We know how busy life in a political party is, especially when many essential roles are carried out by volunteers. The Toolkit has been designed to help ensure that no matter how busy it gets, equality and inclusion won’t be neglected.
Using the toolkit will be most impactful when users return to it regularly, checking on progress over time. Having a consistent approach to using the Toolkit means that progress towards achieving recommendations isn’t lost when people change roles. How you use the Toolkit is up to you, but we would suggest finding a way to integrate it into your ways of working as a branch, a committee or at a regional/national level.
Getting your party to use the Toolkit
Consistency is key! Some approaches you could consider include:
- Having a Toolkit progress update as a standing item at meetings or AGMs
- Setting up a Toolkit working group on your committee
- Incorporating the Toolkit in your programme of regular member training
- Using the Toolkit and its recommendations as part of your membership strategy
- Organise regular peer-support sessions for different branches/groups to discuss their Toolkit recommendations and share ideas on implementing changes
- Lobbying party leadership to publically endorse the Toolkit
- Bringing a motion at party conference to require branches/committees to use the Toolkit on a regular basis
“We reported our committee's changes to party leadership and hope that other parts of the party will enforce these too" (Political party officer)
As a party activist you will know best what will work to get your party engaging with the Toolkit. However if you’re not sure where to begin, we would be happy to have a chat to help you plan your approach. Please get in touch here.
