ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses

INTRODUCTORY GUIDANCE TO EQUALITY SCREENING AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT TRAVEL AND EXPENSES PROCESS What is it? Equality screening and impact assessment helps us consider the effect of our policies and practices1 on different people. It helps us minimise negative impact and potential discrimination and promote opportunities to advance equality, inclusion and good relations between different groups of people. There are two main elements to equality screening and impact assessment. Firstly a set of equality screening questions are reviewed. These questions help determine whether the policy is relevant to equality and whether it needs to go through an equality impact assessment. The second element, if required, is the equality impact assessment meeting. This is where a panel of people review the proposed policy, particularly thinking about its impact on different groups of people, trying to identify and counter any potential negative impact and promote any opportunities to enhance equality. The panel suggests actions for the policy owner to adopt. Why do we do it? The process helps us improve our policies and build equality into our work. Equality screening and impact assessment helps us consider the potential impact of what we do on different groups who are susceptible to unjustified discrimination, some of whom are legally protected against this, whether by UK or other law. It helps us demonstrate that we have proactively considered equality when developing our policies. When should we do it? Assessing the impact on equality should start early in the policy development process, or at the early stage of a review. Assessing the impact on equality should be ongoing rather than a one-off exercise, because circumstances change over time, so equality considerations should be taken into account both as the policy is developed and also as it is implemented. The guidance here is to help assess the impact on equality before the policy is implemented. It takes some time to properly set up an equality impact assessment meeting if one is needed, so the equality screening questions should be considered as early as possible once the policy is drafted. If an equality impact assessment is required it will take a little time to identify a chair, a note-taker, a diverse panel and to set up the meeting arrangements. In addition once the meeting has taken place there are likely to be actions to be implemented before the policy is launched. All this needs to be considered when determining the best time to address equality screening and impact assessment. When we are implementing a policy that has been developed elsewhere, for example by a government department, or by a partner organisation we also need to assess the impact on equality. Although responsibility for the policy itself rests with the organisation that developed it, we may have choices in how it is implemented that can help eliminate potential discrimination and promote equality, inclusion and good relations. How do we do it? Consider the purpose of the policy, the context in which it will operate, who it should benefit and what results are intended from it. Reflect on its potential impact on people with different equality categories and think about which aspects of the policy, if any, are most relevant to equality. Answer the equality

1 Consistent with its broad definition in Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act and other equality legislation, this guidance uses the term ‘policy’ as a shorthand for policies, practices, activities and significant decisions about how we work and carry out our functions.

1 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses screening questions to determine whether an equality impact assessment meeting is necessary. Identify someone to chair the equality impact assessment panel meeting, if one is necessary, and someone to take the notes. The chair and note-taker play a crucial role and specific guidance has been developed to support them (guidance for Chairs; guidance for Note-takers). A diverse panel should be approached, including a range of colleagues from different teams/departments/countries/regions as appropriate, some of whom should be directly involved in or impacted by the policy. Panel members should be sent the part-completed ESIA form and the policy documents, giving them at least a full week to read them and prepare for the meeting. We particularly focus on the following equality categories (many of which are protected by equality legislation in the UK and beyond): age, dependant responsibilities (with or without), disability, gender including transgender, marital status/civil partnership, political opinion, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnic origin, religion or belief and sexual orientation. Invariably there are other areas to consider including full-time/part-time working, geographical location, tribe/caste/clan or language, dependent on the country. We also review what is being proposed against the organisation’s values (creativity, integrity, mutuality, professionalism and valuing people). After the meeting the action points identified by the panel are reviewed by the policy owner and implemented as appropriate. The policy owner confirms implementation of the action points (and outlines a justification for any action points that won’t be taken forward) and then signs off and sends the completed form to [email protected]. Northern Ireland There is particular legislation in Northern Ireland which requires a more detailed process of equality screening and impact assessment for policies that are deemed to have high relevance to equality. This includes external consultation with relevant contacts and organisations. Given this, there is a need to confirm whether the proposed policy affects anyone in Northern Ireland. If it does, all parts of the form need to be completed and the guidance at Annex A must be read and followed.

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EQUALITY SCREENING POLICY2 DETAILS – Please complete Title of policy TRAVEL AND EXPENSES PROCESS Name of policy owner Andrew Fotheringham Intended implementation 18 January 2016/later amended to February date 2016

BACKGROUND - Provide brief background information about the policy, or change to it. Include rationale, intended beneficiaries and expected outcomes. (Use as much space as you wish, the text box below will expand as you enter information). The T&E project was set up to address concerns that the current arrangements for the management of business expenses for British Council staff are no longer fit for purpose. The original remit of the project was: To develop revised T&E arrangements for UK staff and UK appointed staff overseas which:  are simple and user-friendly  reduce the time spent by users and managers in completing and approving claims  improve compliance and reduce the scope for error  are cost-effective to administer and support  enable improved reporting on T&E spend  are potentially scalable to other categories of staff (local staff and teachers)

In parallel, Director HR initiated a review of travel and expenses policy, which submitted its proposals for changes to the existing policy to the Executive Board in July 2015. The project also had a close dependency with the transition to the new corporate purchasing card provider, Royal Bank of Scotland, which was completed in November 2015.

The project originally proposed that changes to the existing travel and expenses module in SAP should implemented to support the new T&E policy and process. However, following SAP’s purchase of Concur and its announcement that Concur would be its preferred travel and expenses solution from now on, the project decided to implement Concur instead. The new T&E policy will be implemented from 1 January 2016 and the new T&E process (using Concur) will be implemented from 18 January 2016 for UK and UK appointed staff. A second phase of the T&E project, during which the new T&E policy and the new T&E process (also using Concur), will be rolled out across the overseas network, is expected to begin in April 2016 and be completed over a period of 18 months.

IS AN EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT REQUIRED? To determine this, please answer the following by ticking yes, no or not sure: Question Yes No Not sure

2 Consistent with its broad definition in Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act and other equality legislation, this guidance uses the term ‘policy’ as a shorthand for policies, practices, activities and significant decisions about how we work and carry out our functions.

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Is the policy potentially significant in terms of its anticipated impact on √ employees, or customers/clients/audiences, or the wider community? Is it a major policy, significantly affecting how √ programmes/services/functions are delivered? Might the policy affect people in particular equality categories in a √ different way? Are the potential equality impacts unknown? √ Does the policy have the possibility to support or detract from our √ efforts to promote the inclusion of people from under-represented groups? Will the policy have an impact on anyone in Northern Ireland? √ Total responses Yes/No/Not sure 3 2 1

DECIDING IF AN EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT IS NECESSARY If all the answers to the questions above are ‘no’ then an equality impact assessment is not needed. Please move to the ‘Record of decision’ section below. If there are any ‘yes’ responses then an equality impact assessment is necessary. Please move to the ‘Record of decision’ section below. If there are no ‘yes’ responses but there are any ‘not sure’ responses then please discuss next steps further with the Regional Diversity Lead or with the Diversity Unit, who will help you decide if an equality impact assessment is necessary. Examples of situations where it is not necessary to carry out an equality impact assessment include:  Producing a team newsletter  Changing the time of a meeting  Planning an internal event In these instances relevant equality issues should still be considered, but there is no need to carry out an equality impact assessment.

