EDI Impact Assessments
What is an Equality Impact Assessment?
An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) is a tool that helps us to place equality, diversity, cohesion, and integration at the heart of everything we do and make sure our strategies, policies, services, and functions achieve their purpose.
Why do them?
We want to ensure that in our activities as an employer and as a provider of education that we don’t inadvertently disadvantage anyone, and wherever possible, we advance equality, diversity, and inclusion.
The legal background within the Equality Act 2010 requires that we meet the Public Sector Equality Duties; to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity
What groups should be included in an EIA?
There are nine ‘protected characteristics’ to be considered, there is a list on the form for the provisional assessment. It’s also good practice to consider those who have fixed term contracts, who work and/or study part time, study at undergraduate or post graduate level, are carers as well as students and/or staff.
When is an EIA needed?
When you’re developing a new policy, process, function, or service, or you’re reviewing an existing policy, process, function, or service. It’s good practice to start to think about it as early as possible in the process and to consult with those who might be affected.
Who does the EIA?
The person who is the ‘owner’/drafter of the document/initiative or project, in other words, the person who knows most about it. They should ask another person to assist them to act as the ‘critical friend’ at the provisional stage and with a full assessment, if this is required.
How to do an EIA?
There is a set of guidance on these web pages, as well as two forms that take you through the process.
The first form is a ‘provisional assessment’ that helps to explore any risk of a negative impact for any of the groups listed. If there’s no risk identified, the policy/activity continues.
If there is a risk of negative impact then a ‘full’ EIA is needed, this is the second form and data will need to be collected about the groups listed.
Where can the data or evidence for a full assessment be found?
The HR Ops team can help with data on staff groups e.g., age, gender, ethnicity profile.
Student data can be requested from the Data Management Unit in Registry.
Any data will be overall statistics and not identify individuals. If there are low numbers in a group with a risk of individual becoming identified, the data will be aggregated with another group.
What happens if the full assessment shows that there is a risk of a negative impact for one or more groups?
These are the options.
- Adapt or change it in a way which eliminates the impact
- Decide not to proceed
- Proceed with caution and and set out the rationale
Who keeps the record of the EIA
The provisional assessment is kept by the policy ‘owner,’ and they might wish to include a copy with the policy as it progresses through the appropriate approval route.
A full assessment needs to be attached to the policy as it progresses.
Ideally an equality impact assessment (EIA) should be conducted as early as possible, to enable any identified issues to be mitigated or avoided altogether.
What training is there for EIAs?
Contact training@worc.ac.uk and this will be arranged with you. Refresher training resources are also available. The EDI e-learning course in LearnUpon is recommended before you attend the training.
The provisional assessment is kept by the owner of the document/initiative/project and they might wish to include a copy with the policy as it progresses through the appropriate approval route.
A full assessment needs to be attached to the document/initiative/project as it progresses, including through the approval process.
A set of guidance on conducting and EIA and two forms that take you through the process are available here.