Evaluation of a staff manual for improving work performance of retarded clients in sheltered workshops

A self-instruction manual to develop a production supervisory strategy (PSS) was studied as an aid for staff responsible for supervising production of 80 retarded persons working on contract assembly tasks in sheltered work settings. The manual was introduced in a multiple-baseline across three groups of staff and clients. Subsequently, at the request of the first author, the PSS developed via the manual was withdrawn in a multiple-baseline across the three groups. Average hourly production increased for 77 of the 80 clients under the PSS as compared to the mean production during baseline, with an average percentage increase for all clients of 68%. The error rates were not affected by the changes in production rates. Mean production rates decreased when the PSS was withdrawn. A preference test showed that all of the clients were in favor of the PSS. A staff questionnaire indicated that all the staff recommended the use of the PSS for the benefit of the clients and as a personal preference for work conditions. Following the completion of data collection, staff in all settings voluntarily reintroduced the PSS. Many components of the PSS were still in effect with all three groups at an 11-month follow-up, and with two of the groups at a 20-month follow-up. Failure to maintain the PSS in a group coincided with complete staff turnover for that group. It was concluded that the PSS can be effectively implemented by workshop staff on the basis of a self-help manual.