RECORD OF DECISION I confirm an equality impact assessment is required. Policy Owner: Andrew Fotheringham (Name) Director, Corporate Services (Role) Date: 21 December 2015

Note 1: If an equality impact assessment is required, please complete questions 1- 3 in the following section and send this part-completed form to the panel along with any relevant background documentation about the policy at least one full week prior to the EIA meeting. This should include the draft policy and any supporting data or relevant papers. Note 2: If an equality impact assessment is not required, please send this screening section of the form to [email protected].

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EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT

PART A: This section is to be completed before the EIA panel meeting and sent at least one week in advance to the panel along with the policy and other relevant documents.

TITLE OF POLICY: TRAVEL AND EXPENSES PROCESS

(Take as much space as required under each heading below)

1. Please summarise the purpose of the policy, the context in which it will operate, who it should benefit and what results are intended from it.

The T&E project was set up to address concerns that the current arrangements for the management of business expenses for British Council staff are no longer fit for purpose. The original remit of the project was: To develop revised T&E arrangements for UK staff and UK appointed staff overseas which:  are simple and user-friendly  reduce the time spent by users and managers in completing and approving claims  improve compliance and reduce the scope for error  are cost-effective to administer and support  enable improved reporting on T&E spend  are potentially scalable to other categories of staff (local staff and teachers)

In parallel, Director HR initiated a review of travel and expenses policy, which submitted its proposals for changes to the existing policy to the Executive Board in July 2015. The project also had a close dependency with the transition to the new corporate purchasing card provider, Royal Bank of Scotland, which was completed in November 2015.

The project originally proposed that changes to the existing travel and expenses module in SAP should implemented to support the new T&E policy and process. However, following SAP’s purchase of Concur and its announcement that Concur would be its preferred travel and expenses solution from now on, the project decided to implement Concur instead.

The new T&E policy will be implemented from 1 January 2016 and the new T&E process (using Concur) will be implemented from 18 January 2016 for UK and UK appointed staff.

A second phase of the T&E project, during which the new T&E policy and the new T&E process (also using Concur), will be rolled out across the overseas network, is expected to begin in April 2016 and be completed over a period of 18 months.

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2. Please explain any aspects of the policy you’ve been able to identify that are relevant to equality. This will contribute to the equality-focused discussion the panel will have.

1. The Concur system is an industry-standard travel and expenses system, which is considerably easier to use than the existing travel and expenses module in SAP. However, an assessment needs to be made of the implications for visually-impaired staff of using Concur. 2. Trade Union Side has raised concerns that restricting the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses to a single, monthly payment may have an adverse impact on lower paid staff.

3. Please outline any equality-related supporting data that should be considered. This could include consultation with Trades Union Side or staff associations, equality monitoring data, responses from staff surveys or client feedback exercises, external demographic and benchmarking data or other relevant internal or external material.

The new T&E policy on 1 July 2015

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PART B: This section captures the notes of the Equality Impact Assessment panel meeting.

TITLE OF POLICY3: TRAVEL AND EXPENSES PROCESS DATE OF EIA PANEL 29 January 2016 MEETING:

1. Please list the names, roles/business areas and geographical location of the panel members. If contributions have been received in writing by people who could not attend please list their details too and note ‘input in writing’ by their name.

Panel: Jane Franklin, Chair; Deputy Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Andrew Fotheringham, Policy Owner, Director Corporate Services AJ Arawwawala, co-Policy Owner, Travel Expenses Project Manager Julian Childs, Global Information Services (Sharepoint and collaboration sites); Chair of the Union Phil Dexter, English & Exams, Teacher Development team, EDI lead for English and Exams; wider role for EDI, corporate team; member of the Disability Working Group, Union Representative Christine Fraser, Edinburgh office; Global Estates; member of the Disability Working Group and Disability Advisory Panel Colin McCormack, training team; will be helping to embed the new system over time, initially in the UK; was involved in the ESIA for the travel and expenses policy Bethan Moore, Executive Assistant to the Finance Leadership team; has been involved in T&E focus group; member of the Disability Working Group Conor Snowden, Director Croatia and Slovenia June Jackson, notetaking

2. Summarise the main points made in the discussion, noting which documents were reviewed. Note any points relating to clarity/quality assurance as well as points relating to equality issues.

Introduction The panel reviewed the following documentation, which were provided prior to the meeting:  ESIA form (screening section and Part A completed)  ‘As is’ and ‘To Be’ document, which explains what is currently in place, and the new process, v. 2  New Expenses Process flowchart v.04  Transaction Review Process, v. 04 In addition, during the meeting the Travel Expenses Project Manager ran through the demo site of

3 Consistent with its broad definition in Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act and other equality legislation, this guidance uses the term ‘policy’ as a shorthand for policies, practices, activities and significant decisions about how we work and carry out our functions.

7 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses the new system.

Panel members included those responsible for the development of the new process and providing training in embedding the new system initially in the UK and then overseas. There was experience in the panel in relation to EDI including preparation of DAF submissions, and disability, in that some panel members are members of the Disability Working Group and there was experience in particular in the panel on visual impairment. Some panel members did, or had previously done, extensive travelling in their jobs, including some quite lengthy trips, whilst others did some limited travelling in their jobs. There was therefore experience within the panel of using the Travel and Expenses system.

Several panel members had recent and past experience of being on ESIA panels, including covering Northern Ireland requirements, either as a policy owner or as a panel member (some had been on the ESIA panel looking at the Travel and Expenses policy). Others were new to the ESIA process.

The policy owners had indicated that the process will have an impact on staff in Northern Ireland. Due to the law in Northern Ireland being relatively stringent in relation to ESIAs, it is important that, should any potential for negative impact be identified, it is mitigated against, and any opportunity to promote equality and inclusion should be highlighted. Providing any of the elements which have the potential for negative impact can be addressed through the action points then no further action is needed in relation to Northern Ireland. However, if any cannot be addressed through the action points and there is a remaining inequality which the panel have identified, then there is a further step that affects Northern Ireland. The Chair considered that this was not likely in the case of this process, however it was something that needed to be borne in mind.

The Chair gave some background to why ESIAs are carried out. The ESIA process is a good way to demonstrate that the organisation is mainstreaming equality and diversity in its work. What ESIAs do is provide a framework to take a look at policies and processes before they are implemented. They help think through whether a) there is any potential for negative impact on any people in the different equality groups or b) there is any potential to promote equality and inclusion that should be drawn out to ensure such opportunities are not lost, or are strengthened. The Chair highlighted that the discussion would probably centre on ‘quality’ and ‘equality’. Sometimes points of clarity are drawn out, which help the policy owners develop the system. The role of the ESIA panel was not to think about whether they like the new process, but to scrutinise it through the lens of people in different equality categories, which are listed on pages 9 and 10 of the ESIA form, and to try to see if there is any differential impact on people in those different groups.

The Chair invited the policy owner to go through the points that had been made in the completed Part A and to alert the panel to any aspects of it that he wanted them to hold in mind.

