Project Well planned

Goals and results

The project operations are divided into five work packages.

Work package 1: Project management and coordination
Responsible party: the Ministry of Justice, the project partners participate

The work package includes the overall management and coordination of the project, including financial monitoring and continuous reporting in the project portal of the European Commission.

Work package 2: Training programme for equality planning skills
Responsible party: the Ministry of Justice

The aim of the work package is to strengthen the skills and practices in equality planning, improve the quality and impact of equality planning as a tool to promote equality and combat discrimination and produce targeted material and support for key actors obliged to equality planning. The training programme for equality planning skills, which aims to strengthen planning competence especially in the private sector, will be arranged in this work package.

Work package 3: Developing the equality planning of local and regional authorities
Responsible parties: The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities

The aim of the work package is to increase understanding of the purpose of equality planning, improve the quality and impact of equality planning as a tool to tackle discrimination, produce targeted material and support for key actors obliged to equality planning and strengthen the participation of civil society organisations and groups vulnerable to discrimination in local equality planning. The work package focuses on improving the equality planning skills and practices of the municipalities and authorities.

Work package 4: Promoting mutual learning and networking in equality planning
Responsible party: the Ministry of Justice

The aim of the work package is to strengthen the equality planning competence, improve the quality and impact of equality planning as a tool to combat discrimination and produce targeted material and support for key actors obliged to equality planning. The aim of the work package to promote the networking of equality professionals.

Work package 5: Communications
Responsible party: the Ministry of Justice

The aim of the work package is to increase understanding of the purpose of equality planning and possibilities offered by it through the means of communications and to produce targeted material and support for key actors obliged to equality planning. The work package communicates the results of the project, develops the strategic communications on equality matters and maps the support needs of the actors subject to the planning obligation through a stakeholder survey.

Summary

The aim of the Well Planned project is to combat structural discrimination and racism in Finland by boosting practical and professional skills of equality planning.

The project is co-funded by the European Union’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme (CERV).

Starting points

The current Non-Discrimination Act has already been in force since 2015. The Non-Discrimination Act ensures extensive legal protection of a victim of discrimination in all aspects of life and obligates the authorities, educational institutions and employers to promote equality in all their operations. The amendments related to the partial reform of the Non-Discrimination Act will enter into force on June 1st, 2023.

The key tool in combatting discrimination and promoting equality is the equality planning obligation included in the law. The obligation concerns the authorities, private employers and operators who regularly employ at least 30 persons as well as schools and educational institutions. Following the reform of the Non-Discrimination Act, the equality planning will be extended to also cover the organisers of early childhood education and care and service providers by units.

According to surveys on equality plans, the purpose of equality planning is unclear in many organisations or the organisation lacks competence in preparing an impactful equality plan.

The measures of the Well Planned project are based on challenges and strengths identified in the enforcement of legislation as well as experiences gained. The project will offer equality planning training for different sectors as well as provide support and tools for operators who are subject to the planning obligation. The project also promotes the networking of equality professionals and develops equality cooperation practices between civil society organisations and the authorities.