Working Paper Multiple Case Study on Six Regional Occupational Health and Safety Networks International Labour Organization, Geneva Multiple Case Study on Six Regional Occupational Health and Safety Networks Working Paper Labour Administration, Labour Inspection and Occupational Safety and Health Branch (LABADMIN/OSH) International Labour Organization, Geneva Copyright © International Labour Organization 2019 First published 2019 Publications of the International Labour Office enjoy copyright under Protocol 2 of the Universal Copyright Convention. Nevertheless, short excerpts from them may be reproduced without authorization, on condi- tion that the source is indicated. For rights of reproduction or translation, application should be made to ILO Publications (Rights and Licensing), International Labour Office, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland, or by email: [email protected]. The International Labour Office welcomes such applications. 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PRODOC endeavours to use paper sourced from forests managed in an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible manner. Code: JMB-REPRO Contents Abbreviations and acronyms ......................................v Acknowledgements ............................................ vii Foreword ..................................................... ix Preface by author .............................................. xi 1. Multiple case study on regional OSH networks .................... 1 1.1 Background ................................................ 1 1.2 Material and methods .......................................... 3 1.3 Summary of the results ......................................... 4 1.3.1 Participants in the study ................................... 4 1.3.2 Mission and policy ....................................... 4 1.3.3 Formal status and constitution ............................... 6 1.3.4 Basic orientation ........................................ 6 1.3.5 Geographical coverage .................................... 6 1.3.6 Membership and stakeholders ............................... 6 1.3.7 Organization, focal point, and institutional support .................. 6 1.3.8 Leadership and coordination ................................ 7 1.3.9 Resources: human, network technology, and financing ............... 7 1.3.10 Strategy and programmes .................................. 7 1.3.11 Functions, activities, and knowledge management .................. 8 1.3.12 Outputs, quality, quantity, overall achievements .................... 8 1.4 Discussion ................................................. 9 1.5 Summary ..................................................10 References ................................................... 11 Annex 1. Summary of the analysis according to the descriptors ................. 13 Annexes ..................................................... 21 Box 1. Characteristics of successful professional networks ................... 10 Figure 1. Access to the Internet in different parts of the world .................... 3 Figure 2. Arbitrary comparison of analysed networks by 12 parameters ............. 9 Table 1. Participant network ......................................... 5 III Abbreviations and acronyms ALASEHT Latin American Association of Safety and Health at Work ASEAN-OSHNET ASEAN Occupational Safety and Health Network BSN Baltic Sea Network on Occupational Health and Safety EBDM Evidence-based decision-making EBPM Evidence-based policy-making EU European Union EU-OSHA EU Occupational Safety and Health Agency ENETOSH European Network Education and Training in Occupational Safety and Health IAPRP Inter-African Association for the Prevention of Occupational Risks ICOH International Commission on Occupational Health ICT Information and communications technology ILO International Labour Organization ISSA International Social Security Association LMICs low- and middle-income countries OH occupational health OSH occupational safety and health PEROSH Partnership for European Research in Occupational Safety and Health SEENWH South-East European Network on Workers’ Health SEEWA South-East European Workplace Academy UMICs upper middle-income countries UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization WHO World Health Organization V Acknowledgements This Working Paper was produced under the development cooperation project titled “Modern- izing International Networking in Occupational Safety and Health Knowledge and Information” (GLO/15/50/ROK) funded by the Partnership Agreement between the Government of South Korea and the ILO 2015-2017. It was prepared by Professor Jorma Rantanen with guidance and technical contributions provided by Mr Claude Donald Loiselle coordinating ILO work on OSH networking, knowledge and information management. The ILO also wishes to underline the contributions of network leaders and experts in producing the profiles, in particular of Eng. Renán Alfonso Rojas Gutiérrez and Ms Giuliana De Rosa for ALASEHT; Mr Zié Adel Coulibaly, Mr Nogbou Alphonse Ahoua and Mr Bernard Foe Andegue for IAPRP; Mr Jan Michiel Meeuwsen and Dr Dietmar Reinert for PEROSH; Mr Wilbur Oh for ASEAN-OSHNET; and Pr Jovanka Karadzinska Bislimovska for the profile of SEENWH. Acknowledgements extend to the members of the Project International Advisory Committtee that provided guidance throughout the modernization project design and implementation, notably during the meeting held in Turin in November 2016 to discuss the theoretical foundations, the proposed set of descriptors and the methodological aspects of this multiple case study analysis. VII Foreword This report presents the results of the multiple case-study analysis of regional occupational safety and health (OSH) networks. It was undertaken as part of the modernization of the ILO portfolio of activities in OSH knowledge and information, which is a primary objective of the ILO’s global strategy to improve occupational safety and health. The study was undertaken in order to understand how and why OSH agencies, institutions, organizations and experts collaborate with one another. It covers the statutes, roles, functions, governance modalities, financing and challenges of regional OSH networks from Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa. In addition to producing individual network profiles that are published separately, the results highlight similarities and differences in ways of organizing collaboration in OSH by providing new knowledge to support international cooperation which has always been and remains a key role of the ILO. The adoption of a need-based approach to international networking is central to the modernization pro- cess. The first step consisted of undertaking a global survey of OSH knowledge agencies, institutions and organizations as a means to understand the organization of OSH knowledge and information development. The survey notably provided invaluable descriptive information covering the typical forms of international collaboration arrangements; the objectives pursued by engaging in networks; and the key enabling factors facilitating participation in international collaboration, networking and partnership initiatives. The results also revealed the diversity of existing collaborative arrangements in the field of occupational health and safety. The multiple case-study analysis complements the global survey by documenting the functioning of six networks and identifying some of the key characteristics of productive regional OSH networks. The exploratory nature and the complexity of the participatory approach adopted for the study should be kept in mind when reading the report. Adopting the set of standard descriptors,