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EqIA Public Sector Round Table
Round Table 1
Meeting Notes
13th February 2008
The round table format of presentation led discussion started with Phil McCarvill of the Equality & Human Rights Commission.
Phil explained the current position on EqIA’s and highlighted some important issues such as:
- using procurement processes to pass on statutory duties to other organisations;
- using EqIA to validate an organisation’s policies and functions and proofing policy against human rights requirements;
- action planning; and
- encouraging organisations to cover all target group strands in the EqIA process.
Phil then summarised what constituted a good EqIA. He stressed the need for:
- a sound screening stage;
- results to be evidence based;
- the need for quality data;
- use of EqIA as a management tool;
- relevant and bespoke training;
- assessors to work within systems that they understand;
- legal checks of methodology and output; and
- senior management sign-off.
Phil made various other observations such as the opportunity that an organisation has when undertaking an EqIA to:
- identify and declare issues or problems, perhaps arising from previous bad practice, in an effort to improve;
- remove barriers to promoting equality and improving community relations; and
- add value to processes such as informing and better implementing reorganisations or relocations.
Phil concluded by announcing that EqIA guidance is likely to be published by the EHRC in the coming months.
Questions and answers were then followed by a briefing presented by Simon Dean, Director, NOMIS Projects Ltd on the EqIA process. The briefing summarised preparation, initial screening, timing, inclusive consultation and the introduction of change and monitoring.
Simon raised a number of issues and recommended tips for assessors including;
- making the case for EqIA;
- setting parameters and thresholds;
- looking for secondary impacts;
- using established links for consulting;;
- access plans, access statements and access audit;
- improving community relations;
- inclusive consultation;
- schools education programmes;
- conflicts with other processes; and
- ownership of equality issues.
After lunch, Jo Richardson – Interim Corporate Equality & Diversity Manager, Norfolk County Council addressed the group on the introduction and mainstreaming of EqIA in large organisations.
Some of her key points included:
- embedding EqIA as a systemic process;
- taking an organisational approach;
- tackling indifference and lack of confidence in the EqIA process; and
- instilling corporate commitment by positioning EqIA at the centre of business planning.
Some of the other issues raised included:
- the absence of accountability;
- formal reporting protocols;
- taking a standardised approach;
- corporate support;
- frameworks for monitoring;
- how to make the appointment of Equality and Diversity Champions a success;
- legal challenges;
- what defines a robust EqIA;
- non-compliance enforcement; and
- problems when embedding the process in organisations.
Round-up
Issues identified during the day for future discussion include consideration of EqIA relating to:
- procurement;
- business planning;
- business appraisal;
- personal appraisal targets;
- the impact of consultation on voluntary organisations;
- data quality and collation;
- base-lining and measuring change;
- involvement of disabled groups in consultation;
- good practice monitoring;
- good practice reporting; and
- emerging legislation.
Round Table 2
Meeting Notes
15th May 2008
Audrey Young, Head of Diversity Performance at the Greater London Authority, introduced the second round table explaining the importance of impact assessment and how it is integral in understanding the equality landscape and bringing about change. Difficulties included consultation on broad issues when consultees raise detailed matters that cannot be dealt with.
Simon Dean, Director of NOMIS Projects Ltd followed with the days agenda and shared information on:
Consultation Aims
- follow TWA Rules and Guide to Procedures;
- adhere, where applicable, to Code of Practice on the Dissemination of Information During Major Infrastructure Projects, Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, Cabinet Office Code of Practice, Freedom of Information Act 2002 and Data Protection Act 1998;
- identify or confirm likely impacts and/or benefits;
- provide accessible information;
- engage with target groups;
- improve community relations;
- promote equality.
Process Summary
- agree objective and scope;
- prepare plan; produce material;
- hold events;
- analyse comment;
- revise project/policy;
- publish results.
Preparation
- data gathering;
- press and media;
- accessible formats;
- DDA(A) 2005;
- risk assessment.
Activities
- information centres;
- schools programme;
- target group workshops;
- website;
- accessible formats.
Issues
- community languages;
- successful engagement;
- conflicting views;
- involving disabled people;
- social identity data;
- consultation overload.
The next speaker, Dr Bano Murtuja of Vis-à-Vis Research, focussed on the subject of engaging with the disengaged and reframing participatory processes, namely to:
- explain which should come first during consultation; the impact of policies or the needs of people;
- provide transport and linguistic support when consulting and to convince the consultees that they are getting something out of the consultation process;
- ensure approach is altered depending on the client;
- be considerate to clients’ needs through thought-based engagement;
- recognise that it is important to understand the 'impact' before you can ask the correct question;
- ensure that consultees are regularly kept up-to-date on feedback;
- allow people ownership of the process;
- build relationships ensuring adequate time is set aside to bond with consultees;
- advertise 2 months in advance and allow 6 months to fully generate participation;
- focus on the individual rather than 'a group' of people or ‘overall representative’ for a group of people;
- be clear from the beginning that, ultimately, you cannot guarantee change from the consultation;
- listen, be open, transparent and try and shape process with fresh ideas and new techniques;
- create innovation for innovation's sake if only to monitor enthusiasm and use different types of engagement such as graffiti walls, VoxPop, role play, background music, making noise in response to questions.
After lunch, Fred Boniface, from HM Prison Woodhill changed the path of discussion to inclusive consultation in the prison service, particularly focussing on race and religious issues and how the environment creates a more complex challenge.
He explained that:
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evaluation of the demographics within the prison was difficult because the population are changed on a regular basis;
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there is a constant requirement for re-inspection and monitoring;
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consultation can become a ‘ticking box’ process rather than a process to ensure that qualitative improvements are gained;
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every key service has to be impact assessed to meet the needs of prisoners and staff;
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monitoring use of facilities by target group can indicate interests, preferences and requirements of groups;
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rights of the prisoner may conflict with the rights of the staff;
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there is a low level of literacy amongst prisoners that can make communication difficult;
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catering can be a problem when trying to meet the needs of all prisoners.
Other issues include:
- proving that meat is Kosher or Halal;
- searching visitors and prisoners;
- women wearing bhurkas causing identity problems;
- Sikh’s wearing knives;
- disabled facilities;
- confidentiality and integration of Trans people;
- faith issues such as privacy for prayer.
Finally, Stephen Brice, Director of Topaz Consultancy focussed on a variety of school education programmes, including:
- education about projects addresses one of the core issues - a lack of information can be a destructive force – rumours spread and what are small issues, in reality, can become major problems. Presentation of the facts is then too little, too late;
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education through projects can greatly enhance National Curriculum learning for students making it more stimulating, interesting and meaningful;
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all teachers can use the activities of a project;
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projects as a context for teaching creating opportunities for project personnel to interface with young people.
Project rewards are potentially tremendous, such as:
- personnel development;
- new insights and ideas into activities;
- communication with young people and thence to parents, family members and other significant adults; and
- enhanced reputation.
There are many ways of presenting information including the internet, information documents and short films and video format. Other initiatives include:
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Gifted and Talented project;
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Build-a-Tram project;
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students invited to attend industry events;
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curriculum events;
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support for student course work;
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literacy resource;
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newsletters;
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website activities.