The policy owner explained the background to the development of the new process. The previous system had proved unwieldy and in 2014 he had put a paper to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) which argued for a review of the T&E processing system with the intention of changing it and bringing in a system which was much easier to use and ultimately would provide better information for the organisation and reduce the scope for error. That proposal was accepted, a project was set up and there was quite extensive consultation around that time about potential requirements. By the summer of 2015 a conclusion was reached in the form of a business case which argued for the development of a T&E process within the existing SAP T&E module. At that point there was a steer towards that by GIS. However, shortly before committing to developing that system it emerged that SAP had bought Concur, a specially tailored T&E system and they were going to promote it as their

8 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses preferred solution for the management of T&E. It was therefore agreed with GIS that, rather than developing a bespoke process, with all the associated costs, there would be a direct move to Concur, and that decision was taken by the Executive Board (EB). At the same time, EB asked HR to review the T&E policy, which was equality screened. The aim had been to launch the new Concur system in January 2016. However, there were some issues which needed more time to work through and the aim is now to ‘go live’ in February 2016, when the system will be available to all UK contracted staff. The system will be rolled out globally after that, which will take a period of about 18 months. That needs to be planned and a project manager will need to be appointed to take that work forward. There has been a soft launch over the past week, with a restricted number of users, to test the system end-to-end. That has gone reasonably well and most of the issues which have arisen have been resolved.

The new system caters for both types of corporate credit card, or ‘P cards’ (payment, or purchasing cards). One is the TEX card, which individuals use for their travel and expenses. The other is a DPC (departmental purchasing card) which is held by individuals but used to purchase items for the department in which they work. The two types have to be reported on separately.

The draft process which the panel is asked to look at in this ESIA has been reviewed by relevant stakeholders including Finance and Procurement, in the Shared Services Centre, in HR and it has also been seen by some users who are testing it.

Concur is an industry-standard system and it is hoped that this new process is a significant improvement on what has been in place.

The Chair noted that the policy owner had already raised two points in Part A of the ESIA form prior to this meeting. These were: a question about implications for visually impaired colleagues; and an update on any change to the restriction of reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses to a single monthly payment. These are explored below.

Regarding implications for visually impaired colleagues, because it is a screenbased system it had been considered important at an early stage to ensure that the system is something that visually impaired staff are able to use. A panel member shared information from a visually impaired consultant, who submits invoices. This was that once a photo image is scanned it cannot be read by someone using a screenreader as the screenreader just picks up an image and does not show what is in that image. This, therefore is relevant for submitting scanned photos of receipts into this system. It was suggested that perhaps the naming of the image files is important as this may be helpful to identify individual items and it was confirmed that file names of images could be changed before they are uploaded.

In relation to the expectation that in general people would submit monthly expense claims, it had been identified that that could disadvantage some lower paid staff. This point had come up in consultation with various colleagues and would be relevant when people have out-of-pocket expenses. Adding to this point, the panel also raised the issue that it is difficult to define who is low paid and who is not, and those who may not be perceived as being low paid might not have much disposable income due to a range of financial commitments. The policy owner confirmed that the preference is that people complete a monthly expense claim in part because the licensing arrangements which GIS are paying for depend on the number of expense reports which are submitted for approval, and therefore the organisation has an interest in managing that number. It was considered that once people get used to submitting expense reports on a monthly basis that it will be relatively easy to do and hopefully most expenses will go onto a TEX card, so these would

9 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses not be out-of-pocket expenses. However, it is recognised that there may be circumstances, some business driven and some driven by the needs of the individual, where there are out-of-pocket expenses that need to be re-paid to a staff member more quickly than waiting until the end of a month, and so there will need to be some exceptions.

Guidance to staff, including in the training provided on this system, was to limit the amount of cash expenditure as much as possible and to use their card in preference. However, the card provider, RBS, requires people to use a pin number. This can be problematic for some with a visual impairment. In terms of personal banking, there was experience in the group of the bank overriding this requirement and allowing the purchaser to sign. In the UK purchases can be signed for in many instances and, it was considered, it was even more likely to be ok overseas as it depends on the sophistication of how cards are read and in some countries pin numbers are not used. This means that someone with a visual impairment may do more cash expenditure than card expenditure because there are instances where it is difficult to work with the technology. There is an action point regarding the RBS cards to see whether or not the pin number technology can be overwritten as it is in personal banking. The policy owner will look into this.

There was a question about whether there was a facility to request a cash advance in the new process. In the UK there were 17 travel advances to 8 UK-based staff in the last financial year. In addition, there were also advances booked to overseas cost centres. This was considered to be a very important point and it was felt that, although last year there had only been this relatively small number of advances to UK contracted staff, this would become even more important when the process is rolled out outside the UK, as had been discussed in the ESIA of the Travel and Expenses policy. Staff outside the UK probably do not yet have enough information about the new process. The policy owner expected that cards would increasingly be used overseas by local staff, however there will still be quite a few places where cards are not an acceptable form of payment as yet and where staff will need to make cash payments and may therefore need cash advances. This, therefore, will need to be looked at as the policy is rolled out more widely. It was understood that the Head of Global HR Operations was trying to look at some method to provide advances. This was a matter for the policy, which had an impact on the process as, at the moment, the system was not set up to cater for providing advances at all and therefore this point needs to be followed up with the Head of Global HR Operations. After that, a change would need to be made to the process.

The Travel Expenses Project Manager then guided the panel through the documentation, which provided more detail on the process, as follows:  ‘As is’ and ‘To Be’ document, which explains what is currently in place, and the new process, v. 2  New Expenses Process flowchart v.0.4  Transaction Review Process, v. 0.4

Document 1: ‘As is’ and ‘To Be’ v.2, which explains what is currently in place, and the new process This document sets out the current system, then the new system, and includes a note of the benefits of each change. This was considered to be a great document in terms of setting out the current situation and then what is coming in. An overall point was that the font colour and contrast with the background colour should be made a sharper contrast, and the font size increased, so that it is more easily legible.

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Working on the screen There was to be a move from having to assign the trip number in one part of the T&E system whilst the P card items are cleared in another part and need to refer back to the trip number, to the new system where it is possible to process the P card or TEX transactions and assign the trip number all in one section. This, it was felt, would be easier for those accounting for expenditure as well for the approver who at the moment does not get a single view of the whole expenses claim. This also prevents people from claiming for the same trip on multiple occasions by accident because the system will pick that up.

Accessing the system As this is a web-based application there are a number of ways that people will be able to access the system - from a GTI laptop, a personal laptop, a mobile phone (there is an app available on Blackberry Android and Apple platforms which users can download and use), and there will be a desktop shortcut. As a general point, staff will be encouraged to do all their expenses on one report per month.

Copies of receipts There will no longer be the requirement for staff to keep hard copies of receipts, once they have been scanned into the system and the expenses have been approved. However, there are different and slightly more stringent audit requirements, including the need to retain hard copies of receipts, for some EU and DFID funded projects. Staff in these areas have been briefed about the requirements. Those expenses will be accounted for on a separate expenses report associated with trips made on that funded work. This helps with the funders’ auditing. The project manager confirmed that this was covered in the training, although it was noted that this was not in the policy and it was important that colleagues were made aware of this different reporting requirements for the EU or DFID funded projects.

