SPEAR · Project

Proven Methodology to Implement Gender Equality Plans in Large Organizations

otherPilotedTRL 7Thin data (2/5)

Imagine you run a big university and you know gender balance is off, but you have no idea where to start fixing it. SPEAR brought together nine organizations across Europe and walked them through a step-by-step process to build and roll out gender equality plans. They created peer-support groups where beginners could learn from those who had already done it. Think of it like a buddy system for institutional change — experienced organizations coaching newcomers through the messy reality of shifting workplace culture.

By the numbers

Research organizations implementing gender equality plans

Countries represented in pilot implementation

Consortium partners collaborating on methodology

Organizations with little or no prior gender equality experience

The business problem

What needed solving

Many large organizations — especially those receiving EU funding — now face regulatory pressure to implement gender equality plans, but lack practical know-how. Building a plan from scratch is slow, politically sensitive, and prone to stalling without external support. Organizations need tested, step-by-step approaches rather than abstract policy guidelines.

The solution

What was built

The project produced the COMPASS methodology (a step-by-step guide for gender equality plan implementation), a Community of Practice session methodology for peer learning between organizations, and an evaluation scheme for tracking progress. These were tested across 9 organizations with 9 total documented deliverables.

Audience

Who needs this

HR consulting firms offering diversity and inclusion servicesUniversities and research institutions required to adopt gender equality plansCorporate compliance teams at companies with EU funding obligationsPublic-sector organizations under equality legislation pressureTraining companies developing workplace equality programs

Business applications

Who can put this to work

HR Consulting & Organizational Development

SME

Target: HR consulting firm specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion programs

If you are an HR consultancy helping large organizations meet diversity targets — this project developed a tested step-by-step methodology (the COMPASS approach) for implementing gender equality plans, piloted across 9 organizations in 9 countries. You could license or adapt this structured approach to accelerate your client engagements instead of building your own from scratch.

Higher Education Management

enterprise

Target: University or research institution with 500+ employees

If you are a university struggling to meet EU or national gender equality requirements — this project created a Community of Practice model where 6 inexperienced institutions learned directly from 3 experienced ones. The methodology, evaluation tools, and policy templates were tested across 9 European research organizations and could be adopted directly.

Corporate Training & Compliance

mid-size

Target: Training company offering workplace equality and compliance programs

If you are a corporate training provider looking for evidence-based equality programs — this project produced a structured Community of Learning platform and evaluation tools tested across 9 countries. The COMPASS methodology offers a ready-made curriculum framework for equality training services targeted at regulated industries.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

How much would it cost to implement this methodology?

The project data does not include specific pricing or implementation cost figures. As a Coordination and Support Action, the outputs are methodologies and guidelines rather than priced products. Implementation costs would depend on organization size and current equality maturity level.

Can this scale beyond academia to private-sector companies?

The methodology was designed for and tested in research-performing organizations (universities). While the step-by-step COMPASS approach and Community of Practice model could be adapted for corporate settings, no private-sector piloting was conducted. All 13 university partners and 0 industry partners confirm the academic focus.

Is the methodology proprietary, or can we use it freely?

As a publicly funded EU Coordination and Support Action, the methodology and outputs are generally accessible. The COMPASS guide and Community of Practice session methodology are documented deliverables. No patents or proprietary licensing are indicated in the project data.

What evidence exists that this actually works?

The project included a built-in evaluation scheme tracking feedback and learning across all 9 implementing organizations over the project period (2019-2023). Gender equality plans were implemented in organizations ranging from experienced to those with little or no prior experience. Based on available project data, specific outcome metrics are not detailed in the objective.

How long does implementation take?

The project ran from January 2019 to April 2023, covering the full cycle of planning, implementing, and evaluating gender equality plans across 9 organizations. Based on available project data, individual organization timelines within that period are not specified.

Is there ongoing support after the project ended?

SPEAR was designed with sustainability as a central commitment, including ties to other EU-based gender equality projects, network and community building beyond the project, and policy recommendations. The project closed in April 2023, so active support structures may have transitioned to successor networks.

Consortium

Who built it

The 15-partner consortium across 9 countries (AT, BG, DE, DK, HR, HU, LT, PT, SE) is entirely academic — 13 universities, 1 research organization, and 1 other, with zero industry partners. This means the methodology was developed by and for academia, with no commercial validation. The consortium includes both Northern European institutions with stronger equality track records and Central/Eastern European ones where the challenge is more acute, giving good geographic diversity for testing. However, any business looking to adopt these tools should note that adaptation for corporate environments would be needed, since no private-sector perspective was included in development.

SYDDANSK UNIVERSITETCoordinator · DK
JOANNEUM RESEARCH FORSCHUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBHparticipant · AT
PLOVDIVSKI UNIVERSITET PAISIY HILENDARSKIparticipant · BG
RHEINISCH-WESTFAELISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE AACHENparticipant · DE
UPPSALA UNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOAparticipant · PT
VILNIAUS UNIVERSITETASparticipant · LT
VYTAUTO DIDZIOJO UNIVERSITETASparticipant · LT
SOUTH-WEST UNIVERSITY NEOFIT RILSKIparticipant · BG
SVEUCILISTE U RIJECI, FILOZOFSKI FAKULTET U RIJECIthirdparty · HR
EUROPA MEDIA SZOLGALTATO NON PROFIT KFTparticipant · HU
SVEUCILISTE U RIJECIparticipant · HR

How to reach the team

Syddansk Universitet (University of Southern Denmark) coordinated this project. Contact their gender equality or research office for methodology access.

Order a report on this consortium See SYDDANSK UNIVERSITET profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to adapt the SPEAR methodology for your organization? SciTransfer can connect you with the project team and help tailor the approach to your context.

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