Consultation and engagement

Consultation advice for low-resourced organisations

You are required to consult with your employees, governing body, employee representatives (unions) and any other key stakeholders.

This guide offers a lot of advice on consultation. You are not required to do all of it. How you consult will be specific to your organisation. Do what is feasible in your context.

If you are lower-resourced, key actions are:

• Define the purpose of your consultation and the timeframes to consult
• Use existing structures so that you’re not starting from scratch. For example, existing working groups, committees and other existing structures
• Make consultations accessible for your stakeholders to engage
• Plan how you will consider feedback. This includes deciding what feedback to action and how. You do not have to action all feedback. Action what is relevant, feasible, evidence-based, and fair.
• Communicate each step along the way.

These are key actions for consulting. More detail on each of these actions can be found below.

Define the purpose of your consultation

First, define the purpose of your consultation. This will make the process meaningful and productive.

Having a purpose provides a clear reason and objectives for your engagement.

It will ensure you involve the right people, value their input and address concerns.

This purpose-driven approach improves decision-making, promotes inclusivity and ultimately leads to better outcomes.

Answer these questions to help you define your purpose.

• What are our goals and objectives for consulting?
• What will each consultation session achieve and for whom?
• What do I need from consultations with the different stakeholder groups (governing bodies, employees, employee representatives including unions, and other groups)?

You should consult with relevant stakeholders more than once.

Each consultation phase can have a different purpose.

This may include:

• understanding what employees want in achieving intersectional equality in the workplace
• contextualising your audit findings to understand the underlying causes of inequalities
• hearing about the workplace gender inequality issues that affect different employees
• getting employees to help you identify strategies and measures to address gender inequality issues
• creating awareness of gender equality obligations
• developing a vision and organisational case for change
• generating awareness of the goals of the GEAP and support for the GEAP development and implementation process
• developing or reviewing content for a particular part of the GEAP.

Once you have defined the purpose of your consultations, you can consider who needs to be included in the process and how you will do this.

Identify who you will consult

The next step is to identify stakeholder groups you will engage and consult with.

You should include people who have a vested interest in intersectional gender equality, or who may be able to influence change.

Creating a targeted and effective process that includes a diverse range of perspectives will allow you to:

• gather relevant insights
• address potential concerns
• make informed decisions that are more likely to be accepted and supported by those affected.

Identifying stakeholder groups ensures your consultation is focused, inclusive and leads to meaningful outcomes.

Every workplace is unique. The people you engage with during the consultation process will also vary. Consider these questions to determine who should be involved:

• Who will the GEAP affect?
• Who has an interest in GEAP development?
• Who are the stakeholders who have been traditionally excluded from decision-making?
• Who are the GEAP owners and partners?
• Who will approve the GEAP?
• Who are the stakeholders who will be involved in delivering the GEAP?

Examples of stakeholder groups include:

• stakeholders from different departments and work areas across the workplace
• employees from all levels and across different functions
• employees with diverse lived experiences
• employee representatives and employee networks
• employees who work part-time, flexibly or off-site
• relevant peak bodies
• gender equality organisations, women’s health organisations, community groups or research groups in your local area. These groups can provide specific advice on the issues relating to your internal workforce
• people who have experienced your recruitment processes.

You will need to engage with these groups using different methods depending on their needs, limitations and capacities to engage.

Consult with union representatives

Under the Act, you must consult with employee representatives. This includes union representatives.

Consider the following:

• engage early in the process – this supports communication with union members and gives you time to consult in different ways
• organise standalone consultation sessions rather than participating in regular union forums – this allows you to focus specifically on the GEAP. It will provide dedicated time for discussion
• offer consultation sessions at different times using different methods – this responds to the needs of diverse groups
• hold several meetings with union representatives and staff during the GEAP creation process – solicit their feedback on audit data and involve them in drafting the GEAP. Provide union representatives with a copy of your GEAP when you submit it
• be open to feedback from staff and union representatives. If you cannot include parts of their feedback, explain why
• continue to hold consultation sessions after you submit the GEAP. You can do this through the union group or a gender equality working group. This helps to maintain union support for your GEAP. It will provide a forum for feedback as you implement the GEAP.