The overall move to not retaining and copying documents was felt to link with the organisational Green Agenda as it meant there were environmental savings in not needing to take copies, and not using the envelopes which the receipts were sent in. There was to be an ‘Amnesty Day’ to collect in the envelopes, and other unutilised stationery, and the Environmental team will be helping to recycle that material appropriately. The policy owner clarified that there was no longer a requirement for a ‘one in four audit’, even in overseas offices. It was noted that not all staff knew about this and it therefore needed to be widely communicated. Instead of the ‘one in four’ audit, there will be a periodic review of expenses by Internal Audit. Until the new system is rolled out overseas, clarity is needed on whether the UK contracted staff overseas are included in local audits and regardless of this, whether UK contracted staff overseas are expected to keep hard copies of their receipts and statements.

Help function The links to the help function in the current system are on the intranet, whereas in the new system there will be links to take users to the relevant help page. The Concur materials including the video links were felt to be very short, snappy and helpful, particularly as they have sound and text at the same time.

Access software and facilities For people who are not able to use a computer mouse or keyboard, voice activation software is a possible option and the question was raised as to whether the whole Concur system is compatible with screenreading technology and/or with voice activated software, such as Dragon. The project manager said that voice activation compatibility had not been explored. Concur have said that their

11 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses software works well with a screenreader. The project manager will explore whether the Concur software and the new system is compatible with voice activation software and it was felt that it was important to get someone to test using the Concur system with a screenreader. It was reported that on the Concur test site it is possible to use ‘Control +’ to magnify and this will be useful for some.

One person reported that they used Zoomtext, a magnification and screen reading software package, however because she had been provided with the wrong version, she had been unable to test the system on the latest version of Zoomtext. This is something which it would be useful to follow up, as there are a number of colleagues with different types of visual impairment, and it is important to meet the needs of existing colleagues.

Roles It was felt that in the document there was great emphasis on the advantages for ‘travel assistants’ in the new system and most people do not have a travel assistant and do their own expenses. It was suggested that the wording should just be changed to ‘the traveller’, or perhaps both ‘travel assistant’ and ‘traveller’, as some people have travel assistant responsibilities and do multiple people’s expenses.

Uploading receipts Regarding receipts, hard copies are no longer required to be kept (with the exception of expenses on the EU and DFID funded projects, noted above) or sent, in the travel expenses envelopes, to the Shared Services Centre, as long as they have been scanned and approved (the document needs to be updated as it still refers to the requirement to keep physical receipts for 12 months, and the Tax team have confirmed that, as long as the receipts in Concur are legible, there is no requirement to hold on to paper copies any more). It was noted that it would be useful to use a smartphone to capture the images of receipts. That technology is available and would be of use to people within the organisation. It was suggested that, as not everyone has smartphones, this is something that could be offered to those who are visually impaired (it was noted that the information on the intranet now shows that the policy has changed on smartphones and these are now standard issue when people apply for a phone or upgrade to a new one). It was suggested that this change of policy should be advertised in connection with the new T&E process as it was not clear how widely it was known. In this context, a panel member informed the group that there is software which reads back the content of any writing which appears in a photo or scanned image. So, for example, a photo of a receipt could be taken and it would be possible to use the software to have the contents read back. Further to the meeting, panel member Christine Fraser sent the details of the software, which she has tested and found really impressive. It is called KNFB Reader. This app is fully compatible with both Android and IOS devices. Further information on it and relevant links to the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store where the KNFB Reader can be downloaded from can be found at http://www.knfbreader.com/. It costs £79 and interestingly on the website it mentions reading receipts. It was unclear how colleagues who are visually impaired are currently managing with receipts and scanning copies, particularly because receipts are generally quite small, and if the KNFB software overcomes the problem about not being able to read scanned documents that could be very helpful. It was suggested that this should be followed up, including looking into licensing options.

It was suggested that an Easy Step guide for scanning receipts would be useful, particularly if using a mobile phone. The project manager said that there was a ‘How to Guide’ (currently called Easy Step Guides, ESGs). It was agreed to look at the ‘How to Guide’ and, if it is not already covered, include something about how to add an image of a receipt. The project manager said that once the image has been uploaded to the Concur system there is the facility to zoom into the receipt, i.e.

12 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses magnify it, so this can help a number of people including some who are visually impaired, although not those who use a screenreader, and a facility to do this will be explored.

The current system is that receipts need to be submitted individually and in the new system a batch upload can be done. This will make it easier to upload receipts (it was noted that it was important to remember to also scan any information which is on the back of a receipt). The project manager clarified that one line per item was required to be entered in the Concur system. So if, say, four receipts are copied into one image, the image would need to be submitted four times, with each receipt numbered, in this example from 1 – 4, so that the relevant receipt is associated with each individual item. It was considered essential to make the options very clear in the How to Guide, covering: what to copy; whether to copy on the multifunction devices (MFD); the process of batch uploading; and sending this for approval and then sending it on to Concur.

The policy owner said that there were different ways of submitting receipts that this can be done using different devices and this process is flexible enough to accommodate people’s various preferences. There are advantages for a range of different staff - for home workers, for mobile workers, for people who work different hours in different settings, for people expecting to be out of the office for a while, and just before a holiday or period of absence. Providing they have got the right technology on their phone they can scan as they go which will make things a lot quicker and a lot more straightforward in theory. Currently those who are working a lot from home, unless they have got a scanner, have to wait until they come into the office to start scanning and often receipts have piled up.

The project manager confirmed that the Concur app can be downloaded to a personal phone or iPad (if these are recent enough versions to be compatible with the app). In the case of a personal phone or iPad not being able to download the app, then the camera on the phone can still be used to take photos of receipts and this can then be attached to an email, which can be a personal email address, and sent to Concur.

Training The Concur training focuses on the system and comprises video and text. As well as this, there are internal materials which are available on the learning portal and these will be added to. These are on-screen demos, which are slightly more British Council-centric regarding the systems, and accompanying written material is being developed. It was felt helpful to have a range of different options.

VAT codes The organisation will always try to claim back VAT where possible and it was considered positive that VAT codes will be pre-coded. There was some discussion about the images used accompanying the VAT item on the document. It was explained that these aimed to show one person having to input the code themselves and the other showing that it was automatic. These could perhaps be clearer in projecting this information.

Material groups Users will be required to enter the material group of the item of expenditure (for example, groceries, eating out, etc). It was felt that people would find the categories straightforward, the system tells the user which items they have been using frequently, and it will provide better management information. This improved information aligns with organisational values of professionalism and integrity.

13 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses

Roles and responsibilities There are clearer roles and responsibilities in the new system for the users, approvers, and the back office staff. Based on those responsibilities, there will be timescales and consequences, to avoid having money in uncleared accounts. It was noted that there were currently repercussions of not submitting expenses in a timely manner, although it seems that that is not consistently the case, so the wording in the document on the left is not current and should be changed. However, the repercussions will be made clearer in the new system. If an individual has read the policy and applied for the P card, it is understood that they are then held responsible for the item. Individuals will not be penalised straight away for late submission. There will be a three month period to get the system bedded down, and after that there will a process whereby if the transactions are not closed within a 60 day period the card could be suspended; after 90 days the organisation cannot dispute the transactions with the card provider, so any costs would need to be absorbed by the organisation and the relevant manager would have any costs allocated to their WBS. If an individual allows this to happen three times in a financial year, thereafter if after 60 days they haven’t closed their transactions then their card will be cancelled. This is in line with HR disciplinary procedures.

