Frequently Asked Questions - EIA
- What is an Equality Impact Assessment(EIA)?
- Who is covered by an EIA?
- Why do an EIA?
- What areas should we consider when impact assessing?
- How do we carry out an EIA?
- Is there any training available?
- What is meant by a 'policy or service'?
What is an Equality Impact Assessment(EIA)?
An EIA is a review of activity and outcomes from an equality and diversity perspective. It is a way of thoroughly considering a policy or service, to establish and record whether it affects different groups of people in different ways.
The purpose of doing this is to identify the action we need to take to improve equality performance, either by eliminating any actual or potential discrimination or disadvantage, or by acting upon opportunities to promote equality.
Who is covered by an EIA?
The focus of EIA is on whether the policy has or could have an adverse (negative) impact, or whether there is opportunity to promote equality within one or more equality groups within the strands of:
- Age
- Disability
- Sexual Orientation
- Gender
- Transgender
- Religious, spiritual or no belief
- Race or ethnicity
Why do an EIA?
The purpose of equality impact assessment is to contribute to action to eliminate discrimination and to promote equality.
Public sector organisations are required by law to carry out race and disability EIAs (and soon also gender EIAs).
The University's equality and diversity strategy is called Excellence Through Inclusion and aims to achieve a motivated and diverse University community, where staff and students demand the highest standards from each other and work together to maximise the benefits of difference, and a corporate culture that is inclusive at all levels and in every system and process.
EIAs can help the University achieve the above aims by means of; scrutiny (i.e. looking closely at how a policy or service is being, or will be done to analyse and assess how a policy or service performs in relation to equality), involvement (e.g. of staff, staff representatives, students, and others to help share experiences of good practice and identify areas for improvement), and action (i.e. doing things differently or doing different things to deliver equality), and recording and reviewing (i.e. recording findings and telling stakeholders about them, and keeping the situation under review).
The University Executive Board (UEB) has made a commitment that all policy proposals, project plans and strategy documents presented to the Board are accompanied by evidence that consideration has been given to an Equalities Impact Assessment.
What areas should we consider when impact assessing?
Assessing impact concludes whether the policy affects (or could affect) different equality target groups in different ways, and in particular whether the end result is discrimination.
First you need to establish whether the policy or service affects different equality target groups in different ways, and then whether any group or groups experience adverse impact – in other words whether they are actually or potentially disadvantaged or treated unfairly.
There are a number of key indicators that might suggest adverse impact. Some will be relevant to staff, some to students, and some to both. For example, your information might show:
Lower application rates (staff and students)
Lower achievement rates (students)
Lower promotion rates (staff)
Higher withdrawal rates (students)
Lower rates of facility usage (staff or students)
Higher complaints rates (staff or students)
You should also consider opportunities to promote equality.
How do we carry out an EIA?
The EIA Checklist (available to download on the EIA homepage) has been developed to support you through the stages of assessing the equality impact on a policy or service.
Is there any training available?
An online training package can be accessed through the EIA homepage which will take you through the legislative background as well as the process itself.
Further training sessions are also available from Staff Development, which are suitable for staff with responsibility for equality and diversity issues within their department or faculty.
What is meant by a 'policy or service'?
The term ‘policy and service’ includes: policies, strategies, practices, plans, services, criteria, provisions, projects, and decisions.
A policy is any decision, principle, plan or set of procedures that influences and determines the way an institution carries out its business (externally or internally). For example, Student Complaints Policy and Staff Development Policy.
A practice is more informal than a policy and refers to a customary way of operation or behavior, perhaps built up over a number of years. It can be identified through being routinely performed, locally, regardless of any official requirements in policy. For example, working hours.
A provision is something which serves to provide for, or meet the requirements or particular needs of people. For example, sports facilities.
A criterion is the basis by which comparisons or judgments are made, often against particular reference points. For example, staff recruitment criteria or student hardship fund criteria.