Amid mounting interest in mental health, the importance of prevention—as opposed to taking action only after symptoms have developed—has also been garnering attention in recent years. That said, prevention-related findings and know-how have yet to be properly compiled. To raise awareness of preventive measures that everyone can put into practice in society, evidence-based knowledge and approaches are essential.

The NEC Pro Bono Initiative is a program that utilizes the professional expertise and experience of NEC Group employees to address societal issues. As part of this initiative, three NEC Group employees teamed up from April to June 2026 to support the Association of Prevention Mental Health (General Incorporated Association), which was established by a fiscal year 2021 graduate of the NEC Social Entrepreneurship School.

Taking on the challenge of ensuring that the concept of prevention takes root in society

The Association of Prevention Mental Health is an organization whose mission is to "create a society where the importance of preventing mental health problems is recognized and everyone can promote prevention. By training specialists and partnering with companies and municipal governments, this organization aims to realize a society where mental health problems can be prevented.

Starting in July 2025, NEC provided the association with pro bono support in two phases. In the first phase, the pro bono team began laying the groundwork for launching the project, including clarifying the directions of the membership system and course offerings by formulating the project plan and reviewing course design. Then, in the most recent phase, the team further expanded these activities by supporting the research and compilation of evidence for organizational development theory, which is at the core of the personnel training courses being developed by the association. In doing so, the team took on the challenge of laying the foundation to provide higher-quality instruction.

Building a better organization based on solid evidence

The Association of Prevention Mental Health is developing courses to train personnel who can bolster organizational health. While the organizational development theory at the core of this is broadly used in practice, there are still many cases in which the theoretical background and research results have not been properly compiled.

To deliver a higher-quality learning experience, it is vital to design courses grounded in academic evidence. However, conducting research and compiling a tremendous volume of literature and academic papers with limited personnel proved to be a significant burden. This is why NEC's pro bono members supported these efforts and dedicated themselves to building a knowledge base for designing higher-quality courses.

Transforming evidence into actionable learning

In this project, pro bono members reviewed literature, academic papers, and research results on organizational development theory. The target themes were those that would be covered in a training course consisting of nine sessions spread over approximately six months. Drawing on their individual expertise and dividing the research responsibilities, the pro bono members collected and compiled more than 50 pieces of evidence.

Rather than focusing on collecting information, the team prioritized compiling practical knowledge. By compiling relevant sections from the literature and publication information for the academic papers, the team organized the necessary findings for easy access. In this way, a knowledge base was created that can be used not only for course development but also for future content updates.

In addition, by sharing the research results with the support recipient at weekly meetings, the team was able to reflect new insights and perspectives in subsequent research tasks. As the team gradually added to their findings, they focused on laying the groundwork for conveying organizational development theory in a more practical and convincing educational format.

Thus, the compiled evidence will be used not only for course development related to this project but also as a valuable asset for ongoing content expansion and enhancement of instructional quality.

Sharing findings to enhance instruction quality

The support for this project extended beyond just research resources. By leveraging the organizational management and team-building expertise of NEC Group employees, combined with academic evidence and practical experience, the team helped develop more effective courses.

Below is a sampling of feedback received from members of the support recipient.

"It was incredibly reassuring to have people with organizational development knowledge and experience participate in the project."

"Being able to compile the evidence systematically in a short period of time was a remarkable achievement."

"We enhanced the course content by integrating the perspectives of business professionals based on their practical experience."

Meanwhile, these activities also provided participating NEC employees with an opportunity to learn something new.

"This project gave me a chance to explore a theme unrelated to my day-to-day work."

"I was able to forge connections with members from other divisions and NEC Group companies."

"Thinking about mental health from the perspective of organizational development helped me gain new insights."

As you can see, this project enabled participants to deepen their understanding of societal issues and to reconsider how they can apply their expertise in society.

Supporting future prevention measures grounded in solid evidence

NEC is a company whose Purpose is to "create the social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential."

In this recent pro bono support activity, participants took on the challenge of building a knowledge base to support preventive mental health care. The evidence compiled will support the quality of courses available to many individuals in the future, thus facilitating the development of better organizations and the implementation of mental health prevention measures.

Compiling findings to ensure they reach those who need them also entails addressing invisible societal issues and building a foundation to support a society where everyone can work and live in good health.

Going forward, the NEC Group will continue harnessing the professional expertise and experience of its employees to realize its Purpose.

Related Links

The NEC Social Entrepreneurship School was launched in 2002 through a collaboration
between the nonprofit organization ETIC and NEC. This program is dedicated to supporting young entrepreneurs tackling social issues.

In 2010, NEC became the first company in Japan to launch a pro bono program. A decade later, in 2020, employee volunteers from the NEC Group established the NEC Pro Bono Club, a pro bono community helping to address challenges faced by local communities, NGOs, NPOs, educational institutions, and others. Today, the NEC Pro Bono Club comprises approximately 900 employees.