Equality Data Improvement Programme (EDIP) Project Board minutes: July 2024

Attendees and apologies

• Alastair McAlpine, Chief Statistician (co-chair)
• Beth Cocker, Principal Researcher – Equality Analysis Team, Communities Analysis Division
• Molly Halligan, Senior Social Researcher – Equality Analysis Team, Communities Analysis Division
• Amy Tucker, Social Researcher – Equality Analysis Team, Communities Analysis Division
• David Holmes, Head of Wellbeing Economy and Capability Unit, Directorate for Jobs and Wellbeing Economy
• Amanda Gordon, Head of Strategic Anti Racism and Disability Equality
• Fast-streamers, shadowing Alastair McAlpine (co-chair)

External:

• Jennifer England Non-Departmental Public Bodies Equality Forum (NDPB)
• Hannah Telling, Equality and Human Rights (EHRC)
• Brianna Fletcher, COSLA

Apologies:

• Gill McCrum, Mainstreaming, Scottish Government (Deputising for Rob Priestley)
• Audrey MacDougall, Chief Social Researcher (co-chair)
• Jonathan Wright, Senior Principal Researcher & Head of Equality and Social Justice, CAD
• Rob Priestley, Mainstreaming (McCrum/McCombie deputising)
• Simon Cameron, COSLA
• Lesley Crozier, Scottish Council's Equality Network (SCEN)
• Nick Cassidy, Improvement Service
• Rishma Maini, Public Health Scotland
• Ali Hosie, Scottish Human Rights Commission
• Shruti Jain, Public Health Scotland

Items and actions

AMcA welcomed attendees to the meeting and invited introductions from the group.

MH gathered information in a highlight report and circulated this to members in advance.

AMcA summarised the agenda for the meeting: to provide an update on progress against the actions in the Equality Evidence Strategy 2023-2025; to provide focused update about plans for the Equality Evidence Strategy Interim report; and to share updates from external Project Board members.

MH provided an overview of the Highlight Report (Paper 1).

AMcA asked what the general overview of the progress towards the Evidence Strategy was.

• MH responded that the general progress was steady but perhaps slow in some areas. Actions delayed and not yet started mention work progressing in the next quarter. More detailed updates on reasons for delays will be included in the Interim Report (planned to be published in November 2024).
• AMcA noted Office of the Chief Statistician can support on RAP and suggested their future attendance at quarterly meetings.

Attendees asked no questions.

AMcA invited MH and AT to provide an overview of the plans for the Equality Evidence Strategy Interim report. This included:

• Background on the Equality Evidence Strategy and EDIP (for new members)
• Project aims: (1) to provide more in-depth analysis of the highlight reports and (2) conduct further analysis on general progress towards improving equality data across Scottish Government
• Project timeline: Publication before the end of 2024.

Questions from attendees:

Attendee asked whether there is a focus on collection and quality of evidence only or will the report engage with the impact on policymakers using the evidence too?

Another attendee noted that ministers would be eager to understand the impact in this way too.

• MH responded that impact of equality data on policymaking is also something that the team will aim to include in the report.
• BC raised the point that unpicking the impact on policymaking is often difficult, however the team will look to add in case studies of examples where improved data has changed policy where possible.

Attendee asked whether there were plans for a more rigorous Impact Assessment of the Evidence Strategy further down the line?

• BC responded that there are no plans for an Impact Assessment to be included in the interim review because the review is focused on the changes that may need to be made within the actions and wider strategy visions. The team will consider this for the final evaluation of the strategy in 2025.

Attendee asked how is the impact of data used in policy measured (where the policy team have engaged with equality data). Is the team considering the use of quantitative and qualitative data for these case studies? How can we involve stakeholders here and bring in Lived Experience?

• BC responded that both qualitative and quantitative evidence will be considered. In addition, BC highlighted that the EDIP Project Board is a mix of internal and external stakeholders but we would like to increase this element of stakeholder engagement so welcome ideas from members.
• MH raised the point that engagement with lived experienced individuals or groups is included in some of the actions within the Evidence Strategy, which the team can aim to include for the Interim review.

AMcA raised a point about coherence and whether evidence outwith Scotland is something the report could draw from in relation to equality evidence and the inclusion of engaging with lived experience.

AMcA suggested that data maturity assessments may be useful for this interim review process.

AMcA also asked the Equality Analysis Team to think about how the Chief Researcher and Chief Statistician can help increase engagement with their relevant networks.

The following attendees provided an update:

• Brianna Fletcher:
  • BF provided an update on the recommendations from the Scottish Local Authority Remuneration Committee (SLARC) Report (published 2024). As part of these implementation plans, the team are doing outreach exercises to several groups and including consideration of the wider equality data gaps for Scottish Councillors. Scottish Government has accepted most recommendations, including Recommendation 20 which aims to examine demographics of councillors and how this is changing. This will be an ongoing piece of work over the next few years.
  • There is also an increased focus internally on data availability to examine the gaps that the Committee identified – e.g., review family leave for councillors and explore lived experience of disabled councillors.
  • AMcA is keen to have a future discussion about this work.
• Hannah Telling:
  • EHRC launched their Strategic Plan 2025–28 Consultation online, which they hope will shape the future direction of EHRC. The consultation is open until 3rd October 2024 and the organisation are keen to seek as many views from both individuals and organisations as possible. The consultation is only accepting submissions by the online survey. The consultation covers two parts to the plan that EHRC are seeking views on: ways of working & role as an evidence-led regulatory; and priority areas based on evidence need and opportunity for impact - i.e. where EHRC could have unique impact - 1) work, 2) justice and balance of rights, 3) participation and good relations (in society / communities / privacy).
  • HT will share with AMcA and BC who has been informed of the consultation within Scottish Government.
• AMcA
  • The ADR programme is now looking at Artificial Intelligence, specifically what the impacts on socio-economic conditions are. Updates on this work may be available at future meetings.

• BC updated the group on new data actions developed for the Gypsy Traveller Action Plan, which includes deeper examination of Scotland 2022 Census data once it is available.

• AMcA asked about regular contact with NRS and whether the Census’s Flexible Table Builders will give us the data we want?
• BC confirmed that the team are in regular contact with NRS and confident that the Flexible Table Builder will be valuable for these actions.
• AMcA updated that there has been a second release of census data that includes information about transgender data that might be of interest with this group.
• Jennifer England shared that their previous experience in HR covered people surveys, equality mainstreaming reporting, and an equality evidence strategy. The new Oracle system within Scottish Government will provide more insights from staff data, which will be useful for equality mainstreaming plans. JE encourages others within the call to reach out if information about this might be useful for projects focusing on mainstreaming and improving equalities data.

AMcA thanked all for attending and for their input in the meeting. The next meeting will be on 15th October.

• Equality Analysis Team to consider and incorporate feedback from the Project Board for the Interim Review plans
• HT will share with AMcA and BC who has been informed of the consultation within Scottish Government
• AMcA and Brianna Fletcher to be in touch regarding the local councillor data plans
• MH to ask NRS to come along to present at a future meeting about the Census data
• Attendees to reach out to Jennifer England if insights on mainstreaming and equality data may be relevant to their work