11 Diversity Management
Diversity management in an organisation is a strategy that aims at considering, recognising and promoting diversity. Every person has individual traits, such as for example their age, origin (socially and geographically), gender, sexual preferences, physical and psychological capacities, religion or ideological views.
When a youth organisation is planning and implementing a project, considering diversity can be a defining key element for the project's success. So it is important to ask yourselves a few questions during the planning stage to make sure that the project reaches as many young men and women, youth with a migrant (or other) background, disabled youth, etc. as possible.
What do you need to pay attention to when working on a project concept?
- The individual possibilities and life conditions of the youth involved in the project need to be considered.
- Address the question of differences early on, do not hesitate to give your personal opinion.
- Directly approach the youth interested in the project so that they feel invited to join in.
- Give all participants the same participation opportunities, if necessary make certain amendments (location, programme, etc.)
- Always address diversity during the evaluation stage.
How to proceed?
At the beginning it is helpful to draw up a checklist. This will help ask the right questions in the right order and to work methodologically, to avoid forgetting any important aspect related to diversity. The Swiss National Youth Council (SAJV) proposes specific checklists to ensure gender aspects and the integration of disabled youth in youth activities and projects. A few changes will make the checklists useful for monitoring other aspects, so that the project is developed and planned according to all the diversity management criteria available.
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