GEI Checklist For Designing and Delivering Capacity Strengthening Approaches

Purpose of this Checklist

This checklist is meant to guide and support facilitators and organisers to design, deliver, and reflect on more gender - equitable and inclusive capacity strengthening approaches.

The checklist is NOT a compliance tool, it is meant to:

Improve quality of inclusion in practice
Strengthen equitable participation and decision-making
Support learning and continuous improvement

The checklist aims to help users reflect on:

Who is included or excluded
How participation and engagement are facilitated
Whether learning approaches are accessible and meaningful
How inclusion can be strengthened in future activities

Ultimately, the checklist helps answer the question:

How can capacity strengthening approaches be more gender - equitable and inclusive?

How to Use the Checklist

First identify what stage you are in:

Designing the capacity strengthening approaches
Delivering the capacity strengthening approaches
Reflecting on the design and delivery of the capacity strengthening approaches

Second, tick Yes or Not Sufficiently for each question

Third, after ticking all boxes:

Review all the "Not Sufficiently" responses (These highlight priority gaps. It is not a negative reflection).

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Select 2-3 key areas to improve that align with your objectives.

Identify practical actions
Ask yourselves: What is one concrete thing we can do differently next time?

Review your "Yes" responses
Ask yourselves: What worked well? What should be replicated or strengthened?

Document key lessons
Ask yourselves: What will you do differently in your next capacity strengthening activity?

Important Guidance

Not all questions will apply to every context. You may skip any questions that are not relevant to your specific activity (e.g., hybrid access, interpretation, or research components). Focus on what is most meaningful for your context.

Adapt for in-person and virtual settings. Consider how inclusion looks different depending on the format:

In-person: physical accessibility, room dynamics, participation styles etc.
Virtual: connectivity, digital access, chat participation, facilitation of engagement etc.

Remember to set clear housekeeping rules at the beginning of the sessions for participants to be more sensitive and inclusive.

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1. Designing the Capacity Strengthening Approach

The design considers who may face barriers to participation, access, or decision-making (e.g. based on gender, age, disability, location, livelihood, or other social factors)

Yes Not sufficiently

The objectives and content are relevant to the realities and needs of different participant groups

Yes Not sufficiently

Materials and communication approaches are accessible and understandable to participants.

Yes Not sufficiently

Participant selection or outreach aims to include diverse voices and perspectives.

Yes Not sufficiently

Notes / Reflections on Design:

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Extra Things to Note

Contextual Case Studies

Case studies consider local contexts or reflect the contexts of the participants.

Learning Questions

Learning questions mention specific groups, local climate risks, everyday impacts and experiences.

Child Care Assistance

Child care is important for participants, particularly care givers. If the target group includes care givers, ensure that trainings are planned to end early, giving participants time to collect their children from school or be at home to prepare for their return.

Support for Physical & Sensory Needs

For hearing impairment, make sure there is a sign language interpreter and provide written materials and summaries. For physically challenged participants, make sure there is a ramp or lift if the meeting venue is not on the ground level.

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2. Delivering the Capacity Strengthening Approach

Methods go beyond awareness to applied learning

Yes Not sufficiently

Learning activities support translation into policy, practice, or research decisions

Yes Not sufficiently

Real-world climate scenarios and case studies are used

Yes Not sufficiently

Evidence, uncertainty, and lived experience are discussed together

Yes Not sufficiently

Notes / Reflections on Delivery:

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3. Reflecting on the Capacity Strengthening Approach

Feedback includes questions on inclusion, safety, and participation

Yes Not sufficiently

Outputs are shared in accessible formats

Yes Not sufficiently

Facilitation team reflects on what shifted or reinforced power dynamics

Yes Not sufficiently

Participants are encouraged to apply inclusive practices in their work

Yes Not sufficiently

GEI appears only as a standalone session

Yes No

Neutrality is used to avoid addressing inequality or power

Yes No

Marginalised participants speak only when prompted

Yes No

Technical expertise consistently overrides lived experience

Yes No

Final Reflection:

Did this learning activity strengthen equitable decision-making or unintentionally reproduce exclusions?

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Action Plan Builder

Formulate your strategy based on areas marked "Not sufficiently". Address resource requirements and set target deadlines.

Identified Gap / Area to Improve	Action Steps (What will we do differently?)	Target Date	Actions

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Further Resources

This checklist is informed by practical tools and frameworks for integrating Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) into climate adaptation and resilience work. Use the resources below for deeper guidance and application.

Practical Toolkits

NDC Partnership – GESI Toolkit for Project Preparation

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) – GESI Training Manual

EngenderHealth – Gender, Youth and Social Inclusion (GYSI) Tools

Frameworks & Approaches

Cooperation in International Waters in Africa (CIWA) – GESI Framework

UN Women – GESI Checklists and Guidance

Harvard Gender Analysis Framework

How to Use These Resources

Use the checklist as a practical starting point.
Refer to these additional tools when you need deeper analysis or methods.
Focus on trying to integrate GEI to the entire agenda, not only single sessions.

Authorship

This checklist was authored by the Capacity Strengthening Hub (Alannah Hofemeier & Lisa Manya) in collaboration with WOSFER (Florence Kyoheirwe Muhanguzi & Peruth Naturinda) and AWARD (Dorine Odongo & Pauline Bomett).

Endorsement

This checklist has been endorsed by Swetha Thammadi, Lutfor Rahman, Lilian Adeogba and Vanesa Castan Broto.

About CLARE

CLARE is a flagship research programme on climate adaptation and resilience, funded mostly (about 90%) by UK Aid through the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and co-funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada. CLARE is bridging critical gaps between science and action by championing Southern leadership to enable socially inclusive and sustainable action to build resilience to climate change and natural hazards. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the UK government, IDRC or its Board of Governors. Learn more about CLARE: www.clareprogramme.org