Diversity Framework

A Guideline for Managing Behavioral Differences in Project Teams

In this phase the re-assessment of the diversity solutions is performed as well as learning from the workflow and integrating lessons sustainably.

Re-Assessment: The re-assessment should be done periodically (e.g. in combination with social project controlling). Also, the re-assessment could be triggered by uprising issues that require an ad-hoc procedure.

Learning: Based on the major outputs from other phases, a collection of lessons learned can be generated and used in three spheres:
  1. By the project manager or team members for their own development of diversity skills.
  2. Within the organization to add up to a company-internal database.
  3. For tailoring the diversity workflow / diversity features for organization-specific use.

  • RE1 - Perform periodical re-assessment

    Open or Close
    The factor elaborated in the previous phases need to be revised periodically. The periodic re-assessment can be included into social project controlling activities or performed separately in 3 to 6 week cycles. In agile procedures, this phase can be performed at the end of each iteration (e.g. for Scrum in the retrospective meeting).

    Basically the project manager or the entire team (e.g. in a project meeting) reviews if any aspect changed. They should elaborate:
    • if any aspects changed (positively or negatively),
    • and if new aspects occurred.
    Lead: Project Manager / Project Team
    Optional: Supporter

  • RE2 - Perform ad-hoc re-assessment

    Open or Close
    If issues occur that were already dealt with in the elaboration or implementation phase of the workflow, this issue should be discussed in an ad-hoc re-assessment.

    Basically the project manager or the entire team (e.g. in a project meeting) reviews the issue. The current issue should be described and reasons for the issue will be elaborated. If possible, an alternative solution will be generated.
    Lead: Project Manager / Project Team
    Optional: Supporter

  • RE3 - Collect information / lessons learned

    Open or Close
    In order to be able to use the significant learnings from the particular project, the project manager will arrange a meeting to collect the lessons learned.  Prior to the meeting the project manager needs to collect existing information from the diversity workflow. These findings will be discussed in the team meeting and – if relevant – will be extended by further lessons learned. The feedback will be summarized and it will be decide how these lessons learned can be used.

    In general, there are three major options for using the collection: by exploiting the learning within the organization, by advancing the diversity workflow within the organization, or by using the learning for the personal development of the people who were involved in the diversity workflow.
    Lead: Project Manager / Project Team
    Optional: Supporter

  • RE4.3 - Extend the diversity features / workflow through lessons learned

    Open or Close
    In order to use the lessons learned to tailor the diversity workflow or features, the project manager (or PMO) needs to analyze the lessons learned and identify improvements in the current diversity workflow and/or the diversity features.

    Based on this analysis the project manager can rework, calibrate and adapt the diversity workflow / features for the organizations and even create an organization-specific workflow and /or an adapted set of diversity features.
    Lead: Project Manager / PMO
    Optional: Supporter