Engagement case study

Delivered in collaboration with Catherine Brys

Stakeholder engagement for improving diversity and inclusion in the historic environment workforce

Client: Historic Environment Scotland (HES) on behalf of the sector-wide Steering Group of employers, development bodies, public bodies and community groups

Situation

Our work was part of the Improving Access Project which aims to improve access to the Scottish heritage workforce for people from diverse backgrounds, and understand the current barriers. 

The project was funded through the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Young Foundation’s Heritage Innovation Fund.

Three distinct target audiences were of interest:

• Audience 1: People who were unsuccessful in securing employment in the heritage sector.
• Audience 2: People who have undertaken work-based learning in the sector.
• Audience 3: People who have secured employment in the heritage sector via the “traditional” route (e.g. undergraduate or postgraduate degrees).

Challenge

The key challenge was to create a safe space where people could share experiences of the barriers that they have experienced in trying to secure employment and the barriers to diversity and inclusion experienced while working in the sector. These were emotional experiences, especially for target audience 1 who were unsuccessful in finding a job in the sector. 

Our work and approach

For each target audience we facilitated two online focus groups, sensitive to the context and perspectives of that group:

• An exploratory focus group session to understand the barriers that people experience, in securing employment in the sector and while working in the sector.
• A co-creation focus group session to inform recommendations and pilot testing to remove these barriers. 

Addressing the challenge

Given that the conversations were likely to be more emotional for people from target audience 1, they were offered the choice of a small-group session or an individual conversation with the facilitators. 

For all focus group sessions and conversations, we created a safe environment by:

• Setting ground rules and making agreements with participants about confidentiality during the sessions (including no sharing on social media). 
• Reassuring participants about anonymised reporting to the client. 
• Making space for all voices and prioritising access needs.
• Encouraging participants to engage in the way that best suited them, for example verbally, via the chat or anonymously via a whiteboard. 

Impact

Participants engaged with passion and dedication, sharing freely their sometimes sensitive experiences, and as a group collaboratively created recommendations to overcome barriers to a more inclusive and diverse workforce. 

Participants spontaneously made personal connections and some groups met up on their own after the focus groups. Participants fed back their positive experience of the focus groups to the client. 

Our report to the client included an analysis of the current barriers by theme and co-created actionable recommendations that are being taken forward by the Steering Group. We were commissioned by the client to facilitate a follow-up discussion. 

Client quote

“Amanda and Catherine designed and facilitated a series of exploration and co-design sessions with people who had successfully or unsuccessfully sought employment in the sector, as part of a project to improve access into the workforce. 

What we valued about their approach was their understanding of the complexity of the topics being discussed and their emphasis on designing impactful sessions centred around psychological safety.

Although focus group participants were sharing intimate and emotionally taxing experiences, Amanda and Catherine managed to create a welcoming and safe environment. Furthermore, they approached the project with flexibility and were happy to collaborate and adapt as necessary. The findings from the conversations they facilitated and the report they produced are being used to inform the development of a pilot to move the project to a testing phase.”

Mar Roigé Oliver | Skills Development Coordinator | External Relations and Partnerships 

Historic Environment Scotland