Consult with your governing body

You organisation’s governing body is responsible for monitoring compliance with the Act.

This should be part of your organisation’s risk register and risk management plan.

Provide regular updates to your board (if your organisation has one). Your chair will receive your compliance feedback.

The Act also requires you to consult with your governing body as part of the consultation process.

Your board or other governing body will also approve or endorse the final GEAP. Involve them early in the process.

For example, you could:

• share the audit findings
• undertake consultation with the board
• invite input at each stage of the process.

Involving your governing body boosts their interest and buy-in in gender equality initiatives.

Involve senior leaders

Involve senior leaders early in the consultation process.

Leaders who prioritise the GEAP and its implementation will ensure staff understand gender equality. This helps garner support for GEAP strategies.

You can also involve leaders by including a statement of commitment from them in your GEAP.

Senior leaders can promote consultation sessions, attend sessions and ask for feedback on the process.

It is also good practice to include senior leaders in the GEAP working group.

Senior leaders can:

• champion the GEAP
• prioritise the GEAP in work planning and budgets
• use their power in the organisation to influence change
• create partnerships in the organisation and with external partners
• manage any resistance to gender equality within the organisation.

Ensure effective consultation and engagement

Effective consultation relies on being open to listening and clear communication.

You will likely receive a lot of feedback during the process.

Some feedback may be contradictory or not helpful. However, you should acknowledge all of it.

You cannot act on all feedback, but you can explain why you made some changes and not others.

This makes the process inclusive and transparent.

It helps participants feel their input is valued.

The Victorian Government’s Intersectional policy guide sets out additional suggestions that are also included here. Although the guide is not specifically for developing GEAPs, many of the same principles apply.

Consultation methods

Use multiple consultation methods

This can include online surveys, feedback forms, online or in-person focus groups, workshops, small in-depth sessions and written feedback on drafts. Some employees prefer anonymous forms or surveys for confidentiality and safety.

Consult with staff to identify consultation methods

This will help you find the best consultation methods for your workplace.

Consider using different spaces for specific groups.

For example, employees might participate more freely if leaders are not present.

Ensure targeted sessions that address diverse experiences maintain safety and privacy. Allowing employees to contribute anonymously helps ensure everyone feels safe.

Ensure accessibility

Make sure physical locations are accessible, including for people using public transport.

Provide innovative and creative ways for people to contribute

For example, this may be through drawing or other visual means.

Budget and timeframe

Ensure you have budget for your consultation methods.

This may include paying a facilitator or community participants, printing materials or providing refreshments.

Also, include budget for accessibility adjustments, such as translation or Auslan interpretation.

Allow time for engagement

Keep surveys open for a reasonable period.

Offer consultation sessions on different days and times to allow for religious/cultural days and parenting/caring commitments.

Provide multiple ways for people to participate.

Share audit results

Share your workplace gender audit results with the people you are consulting. These results should guide the proposed strategies and measures in your GEAP.

Consider different working situations

Online sessions may be necessary for employees working from home. Scheduling consultations before, during and after working hours can make it easier for some employees to participate.

Reimburse expenses

Provide sitting fees and cover transport costs for external experts.

This includes lived experience experts.

Consider resourcing implications

Consider resourcing needs if you are partnering with community organisations.

Use accessible electronic platforms

Avoid platforms that require specific software programs or high levels of bandwidth when conducting online or hybrid consultations.

Communication methods

Set out the purpose

Communicate the importance of the consultation process and its purpose to all employees.

You could make a special announcement, provide email and meeting updates, or plan a launch event.

Share key messages with staff, including the importance of the consultation and your willingness to listen to all employees.

Consider confidentiality and privacy

Explain confidentiality and how you will protect privacy.

Acknowledge past consultation experiences

Address any poor consultation experiences people have experienced in the past.

Explaining how this consultation builds on previous work.

Communicate regularly

Regular communication helps people understand how the consultation contributes to the GEAP.

