Setting Equality Outcomes
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Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 1 © Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 2 1 Introduction
Under the Scottish specific duties of the Equality Act 2010, your institution is required to prepare and publish equality outcomes.
Institutions published their first sets of equality outcomes in 2013, and are required to develop and publish a new set by 30 April 2017, and subsequently at intervals of not more than four years.
What are equality outcomes?
Equality outcomes are results that your institution aims to achieve that will further one or more of the parts of the public sector equality duty (eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations – see Equality legislation section).
They are the changes that will result as a consequence of institutional action that will improve equality for individuals, communities or society. For example, improved participation or attainment, and changes in skills, attitudes, behaviours and environmental conditions.
‘By focusing on outcomes rather than objectives, this specific duty aims to bring practical improvements in the life chances of those who experience discrimination and disadvantage. So in practice, you might find it helpful to think of equality outcomes as results intended to achieve specific and identifiable improvements in people’s life chances.’ Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland
Strategic focus
Your institution’s equality outcomes should be strategic and should focus its equality work for the following four years. Their development should therefore be led by senior management.
Linking your outcomes to your institution’s strategic priorities and plans will increase the impetus for delivery and their impact. Linking equality outcomes to your institutional strategy will also help you deliver on that strategy.
Using this briefing
This briefing aims to assist your institution to meet your requirement to set outcomes.
It will be helpful for those responsible for equality outcomes in colleges and universities. It will be of particular interest to senior managers responsible for equality, and equality and diversity staff, as well as staff in charge of strategy and planning, policy, analysis, performance management, human resources and governance.
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 3 2 Background
Equality legislation
The public sector equality duty (PSED) of the Equality Act 2010 came into force on 5 April 2011, replacing the previous separate equality duties for disability, gender and race. The PSED consists of a general duty supported by specific duties which are intended to assist organisations to meet the PSED.
The specific duties for Scotland commenced on 27 May 2012 and included a duty to set equality outcomes. Equality outcomes should help institutions meet the three needs of the PSED by giving due regard to: eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010 advancing equality of opportunity between people from different groups, considering the need to: remove or minimise disadvantages suffered by people due to their protected characteristics
meet the needs of people with protected characteristics
encourage people with protected characteristics to participate in public life or in other activities where their participation is low fostering good relations between people from different groups, tackling prejudice and promoting understanding between people from different groups
The PSED covers the following protected characteristics that are recognised within the Act: age disability gender reassignment marriage and civil partnership (only in relation to eliminating unlawful conduct to employees) pregnancy and maternity race religion or belief (including lack of belief) sex sexual orientation
Duty to prepare and publish equality outcomes
Regulation 4 of the specific duties requires your institution to set equality outcomes. It requires that equality outcomes are based on evidence and involvement of equality groups and are published.
Your institution must:
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 4 prepare and publish a set of equality outcomes that will enable the institution to better perform the PSED by 30 April 2017 and subsequently at intervals of not more than four years take reasonable steps to involve people who share relevant protected characteristics, or who represent the interests of those people consider relevant evidence relating to people who share a relevant protected characteristic publish reasons if the equality outcomes do not cover every relevant protected characteristic review and publish a report on progress made towards achieving the set of equality outcomes by 30 April 2019 and subsequently at intervals of not more than two years
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 5 Learning from previous equality outcomes
The duty to set equality outcomes is relatively new, and setting equality outcomes has inevitably been a developmental process for institutions. Much can therefore be learned from successes and challenges experienced by institutions in setting and delivering previous equality outcomes. It is important not to confuse equality outcomes with outputs. Outputs describe actions, what an organisation produces or delivers. Outcomes, on the other hand, are the changes that result for people as a consequence of the action taken, or outputs produced. While there is no set format for how equality outcomes should be presented, they must demonstrate that they will enable better performance of the PSED and include all protected characteristics or explain why they do not, and must be published in an accessible manner. ECU found that many institutions could do more to ensure reports are easily accessible to staff, students and the public. This includes: clear positioning of reports on websites
clarity of titles of reports, including which duties they contain (such as equality outcomes and mainstreaming) and publication dates
providing summary versions of longer reports
Measures of success should be established for each equality outcome. This ensures outcomes are measurable and enables more effective review and reporting on progress, as is required by the duty. Many institutions have reflected that they set outcomes that were too broad and occasionally unrealistic. (Outcomes should be specific to the priority equality issues for the institution, achievable and realistic.)
