Requirements

There are 6 sections in the GEAP. There are required and recommended items for each section.

Once you have undertaken your workplace gender audit and performed data analysis on your results in accordance with the guidance available on our website, you are ready to develop your GEAP.

Below is a consolidated checklist of all GEAP requirements and an example GEAP design timeline for 2021-2025.

Gender Equality Action Plan checklist


Section	Required	Recommended
Baseline audit analysis	Include the results of your workplace gender audit in your GEAP Remove any personal or potentially identifying information prior to publishing your GEAP	Highlight where data gaps currently exist and your plan for building data collection Outline key insights from applying an analysis of intersectional gender inequality Outline any other information sources or data that were considered as part of your GEAP development
Meaningful consultation and engagement	Consult with your governing bodies, employees, employee representatives and other relevant people to develop your GEAP and document this process	Outline how consultation was conducted Regularly communicate with your workforce on the work you’re undertaking to develop your GEAP
Case for change	Clearly articulate how your defined entity has considered the gender equality principles in the Act in preparing your GEAP, including how your organisation has considered intersectional gender inequality	Articulate the business case for gender equality relevant to your defined entity, with reference to the gender equality principles in the Act Include a vision statement setting out what gender equality would look like in your defined entity in four years’ time, based on your workforce’s consultation feedback Outline how your GEAP complements existing organisational strategies and measures relating to Aboriginality, age, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation and/or any other attribute Document your defined entity’s history of gender equality work
Strategies and measures	Document your strategies and measures for 2021-2025 based on the results of your audit	Ensure clear accountabilities and timelines are assigned to each strategy and measure Outline how gender pay equity principles have been considered in the development of the strategies and measures in your GEAP For each workplace gender equality indicator, include at least one strategy or measure that will enable you to address intersectional gender inequality in your workplace Note any best or emerging practice research that has informed strategies or measures
Leadership and resourcing your GEAP	Develop a strategic resource plan that outlines how development and implementation of the GEAP will be resourced	Include your executive leadership’s commitment to the GEAP Establish a cross-functional working group of key influencers at all levels to help implement the GEAP across your defined entity Seek key influencers at all levels across your defined entity to be advocates for the GEAP within their areas
Measuring progress	Report your progress in relation to the strategies and measures set out in your GEAP at least every second year	Track progress on each of your GEAP measures annually Outline how progress on the GEAP will be reported internally, to whom, and how frequently Start an achievement register to assist with progress reporting Provide an overview of an implementation plan which includes communication with your employees and employee representatives

GEAP design timeline for 2021

The following is an indicative GEAP design timeline for 2021. It considers the key obligations of GEAPs and workplace gender audits as set out in the Act.

Prior to April 2021

Commence initial engagement and communication to begin Gender Equality Audit process.

April to June 2021

Collect Employee Experience Data for workplace gender audit:
- All defined entities will have the option of engaging the VPSC to collect their employee experience data through either the People Matter Survey or a short-form version. For entities using this recommended option, relevant responses will be collected by VPSC and provided to you in June 2021.
- If your defined entity has decided not to use VPSC, you should ideally engage an independent third party to administer and collect responses to the Employee Experience Survey as part of the workplace gender audit (questions available on the Commission’s website) over a pre-determined period (for example, two weeks).
Begin analysis of initial results including intersectional gender inequality analysis.

30 June 2021

Extract relevant workforce and workplace data for workplace gender audit.

July 2021

Analyse workplace gender audit results and fill out workplace gender audit indicative reporting template.
Remove personal or identifying data from workplace gender audit results in preparation for publishing.

August to September 2021

Share results of the workplace gender audit with employees, employee representatives and your governing body and consult with them to assist in developing the GEAP strategies and measures.

October 2021

Submit your GEAP to the Public Sector Gender Equality Commissioner.
Ensure personal information is removed, publish GEAP on your public website and notify your governing body, employees and employee representatives of that publication.

Updated 24 March 2022