Introduction

Research undertaken in six EU Member States during the Direct 2 Project shows that the implementation of Direct Participation (DP), in its many forms, can be of benefit to individuals, to organisations and to the wider society.  These Guidelines draw on the good practices in the introduction of digital technologies through DP from the enterprises, big and small, that participated in the DIRECT 2 project.

The use of DP seeks to encourage better use of the full range of knowledge, skills and life experiences of the total workforce, at all levels, within an enterprise.  It strives to achieve this through encouraging and valuing every group’s input and by seeking their active involvement in the decision-making process.  The purpose of these guidelines is to assist organisations who wish to explore how a culture of DP can be successfully introduced into enterprises, in particular when planning for the introduction of new technologies, such as manufacturing automation, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), information and communications technologies.   
It is imperative that any decision to explore the implementation of DP must be made and agreed jointly by both workforce representatives and management.

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