NOAA National Weather Service
Location
Throughout the United States
Situation
The National Weather Service (NWS) is the world’s largest weather organization employing approximately 4,700 personnel. The team is comprised of nearly 2,000 meteorologists with the balance of staff comprising hydro meteorologic technicians, electronic technicians and administrative personnel. With 136 weather stations across the country, personnel are geographically dispersed and often work in remote locations.
The Chief Learning Officer of NWS, John E. Ogren, was familiar with Soteria Solutions and their work. Soteria Solutions began working with NOAA and their TIGER Task force in 2019 to develop a Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment (SASH) bystander intervention training module. The TIGER task force’s mission is to create a more diverse and inclusive work environment.
To develop the bystander intervention training module, Soteria Solutions first conducted focus groups and a culture survey across the organization. Ogren and members of his leadership team participated in these focus groups. When Soteria Solutions was looking for a group within NOAA to pilot the online SASH bystander training, he readily volunteered NWS to be the pilot.
The Soteria Solution
Soteria Solutions developed an online SASH bystander training module with scenarios customized to NOAA’s values and culture, training individuals on how to intervene safely and effectively as bystanders at work.
Ninety-eight percent of the National Weather Service federal employees completed the online bystander training module. Ogren and his team were pleased with the level of participation and as a result, NWS continued collaborating with Soteria Solutions to ‘boost’ the online training with an effort that would encourage and reinforce bystander intervention throughout the NWS workplace.
Soteria Solutions developed a booster campaign with images, scenarios and messaging tailored specifically to their workplace, and connected to the Workplace Violence Prevention and Response (WVPR) office, NOAA’s sexual assault and sexual harassment initiative.
A series of eight posters were developed, working closely with Ogren and his team, the TIGER task force and WVPR. With the final poster campaign called ‘We are NWS’ designed and approved, the materials and a detailed implementation guide were provided electronically to every NWS office.
The posters built on positive norming data to reinforce how to intervene as a bystander and to showcase the organization’s commitment to the values of appreciating an active bystander and the important role NWS has in creating a working environment where everyone is valued and respected.
Results
NWS embraces the importance of creating and maintaining a safe and respectful working environment for all. With a large workforce that is dispersed and working mostly in small groups, Ogren and his team provided strong leadership for the importance of offering online training while also reinforcing the training with visuals to be prominent in each NWS location.
The booster poster campaign reinforces the important role of a bystander and are highly relatable and relevant using data specific to NWS.
