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

Attendees and apologies

Scottish Government (SG)

• Alastair McAlpine (AMcA), Chief Statistician (Chair)
• Jonathan Wright (JW), Senior Principal Researcher, Equality and Social Justice Analysis
• Jon Hunter (JH), Statistician, Equality Analysis Team
• Maisy Best (MB), Senior Social Researcher, Equality Analysis Team
• Nanjika Nasiiro (NN), Directorate for Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights (deputising for Nick Bland)
• David Holmes (DH), Directorate for Chief Economist
• Gill McCrum (GM), Directorate for Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights (deputising for Rob Priesley)

External

• James Chappell, Public Health Scotland (PHS)
• Lesley Crozier, Scottish Council's Equality Network
• Anna Grant, Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)
• Emily Lynch, Improvement Service
• John Wilkes, EHRC

Apologies

• Audrey MacDougall, Chief Social Researcher
• Nick Bland, Equality, Directorate for Inclusion and Human Rights 
• Rob Priesley, Equality, Directorate for Inclusion and Human Rights 
• Jordon Gorevan, Non-Departmental Public Bodies Equality Forum (NDPB Equality Forum)Alan White, NDPB Equality Forum
• Mark McAllister, COSLA

Items and actions

Welcome

AMcA welcomed attendees to the meeting, and introduced Gill McCrum and Emma Grant.

John Wilkes advised that Anna Grant will be representing the EHRC at EDIP Project Board meetings going forward.

Following introductions, AMcA invited JH to provide an overview of progress against the actions agreed at the August 2022 meeting. JH advised that most actions have been completed but there remains a risk around staffing following the redeployment of a B2 statistician from the Equality Analysis team to work on the Ukraine response. JH and McMA agreed to discuss further with Audrey MacDougall (in Audrey MacDougall’s capacity as Deputy Director of the Central Analysis Division, which is leading on analytical support on the Ukraine response).

AMcA summarised the agenda for the meeting - to provide the Project Board with an updated EDIP work plan and to provide an overview of emerging findings from six stakeholder engagement workshop held since the last meeting.

Progress update

AMcA highlighted that minutes from the August meeting, and accompanying papers, have been published on the Equality Data Improvement Programme (EDIP) project board webpage.

JH provided an overview of the Highlight Report (Paper 1). Attendees asked about the nature of consultation responses, particularly those on sex, gender and trans status. It was agreed that this would be discussed under the next agenda item.

MB presented an updated EDIP work plan, including progress against each of the agreed actions and, where required, required completion timescales.

AMcA asked for more detail on progress towards “Action 1: develop ‘standard 8’ of the Digital Scotland Service Standard to ensure that the revised version covers diversity monitoring to see that the data collection of this information is built into all digital services from the start”. The Equality Analysis team agreed to re-establish contact with relevant teams to scope timescales for an update to the Digital Scotland Service Standard, and the steps required to add drafted text on diversity monitoring.

Attendees expressed positive feedback on “Action 13: working with Equality Budget Advisory Group, ensure that equality data on impact is built into budget processes and develop approaches to ensure relevant officials have the evidence and skills needed to do this” and asked how the impacts of the Resource Spending Review (RSR) would be monitored going forward. MB noted that the Resource Spending Review: Equality and Fairer Scotland Statement took a strategic approach in considering some of the key opportunities and challenges that the Scottish Government faces over this parliamentary term. The Scottish Government will review the equality, fairness, and human rights assessment of the spending review process itself to improve our approach going forward. It will review specific spending plans arising from the RSR, including those in the annual Equality and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement (EFSBS). The EFSBS 2023-24 will be led by SG analysts in the Public Spending Analysis team in the Scottish Exchequer, with input from the Equality Analysis team.

Attendees discussed “Action 9: commission external research identify key structural intersectionalities and ways in which evidence gaps can be captured through both qualitative and quantitative data”, which has been postponed. It was noted that stakeholders are increasingly highlighting the need for intersectional evidence, including in recommendations from the First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls (NACWG). The Equality Analysis team agreed to review this action and consider next steps.

Update on consultation and stakeholder engagement events 

MB presented some findings from recent stakeholder engagement workshops. To ensure sufficient time for the Project Board to consider findings, it was agreed that the Equality Analysis team would share findings with the Project Board in writing and organise a separate meeting to discuss.

AOB and close

No AOB was raised.

AMcA thanked all for attending and for their input in the meeting.

Actions

• JH to work with the Chief Statistician and Chief Social Researcher to ensure sufficient staff resource is available to progress EDIP projects
• the SG Equality Analysis team to re-establish contact with relevant teams to scope timescales for an update to the Digital Scotland Service Standard, and the steps required to add drafted text on diversity monitoring
• the SG Equality Analysis team agreed to review the intersectional action (Action 9) and consider next steps
• the SG Equality Analysis team to circulate a written overview of the key emerging findings from the stakeholder engagement workshops
• the SG Equality Analysis team to organise an additional meeting to discuss stakeholder feedback