Introduction to GBA Plus
Individual assumptions affect public policy
We might assume that our work or our policies apply to everyone equally and there are no gender or diversity issues to consider.
GBA Plus helps us to think about differences in a constructive way. Recognizing that not all people experience life in the same way is the first step to understanding unconscious bias. GBA Plus can help us think about different groups of people and consider how their diverse lived experiences might be different from our own, and from others’. GBA Plus can also guide questions we should ask ourselves to challenge assumptions.
To serve the public effectively, it is important to be aware of the assumptions and biases about other groups of people that we may have developed, without even realizing it. Incorrect and uninformed assumptions can lead to initiatives having an unintended or unequal impact on particular groups of people. GBA Plus promotes research, evidence, and critical thinking to help uncover the realities of peoples’ lives, identify gaps, and find ways to address their specific needs.
Challenge your assumptions by asking
Be aware of, and challenge, your unconscious bias and assumptions
We all have assumptions and biases that we may not be aware of. In addition to our individual assumptions, the organization within which GBA Plus is being undertaken may have formal or informal policies or practices in place that can affect the development or outcome of your initiative – in other words, institutional or organizational bias. GBA Plus should be approached by continuously reflecting on the perspectives and frames from which the analysis has been done. Undertaking a GBA Plus involves humility and a recognition of unconscious bias that can shape our understanding of issues.
- Are there gender, culture or ability implications and considerations in the work that I do? Who says that it is an issue? Whose point of view is reflected in defining the problem?
- Have I consulted with affected populations? Is my analysis based solely on my own perception and experience(s)?
- Have I developed assumptions and biases based on my work with specific populations?
- Is it possible that my assumptions are preventing me from engaging with communities, asking questions and understanding answers that are outside my own experience or beyond my understanding?
- How might biases, attitudes and norms – my own, those of my organization, and those of the institutions and society that surround me – influence my position? Does it limit my work and the range of policy options I consider and propose?
- Why is it that I think about the issue in this way? Have I always thought about the issue this way? How is the way I think about the issue informed by my family, friends, media, research, and evidence?