Extend your knowledge
ECU (2012) The public sector equality duty: specific duties for Scotland. www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/the-public-sector-equality-duty-specific-duties-for-scotland
EHRC Series of guides for public authorities in Scotland on how to meet the requirements of the Equality Act 2010. www.equalityhumanrights.com/about-us/devolved-authorities/commission-scotland/public-sector- equality-duty-scotland/non-statutory-guidance-scottish-public-authorities
EHRC (2015) Equality outcomes self-assessment toolkit. www.equalityhumanrights.com/publication/equality-outcomes-self-assessment-tool-public-authorities- scotland
ECU (2015) Performance of the specific duties in Scotland 2015. www.ecu.ac.uk/guidance-resources/equality-legislation/performance-specific-duties-scotland-2015
EHRC (2013 and 2015) Measuring up? Monitoring the public sector equality duty in Scotland. www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/public-sector-equality-duty-scotland/scotland-public-sector-equality- duty-projects/measuring © Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 6 The process of setting equality outcomes
While every institution will take a slightly different approach to developing equality outcomes, the following three stage process, which is broken into nine steps, can act as a guide for the key activities and considerations typically involved in developing new outcomes.
Three stage Steps Examples of activity process 1 Review previous Using evidence, review progress against your institution’s previous set of equality outcomes 1. outcomes Investigate Identify where previous outcomes have not been fully achieved and could equality be continued as part of the new outcomes issues Identify where good progress has been made that could be built upon in the new outcomes 2 Involve people Consult and involve staff, students and others to gain further evidence of equality challenges Take steps to involve people or organisations representing protected characteristics to find out what would make the most difference to them 3 Gather and consider Consider institutional equality data and information on staff and students evidence from a range of sources Consider evidence of national and sectoral equality and diversity challenges and priorities Consider your institutional priorities and how they relate to equality and diversity Identify gaps in evidence, including gaps identified at the involvement stage and take steps to fill these to have the fullest possible range of information
Three stage Steps Examples of activity process 4 Prioritise Consider all information gathered in stage 1 and identify the inequalities that are the priorities for your institution to address 2. Identify equality Consider the scale and severity of the inequalities, and the potential for outcomes impact to be achieved through addressing them Ensure all of the protected characteristics are explicitly covered within these areas, or that there is a rationale if they are not, and that they will support one or more needs of the PSED Consider how addressing these inequalities will align with and support achievement of institutional priorities and strategies © Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 7 5 Formulate Formulate a set of potential equality outcomes that describe the measurable changes that will be achieved to address the priority inequalities identified Specify a measure or set of measures for each equality outcome from which to measure progress 6 Assign Agree timescales and staff responsible for monitoring progress against each outcome Ensure senior commitment and mechanisms are in place for delivery and reporting 7 Gain approval Consult on the potential set of outcomes internally and externally as appropriate and use feedback to refine and finalise Gain final approval by an equality committee or equivalent and the governing body prior to publication 8 Publish Publish both the new set of equality outcomes and information on progress of the previous outcomes, either separately or in one report 3. Disseminat Provide an accompanying rationale for the new outcomes to help e equality stakeholders understand how the outcomes were reached. outcomes Make sure that this information is easily accessible to the public in terms of location, format and content 9 Promote Consider methods to engage staff and students with the new outcomes, including in delivering them
Timeline
Equality outcomes must be published by 30 April 2017. The process of setting equality outcomes should fit within your institution’s own planning cycle.
