Tricks of the Trade: Practical Advice from the PIPPI Project for Evaluating Organizational Interventions

Complex organizational interventions, which target multiple areas of work and involve implementation across multiple organizational levels, are a praised method for improving working conditions and employee health and wellbeing. The problem is that organizational interventions are not only demanding to implement but are notoriously difficult to evaluate. This chapter focuses on the common challenges of evaluating organizational interventions and presents a theoretical model for their evaluation. A case example aimed at improving the work ability of industrial employees, the PIPPI project, is referred to to illustrate five practical strategies, or “tricks”, to use when applying evaluation frameworks in organizational interventions. The strategies are also presented in relation to other projects along with the potential pitfalls associated with them when evaluating organizational interventions. A goal of this chapter is to provide readers with valuable information that they can practically apply when undertaking the challenging task of evaluating organizational interventions.