Hotel accommodation There was some discussion about the difficulty reported by some staff based overseas in making a hotel booking via HRG. It was felt that if the corporate standard was to book via HRG then that needed to be clearly messaged. Regarding hotel accommodation, there were also issues around people needing particular types of accessible accommodation and HRG have not been good at providing that sort of information and that has been a reason why some individuals have had to book via an alternative provider, or direct with a hotel. There were also instances where the nearest accommodation is outside the approved maximum rate and for some individuals it is not practical to travel, or people feel vulnerable. When it is outside the rate, HRG will not book and will look for an alternative, often further away. The issue around hotel accommodation was considered to be a policy rather than a process issue and will therefore be raised with the Head of Global HR Operations. It was considered that the current wording in the policy on hotel accommodation was not very clear on this. The system then needs to pick up what is decided in terms of any policy change. It was noted that it was not necessary to book train travel through HRG and this was a change from the previous policy, principally because HRG charges a fee and it was felt that it would be more economical to encourage staff to book directly with the train company who do not charge a fee.

Timescale In terms of the three months for the system to be embedded, there may be people on long-term sick, and who are or will be on maternity-related leave, adoption leave, or shared parental leave. It was suggested that these issues needed to be taken into account and that there was flexibility before things become enforced, particularly in terms of individuals catching up on their backlog. This could be difficult for some, especially if they are still travelling when the new system goes live. Some may need a bit more flexibility and it was agreed that this should be accommodated on a case-by-case basis and allowances should be made in certain situations. This flexibility, it was recommended, should be included in the approver guidance videos and ‘How to Guides’.

Document 2 – New Travel Expenses Process (flowchart) v.0.4 This sets out the stages of the new expenses process and the comments in the cloud icons provide additional information.

Approval The process starts with the individual having a conversation with their line manager before any

14 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses expenses are incurred. If an individual needs to book something out of policy, then that conversation with the manager should be followed up with an email to confirm that the booking is out of policy. This should be forwarded to HRG to allow them to complete the booking. There was some discussion about whether or not there should be a need to get line manager approval for routine, standard travel as this, it was felt, not only took up time, but also implied a lack of trust in staff. If certain travel forms part and parcel of the job, it seemed overly bureaucratic to have to discuss each trip with the line manager and it was felt that common sense should prevail. For example, a Country Director often will often travel routinely around the country/countries in their area of responsibility. On the other hand, it was agreed that if booking a ‘trip’ which was not of a routine nature, then the line manager should be informed. It was felt that this was a policy issue and the differences between ‘routine’ travel and expenses and ones where pre-approval should be requested should be clearly communicated in the policy and the process should be such that a claim should be able to be submitted without prior approval. It was confirmed that ‘business as usual’ did not require prior approval.

Travel advances It was noted that currently, within SAP, a travel request is the only vehicle by which an advance can be received. However, Concur has its own travel advance process. As this rolls out, requirements on a country by country basis will be assessed and the travel advance process within Concur can be added to a country’s roll-out.

Expense report Once travel expenses have been incurred, the next stage is for the individual to create an expense report. This should be filled out on a monthly basis rather than on a trip by trip basis. So, for example, if an individual has travelled to Manchester four times in a month there is no expectation that four expenses claims will be submitted. There should be one for the whole month.

Previously the credit card transactions came in on a monthly basis. With the RBS card provider there is an arrangement for transactions to come into the Concur system on a daily basis. This means that individuals can build their expense report, including via their mobile app, during the month, it does not all have to be done in one go at the end of the month. It was confirmed that RBS would provide daily reports, but HSBC would not. RBS will be the preferred platform for the organisation, so as the process is rolled out, RBS cards will be issued. It was suggested that there needed to be a recognition that when this process starts, UK contracted staff overseas will not have the daily uploads, as a number have HSBC cards. This is currently around 160 staff and there is a plan under way to migrate those people from HSBC to RBS by the end of March 2016. That migration will happen separately from the roll-out of the Concur system to the overseas network.

Receipts will be able to be uploaded while the expense report is being prepared and there are multiple ways of getting the receipts into the system. Credit card bills will not need to be copied and uploaded by individuals because that information will be uploaded daily to Concur itself. Any mobile phone bills will need to be uploaded. There is a way of splitting out on the system personal phone calls from business calls.

Coding Once all the information is in the system, the user should code each item. The system automatically tries to classify each item, but the individual will need to check that they have been categorised correctly and there is the ability for the user to change an incorrectly classified item.

Submission of report

15 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses

After the items are all coded, the individual should submit the expenses report to the line manager for approval, by the last working day of the month, and the approval should be made by the fifth working day of the month. If this is not approved by the fifth working day, it will be escalated to the next line manager up. If it is not approved by another five days it is returned to the individual for re- submission. In the event of a public holiday during the approval period, one day will not make a great difference. This was felt not to be a significant difference from the current approval system. It is not a hard and fast rule that it needs to be claimed by the end of the month, the only time that this might be problematic is if the transaction is more than 60 days old. There will be flexibility on this during the first three months of the system. Anyone with a large out-of-pocket claim does not have to wait until the end of the month to claim, they can claim at any time. This was considered positive, although there was some concern that the organisation’s preference for people to claim on a monthly basis may result in there being pressure on individuals to wait until the end of the month. It was recommended that this should be monitored and, if it becomes an issue of concern, then communications will need to go out to explain that it is acceptable for staff to make out-of-pocket expenses claims during the month rather than at the end. The plan is that in future, possibly around 18 months, the payments will be via payroll.

Audit Once the expense report is approved, it goes into the queue for the audit process and it also goes into SAP for reconciliation and/or monies to be paid. Now that the ‘one in four’ audit process is no longer in place, a random sample is selected for auditing.

Document 3 – Transaction Review Process (flowchart) v.0.4 This aims to encourage card users to code their expenses in a timely manner.

Based on the age of the transaction, certain things will happen. If it is under 30 days this is straightforward. If it is more than 60 days and less than 90 days then there is a call for the card to be suspended until the user codes the transaction(s). If the user has not coded the transaction(s) by another 30 days then those costs are allocated to their manager’s WBS code. The manager at that point accepts the charge to the WBS, or provides another WBS code, including a regional WBS if that is relevant and not necessarily one that they own.

An individual will be allowed to go over 60 days with the card going into suspension three times within one financial year. However, if this happens more than three times in a financial year then the card will be taken away from the individual. If that happened, an individual would have to use their own personal card to pay for travel and expenses and claim those expenses back, or they could charge any expenditure direct to a WBS code. It was agreed that it was right that there were consequences for an individual, and that it will be rare for the length of time before doing an expense report to exceed 60 days. It was considered that overall this process would be now a lot easier for people to complete.

Demonstration of the New Process on the Office Communicator (OC) System The Project Manager demonstrated the new online process via the OC to the ESIA panel and the panel commented where relevant, see table below for the summary points.