The following considerations may prove helpful when determining a timeline for setting new outcomes: Time required for involvement activity, such as surveys or events with different groups Dates of equality committee/equivalent group meetings to ensure that they are involved in the process and can approve the outcomes prior to publication date Dates of governing body/board meetings to ensure they can approve the outcomes prior to publication date Time needed for publication of the outcomes, such as time for proof reading, typesetting, and uploading on to the website
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 8 3 Stage 1 Investigate equality issues
Review previous outcomes
As well as developing and publishing new equality outcomes, your institution is required by the duties to report on its progress in delivering its previous set of equality outcomes. This requires a review of progress against these outcomes, which forms an important part of the process of setting the new equality outcomes. Your institution’s experience of delivering its previous outcomes should inform the types of outcomes it sets for the next period, and the ways in which it delivers them.
Steps for reviewing outcomes
4 Review key evidence for each outcome. It is helpful to use sources of evidence that are the same, or similar, to those that were used as evidence when setting the outcomes. For example, if qualitative evidence from a staff survey was used, you should repeat the survey, asking similar questions.
5 Compare the evidence against the baseline and success indicators for each outcome and identify where change has occurred, be it improvements, no change or a worsening of an equality issue.
6 Reach a conclusion as to whether the intended outcomes have been fully achieved, partially achieved, or not achieved.
7 Consider what factors affected the success of the outcomes, such as activities not being as successful as hoped, or an outcome being unrealistic within the timeframe.
8 Use this information to inform the development of the new outcomes and to report on the progress of the previous outcomes.
Identify any areas for continuation in new outcomes, for example, where previous outcomes have not been fully achieved or where good progress has been made that could be built upon. Identify ways in which development of the new outcomes will be improved. Also use this information to report on progress with the previous outcomes, including impact, achievements and challenges.
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 9 Identifying levels of impact
The extent of progress and success achieved for each outcome can be identified as a level of impact. ECU uses the following model.
Inputs Outputs Outcomes Input: Foundation: Reaction: Learning: Behaviour: Outcomes: the initial the activity the response to the initial impact any change how the changes resources (time, or output the activity or of the activity or in behaviour that have resulted in staff, costs) produced output output – such follows the institutions’ required to as a result as growth in equality produce outputs knowledge outcomes and skills
Impact levels
Extend you knowledge
ECU (2014) Measuring progress using qualitative evidence. www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/measuring-progress-qualitative-evidence
Involve people
The specific duty requires that while developing equality outcomes, reasonable steps be taken by your institution to involve people who share a relevant protected characteristic and their representatives. By involving staff, students, equality groups and communities your institution can gain vital information about where action is most needed. This is especially important where there are evidence gaps.
Tips for involvement Undertake both targeted and open involvement, for example meetings with groups that represent those with protected characteristics as well as open surveys for all staff and students. Use a range of involvement methods for different groups; for example, what works for a staff network may not work as well for students. Ensure the involvement exercises are accessible and open to all parties targeted. Aim as far as possible to identify individuals or representatives from each protected group who can participate, and take steps to address any gaps in participation. Involve leaders at all levels and ensure their public commitment to the process. Clearly communicate the purpose, process and plans for the involvement activity, so that they are transparent from the outset, and ensure consistent messages are reaching staff and students across the institution.
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 10 Make and keep commitments that people’s views and experiences will inform the institution’s equality outcomes, and provide feedback to the people who participated in the activity. Design clear questions for the activity to ensure information gathered is relevant and focused.
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 11 Groups to include
When taking steps to involve people in your institution there are different groups to include. people with all protected characteristics, and/or their representatives trade union representatives students’ association and other student representatives staff and student support functions, such as disability service and human resources equality groups/networks within the institution, for example LGBT, race or women’s networks wider staff and students, including contract staff regional equality groups and networks
Examples of involvement activity
The following are examples of involvement activities: all staff events online surveys open to all staff and students events with the students’ association workshops with the governing body/board presentations at equality group/network meetings sharing draft outcomes with regional equality organisations and groups
Extend your knowledge
EHRC Scotland (2014) Involvement and the public sector equality duty: a guide for public authorities (Scotland). www.equalityhumanrights.com/publication/involvement-and-public-sector-equality-duty-guide-public- authorities-scotland
ECU (2011) Effective equality surveys. www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/effective-equality-surveys
Gather and consider evidence
While review of previous outcomes will involve gathering and consideration of evidence, additional relevant evidence should also be reviewed to ensure that the most pressing equality challenges are identified for your institution’s new equality outcomes. It will also ensure that the equality outcomes are informed by and will support achievement of your institution’s wider priorities.
