You must undertake at least one round of consultation. Step 7(opens in a new window) is the other opportunity to meet this requirement.
It is up to you how you consult stakeholders. We recommend you undertake 2 rounds of consultation. This includes consulting on your audit results and on your strategies (refer to step 7(opens in a new window)).
3.1 Consult on your audit results
Consultation helps make employees and stakeholders aware of your workplace gender audit findings. It also provides the opportunity to discuss the impact and possible actions for change. This helps you determine, and prioritise, actions to address issues. Employees from diverse backgrounds may be able to provide valuable insights into barriers to gender equality they experience.
If there are existing ways to consult under enterprise agreements and other laws (like the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004), use them in your GEAP consultation process. Partner with those involved to enhance them if needed (see below).
Consultation and engagement require careful planning. This includes:
- deciding the purpose of your consultation
- identifying who to consult
- advice on specific stakeholders:
- consulting with union representatives
- consulting with your governing body
- involving senior leaders
- managing effective consultation and engagement, including:
- consultation methods
- budget and timeframe
- communication methods
- choosing who to lead the consultation
- supporting participants to feel safe
- consultation materials
- documenting and sharing consultation feedback
- intersectional approach to engagement
- gathering feedback and reflections on your consultation process.
Completing the GEAP template
For section 4, insert ‘yes’ or ‘no’ next to each stakeholder group to confirm you consulted with them.
If you did not consult a stakeholder, please explain why in the third column. (Note that under the Act, you must consult with your governing body, if your organisation has one, employees and employee representatives including relevant trade unions).
If you consulted other people and groups, state who and summarise their relevance in the last row.
- Refer to 7.2 Documenting your consultation for further guidance.
For section 5, describe how you consulted with stakeholders.
At the very least, this must include the number and format of sessions. You may also include a summary of the purpose of your consultation/s, consultation methods, communication methods, who led the consultations, how you supported participants to feel safe, and/or reflections on what went well and what could be improved.
- Refer to advice on consulting with union representatives, governing body and engaging with senior leaders in the how-to guides.
For section 6, summarise the findings from consulting your stakeholders. Ideally you consulted on your audit results and your proposed strategies.
This section aims to:
- demonstrate what your stakeholders said about your audit results and how you have used their feedback to better understand your audit findings. Refer to 3.1: consulting on your audit results for further guidance.
- demonstrate how you have used your stakeholders’ feedback to shape your strategies. Refer to 7.1 consulting on your strategies for further guidance.
How-to guides
- Consulting with union representatives
- Consulting with your governing body
- Step 10: Meeting compliance and the compliance checking process(opens in a new window)
- Participatory approaches(opens in a new window) – accessible for all Victorian public sector employees.
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