Implementation concept

An implementation concept is an important building block for successful implementation of Gender Mainstreaming (GM). In particular, the sustained success of associated qualification measures, events, pilot projects, etc., depends crucially on the extent to which they are integrated into an overall strategic concept. An implementation concept must define the necessary framework conditions for making it possible for the instruction, “Everybody will as of today integrate gender equality into their specialist work”, to be operable and fulfillable by all employees. The advantages of overall strategic planning by means of an implementation concept are:

• that the continued strategic procedure is defined,
• that the implementation of GM is concretised by means of individual working stages and
• that it has the effect of being a binding internal plan.

If you are involved in developing an implementation concept, you should be orienting yourself to the building blocks for successful implementation. You can find a comprehensive list of these building blocks with detailed explanations here. These are, however, merely aids to orientation. An implementation concept consists in fact in selecting the building blocks needed by the organisation and adapting them to the organisation’s existing framework conditions. Thus, there is no generally-applicable concept suitable for all organisations equally. The success of an implementation concept depends on too many different factors which can vary greatly from one organisation to the next, and can include different organisational cultures, different working processes, the existence or non-existence of support by the political leadership, the commitment of the employees and the present situation with regard to gender equality. So every building block should be considered in developing a concept for implementing GM, but does not have to be used in an implementation concept.

This is made clear using an example. Piloting can be a useful building block and/or the right measure for introducing GM, since it can be tried out, mostly with the help of external support, how GM functions. The organisation can profit from this if GM is subsequently to be implemented equally for all. There is, however, the risk that pilot projects can stay as isolated measures, as “extras”, and have no effect on day-to-day working life and its routines. If you are faced with the task of writing the implementation concept, you should consider the pros and cons of piloting. This will enable you to decide against the backdrop of your knowledge of your organisation whether this building block is right for you or not. If not, there will nothing more about the piloting building block in your implementation concept.
But experience with implementation thus far shows that certain implementation building blocks should be included as a minimum requirement in all implementation concepts. These are described in more detail under the following headings: