The ISIDOR method : overview

The ISIDOR method

Digital technology is omnipresent in organizations. Jobs are evolving and the way work is organized is undergoing profound changes. New issues are emerging: mental fatigue, tighter guidance and control, loss of meaning in work, etc.
But the links between digitization, working conditions, and democratic dialogue remain poorly understood. Difficulties persist in addressing all the organizational and social issues surrounding digital transformations.

ISIDOR enables a detailed analysis of the influence of a given digital tool (software, application) on well-being and citizenship at work and, more broadly, on the level of democracy in the organization concerned.

With this in mind, ISIDOR offers a toolkit for structuring a digital-focused democratic dialogue within the organization by taking stock of the existing situation and opening up a space for collective discussion of improvements and the joint development of a set of best practices tailored to the organization.

ISIDOR is a method that can be used by anyone, with no specific IT knowledge required.

All elements of ISIDOR can be used independently of the method.

Who is ISIDOR for?

For those who believe that the active and conscious participation of all stakeholders in an organisation’s destiny is an asset not only for the organisation’s performance, but also for the full consideration of its social and environmental responsibility.

For those who believe that there is no reason to ignore expert skills, but also no reason to consider that only experts have the exclusive ability to make the right decisions.

To those who believe that digital systems are not/should not be ‘black boxes’ reserved for IT specialists alone, but who do not know how to understand these systems and assess their real impact on working life and on the organisation as a whole.

To those who believe that a country cannot be truly democratic if democracy stops at the doors of organisations.

Users of digital systems, IT specialists who design and maintain them, senior management, middle management, employee representatives, and external digital service providers can use ISIDOR to assess the influence of digital systems on the life of the organisation and its members and to support the organisation on its path to progress.

ISIDOR User Guide

ISIDOR is a structured method organised around several types of elements:

• the dimensions of well-being at work and organisational democracy
• the software components to be analysed
• analysis grids
• evaluation tables
• steps to follow for implementing ISIDOR

These elements ensure the transparency of the audit process and conclusions.

They are described below.

The dimensions of organisational democracy

Well-being and citizenship at work, and more broadly organisational democracy, are described using five dimensions:

• Democratic dialogue & Citizenship
• Information systems, digital information systems and plurality of representations
• Management systems and decision-making
• Autonomy of individuals, work groups and the organisation as a whole
• Time and organisational learning

These five dimensions represent ISIDOR’s way of thinking, the foundation of the entire method.

The software ‘components’ to be analysed

The software will be analysed through three ‘components’ that are particularly representative of its impact on well-being and citizenship at work:

• HMIs (Human-Machine Interfaces)
• one or more dashboards integrated into the software or derived from it (supplemented by the data dictionary if available)
• IT project management (the project that generated the software if it is recent, otherwise another project currently underway or carried out in the last two years).

Correspondence between dimensions and components

Each dimension is analysed primarily through one of these three components. However, it should be noted that all components can contribute to the analysis of the dimension.

• The Social Dialogue, Democratic Debate and Citizenship dimension
  => is analysed mainly through IT project management.
• The Information System, Digital Information System and Plurality of Representations dimension
  => is analysed mainly through dashboards (and the data dictionary).
• The Management System and Decision-Making dimension
  => is analysed mainly through dashboards.
• The Autonomy dimension
  => is analysed mainly through HMIs.
• The Time and Organisational Learning dimension
  => is analysed mainly through IT project management.

Analysis grids

Analysis grids are the central operational tool of the method.

They consist of exhaustive lists of points to be checked in order to assess the impact of the software on each dimension.

One grid corresponds to one dimension.

The grids are used to create interview guides for users (and possibly the IT team), as well as to analyse the components themselves, the associated documentation and the information gathered from users.
See the description of the stages for more details.

They contribute to the transparency of the process and the conclusions of the audit.

The analysis grids can be used independently of ISIDOR.

They are widely used as support in APIDOR.

Evaluation tables

Evaluation tables are the final tools in the method.

Each table contains a limited list of points summarising the questions in the corresponding analysis grid.

An evaluation table corresponds to an analysis grid, and therefore to one dimension.

These tables allow each point to be scored from 0 to 5, with 0 representing a major negative impact on well-being and citizenship at work and organisational democracy, and 5 representing a maximum positive impact.

The assessment tables help to finalise the diagnosis.

Like the grids, they contribute to the transparency of the process and the conclusions of the audit.

They can also be used independently of ISIDOR.

They are available as a support tool in APIDOR.

Stages to follow for implementing ISIDOR

The operational implementation of ISIDOR comprises five stages described on the How the method works page:

• Stage 1. Launching the ISIDOR assessment within the organisation: scoping, communication
• Stage 2. Collecting information and documents on the components of the application to be analysed.
• Stage 3. Preparation and conduct of interviews
• Stage 4. Analysis of the material collected (interviews and documents) in relation to the five dimensions of democracy. Drafting of the provisional version of the report.
• Stage 5. Conclusion of the ISIDOR diagnosis: presentation of the results and joint development of both the assessment and the areas for improvement.