Equality Data Improvement Programme (EDIP) project board - equality data audit and overview of data on race: December 2021

Improvement plans

Throughout November and December 2021, the Equality Analysis Team held a series of meetings with analysts from each analytical area to discuss their audit return and outline the next stage of the process. Analysts have been asked to identify datasets for improvement, taking into account any stakeholder pressures, data need, current and planned improvement activity, and feasibility. Analysts have been advised to identify short-term actions that can be achieved by the end of 2022 (to coincide with the conclusion of the first phase of the EDIP) and longer-term actions that can be achieved by the end of 2025 (to coincide with the conclusion of the next Equality Evidence Strategy).

In early 2022, analysts will complete further fields in the Equality Data Audit templates to set out which datasets have been selected for inclusion in improvement plans. For datasets that have not been selected, analysts will be required set out the reasons for exclusion. For datasets that have been selected, analysts will be asked to set out the priority for improvement and the timeline for improvement actions.

Analysts will then draft improvement plans to be shared with stakeholders. Improvement plans will include, for each dataset selected for inclusion, a summary of the current state of equality data, a summary of the desired state of equality data, SMART improvement actions, a stakeholder map and a risk register. We envisage sharing these draft improvement plans with the EDIP Project Board for comment, in advance of consulting with wider equality stakeholders.

An overview of RAG ratings in relation to the collection and publication of data on race and ethnicity based on the Equality Data Audit returns is presented in the remainder of this paper for discussion at the December 2021 Project Board meeting. Further summaries for other protected characteristics can be supplied to the Project Board ahead of future meetings as required.