Equality Data Improvement Programme (EDIP) Project Board minutes: 23 November 2022

Attendees and apologies

Scottish Government (SG)

• Audrey MacDougall (AMacD), Chief Social Researcher (Chair)
• Jonathan Wright (JW), Senior Principal Researcher, Equality & Social Justice Analysis
• Maisy Best (MB), Senior Social Researcher, Equality Analysis team
• Nick Bland (NB), Directorate for Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights
• Gill McCrum (GM), Directorate for Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights
• David Holmes (DH), Directorate for Economic Strategy

National Records of Scotland (NRS)

• Peter Whitehouse (PW), Director of Statistical Services (attending for agenda item 3)

• Ryan Scott (RS), Head of Statistical Engagement and Promotion (attending for agenda item 3)

External

• Shruti Jain, Public Health Scotland (PHS)

• Jordon Gorevan, Non-Departmental Public Bodies Equality Forum (NDPB Equality Forum)

• Emily Lynch, Improvement Service

• Anna Grant, Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)

Apologies

• Alastair McAlpine, Chief Statistician

• Jon Hunter, Statistician, Equality Analysis team

• Rob Priestley, Directorate for Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights

• Lesley Crozier, Scottish Council’s Equality Network

• Mark McAllister, COSLA

Items and actions

Welcome

AMacD welcomed attendees to the meeting and invited introductions.

AMacD summarised the two agenda items for the meeting – to update on progress towards the development of the Equality Evidence Strategy 2023-25 and for NRS colleagues to provide an overview of their work to secure high quality Census data and outputs.

Progress update

AMacD confirmed that minutes from the October meeting have been published.

MB provided an overview of the Highlight Report (Paper 1). MB advised that while the Equality Analysis team are now underway with drafting the Equality Evidence Strategy, it will no longer be possible to publish the strategy by the end of February 2023 as previously agreed with the Project Board. This is due to staff re-deployment to work on the Ukraine response, competing pressures and the implementation of a two-week extension to the consultation deadline to enable key stakeholders to respond. The Equality Analysis team are therefore asking the Project Board to agree to a one-month delay to the publication of the strategy to the end of March 2023. If the Project Board agree, this would be subject to Ministerial approval. The delay would allow the team to fully take on board stakeholder views.

MB also encouraged Project Board members to suggest examples of how equality data has been used to improve service outcomes across the public sector. These examples will be used to showcase good practice.

AMacD encouraged Project Board members to share examples, and was supportive of producing engaging case studies to showcase good practice.

Attendees asked about impacts of the proposed delay on achieving other EDIP projects. MB reported that a number of projects were already either achieved, underway or ongoing. There are some projects that will not be completed by the end of the first phase of the EDIP so the Equality Analysis team are looking at including these in the strategy action plan. An example is the intersectionality data project where it has been difficult to agree the scope. MB confirmed that the team are very keen to ensure that the intersectional project delivers on requirements within available resource constraints.

NB was supportive of progressing the intersectionality project and highlighted that the First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls are scrutinising the Scottish Government’s lack of intersectional data.

Attendees asked whether a publication delay to the end of March 2023 would be sufficient to deliver the strategy. MB confirmed that the Equality Analysis team have developed a timetable and were confident that the strategy could be delivered by the end of March.

AMacD asked the Equality Analysis team to share the timetable with the Project Board, and to provide detail in writing on project prioritisation within the EDIP work plan.

NRS - securing high quality Census data and outputs 

PW presented slides outlining the approach that will be taken to account for missing Census 2022 returns and RS presented slides on Census outputs.

RS encouraged Project Board members to complete and promote the NRS Census outputs consultation within their organisations and networks.

Attendees invited PW and RS to present at their networks to promote the consultation further and gather input.  

Any other business and close

AMacD thanked all for attending and for their input in the meeting, and highlighted that the next Project Board meeting will take place in February 2023.

Actions

• project board members to share examples of how equality data has been used to improve service outcomes with the SG Equality Analysis team
• the SG Equality Analysis team to share the Equality Evidence Strategy 2023-25 timetable with the project board, and to provide detail in writing on project prioritisation within the EDIP work plan
• project board members to complete and promote the NRS Census outputs consultation within their organisations and networks