This evidence should relate to discrimination and other prohibited conduct, equality of opportunity and good relations, for all protected characteristics. Both internal and external evidence should be considered, including the evidence your institution already holds across its functions, as well as relevant national,
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 12 sectoral and regional evidence, and your institution’s own strategic priorities. It can be helpful to involve policy and analytical staff in gathering and analysing this evidence.
Overview of evidence sources Institutional evidence External evidence HR data on staff profile by protected characteristic across the staff journey ECU’s statistical reports (recruitment, retention, leavers) Scottish Government equality student data on representation and participation (admissions, retention, evidence finder attainment and completion, progression to employment or further study) evidence from Scottish and UK student and/or staff experience surveys equality organisations Athena SWAN Charter and Race Equality Charter submissions academic research on protected characteristics self-evaluation findings national equality challenges and quality review process findings priorities in Scottish complaints and grievances Government and EHRC reports equality impact assessment findings sector equality challenges and involvement activity with protected groups priorities in SFC outcome agreement guidance and reports institutional priorities in strategic plans and/or outcome agreements by sector bodies information collected on an ongoing basis
Institutional evidence
Alongside its new outcomes in 2017 your institution is also required to publish information on the protected characteristics of its employees, equal pay and occupational segregation. The work to collate and analyse this information should inform the equality outcomes, rather than being a separate process. For example, if a pay audit identifies a significant pay gap between men and women this could provide a focus for an equality outcome.
Likewise, your institution will be collecting information to inform its next mainstreaming report for 2017, which may also prove to be helpful evidence for its outcomes, both for reporting on progress and identifying new outcomes.
Using sector equality evidence
When used alongside your institution’s own evidence base, evidence of equality challenges and priorities that are common across the college and/or university sector can: guide your institution’s evidence gathering in its own context; provide benchmarking information to help your institution ascertain its own position in comparison to the sector as a whole; fill evidence gaps for areas where your institution has less evidence;
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 13 enable your institution to align its equality outcomes with regional or national outcomes.
Sector benchmarking data
ECU statistics reports for colleges and HEIs. www.ecu.ac.uk/guidance-resources/using-data-and-evidence/statistics-report
SFC (2015) Learning for all. www.sfc.ac.uk/learningforall
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 14 Using national equality evidence
The Scottish Government sets national equality priorities through its own equality outcomes, strategies and policies. It also provides a range of evidence sources through its equality evidence finder website.
Scottish Government resources
Scottish Government equality webpages. www.gov.scot/Topics/People/Equality
Scottish Government evidence finder (online resource). www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Equality/Equalities/DataGrid
The EHRC produces research that illuminates current equality challenges in Scotland. These sources set the national scene in relation to equality, and highlight challenges that all public authorities, including colleges and universities should be working to address.
Is Scotland fairer? National challenges
EHRC Scotland published Is Scotland fairer? in 2015. This outlined key equality issues for Scotland, including in education and learning, work, income and economy, health and care, justice security and the right to life, and the individual and society. Some of the key findings that may be of relevance to colleges and universities include the following: Destinations of school leavers varied by protected characteristic. Bullying is a particular issue for some young people who share particular protected characteristics. Women and disabled people remained more likely to have no qualifications. There is a gap in the proportion of ethnic minority people and white people holding a degree. Disabled people are less likely to have a degree than non-disabled people. Unemployment rates increased more for disabled people than for non-disabled people. Young people are less likely to be in work and saw the greatest increase in unemployment. Women are less likely to be in work than men, and those women in work are less likely to be in senior positions and more likely to be in part-time work. There are gaps in evidence in relation to certain protected characteristics. Attitudes had not improved in relation to mental health, Gypsy/Travellers and Roma people. Lesbian, gay and bisexual people and ethnic minorities experience harassment.
