first step in creating corrective actions is to determine if any action
is in fact needed. Organizations have a finite amount of resources, and
investigators will want to use them wisely. Not every incident requires
remedial action. Use your Risk Assessment Chart or Matrix as the first
step in the screening process. Think about the probability and consequence
of a future incident. A high risk ranking calls for action; a lower ranking
may mean these types of incidents are an acceptable level of risk and
no further action is needed.
If
action is called for evaluate any proposed changes in light of the following;
consider how they will be viewed by the person to whom the recommendations
are presented.
1.
Will the problem this recommendation is designed to address be seen as
a real and credible?
(If
the accident is not well understood, the credibility of the problem and
your solution will suffer. Will your description or report convince others
that a safety problem exists?)
2.
Will the recommendation be perceived as being capable of addressing the
problem?
(Your
recommendation must be tied to the problem and must be perceived as solving
it. The connection has to be easy to see and understand. Do not expect
support from people if they do not think your recommendation will solve
the problem once and for all. Think about your recommendation from the
point of view of the person paying for it or having the extra workload
placed on them.)
3.
Is the solution something the decision makers are able and willing to
implement?
(Is
your solution feasible? If you are hearing “yes…buts” that's an acknowledgement
that the recommendation will work, however, it's impractical to implement.
Discuss recommendations with those whose open or hidden resistance could
sink your recommendation. Who controls the levers of power? Don't just
look at potential adversaries. Are those you believe to be supporters
really on side? Ask them before formally presenting your recommendations.)
4.
Compared with other situations also requiring management attention, is
this one sufficiently important to see recommendations implemented?
(How
does this particular problem and the risk it presents compare to other
situations competing for management's attention? Management will likely
judge your proposal using the same criteria they do for other matters.
That is on its impact on production, scheduling, staffing, quality etc.
Do your homework and include cost estimates for implementation, the payback
or reduction in losses along with the cost of doing nothing.)
5.
Will there be any legal problems with the recommendations?
(Hopefully
this is a rare situation. However, if a problem is identified and no corrective
action taken, then a subsequent incident could trigger additional problems
for the organization. The advice of legal counsel should be sought in
these situations.)
Based
on "Investigation Accidents with STEP" by Hendrick, Kingsley & Brenner.
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