The Diversity Development Standard

We are thrilled to launch our new online Diversity Development Standard (DDS) platform. The DDS has been a standard of excellence in diversity and inclusion for over a decade, and our new online portal allows you to measure, track and analyse the progress and impact of your DEI initiatives and access our expert diversity consultants in real-time.

Whether you are just beginning your DEI journey, or already have a clear diversity strategy in place, the DDS online portal will help you take forward your strategy and really move the dial on DEI in your organisation. The portal will also enable you to benchmark your diversity data against industry peers and competitors to understand how your organisation compares.

The new digital platform offers a user-friendly, holistic approach to achieving success with your DEI initiatives, plus you get matched with an expert diversity consultant providing human-led guidance throughout the process.

Undergoing the DDS gives you an official accreditation and ongoing organisational development tool. Our digital solution enables you to dip in and out of your self-assessment, revisit your data, objectives and KPIs. You can also benchmark against industry peers and create dashboards and reports to suit your needs. All evidence is stored in the portal, making renewing your accreditation simple.

The DDS is not a box-ticking exercise. It rewards action taken and recommends action needed to meet stringent goals for equitable best practice. If you’re at the beginning of your DEI journey, you’ll find the process clarifies where best to focus your efforts. If you’re further down the road, it will help you identify where the next steps lie. This clearly defined roadmap means you can navigate genuine cultural change one step at a time.

Equitable and inclusive businesses are more innovative and more profitable. We’ll help you focus on the action you can take to achieve a truly diverse and representative workforce and an everyday working culture in which everyone can reach their full potential. We’ll also showcase all the good work you’re doing, incentivising your organisation and your people to do more and go further in their DEI efforts.

Throughout the DDS process, one of our dedicated diversity consultants will work closely with you, reviewing your policies and procedures, then conducting qualitative research inside your organisation in the form of confidential interviews and focus groups. This means we will gain a detailed understanding of how, for example, advantage and disadvantage plays out in your daily working practices, plus creative ideas to redress the balance.

You will receive a detailed report with commentary from your diversity consultant on the findings of the audit, your organisation’s strengths and areas for development. With specific tasks and recommended time frames, this SMART action plan will help you develop and implement your DEI initiatives effectively.

Our DDS reporting will then be externally audited by our independent awarding panel, who will have the final say on your accreditation. Once awarded, your Diversity Development Standard accreditation will last for 18 months, after which we will work with you again to review your progress and re-accredit your organisation.

You will also receive access to the online DDS portal during the inception meeting which will help you track the progress and impact of actions from your report, as well as benchmarking against industry peers.