Is Scotland fairer? www.equalityhumanrights.com/about-us/devolved-authorities/commission-scotland/about-commission- scotland/scotland-fairer/scotland-fairer-report
EHRC research publications. www.equalityhumanrights.com/about-us/devolved-authorities/commission-scotland/research-scotland
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 15 Using sector, institutional and regional priorities as evidence
Outcome agreements and quality frameworks
Scottish Funding Council (SFC) outcome agreements and the quality review processes for the college and university sectors require institutions to make progress on specific areas of equality and diversity, such as participation and success of protected characteristic groups. These sector priorities have been informed by common equality challenges for the sector as a whole. Therefore, these represent important evidence sources that can inform institutional equality outcomes.
By taking these frameworks and institutional responses into consideration while developing your equality outcomes, your institution can align your equality outcomes with SFC outcome agreements and quality improvement activity, and subsequently develop activity that delivers progress on both fronts. This will maximise use of resources and minimise duplication of effort, achieve impact more quickly and demonstrate mainstreaming of equality.
In 2016, Scottish institutions are required to develop new three year outcome agreements with the SFC. This provides opportunity for new equality and SFC outcome agreements to be aligned.
Further reading
SFC Outcome agreement information. www.sfc.ac.uk/funding/OutcomeAgreements/OutcomeAgreementsOverview.aspx
Education Scotland publications. www.educationscotland.gov.uk/inspectionandreview/hmiepublications/index.asp
Education Scotland quality framework. www.educationscotland.gov.uk/inspectionandreview/about/collegereviews/index.asp
QAA quality codes. www.qaa.ac.uk/assuring-standards-and-quality/the-quality-code
Regional equality priorities
As of July 2015, the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act provides a legal framework that promotes and encourages community empowerment and participation. Once commenced, it will require community planning partnerships, in which colleges and HEIs often participate, to prepare and publish local outcome improvement plans which set out local outcomes that will be achieved, as well as locality plans to improve outcomes for specific communities.
The outcomes set in these plans will be evidence based, and may encompass equality and diversity. Therefore, they may provide evidence of regional and local equality priorities to inform institutional equality outcomes. Similarly, the Act could further facilitate delivery of regional multi-partner equality outcomes, which would support mainstreaming.
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 16 Additional evidence sources
NUS Scotland. www.nus.org.uk/en/nus-scotland
Higher Education Academy Scotland Embedding equality and diversity in the curriculum research. www.heacademy.ac.uk/embedding-equality-and-diversity-curriculum
Colleges Scotland. www.collegesscotland.ac.uk/briefings.html
Universities Scotland. www.universities-scotland.ac.uk/publications
Centre for Research in Education Inclusion and Diversity. www.ed.ac.uk/education/rke/centres-groups/creid/publications
Centre for Education for Racial Equality in Scotland. www.ceres.education.ed.ac.uk/publications/ceres-briefings
Women in Scotland's Economy (WiSE) Research Centre. www.gcu.ac.uk/wise/resources
Close the Gap. www.closethegap.org.uk/content/resources/?cat=2
Engender. www.engender.org.uk/content/publications
Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights. www.crer.org.uk/publications
Higher Education Academy 2016 report on the link between demographic characteristics and student engagement. www.heacademy.ac.uk/about/news/new-hea-report-analysis-identifies-strong-link-between-demographic- characteristics-and
BEMIS. bemis.org.uk/publications
Scottish Transgender Alliance. www.scottishtrans.org/resources/research-evidence
Stonewall Scotland. www.stonewallscotland.org.uk/our-work/stonewall-scotland-research
Community empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2015/6/contents/enacted
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 17 Stage 2 Identify equality outcomes
Prioritise areas for outcomes
Strategic ownership of your new equality outcomes should be ensured in a number of ways. It is advisable that a team or group with appropriate senior membership undertakes the process of identifying equality outcomes. The process should be a formal one and accountability for the new outcomes will need to be assigned to individuals or departments across the institution.
Use the information gained during stage 1 to prioritise the equality issues that your institution should address through your new equality outcomes. Consider the principles of proportionality and relevance; your decisions should be based on the severity of the equality issues in your institution and where the most impact can be made within your functions and resources.
