CHANGE aimed at tackling two big hurdles when implementing Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) in research organisations. Firstly, the knowledge-to-action gap, which describes how academic knowledge and research outcomes are not always valued as relevant for practice and consequently not acted upon. CHANGErs addressed this problem by integrating relevant stakeholders and co-producing practically relevant gender equality knowledge with stakeholders from RPOs and RFOs (Research Performing/Funding Organisations) as well as policy actors.
Secondly, a conflict of knowledge from various gender theories and practice arenas has been identified (‘academic feminist fightclub’) as a catalyst for resistance within processes and organisations. CHANGE identified these two problems as the main reasons why so many organisations rather wanted to ‘fix the women’ than ‘fixing the system’.
CHANGE reacted to these power- and knowledge-gap-challenges by integrating Transfer Agents (TAs), and further stakeholders from the beginning. TAs and stakeholders brought in diverse perspectives and experiences into the knowledge co-production of CHANGE, and helped so tackling specific organisational or country-specific challenges.
Further stakeholders from the regional and national level (e.g. policy-makers, research-funding actors) have been engaged in multi-actor CoPs (Communities of Practice) to learn from each other (e.g. about the structure of the various GEPs, the good practice model of transfer agents, recruitment and retention activities, etc.). At a European level CHANGE established and maintained close contact with policy actors (especially from the Standing Working Group on Gender in Research and Innovation), and many sister projects, to support cross-project exchange and synergy, including joint policy recommendations, joint conferences and publications, mutual support in awareness campaigns and mutual invitations to give advice and inputs at project meetings.
The actual practices of knowledge co-creation among CHANGErs – in their organisations and with RPO and RFO stakeholders – had been diverse, however the overall goals to value these different types of knowledge, and produce ‘customised knowledge’ have been realized by all partners. This change process succeeded by building on iterative learning cycles of communicative interaction, action and reflection, and following an organisational change model in five steps (gender benchmarking – feedback – quick actions – mid-term actions – sustainable long-term actions). Two of these steps have proven to be immensely important: The first success factor was involving TAs (e.g. managers, gender equality officers) from the beginning, which has not only supported the implementation of GEPs but will foster the sustainable long-term change in the research organisations even after CHANGE has ended. The second success factor was a rapid action phase to generate short-term wins. These quick wins motivated employees and made the positive impact of organisational change immediately visible.