Item/section Explanation by Project Manager Any ESIA panel comments Throughout the Red data fields are mandatory. The point was raised about use of red system and how some people cannot distinguish between red and green. It

16 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses

Item/section Explanation by Project Manager Any ESIA panel comments was confirmed that red was always used for mandatory items and that green was not used. It was noted that there were some items which are blue when completed, and yellow when there is a warning. Creating a New A file name is required. The month There was a question about using Expense Claim and year are suggested, e.g. multiple WBS codes. January 16. The response was that it is possible The WBS field will already be both to change a WBS and to pick populated. As part of an individual’s other WBS codes as required for user profile a default WBS can be different items. set up, i.e. the one they are likely to charge costs to on a more frequent basis. Adding items Once the items are coded they are moved onto the report on the screen. Exceptions are flagged up, for example if an item has been submitted with neither a receipt nor a disclaimer; or no details about the departure airport, for example. The missing information then needs to be completed by the user. For some items, e.g. departure airports, there are drop down menus to select from. Claiming for If a value higher than the meal In the policy it was agreed that the meals allowance is entered then this will terms ‘lunch’ and ‘dinner’ would not be be flagged as above the limit for the used, it would be ‘Meal 1’ and ‘Meal 2’. expense type. This is because in some countries the midday meal is the larger meal and the evening meal the smaller. The project manager explained that this would be country-specific and countries would be able to mix meal allowances around. So, if there is a country where Meal 1 is a higher value than Meal 2 then Meal 1 would be classed as lunch, but at a higher value than Meal 2, which would be classified as dinner. The ‘lunch’ and ‘dinner’ classifications are needed on the system (rather than referring to Meal 1 and Meal 2) to match up with the material groups for reporting purposes. There was a question as to whether it mattered which way around an

17 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses

Item/section Explanation by Project Manager Any ESIA panel comments individual had their meals, as long as the daily balance worked out. The project manager said that it did matter, and that the allowances would be set by the countries, and were not the choice of an individual. The agreed allowances at a country level were then reflected in the system. It was noted, however, that this would be flagged to the manager, who could approve the expenditure. It was acknowledged that meal rates in many places are seriously out of date and do not reflect cost. This will now change with the adoption of standard HMRC rates rather than rates which are generated internally and which are not updated. There was some concern that people would see the rates as a rule and it was important to communicate that managers could approve the meals being taken at different times, and in some instances a meal may be more expensive, and this was a discretionary issue which managers could approve. The important point to communicate is that the system itself does not prevent individuals putting in an amount for a meal which exceeds the allowance, but it requires an explanation, and managers can approve the increased expenditure on understanding the explanation. In addition, it was noted that it was acceptable to eat in the hotel in which you are staying, and that might be more expensive than the allowance. It was suggested that these would be important points to include in the ‘How to Guides’. Receipts If a message comes up that there is no receipt, that should either be submitted or a disclaimer or affidavit should be supplied (for example in the event of a lost receipt). If the receipt is a VAT receipt, this should be ticked as ‘tax receipt’ as the organisation will then try to claim

18 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses

Item/section Explanation by Project Manager Any ESIA panel comments the tax back on that. Standard receipts (not tax) should be selected for HRG (as the VAT is so small). Itemising This is the process of costing a bill across different codes, e.g. a hotel might be made up of room rate and a few other items, for example food and phone calls. This can be itemised separately and costed to different codes. Personal calls can be noted as – ‘personal costs, do not reimburse’ (there is a relevant tick box for this). Exchange rate The exchange rates are available on the system and are the bookkeeping rate provided by an external company. If an individual needs to make a change to the rate they can do that. Zooming in There was a question as to whether it was relatively easy to move around the screen. One panel member experienced in using Zoom software and the zoom function said that Control + magnified the text on screen, or the Microsoft accessibility tool could be used. How to Guide It was recommended that tips on using the system, such as the zoom facility, should be included in the How to Guides, and included in the training as it continues to roll out. Accessibility It was assumed that as SAP are testing recommending this as their preferred system, they will have done lots of testing. Screenreader compatibility and Dragon voice recognition software should be tested, however first checked with SAP to see what testing they have already done. In addition, further information could be requested from Concur about some of the accessible features, what the system is compatible with, and what some of the workarounds might be. Approver screen Can be used via a range of methods, from desktop to mobile

19 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses

Item/section Explanation by Project Manager Any ESIA panel comments app. In the event of any items flagged, for example meal claims over the limit, the manager can either ask the claimant for more information or can just approve it (the explanation may already have been provided, for example only being able to get a meal in the airport). Specific additional points raised by the ESIA Panel Testing the It was noted that no-one had yet tested system with a the system using a screenreader. It screenreader was agreed that this would be useful. Testing the It was suggested that the system system for should be tested using Dragon speech compatibility recognition software. with Dragon (speech recognition software package) Training access It was recommended that during the training on the system the trainers make sure they are aware in advance of any people who may need additional help. This could be, for example, if there are participants who are visually impaired and their access needs to participate in the training. This kind of issue needs to be identified prior rather than during the training. Training and The training courses at the moment take-up are over-subscribed and there are not enough spaces on the courses for the number of people that need the training. This is why there are also videos and webinar materials, which are published on the portal and people can do these in their own time.

Summary The general typeface on the new system was felt to be a large improvement on SAP. In addition, the fact that the system anticipates what is being entered does seem to make it quicker to complete. The take-up of training and the ‘How to Guides’ were considered to be important and several recommendations were made by the ESIA panel about the content of those.

There are some action points around how some of the information about the system and process is

20 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses presented. The recommendations which the panel have made, or add in afterwards, and which relate to the policy which will be taken up by the policy owner with the Head Global HR Operations.

A question to consider once the notes and action points are finalised is whether action can be taken to mitigate any points which have been raised that have the potential for negative impact. If there are action points that are not able to be mitigated, then justification about why not has to be provided. At that point, final consideration will be given to whether or not further action relating to the ESIA Northern Ireland requirements is needed.

21 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses 3. Capturing information about the protected groups/characteristics - Based on the notes of the discussion (section above), record here any potential for negative impact identified and any opportunity to promote equality, inclusion and good relations.

Equality categories (with prompts to guide Potential for negative impact Opportunity to promote equality, inclusion full consideration) and/or good relations between different groups Different ages (older, middle-aged, young No specific comments. No specific comments. adult, teenage, children; authority generation; vulnerable adults) Different dependant responsibilities No specific comments. No specific comments. (childcare, eldercare, care for disabled and/or extended family) Disabled people (physical, sensory, learning, Once a photo image is scanned into the The plan to test the system with a hidden, mental health, HIV/AIDS, other) system, e.g. a receipt, it appears that this screenreader, and to explore software such as cannot currently be read using a KNFB, will help identify opportunities to screenreader. facilitate visually impaired people using the system. Providing guidance on naming of files will be helpful for all, and particularly those who are visually impaired, to identify individual items. It appears that the system may not be Tips on using the zoom facility in the How to compatible with voice recognition Guides will help access. software, however this may not have Testing voice recognition software, for been tested. example Dragon, may result in identifying an additional facility for people with different impairments. Exploring with RBS the possibility of authorising some cards to be signed for rather than used with a pin number will, if approved, assist some visually impaired people who wish to have this facility. Changing the font colour, size and contrast with the background colour on the ‘As is’ and ‘To be’ document will help people with a range

22 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses Equality categories (with prompts to guide Potential for negative impact Opportunity to promote equality, inclusion full consideration) and/or good relations between different groups of visual impairments. Offering phone upgrades to visually impaired staff in particular who do not have smartphones will help accessing the system. Checking the colour coding used on the system to ensure it is best regarding use by visually impaired people is positive. Requesting information from Concur about some of the accessible features and what some of the workarounds might be would be helpful in relation to access. Ensuring trainers are aware of needs of training participants, particularly those with visual impairments, is positive in promoting equality. Different ethnic and cultural groups (majority Following up a policy change to provide for and minority, including Roma people, people cash advances, and looking into ways of being from different tribes/castes/clans) able to provide cash advances via the system, will be positive for all, but particularly those in specific countries where it may be more difficult to make payments by card. Individual countries will be able to set meal allowances according to local culture, i.e. if the main meal tends to be in the middle of the day rather than the evening, then that will be a higher allowance than the evening meal. Different genders (men, women, transgender, No specific comments. No specific comments. intersex, other) Different marital status (single, married, civil No specific comments. No specific comments. partnership, other) Different political views or community No specific comments. No specific comments.