Key considerations for prioritisation: Scale. Consider the size of the problem, how many people it affects and the scale of impact that could be achieved. Severity. Does the issue lead to substantial inequality even though the number affected by it may be low? Benchmarking can help identify how severe the equality issue is in the institution through making comparisons to the wider sector. Concern. Do stakeholders, students or staff see it as a serious issue? Impact. Is there potential for action by the institution to make a significant impact? Furthering the PSED. An equality outcome must further one or more of the following: eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations. Covering all protected characteristics. A set of equality outcomes must cover the full range of protected characteristics. If a particular characteristic is not covered across the entire set of outcomes, you must publish reasons for this. Regional context. For colleges in particular, identifying issues that are relevant across several partner institutions may be a consideration in prioritisation.
Aligning with institutional priorities
‘The specific duties are intended to embed equality within public authorities’ existing systems and frameworks. As a result, you should aim to prepare your equality outcomes and business plan in tandem, using your equality outcomes as a way of helping you to meet your strategic business priorities.’ EHRC Scotland
Equality outcomes should align with and support your institutional priorities so that they can be delivered using existing plans and operations. This will enable your institution to meet the mainstreaming duty, as well as the equality outcomes duty.
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 18 During prioritisation of the outcomes, it is helpful to plot out how the equality issues you have identified for outcomes will align with and support achievement of institutional priorities and strategies, for example as articulated in strategic plans and/or SFC outcome agreements.
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 19 Formulate outcomes
In formulating the set of outcomes, and the specific phrasing used, consider the following: Number. The duties do not specify the number of equality outcomes required. The number of outcomes should be manageable and reflect the number of important priorities identified. Level and range. Equality outcomes should be strategic in level, while the actions institutions will undertake to achieve their equality outcomes may involve both the strategic and operational level. Sub-outcomes can be set in addition to core equality outcomes if this is helpful in ensuring operational delivery of the outcomes. Phrasing. It is vital that the equality outcomes are written as outcomes rather than targets, activities or outputs. Timescale. Outcomes must start in the year they are published. Interim progress towards meeting the outcomes must be published by 30 April two years later, and final progress should be reported by 30 April another two years after that. Measurement. Outcomes should be measurable, and therefore setting indicators of success is advisable. Indicators of success express what the achievement of the equality outcome will look like, which is a change from the baseline situation.
Indictors of success
In some cases an outcome will lend itself to a quantitative target against which progress can be measured, such as a specific increase in the number of students with a particular characteristic. However, for some areas it may not be appropriate or possible to include a numerical target, but progress could still be measured in a range of ways, for example through indicators of changes in staff or student behaviour.
Indicators can measure change at different stages of delivery: short-term – what we deliver: often described in terms of outputs medium-term – immediate results of what we deliver: demonstrate response to an activity and growth in knowledge and skills longer-term – impact or outcome of what we deliver: show change in behaviour and culture
These stages can be mapped onto the impact model previously described as follows:
Foundation Short-term indicators or results (quantitative) Reaction Medium-term indicators of success (quantitative) Learning Behaviour Long-term indicators of impact (quantitative and qualitative)
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 20 Assign outcomes
At this stage, it is important that the outcomes are assigned to relevant individuals, departments or teams so that the responsibility for delivery and reporting is shared across the institution, and is clearly defined. It can be helpful to have a senior member of staff allocated responsibility for each outcome to ensure senior level commitment.
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 21 Gain approval
Final consultation
Once draft outcomes have been composed, it is helpful to share internally, and externally where relevant, to gather feedback that will enable refinement and finalisation of the outcomes. This also enables your institution to again meet the requirement for involvement of people in the development of its equality outcomes.
Approval
As a strategic public-facing document, equality outcomes are typically approved by both an equality committee or equivalent and the governing body/board of your institution. It is therefore important to develop equality outcomes in sufficient time for both groups to receive and approve the draft outcomes at meetings prior to the publication date.
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 22 Stage 3 Disseminate equality outcomes
Publish
Publication
The regulations require your institution’s equality outcomes to be published by 30 April 2017, and then at four-year intervals. Progress reports should be published every two years.
The regulations do not specify the format equality outcomes should be published in. ECU recommends that institutions provide a rationale and commentary for their equality outcomes. This gives an opportunity to demonstrate why specific outcomes have been prioritised. We also recommend that if mainstreaming reporting and equality outcomes are published in the same report, they should be clearly differentiated.
