Innovation Case Study: Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Project Team, Manningham City Council
Manningham City Council
Empowering equity and better community outcomes through digital innovation
These five staff lead the diversity, inclusion and equity projects for Manningham Council, as part of the Organisational Development team. This team is empowered to create initiatives and approaches to highlight inclusive practices for the whole organisation.
2025 MAVlab Innovation Awards Finalist:
The Insights Award for Data-driven Decision-making, supported by SenSen Networks.
Team details:
- Jean Ooi, People Experience Partner
- Minh Tong, HR Systems and Reporting Advisor (Brimbank Council)
- Frankie Bailey, Senior People Experience Partner
- Vivienne Green, Coordinator Organisational Development
- Thomas Rodger, Solutions Architect.
Leadership and excellence:
Manningham Council’s Organisational Development (OD) team leads and supports the undertaking of gender impact assessments on policies, programs and services that directly and significantly impact the community, as required under the Victorian Gender Equality Act 2020 (the Act). Undertaking GIAs provides an opportunity for data-driven decision-making to improve outcomes for people of different genders and backgrounds in our diverse community.
The GIA app was conceived as a collaborative solution to streamline workflows, reduce administrative burden, and enhance data-driven decision-making. It addressed the limitations of the previous manual, document-based process, which made compliance with the Act cumbersome and time-intensive. Co-designed with leadership and governance by the Equity Steering Committee and refined by stakeholder feedback, the app was developed around five core objectives:
- Create a user-friendly interface integrating the GIA template and progress reporting into a digitised solution.
- Ensure accessibility anytime, anywhere, across devices.
- Automate data collection and reporting to provide real-time insights.
- Strengthen staff capability and compliance through searchable examples.
- Digitise reporting to eliminate manual processes and improve compliance.
Key milestones and actions included:
- Tackling a fragmented and cumbersome process with complex templates
- Designing a simplified, tailored GIA template for Manningham
- Embedding progress reporting into the workflow
- Consulting with the Equity Steering Committee
- Engaging broadly across the organisation and other councils to ensure alignment and usability.
Impact and legacy:
The launch of the GIA App has created measurable and lasting impact for Manningham Council and beyond. Internally, it has transformed the way Gender Impact Assessments (GIAs) are conducted—moving staff from paper-based processes to a digital, integrated solution. Staff now complete GIAs more confidently, backed by tailored training and streamlined workflows. Outcomes are easier to track, trends more visible, and reporting to the Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector far more efficient.
Externally, the app has attracted recognition as an exemplar. The Commission has expressed interest in adopting Manningham Council’s model across other local government entities, a major validation of its design and effectiveness. Through the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV), the GIA App has been showcased to other councils in community of practice demonstrations. These sessions gave peers a tangible baseline for what’s possible—particularly for councils who previously struggled to envision how digital GIAs could work. Manningham Council’s leadership in this space has enabled cross-council learning and raised the bar for innovation sector-wide.
Notably, Mitchell Shire first sparked the idea of a GIA digital tool. Manningham Council built upon that concept and realised it with practical functionality, equity-focused design, and scalable architecture - setting a new benchmark to enable inclusive policy making and practices.
Collaboration:
The development and rollout of Manningham Council’s GIA App has profoundly strengthened cross-organisational collaboration and fostered a more empowered workplace culture. By streamlining how Gender Impact Assessments are conducted, the app has broken down operational silos and encouraged diverse teams to work together in shaping inclusive policies, services and programs.
The easy-to-use interface has attracted engagement from teams across the organisation, who now collaborate not only to complete GIAs but also to interrogate broader data and insights. This cross-functional collaboration has led to more meaningful and equity-focused outcomes. Promoting that GIAs should be completed in teams—preferably diverse ones—has embedded a behavioural shift in how equity is approached, making inclusion a shared responsibility rather than a niche function.
One of the app’s most powerful features is its visibility: all GIAs are centrally stored and easily searchable, offering a whole-of-organisation view and encouraging transparency. This visibility has empowered staff to learn from each other’s assessments, align strategies and build on existing work.
Education has also been key. Staff received practical training on how to complete a GIA, backed by digital support. With Power BI integration, team members with licenses can access an interactive dashboard to monitor progress across departments, track actions and stay connected to outcomes.
Ultimately, the GIA App has shifted mindsets—it is not just a tool but a catalyst for collective accountability, continuous learning and cultural change. It has helped build a workplace where collaboration isn’t simply encouraged—it is embedded in the way equity is delivered.