Methodology

Transformative Justice is an innovative approach that not only resolves conflicts, but also transforms organisational and cultural dynamics in depth, helping companies to create safer, more inclusive and healthier environments. Our methodology is adapted to each context and need, but always follows a structured and careful process, designed to generate long-term change while guaranteeing the anonymity of the parties involved.

Below, we outline the key steps of our methodology, which seek not only to repair harm, but also to transform the structural conditions that allow these conflicts to occur.

1. Interview with the affected person

We begin the process with a confidential interview with the person who has suffered the harm. The aim of this interview is to gain an in-depth understanding of the facts and the impact of the conflict, offering a safe space for the person to express themselves and be heard.

During this phase, we seek to identify:

• The psychosocial impact: We help the person put what happened into words and understand the scope of the conflict, both on a personal level and within its context, while guaranteeing their anonymity.
• Repairing the harm: This involves considering what may work. Depending on the needs of the affected person and the facts, we design a reparation plan tailored to their situation, which may consist of a private or public acknowledgement of the facts, an apology, or other measures to restore the harm caused and/or the rights affected.

This first step is crucial because it offers the offended person the possibility of feeling heard without prejudice, making decisions throughout the process and having their needs recognised. 

2. Interview with the person responsible for the harm

Once we have spoken with the affected person, we meet with the person responsible for the harm. At this stage, where appropriate, we focus on taking responsibility — a process that involves not only acknowledging the harm caused, but also understanding the power dynamics that may have influenced their actions. Through this interview, we seek to:

• Compare the account of the facts and their interpretation by the person responsible.
• Joint reflection on power dynamics: We analyse how organisational hierarchies, gender privileges, hierarchical power or any other structural factor influenced their behaviour. This helps the person responsible to understand that their actions are not only individual, but take place within a system of power relations that must be transformed.
• Establish a process to repair the harm, which may include acknowledging the facts where appropriate: The person responsible must become aware of the impact of their actions on the other person, understanding the emotional, psychological and social harm they have caused.
• Commitment to change: This step seeks to ensure that the person responsible makes a clear commitment to non-repetition and becomes actively involved in cultural change within the organisation.

This process of taking responsibility is key to preventing the same behaviours from being repeated and to beginning to transform the organisational culture. At this stage, we will pay particular attention to masculinities.

3. Session with the work environment

Once the individual interviews have been carried out, we turn to the work environment in order to gain a comprehensive view of the context in which the conflict occurred.

This step includes:

• Gather information from the organisational environment: We hold sessions with other people in the workplace — colleagues, trade unions, prevention representatives, affected departments, middle managers, senior management and the workforce in general — in order to better understand the dynamics that facilitate or allow the conflict to occur. It is essential to understand how the organisational climate, workplace culture or even the lack of training on equality and diversity issues may have influenced the situation.
• Identify structural patterns: This analysis allows us to identify broader patterns and power dynamics within the organisation that go beyond the specific conflict. In this way, we can provide precise recommendations on how to improve the work environment as a whole, ensuring the non-repetition of acts of discrimination, harassment or violence.

4. Joint meeting (proposal)
After the individual interviews, we propose a joint meeting between the affected person and the person responsible for the harm, if necessary and if both parties consider it appropriate. This meeting is not based on mutual agreement, but rather is an active proposal that we make to both parties so that they can work together on repairing relationships and resolving the conflict.

• Guided and careful process: The meeting takes place in a safe space and under an accompanied methodology, where each party has the opportunity to express their points of view, reflect on what happened and reach reparation agreements. This meeting is facilitated with professional support, to ensure that the encounter is constructive and does not become a space for recrimination or violence.
• Objective of the meeting: For both parties to recognise the harm and the factors that caused it, and to commit to creating a more respectful space free from violence. Although the joint meeting is not mandatory, it is a powerful tool for restoring relationships and generating agreements that promote a change in attitudes and behaviours.

This step is highly valuable and entirely voluntary, as it is based on dialogue within a safe context and promotes the repair of harm and restoration, facilitated by a professional.

5. Analysis of the organisational climate
We carry out an in-depth analysis of the organisational climate in order to identify the structural causes that have facilitated discrimination or harassment. This analysis takes into account:

• Power structures: We examine how power hierarchies within the company may have influenced the dynamics of the conflict.
• Organisational culture: We analyse whether there are norms or behaviours within the company culture that tolerate discrimination, harassment or microaggressions.
• Posibles políticas de prevención: Evaluamos si existen protocolos, políticas o formación en igualdad y diversidad que puedan haber sido inadecuados o inexistentes.

This analysis seeks to understand the root causes of the conflict, in order to ensure that the proposed measures are sustainable in the long term and that similar situations are not repeated.

Workplace harassment is recognised as a psychosocial risk in the work environment, which implies the need to carry out an occupational risk assessment that makes it possible to identify and proactively address situations of harassment and discrimination. In accordance with current regulations, companies must implement appropriate preventive measures, including the planning of awareness-raising strategies, ongoing training and the application of specific action protocols.


6. Evaluation report and recommendations
Once all the previous steps have been completed, we prepare a detailed report with a clear diagnosis of the case and specific recommendations for the organisation on:

• The specific case: protection measures will be proposed so that the affected person feels safe, as well as informative measures to monitor the process, and measures adapted to each situation according to the characteristics of the context and the facts.
• The structure:
  • A personalised action plan to implement structural changes within the organisation, which may include new measures, equality training, training on protocols for addressing harassment and discrimination, etc.
  • Measures to ensure non-repetition: We propose specific actions that change the organisational culture, in order to create safe spaces through policies for the prevention of harassment/discrimination/violence.
  • Objectives, actions and impact assessment: We clearly define the objectives and actions needed to implement regenerative and structural measures within the organisation. Through a legal and regulatory analysis, we assess compliance with the actions implemented, ensuring that they align not only with current legal and employment obligations, but also with the principles of the organisation. This process enables the organisation to move forward in its commitment to creating a working environment that respects and guarantees workers’ rights, and allows us to verify the effectiveness of the measures adopted from both a legal and transformative perspective.