The Commissioner recommends you establish processes for monitoring your GEAP’s implementation.
12.1 Monitoring your GEAP implementation and outcomes (recommended)
Set up regular monitoring. This will help you report to your governing body (if you have one) about your progress under the Gender Equality Act 2020.
This will help ensure the governing body and executive team manage risks associated with non-compliance with the Act. In particular, there is an obligation to make reasonable and material progress on each of the 7 workplace gender equality indicators(opens in a new window) in every 2-year period).
Regular monitoring helps you find out which strategies are working, and which might need some adjustment.
It will also assist in documenting your progress. You will need to prepare progress reports around 2 years into the plan and at the end of the plan.
A well-structured monitoring system should:
- assign responsibility – outline who is responsible for what. This aids accountability and clarity
- document key decisions and reasons – keep clear records of decisions made during the planning process. This helps understand why you chose certain strategies, decisions or actions
- track milestones and outcomes – identify and track outcomes to measure the success of your GEAP’s strategies(opens in a new window)
- detect early warning signs – regular reviews can spot challenges or delays early. This allows for timely interventions to keep the plan on track
- inform continuous improvement – use feedback and data from monitoring to refine your strategies and measures(opens in a new window). This helps ensure the GEAP is adapted to changing circumstances
- inform stakeholder engagement – ongoing monitoring can also enable employees and stakeholders to be kept informed and engaged on progress. This promotes a sense of shared responsibility and ownership
- support evaluation and improvement – records help evaluate program success and find areas to improve. This is crucial for adjusting during the program or in future initiatives
- help ensure compliance – accurate monitoring helps inform appropriate governance of the obligations of the Gender Equality Act 2020 at the board and executive level.
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