Equality Data Improvement Programme (EDIP) project board minutes: October 2021

Attendees and apologies

Scottish Government

• Roger Halliday (RH), Chief Statistician (Chair)
• Audrey MacDougall (AM), Chief Social Researcher
• Liz Hawkins (LH), Senior Principal Researcher, Equality and Social Justice Analysis
• Jon Hunter (JH), Statistician, Equality Analysis Team
• Maisy Best (MB), Social Researcher, Equality Analysis Team
• Roanna Simpson (RS), Social Researcher, Equality Analysis Team
• David Holmes (DH), Directorate for Chief Economist
• Nick Bland (NB), Deputy Director, Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights Directorate
• Trevor Owen (TO), Directorate for Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights
• Jude Telford (JT), Mainstreaming Strategy Unit, Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights Directorate
• Fran Warren (FW), Principal Social Researcher, Justice Analytical Services
• Susan Robinson (SR), Senior Social Researcher, Justice Analytical Services

External

• Alan White, Non-Departmental Public Bodies Equality Forum (NDPB Equality Forum)
• Mark McAllister, COSLA
• Sarah Munro, Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)
• Andrew Fraser, Public Health Scotland (PHS)

Apologies

• Emily Lynch, Improvement Service
• Steven Reid, Non-Departmental Public Bodies Equality Forum (NDPB Equality Forum)
• Lesley Crozier, Scottish Council’s Equality Network

Items and actions

Welcome

RH welcomed attendees to the meeting and invited brief introductions from those who had not previously attended an EDIP project board meeting.

Following introductions, RH summarised the agenda for the meeting, to update on progress, to discuss the potential addition of a new action to the EDIP Project Plan, to discuss findings from community engagement work carried out by Justice Analytical Services on behalf of the Cross Justice Working Group on Race Data and Evidence, and to update on the intersectionality project.

RH confirmed that minutes from the previous meeting held on 2 September 2021 have been agreed and published.

JH provided an overview of the Highlight Report (paper one), including actions currently underway, ongoing and not yet started.

Progress update and addition of new action

NB asked when the project board will see the findings from the equality data audit and how the project board will be involved in identifying areas for improvement. LH agreed that wider views will be needed on priorities when developing action plans and suggested sharing a summary of the equality data audit returns with the project board ahead of the next meeting. JH confirmed that a steer from the project board on priority areas for improvement would be helpful, but the best way to gather input needs further consideration.

RH asked about the ONS Inclusive Data Taskforce launch and how the EDIP team would be working with the ONS going forward. JH reported that an initial mapping exercise has been carried to identify commonality between the Taskforce recommendations and EDIP actions but there is a need to identify areas for collaboration moving forward. JH suggested that this could discussed in more detail at a future EDIP project board meeting.

JT provided a brief overview of the proposal to add an action on capability to the EDIP Project Plan (paper four), which would involve undertaking a needs analysis for the learning and development of policy makers in the public sector to enable best practice in the use of equality data.

AM asked what the resource requirements would be of the additional action. JT confirmed that this action would be carried out by the organisational capability team within the mainstreaming strategy unit as part of a wider needs analysis for the mainstreaming of equality, inclusion and human rights within SG and the wider public sector.

Attendees agreed that it might be helpful to explore this action further with the ONS and other external organisations that could assist. Attendees made suggestions for potential collaborating organisations.

JT welcomed input from the project board on organisations to collaborate on this work, and confirmed that the EDIP project board will be asked to input.

TO reiterated that this action fits within the wider work being taken forward by the mainstreaming strategy unit and highlighted the opportunity to align.

Attendees agreed to add the action to the EDIP project plan.

SR presented slides on the community engagement work carried out by Justice Analytical Services (JAS) on behalf of the Cross Justice Working Group on Race Data and Evidence (paper two, not published).

Attendees highlighted that the reflections from the engagement work are not specific to justice and are applicable to other sectors, and echo discussions in the Expert Reference Group on COVID-19 and Ethnicity.

Attendees also highlighted a lack of diversity among project board members and the need to involve people with lived experience of the issues raised.

TO highlighted that Ministers are keen that the Mainstreaming Equality and Human Rights Strategy talks to involving those with lived experience. The learning gathered from the engagement work could be used to inform strategy. TO also highlighted work being carried out with officials in the Scottish Government Open Government team to develop a participation framework.

NB highlighted the Scottish Government commitment to take forward an anti-racist approach to policy making, and highlighted applications to research and data collection. NB suggested that the project board consider how best to take that approach forward.

RH asked the EDIP team to consider whether there are recommendations arising from the engagement work that are not captured in the EDIP project plan, and consider membership of the project board and where advice is drawn from, especially with regard to lived experience.

Cross Justice Working Group on Race Data and Evidence: community engagement

SR presented slides on the community engagement work carried out by Justice Analytical Services (JAS) on behalf of the Cross Justice Working Group on Race Data and Evidence (Paper two, not published).

Attendees highlighted that the reflections from the engagement work are not specific to justice and are applicable to other sectors, and echo discussions in the Expert Reference Group on COVID-19 and Ethnicity.

Attendees also highlighted a lack of diversity among project board members and the need to involve people with lived experience of the issues raised.

TO highlighted that Ministers are keen that the Mainstreaming Equality and Human Rights Strategy talks to involving those with lived experience. The learning gathered from the engagement work could be used to inform strategy. TO also highlighted work being carried out with officials in the Scottish Government Open Government team to develop a participation framework.

NB highlighted the Scottish Government commitment to take forward an anti-racist approach to policy making, and highlighted applications to research and data collection. NB suggested that the project board consider how best to take that approach forward.

RH asked the EDIP team to consider whether there are recommendations arising from the engagement work that are not captured in the EDIP project plan, and consider membership of the project board and where advice is drawn from, especially with regard to lived experience.

Intersectionality project

RS and MB presented slides on the ‘understanding structural intersectional inequality in Scotland’ project (paper three) and invited comments, particularly on stakeholder engagement.

JT highlighted a strong read across to the new EDIP action on training needs.

Attendees were supportive of the project, and highlighted opportunities to engage with wider stakeholders.

RH highlighted a need to define the scale of ambition– what would ‘good’ look like at the end of the project.

AOB and close

Attendees suggested extending the duration of future meetings to 90 minutes, where the agenda requires additional time.

RH summarised agreed actions, and thanked all for attending and for their input in the meeting.

Actions

• SG to provide a summary of equality data audit returns to the project board in advance of the December meeting
• SG to consider ways of gathering input on equality data improvement plans from the project board and wider stakeholders
• SG to identify areas to collaborate with the ONS and report back to the project board
• SG to review recommendations arising from the community engagement work carried out by JAS and any potential gaps in the EDIP project plan
• SG to further consider opportunities to gather input from those with lived experience
• SG to develop indicators of success for the intersectionality project

Papers:

• highlight report

• project overview

• EDIP proposal