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Progress audit 2023

How to do a progress audit in 2023 as part of your progress reporting obligations under the Gender Equality Act 2020.

The Commission has developed guidance to help defined entities to assess and report on their progress in relation to the gender equality indicators. This is referred to as a 'progress audit'. A progress audit involves:

If approved, the proposed Gender Equality Amendment Regulations 2023 will require a progress audit to be completed. If the new regulations are not approved, the Commissioner still recommends the completion of a progress audit.

Why you need to do an audit

Under section 19 of the Act, a defined entity must submit a progress report to the Commissioner every second year after submitting a Gender Equality Action Plan (GEAP). The first progress report is due on 20 February 2024.

In the progress report, a defined entity must (among other things) demonstrate progress in relation to the workplace gender equality indicators. The progress audit is used to help you do this.

A progress audit is currently the recommended way to demonstrate progress in relation to the workplace gender equality indicators.
If approved, the proposed Gender Equality Amendment Regulations 2023 will require you to demonstrate your progress against the indicators via a progress audit.

A progress audit is defined as:

  1. collecting updated information in relation to the workplace gender equality indicators
  2. comparing the updated information to the information submitted in 2021 as part of your workplace gender audit.

Whether or not the regulations are passed, the Commission recommends that you:

  • plan to review the information you collected as part of the 2021 workplace gender audit
  • compare it with the information you collect as part of your 2023 progress audit described in this guidance
  • submit the results of this comparison in your progress report.

What you need to do

There are 3 stages in a progress audit:

  1. preparing to collect your data
  2. collecting your data
  3. analysing your data.

The full detail of what you need to do is contained in the Progress audit guidance.

Key dates

The progress audit is part of your Progress report.

The first progress report is due by 20 February 2024. This deadline has been extended from 31 October 2023 and applies to all defined entities.

The reporting period for the first progress report is 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2023 (and 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2023 for universities). The submission extension does not affect this. The only change is the date by which your organisation must submit your progress report.

GEAP timeline

A timeline showing the requirements for defined entities (except universities) to report on GIAs and GEAP strategies and measures over the period 1 July 2021-30 June 2023. Progress audits should cover 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023. For Universities, the relevant period is 1 April 2021 to 32 March 2023. Progress audits should cover 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023. All  progress reports are due on 20 Fed 2024.
GEAP timeline

Defined entities (except universities)

Universities

Relevant period

1 July 2021 to 30 June 2023

1 April 2021 to 31 March 2023

Reporting period for GIAs and GEAP strategies and measures

1 July 2021 to 30 June 2023

1 April 2021 to 31 March 2023

Reporting period for progress audit

1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023

1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023

Progress reports are due

20 February 2024


Download GEAP timeline

What you will need

Progress audit guidance

The Progress audit guidance for defined entities will help you to prepare and for and develop your progress audit.

Workforce reporting template

The Progress audit 2023 - Workforce reporting template lets you submit your workforce data to us in the right format through our reporting platformExternal Link .

Please note we will be providing this template shortly. Defined entities will be advised when the template is available.

Reporting platform user guide

Further information about the Commission’s Reporting platform, including a detailed user guide, can be found on the reporting platform help page.

What data will be published by the Commission

The Commission will publish high-level data to our public data insights portalExternal Link . This data will be drawn from the progress audit data organisations submit through our Reporting PlatformExternal Link . Data will appear for each defined entity as well as for different industries (e.g. Victorian Public Service, local government, etc.).

By publicly reporting data, the Commission ensures that organisations under the Act are transparent and accountable to employees and the community for making progress on gender equality.

In 2023, you will be able to use the reporting platform to preview how your data will be displayed publicly before you submit it.

The Commission has published a list that provides an indication of the types of data the Commission will publish. We will communicate any minor changes to defined entities before we publish the data.

Reviewed 12 May 2023

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