Closing a gender mainstreaming gap through strategic learning design
Organization: Nutrition International
Sector: International nonprofit / Global development
The situation: Nutrition International staff were required to mainstream gender into every phase of their project cycle. Most didn't feel equipped to do it independently. The result was a constant drain on a small internal gender team and expensive reliance on external consultants. Something needed to change, and a course alone wasn't going to fix it without the right strategy behind it.
What I did: I started where any good learning solution starts: before the design. I conducted a full design analysis to understand the real performance gap, who the learners were, and what they actually needed to be able to do. This wasn't a simple audience. Staff were spread across 15 countries, working in multiple time zones, with English as a second language for many of them. Cultural relevance, accessibility, and practical application weren't nice-to-haves, they were essential design requirements.
From there I developed a two-course learning pathway. The first course built foundational awareness of gender equality concepts. The second, more complex course used scenario-based learning to walk staff through the real tasks of mainstreaming gender across each phase of Nutrition International's project cycle. I managed the full design and development process including stakeholder reviews, a pilot, accessibility review, and a gender content review involving subject matter experts from country offices.
The result: Staff went from relying on consultants and an overtaxed internal team to having the knowledge and confidence to mainstream gender independently. The courses gave the organization a scalable, reusable learning resource that worked across a globally dispersed, culturally diverse workforce.
Deliverables:
• Design analysis including performance gap analysis, learner audience analysis, and task analysis
• Two-course eLearning learning pathway
• Instructional strategy and design plan
• Pilot plan and evaluation framework
• Quick reference guide and supporting resources
