EIGE’s methodology on good practices consists of guidelines, criteria and methodological steps for collecting data on and assessing practices with potential; identifying promising practices; and selecting, in a participatory manner, a final set of gender mainstreaming good practices. 

EIGE’s multistep approach is systematic and consistent – applying the same criteria to all topics – but at the same time is also very flexible – including criteria specially developed for a certain topic or tool/method. EIGE’s methodological approach to good practices is divided into three phases:

  1. Preparation

    Identify the topic
    Identify the geographical scope
    Select specific gender mainstreaming tools
     

  2. Collection and assessment phase


    Collect data on practices with potential in consultation with stakeholders

    Assess the practices with potential

    Identify promising practices
     

  3. Selection and dissemination phase
     

    Select the final set of good practices, working together with stakeholders

    Refine selected good practices, in cooperation with the implementers

    Disseminate

Preparation phase

The preparation phase includes the following steps.

  • Identification of the topic. The selection of the topic (e.g. poverty, digitalisation, decision-making, work–life balance, unpaid work, women’s entrepreneurship, research and academia, the European Green Deal) considers EU policy priorities, including the priorities of the presidencies of the Council of the European Union and the needs of other important stakeholders.
  • Identification of the geographical scope. The scope can include all or selected Member States and/or be EU level.
  • Selection of specific gender mainstreaming methods or tools or specific areas/policy priorities. This involves the selection of one or more specific tools – such as gender awareness raising, gender training, gender impact assessment or gender budgeting – or specific areas or policy priorities, such as European Green Deal policy areas.

Collection and assessment phase

The first phase is followed by the collection and assessment phase, comprising three main steps: 

  1. the collection of data on practices with potential, 
  2. the assessment of the identified practices and 
  3. the selection of promising practices.

Collection of data on practices with potential

The term ‘practice with potential’ refers to all practices identified in Member States in a certain field.

National researchers/experts, in close consultation with relevant stakeholders and practice owners/implementers, collect data on practices in each Member State (or selected Member States) using a common template.

To qualify as a practice with potential, a practice must fulfil all basic collection criteria:

  • Successful. According to its own monitoring or evaluation, the practice is producing positive results (or is highly likely to produce positive results, if it is ongoing) in relation to:
    • advancing the two dimensions of gender mainstreaming – that is, addressing the issue of the equal representation of women and men and the gender-responsive content of policies, programmes or projects through, for example:
      • creating enabling conditions for gender-responsive content and equal representation throughout the policy/programme or project cycle (e.g. through a gender mainstreaming plan, resources, stakeholder involvement, accountability mechanisms, capacity building and knowledge generation);
      • using one or more gender mainstreaming tools that focus on gender-responsive content and address the equal representation of women and men;
      • addressing the gender dimension of its organisational structures and working procedures to make the practice gender-responsive;
    • advancing the goals of the thematic field the practice is applied to (to be adjusted for each project, taking into consideration the applied topic).
  • Transferable. The practice includes lessons learned and can be replicated in or adapted to other fields, countries or regions.
  • Inspirational. The practice demonstrates ways to address existing gender equality challenges and obstacles and thus supports stakeholders in further developing and strengthening their skills regarding gender mainstreaming.

Once the practices with potential have been identified, they are assessed by independent senior researchers/experts.

Assessment of the identified practices

During the assessment process, senior researchers/experts use a grid to assess how well the practices meet the criteria in the three categories.

  • Basic criteria
    • Successful
    • Transferable
    • Inspirational
  • Advanced criteria
    • Innovative
    • Participatory
    • Sustainable
    • Addresses intersecting inequalities
    • Transformative
    • Contributes to wider gender mainstreaming strategy
  • Specific criteria
    • To be developed for each project

Identification of promising practices

The term ‘promising practice’ refers to a practice that, following an assessment process conducted by independent senior researchers/experts, is considered a strong or innovative example of gender mainstreaming.

The assessment uses the tailored assessment grid. Based on the assessment results, a predefined number of promising practices are selected. Particularly innovative and novel practices that did not pass all the necessary criteria in the assessment process might be given ‘wild card’ status (i.e. be included in the list of promising practices despite not meeting all criteria).

Selection and dissemination phase

The last phase consists of the selection of the final set of good practices, in consultation with stakeholders, and the dissemination of results. It includes the following steps.

  • Selection of the final set of gender mainstreaming good practices. The presentation, discussion and selection of the final set of good practices takes place in consultation with experts and practitioners. The methodological approach includes presentations on the promising practices by practice owners/implementers, based on a common template, which allows in-depth discussion of the practices and the context in which the practices operate, which might promote or hamper replicability or scalability. The discussion of the most inspirational and transferable aspects of the practices is followed by the participants’ selection of the final set of good practices.
  • Refinement of the selected good practices. This takes place in collaboration with practice owners and/or implementers, who add to and validate the information before its publication.
  • Dissemination of the selected good practices. This covers the publication and dissemination of the practices to promote awareness raising, capacity development and networking for the effective implementation of gender mainstreaming strategies and practices at all levels.