Ensure accessibility

Provide Auslan interpreters and live captioning. This allows Deaf and hard-of-hearing stakeholders to participate.

Communicate clearly

Avoid using technical language or jargon.

Ask participants what they need

This allows you to facilitate greater participation.

Choosing who will lead the consultation

Think about who is communicating and leading the consultation for your GEAP. This can affect how open and transparent people are in giving feedback.

For example, you could consider inviting staff to lead discussions, rather a senior leader.

Use existing consultation committees or forums

This includes forums associated with enterprise agreements or work health and safety.

Co-facilitation with someone with lived experience

Consider whether consultation can be co-facilitated with someone who has lived expertise relating to the issue you are addressing.

Consider power dynamics

Address overt racism, sexism, ableism and homophobia.

Create a safer space for more marginalised voices within the group to speak out.

Run separate workshops with specific groups if these dynamics are hard to manage.

Foster a safe space

Engage peer support workers to provide support to participants.

This is particularly important for distressing topics or issues.

Have at least one additional person available to provide support to anyone distressed by the conversation.

Supporting participants to feel safe

Participants in any consultation need to feel supported and safe.

Discussing gender inequality and issues like preventing sexual harassment can be distressing.

Participants may share their own negative experiences.

Facilitators and note-takers must know how to respond appropriately if someone discloses trauma, harassment, abuse or other sensitive issues.

Provide information during each consultation session about how employees can get support.

This includes the employee assistance program, local service providers and hotlines.

You must also protect people’s privacy during and after consultation sessions.

Understand lived expertise

Recognising communities and individuals as experts in their own lives is an important step in creating a safe and trusting environment.

Lived expertise offers rich insights into the experience of individuals and communities, along with the effects of policy in practice.

Communities are also internally diverse – so one or two individuals cannot represent the whole community. You must seek out the nuances in people’s experiences and perspectives.

Encourage cultural safety

This means creating an environment where members of marginalised communities feel safe to participate freely, in a self-determined way that values identity and experience.

Use trauma-informed approaches

This recognises that trauma is common and that people accessing services and people delivering services may be affected by trauma.

Consider power dynamics

Some dynamics reinforce privilege or perpetuate exclusion and inequality.

Reflect on the power imbalances between government and community.

Consider the power dynamics within communities as well.

Make sure you understand internal tensions within a community before setting up workshops.

Consider the power imbalances between the facilitator and community.

Consultation materials

Developing consultation materials ensures a smooth and effective consultation process.

Materials can help facilitators guide discussions and keep them on track.

They also give participants the information they need to engage.

Providing information before the consultation supports participation.

Consider:

• what information might help employees feel prepared – for example, an information pack with a summary of the audit data, or draft strategies and measures, and discussion questions
• providing pre-session information to introduce concepts like gender and intersectional inequality
• developing materials to support facilitation, such as a presentation, a summary of key information, or discussion questions.

Documenting and sharing consultation feedback

• Documenting and sharing consultation feedback with participants ensures transparency. It also shows participants that their input is valued.

  It helps build trust and encourages ongoing engagement by showing that the organisation is committed to acting on the feedback received.

  Consider:

• how you will record and analyse discussions and findings
• how you will store the data, while considering privacy requirements
• how and when you will provide feedback to participants
• how you will provide workplace updates on the consultation outcomes in an inclusive and transparent way.

Gather feedback and reflections

Allow for reflection during and after your consultation process.

Reflection helps you consider what works and what does not. This allows you to adapt the process as needed.

Use feedback to improve the process for your next GEAP.

For example, you could ask participants to complete a short survey after the consultation session. You could also hold a reflection session with employee networks at the end of the consultation phase. Checking in with employees during team meetings can also be useful.

Ask participants the following questions:

• Were consultations useful?
• Did you have an opportunity to provide input?
• How could we make consultations more inclusive, useful and relevant?
• Did you feel safe to provide frank feedback?
• Did you feel heard?
• Was your feedback valued?
• Was the consultation inclusive and collaborative?