Where to publish
Your institution must publish the required information in a manner that is accessible to the public. This will generally mean on your institution’s website in a section that is easy to navigate to from the homepage.
Resources
ECU (2015) Performance of the specific duties in Scotland 2015. www.ecu.ac.uk/guidance-resources/equality-legislation/performance-specific-duties-scotland-2015
Promote
You may wish to consider a dissemination event to launch the outcomes.
Examples of ways to engage staff, students and stakeholders with equality outcomes include publishing an easy-read version of the outcomes, or a one-page summary version, alongside a longer report.
It is also helpful to design ways to engage with staff and students in the delivery of the equality outcomes.
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 23 Equality outcomes pro forma
The following pro forma covers all specific requirements of the equality outcome duty. It could therefore help you ensure you have covered all of these as you develop your outcomes. It may also be a helpful way of planning how you will present your outcomes when you come to publish them.
Equality outcome Evidence of need (baseline position)
Indicators of success and how progress will be measured, including short, medium and long- term
Which part/s of the PSED is covered?
Which protected characteristics are covered?
How it aligns with institutional priorities (eg outcome agreement and strategic plan)
Summary of planned action and who will lead on each action
Who is responsible
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 24 for overseeing its delivery?
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 25 Extend your knowledge ECU (2012) The public sector equality duty: specific duties for Scotland. www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/the-public-sector-equality-duty-specific-duties-for-scotland ECU (2012) Equality Act 2010: implications for colleges and HEIs. www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/equality- act-2010-revised Updates and guidance on the Equality Act 2010 and implications for higher education institutions and colleges. www.ecu.ac.uk/subjects/equality-act-2010 EHRC Series of guides for public authorities in Scotland on how to meet the requirements of the Equality Act 2010. www.equalityhumanrights.com/scotland/public-sectorequality-duty Latest information and updates to the Equality Act 2010 from the Scottish government. www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Equality Scottish government equality evidence finder. www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Equality/Equalities/DataGrid EHRC (2015) Equality outcomes self-assessment toolkit. www.equalityhumanrights.com/publication/equality-outcomes-self-assessment-tool-public-authorities- scotland ECU (2015) Performance of the specific duties in Scotland 2015. www.ecu.ac.uk/guidance-resources/equality-legislation/performance-specific-duties-scotland-2015 EHRC (2013 and 2015) Measuring up? Monitoring the public sector equality duty in Scotland. www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/public-sector-equality-duty-scotland/scotland-public-sector-equality- duty-projects/measuring ECU (2014) Measuring progress using qualitative evidence. www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/measuring-progress-qualitative-evidence EHRC Scotland (2014) Involvement and the public sector equality duty: a guide for public authorities (Scotland). www.equalityhumanrights.com/publication/involvement-and-public-sector-equality-duty-guide-public- authorities-scotland Is Scotland fairer? (2015) www.equalityhumanrights.com/about-us/devolved-authorities/commission-scotland/about-commission- scotland/scotland-fairer/scotland-fairer-report EHRC research publications. www.equalityhumanrights.com/about-us/devolved-authorities/commission-scotland/research-scotland ECU (2015) Performance of the specific duties in Scotland 2015. www.ecu.ac.uk/guidance-resources/equality-legislation/performance-specific-duties-scotland-2015
© Equality Challenge Unit August 2016 Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions 26 9 Equality Challenge Unit
Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) supports higher education institutions across the UK and in colleges in Scotland to advance equality and diversity for staff and students
ECU provides research, information and guidance, training, events and Equality Charters that drive forward change and transform organisational culture in teaching, learning, research and knowledge exchange. We have over ten years’ experience of supporting institutions to remove barriers to progression and success for all staff and students.
ECU believes that the benefits of equality and diversity and inclusive practice are key to the wellbeing and success of individuals, the institution’s community, the efficiency and excellence of institutions, and the growth of further and higher education in a global environment.
We are a registered charity funded by the Scottish Funding Council, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales and Universities UK, and through direct subscription from higher education institutions in England and Northern Ireland.
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