Integration of Gender-based Analysis Plus into instructional design

• How could diverse groups of people potentially be impacted by the job requirements?
• Are certain groups potentially disadvantaged? 
• If so, is this justified given the bona fide (in other words, authentic, genuine, real) requirements of the job? How do you know?

Example: The job requires carrying heavy gear on a regular basis.  People with less upper body strength will struggle.  This could disproportionately impact certain groups.

• Who will be served by the people doing the job?
• How might they be impacted?

Example: Immigrant women tend to under-report violence due to isolation, fear of deportation, and experiences of language and cultural barriers. Having diverse first responders trained in cultural competencies could mitigate this reality.

• Whose point of view is reflected in the job requirements?
• What assumptions informed the identification of requirements?
• What types of measures are needed to ensure equitable and diverse representation during consultation processes?
• Is infrastructure in place to ensure that specific population groups can participate (for example, employees working in a region)?

Example: There are likely assumptions about the need to do the job in a particular way. It may be necessary to look beyond the employees doing the job to ensure a diversity of perspectives. Consider consulting the target audience, or people in similar jobs that represent a number of diverse intersectional factors.

• Are you making assumptions about the uniformity of the learners?
• What type of gender and diversity disaggregated data are already in place in measure this? 
• How will your research methods ensure the collection of gender and diversity disaggregated data?
• What other types of disaggregated data are needed to understand gender and other dimensions of the target audience?

Example: It is difficult to understand your target audience if you don’t have disaggregated demographic data. At minimum, you need sex or gender disaggregated data. Ideally, you will also have data disaggregated for other diversity factors.

• Is this a new or previously identified trend?
• Has it been analyzed?
• Is this trend found in other similar groups or departments?
• What is it about the position/group that seems to attract and/or retain members of one gender?
• What might be some of the barriers to entry/retention that are keeping others out of the position or group? Are certain members of your target audience potentially at a disadvantage?
• Obstacles to one’s equal and full participation might include:  security, finances, family life obligations, professional duties, legal constraints, moral/religious considerations, historic/structural/systemic vulnerabilities (for example, Indigenous women, refugee members of the LGBTQ2 community), etc. Are resources available to respond to these needs?
• Has your communications approach considered diverse audiences?
• Do diverse members of your target audience:
  • know the opportunity exists?
  • feel welcome to apply?

Example: Although this may fall outside the scope of training design, consider informal as well as formal barriers to full participation. Evidence indicates that informal networks and recruitment can exert even greater influence than the formal. 

• If appointed to participate, who makes the decision and based on which criteria?
• If participation is self-selected, how is the training advertised?
• Should strategies for recruiting a diversity of participants be considered? Although this may be outside your mandate as an instructional designer, candidate selection is part of the learning continuum; it would be worthwhile encouraging those selecting for training to do a GBA Plus of their selection process. 

Example: If participants are selected by a manager without specific and defendable criteria, the (often unintended) consequence may be the exclusion of certain groups of people. If candidates self-select, they may incorrectly assume the training/job is not open to them, especially if they are “different” from those currently in the job/taking the training. The absence of appropriate training is likely to limit development and/or promotion prospects, which may lead to systemic discrimination.

• Is the training being adapted to account for unanticipated gender- or diversity-specific differences?
• Will the option of language and ASL interpretation services be available/integrated into the design of your training depending on end-user needs?

Example: Does the training require a long work day and/or fall outside standard work hours? If so, is this justified? Evidence indicates that requiring unusual hours can disproportionately impact parents with young children or employees with other caregiver responsibilities.

• Have you looked at best practices elsewhere?
• Have you consulted with a diverse cross-section of the end users of your training?

Example: We all have assumptions and biases. Researching best practices and consulting a diverse cross-section of end users will help to ensure a comprehensive consideration of possible issues.

• Is the oral and written text using non-gendered and inclusive language? In French and in English versions?
• Are images and illustrations reflecting and valuing experiences of a diverse population?

Example: This is a simple – yet important – consideration. The more learners “see” themselves in the learning materials, the greater the potential for learning.

• Does your measurement approach take into account the diversity of your learners?

Example: Using a range of instructional and assessment methods will help to ensure that diverse learners have the opportunity to learn and demonstrate their mastery of the KSAs.

• Is it critical for the facilitator to be a subject matter expert? 
• Is the facilitator sensitive to diversity and aware of the specific gender and diversity issues affecting the learning environment?

Example: An effective facilitator understands the audience and the subject matter. However, they do not necessarily need to be a subject matter expert. “Think outside the box” when considering facilitator selection. Be selective, yet open-minded, in your choice.

• Consider distance, and travel considerations, from home/work (e.g. accessibility of public transit).
• Ensure appropriate restroom facilities, including accessible restrooms and gender-neutral restrooms.
• Safety includes being in an environment that is free from sexual (or other) harassment, especially if the training is taking place in a remote and/or isolated location. 

Example: Although it may seem inconsequential, having a restroom for one gender far from all others sends a message: “You don’t belong here.” Details like this can send a strong (even if unintentional) message to members of your target audience.

• Does the training time conflict (without good reason) with other responsibilities (e.g. care-giver responsibilities)?
• Does the training time coincide with faith-based holidays?
• Does the time of the training create safety concerns?

Example: Training that takes place during certain religious holidays may make it difficult for some to participate, due to their religious observances. Rescheduling or modifying the training schedule may be a simple solution that will ensure the training is more inclusive. 

• Is distribution of learners being monitored within each session?
• Is there a gender or other diversity imbalance among learners?
• What mechanisms are in place if trends in gender or other diversity discrepancy begin to appear?
• Is course information and content equally accessible to different demographic groups?

Example: Women attending training with almost all men may feel hesitant to “speak up” or appear “different” from the majority. This could be further complicated by language or cultural differences. This can be mitigated, for example, by ensuring either mixed-gender or single-gender groups, as appropriate.

• What indicators would you require to assess the success of diverse groups of people? 
• Have baseline indicators been established to measure the effectiveness of the training, and are they conducive to assessing the impact on diverse groups?
• Are gender, cultural, or other stereotypes being reinforced in the delivery of the training? 

Example: Ask your target audience directly about this. Did they experience any barriers to their learning – in the training design, delivery or from peers – as a result of their gender, age, education, language, geography, culture, income or any other consideration? Look for trends in answers, remembering that one person’s perspective is just that – one person’s perspective.

• How are diverse groups involved in the management and monitoring of the training?
• Are there gaps in the quantitative or qualitative data needed to effectively measure training outcomes? If so, how could these gaps be filled?
• What additional data is needed to better understand the different impacts?

Example: Access to disaggregated data is essential to inform your analysis and evaluation.

• How will the differential impacts of targeted training interventions on different groups of men and women be monitored/evaluated to ensure they have the desired effect?
• What data collection methods would be conducive to measuring outcomes for diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse peoples?

Example: When you evaluate job skills transfer, using disaggregated data will allow you to identify any trends related to differential impacts on diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse peoples.