23 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses Equality categories (with prompts to guide Potential for negative impact Opportunity to promote equality, inclusion full consideration) and/or good relations between different groups backgrounds (particularly relevant to Northern Ireland) Pregnancy, maternity, paternity and adoption Fixed timescales for submission of Emphasis on flexibility, common sense and a (before/during/after) expenses may make it difficult for those case by case basis will help address individual who are on long-term sick, on or who will needs. be on maternity leave, adoption leave or shared parental leave. Different or no religious or philosophical No specific comments. No specific comments. beliefs (majority/ minority/ none) Different sexual orientations (gay, lesbian, No specific comments. No specific comments. bisexual, heterosexual) Additional equality grounds (such as full- Lower paid staff/staff with low disposable An emphasis in guidance and in training that, time/part-time working, language, incomes: there may be pressure to although it is expected that there will be geographical location, other4) submit expenses on a monthly basis, monthly submission of expenses, it will be including out-of-pocket expenses, which possible to submit claims for out-of-pocket would have an adverse impact on this expenses during a month and managers will group. be able to approve that. Following up a policy change to provide for cash advances, and looking into ways of being able to provide cash advances via the system, will be positive for all, but particularly those with low disposable income. Home workers, mobile workers, people who work different hours in different settings, people expecting to be out of the office for a while, just before a holiday or period of absence: The range of different ways of submitting expenses will be of benefit to these and other groups of staff.

4 Any other categories people share that might impact on how the policy affects them.

24 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses Equality categories (with prompts to guide Potential for negative impact Opportunity to promote equality, inclusion full consideration) and/or good relations between different groups British Council values (valuing people, The improved management information creativity, integrity, mutuality, regarding expenses aligns with the professionalism) organisational values of professionalism and integrity.

4. Agreed actions - Insert additional rows for more action points and number these.

Action identified by Agreed by Policy Owner Justification if Date to be implemented Confirmation of Panel (Yes/No) not agreed implementation 1. Provide guidance It is only on naming of image No possible to re- 09/02/16 Added to T&E files. This will help name images FAQs visually impaired when colleagues identify uploading specific image files, files from a either to upload onto desktop. the system or to Images check. scanned via MFD’s or captured using mobile app cannot be renamed. This has been captured in the FAQs. 2. When reference to submitting expense 01/02/16 Included in user reports on a monthly Yes training material basis is made, in the guidance or in 25 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses Action identified by Agreed by Policy Owner Justification if Date to be implemented Confirmation of Panel (Yes/No) not agreed implementation training, also mention that it is recognised that there may be circumstances, some business driven and some driven by the needs of the individual, where there are out-of-pocket expenses that need to be re-paid to a staff member more quickly than waiting until the end of a month and that managers can approve this. 3. Check with RBS if they can, when an RBS provide individual requires it Yes 01/11/15 Chip & for example due to Signature cards visual impairment, as well as large override the print, braille or requirement for a pin audio statement number for a specific options card and enable purchases to be signed for by the card holder. This is known to be possible for personal card holders. 4. Include in the ‘How to Guide’ tips on Yes 09/02/16 Included in

26 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses Action identified by Agreed by Policy Owner Justification if Date to be implemented Confirmation of Panel (Yes/No) not agreed implementation usage of the system, FAQs such as ‘Control +’ to magnify and software such as Zoomtext. Document 1: ‘As is’ and ‘To Be’ v.2, which explains what is currently in place, and the new process 5. In the right hand column change the Yes 09/02/16 Updated font colour and document v1.4 contrast with the background to make a sharper contrast, and increase the font size, so that it is more easily legible. 6. Ensure that colleagues are made Yes 01/02/16 Covered in user aware of the different training and in reporting requirements FAQs for the EU or DFID funded projects, including covering this in the guidance and in the training. 7. Clarify whether the UK contracted staff Yes TBD Process under overseas will be development included in local audits with Internal specifically in the Audit period between launch of the new system in the UK and roll-out overseas. 27 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses Action identified by Agreed by Policy Owner Justification if Date to be implemented Confirmation of Panel (Yes/No) not agreed implementation 8. Explore the latest version of Zoomtext, a Yes – referred to Clive Hilton, magnification and GIS 15/02/16 screen reading software package, to check its compatibility with the system. 9. Amend the wording ‘travel Yes 09/02/16 Updated assistants in the document v1.4 document’ either to just ‘the traveller’, or perhaps both ‘travel assistant’ and ‘traveller’, as some people have travel assistant responsibilities and do multiple people’s expenses. 10. The change of policy to smartphones Yes 09/02/16 Included in being standard issue FAQs should be advertised in connection with the new T&E process as it was not clear how widely it was known. Ensure that these are offered to any visually impaired staff in particular who would

28 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses Action identified by Agreed by Policy Owner Justification if Date to be implemented Confirmation of Panel (Yes/No) not agreed implementation find these useful for this process, and other business activities. 11. Explore the software and licensing Yes – referred to Clive Hilton, options for KNFB GIS 15/02/16 Reader, which has been tested by a panel member particularly relating to its value for visually impaired staff. This app is fully compatible with both Android and IOS devices. Further information on it and relevant links to the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store where the KNFB Reader can be downloaded from can be found at http://www.knfbreader. com/. It costs £79 and on the product website it mentions reading receipts. 12. Ensure that the ‘How to Guide’ Yes 01/02/16 Guide on how to includes detailed scan receipts

29 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses Action identified by Agreed by Policy Owner Justification if Date to be implemented Confirmation of Panel (Yes/No) not agreed implementation guidance on uploading exists. receipts, covering: the different ways of accessing the system using different devices; the facility to zoom in to images; what to copy; whether to copy on the multifunction devices (MFD); the process of batch uploading; and sending this for approval and then sending it on to Concur. 13. Communicate widely the various Yes 01/02/16 Part of existing training options and communications materials including the plan Concur training which comprises video and text and the internal materials which are available on the learning portal which are slightly more British Council-centric regarding the systems. 14. Review the images used Yes 09/02/16 Updated

30 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses Action identified by Agreed by Policy Owner Justification if Date to be implemented Confirmation of Panel (Yes/No) not agreed implementation accompanying the document v1.4 VAT item on the document to see if the message can be communicated more clearly. 15. Correct the wording in the Yes 09/02/16 Updated document on the left, document v1.4 bottom, in that there are currently repercussions for those not completing their expenses, although the new system sets this out much more clearly. 16. Ensure that guidance and training Yes 01/02/16 Covered in user covers the need for training and in flexibility in relation to FAQs the required timescales for submission of expenses taking into account, for example, people on long-term sick, and who are or will be on maternity- related leave, adoption leave, or shared parental leave.

