Explore Our New EDI Benchmarking Tool
The Cultural Governance Alliance (CGA) is committed to helping organisations embed equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) into their governance practices. In line with this commitment, we’re excited to introduce our new EDI Benchmarking Tool, developed in collaboration with Clore Leadership Governance Associate, Keith Arrowsmith.
This EDI benchmarking tool aims to help the boards of organisations to review their performance relating to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) policies and processes. Good governance supports transparency and consistency whilst recognising that a one-size-fits-all approach will not be appropriate for EDI. This EDI benchmark tool will support the recruitment and retention of a diverse board for your creative sector organisation.
As we aim to continue to grow and update the EDI Benchmark Tool, we would appreciate any feedback on your user journey that you may like to share. You will be invited to send feedback at the end of the process. Thank you.
Why Benchmark Your Board?
Benchmarks are invaluable governance tools that provide quantitative measures to track progress, identify opportunities, and set strategic direction. This particular tool is designed to help your board review its performance relating to EDI policies and processes.
While a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t suitable for EDI, good governance supports transparency and consistency. Our EDI Benchmarking Tool will help you assess whether your governance arrangements actively encourage a diverse board, rather than directly measuring your organisation’s current diversity.
By using this benchmark, your organisation can:
- Identify Gaps: Review current practices to see where governance changes could support a more diverse board.
- Set Goals: Establish clear, achievable targets for evolving your governance arrangements based on identified needs.
- Measure Progress: Track your efforts and demonstrate accountability through regular assessments.
When governance arrangements are robust, an organisation is better positioned to recruit and retain a diverse board. Organisations with diverse boards can:
- Enhance Decision-Making: Benefit from a broader range of experiences and perspectives.
- Build Trust: Strengthen stakeholder relationships by reflecting the communities they serve.
- Attract and Retain Talent: Improve reputation and become a more appealing environment for potential board members and staff.
- Provide EDI Leadership: Set a positive example for all staff and volunteers.
We are grateful the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation for their support of the toolkit.
How to use the EDI Benchmark
Frequently Asked Questions
To read more of our FAQs relating to the EDI Benchmarking Tool, please click here.
How does the EDI Benchmark work?
The EDI Benchmark consists of 10 Core Principles for the governance of board diversity. Each organisation is invited to reflect on the extent to which each Core Principle is part of its current governance arrangements. Each Core Principle can be allocated a score:
- Not applicable, don’t know, no opinion
- The board is aware of key issues to be addressed but currently has no or very few plans to address them
- The board acknowledges the key issues and is developing approaches or plans to address them, but there needs to be more implementation.
- The board has well-developed plans to address key issues with significant examples of implementation.
- The board can show clear evidence of good practice and is reviewing its approach to ensure long term improvement.
Each Core Principle has:
- A description to explain why the principle is important
- Suggested Track 1 indicators of good governance for all organisations
- Suggested Track 2 indicators of good governance for medium-sized organisations, or with additional resources to support a more sophisticated approach
- Suggested Track 3 indicators of good governance for larger organisations or those that require the most sophisticated approaches.
- Sources of further information and guidance
Once completed, the Benchmark score will help each organisation:
- Identify strengths and weaknesses relative to the benchmark.
- Analyse performance gaps to understand areas for improvement.
- Rank the ten core principles based on their impact on overall performance.
- Focus efforts on the areas with the most significant potential for improvement.
- Establish specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for each prioritised core principle.
- Align governance and diversity goals with their overall strategy.
- Develop and implement action plans to address identified gaps.
- Monitor progress towards goals.
- Make necessary adjustments to plans as needed.
- Assess the effectiveness of improvement initiatives.
- Determine if the EDI Benchmark remains relevant and accurate.
- Share EDI Benchmark results and improvement efforts with stakeholders.
- Build consensus and support for change.
- Celebrate successes and learn from challenges.
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement.
- Share best practices and lessons learned with others in the sector.
Why use the EDI Benchmark?
By establishing clear and measurable standards for the governance of board diversity, organisations can:
- Identify gaps: Review current practice and consider whether any aspects of governance could be changed to support a more diverse board
- Set goals: Organisations can set specific, achievable targets for changing their governance arrangements based on the identified gaps
- Measure progress: Regular assessment against benchmarks allows organisations to track their efforts and demonstrate accountability to their communities
How long will it take to complete the EDI Benchmark?
The EDI Benchmark takes approximately 30 – 40 minutes to complete. You will first be asked to register your details, before working through a series of 10 core principles and accessing supporting resources as needed. We encourage you to allow sufficient time to work through the benchmark, so you can answer all questions thoughtfully and get the most out of your experience before receiving your results.
How does the EDI Benchmark relate to the Charity Governance Code?
The current (2024) version of the Charity Governance Code includes Principle 6:
“The board has a clear, agreed and effective approach to supporting equality, diversity and inclusion throughout the organisation and in its own practice. This approach supports good governance and the delivery of the organisation’s … purposes”
The EDI Benchmark is designed to be a tool to help the board’s approach to EDI.