31 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses Action identified by Agreed by Policy Owner Justification if Date to be implemented Confirmation of Panel (Yes/No) not agreed implementation This may particularly cause a delay during the three month bedding in period of the new system. Include guidance on this flexibility in the approver guidance videos and ‘How to Guides’. Document 2 – New Travel Expenses Process (flowchart) v.04 17. Reinforce throughout guidance Yes 09/02/16 Updated in the message that version 0.5 expense reports are required for expenses incurred in any one month, not on a trip by trip basis. Individuals can build up their reports during the month, because with the RBS card provider there is an arrangement for transactions to come into the Concur system on a daily basis. Online demonstration of the new process 18. Check the colour coding used on the No As software

32 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses Action identified by Agreed by Policy Owner Justification if Date to be implemented Confirmation of Panel (Yes/No) not agreed implementation system to ensure it is as a service the best regarding use (SaaS) by staff who have solution, visual impairments. Concur does not permit user interface customisation s 19. Regarding the meal allowances, Yes 01/02/16 Meal 1 & 2 because the system values are uses the terms ‘lunch’ correct for and ‘dinner’ rather affected than ‘Meal 1’ and countries. ‘Meal 2’, ensure in the Limits are not guidance (How to hard and fast as Guide and also the an element of training) that it is clear reasonableness that the system itself is taken into does not prevent consideration. individuals putting in an amount for a meal which exceeds the allowance, and managers can approve the expenditure. For example, it may have only been possible to have breakfast at the airport, which would most likely exceed the

33 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses Action identified by Agreed by Policy Owner Justification if Date to be implemented Confirmation of Panel (Yes/No) not agreed implementation allowance, or a claim may be for a meal in the hotel accommodation, which is acceptable. 20. Test screenreader compatibility and Yes – referred to Clive Hilton, Dragon voice GIS 15/02/16 recognition software, however first check with SAP to see what testing they have already done. In addition, request further information from Concur about some of the accessible features, what the system is compatible with, and what some of the workarounds might be. 21. Ensure that there is a process in place Yes 01/03/2016 In progress with so that trainers are BTS aware in advance of running training of any people who may need additional help. This could be, for example, if there are

34 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses Action identified by Agreed by Policy Owner Justification if Date to be implemented Confirmation of Panel (Yes/No) not agreed implementation participants who are visually impaired and their access needs to participate in the training. Policy issues – impacting on the process Raise the following points with the Head of Global HR Operations and, once policy is clarified and agreed, amend the process and related documentation. 22. Cash advances: Explore the situation No Not process regarding providing related. cash advances, which Referred to can be a requirement Ian Williams, for some UK HR as T&E contracted staff on Policy Owner some occasions but is likely to be of more importance in some overseas locations. 23. Hotel bookings: One issue is the No Not process difficulty for some staff related. based overseas in Referred to making a hotel Ian Williams, booking via HRG. A HR as T&E second issue is that Policy Owner some staff need

35 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses Action identified by Agreed by Policy Owner Justification if Date to be implemented Confirmation of Panel (Yes/No) not agreed implementation particular types of accessible accommodation and HRG have not been good at providing that sort of information and this has resulted in some individuals have had to book via an alternative provider, or direct with a hotel. There were also instances where the nearest accommodation is outside the approved maximum rate and for some individuals it is not practical to travel, or people feel vulnerable. When it is outside the rate, HRG will not book and will look for an alternative, often further away. It was considered that the current wording in the policy on hotel accommodation was not very clear on this and this should also be raised.

36 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses Action identified by Agreed by Policy Owner Justification if Date to be implemented Confirmation of Panel (Yes/No) not agreed implementation 24. Pre-approval of expenses: Agree the No Not process difference between related. ‘routine’ travel and Referred to expenses and ones Ian Williams, where pre-approval HR as T&E should be requested Policy Owner and make sure this is clearly communicated in the policy, confirming that ‘business as usual’ does not require prior approval.

5. Sign off by policy owner

I confirm that the policy has been amended as identified in the Agreed actions table above. If the policy has an impact on people or functions in Northern Ireland, I confirm Annex A has also been completed.

37 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses ANNEX A POLICIES WITH AN IMPACT IN NORTHERN IRELAND In accordance with the Guide for Public Authorities, policies which have a MAJOR impact on equality will share some of the following factors:  they are deemed to be significant in terms of strategic importance;  the potential equality impacts are unknown;  the potential equality and/or good relations impacts are likely to be adverse or experienced disproportionately by groups who are marginalised or disadvantaged;  the policy is likely to be challenged by a judicial review;  the policy is significant in terms of expenditure.

Policies which have a MINOR impact on equality will share some of the following factors:  they are not unlawfully discriminatory and any residual potential differential impact is judged to be negligible;  aspects of the policy are potentially unlawfully discriminatory but this possibility can readily and easily be eliminated by making the changes identified in the action points at Section 4;  any differential equality impact is intentional because the policy has been designed specifically to promote equality for particular groups of disadvantaged people;  by amending the policy there are opportunities to better promote equality, inclusion and/or good relations.

Policies which have NO impact on equality will share some of the following factors:  they have no relevance to equality, inclusion or good relations;  they are purely technical in nature and have no bearing in terms of the impact on equality, inclusion or good relations for people in different equality groups.

For policies impacting on people or functions in Northern Ireland, you must identify whether any of the issues identified by the EIA panel in the table at Section 3 are likely to have a MAJOR, MINOR or NO impact on equality. This consideration must be given to all the items listed in the table at section 3 whether they have potential for negative impact or the opportunity to promote equality, inclusion and good relations. Equality categories Negative/Positive impact on equality, inclusion or good NO relationsMINOR MAJOR Age NO Dependants NO Disability MINOR Ethnicity NO Gender NO Marital status NO Political opinion NO Religious belief NO Sexual orientation NO

If the answer to the above questions is NO, no further action is needed. If MINOR impact is identified and the actions listed at Section 4 will address this, no further action is needed. Where the actions listed at Section 4 will not sufficiently address the impact, additional measures that might mitigate the policy impact as well as alternative policies that might better achieve the promotion of equality of opportunity and/or good 38 ESIA UK Corp Services Travel and Expenses relations should be considered. If mitigating measures and/or an alternative approach cannot be taken then the policy should be subject to full Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) aligned to Northern Ireland’s equality legislation. If a MAJOR impact is identified in any of the answers above then the policy should be subject to full Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) aligned to Northern Ireland’s equality legislation. For guidance on completing full EQIA aligned to Northern Ireland’s equality legislation, see http://www.equalityni.org/archive/pdf/S75GuideforPublicAuthoritiesApril2010.pdf. A member of the Diversity Unit should be involved in any EQIAs that take place.

RECORD OF DECISION AND SIGN OFF BY POLICY OWNER: (please delete 2 of the following statements) I confirm that a full EQIA is not needed, providing all the Agreed actions at Section 4 and/or other noted mitigating actions are carried out. Note other mitigating actions that are not listed at Section 4 here ______

RECORD KEEPING The Policy Owner (or their agent) must email the completed ESIA form to [email protected].

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