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

Attendees and apologies

Scottish Government:

• Audrey MacDougall, Chief Social Researcher (co-chair)
• 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
• Maria Bayer, Assistant Statistician – Equality Analysis Team, Communities Analysis Division
• Katherine Ross (deputising for David Holmes)
• Christopher McCrum, National Records of Scotland (Census)

External:

• Jennifer England Non-Departmental Public Bodies Equality Forum (NDPB)
• Hannah Telling, Equality and Human Rights (EHRC)
• Brianna Fletcher, COSLA
• Lorna Watson, Public Health Scotland (deputising for Rishma Maini)
• Nick Cassidy, Improvement Service

Apologies:

• Amanda Gordon, Head of Strategic Anti Racism and Disability Equality
• David Holmes, Head of Wellbeing Economy and Capability Unit, Directorate for Jobs and Wellbeing Economy
• Gill McCrum, Mainstreaming, Scottish Government (Deputising for Rob Priestley)
• 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)
• Rishma Maini, Public Health Scotland
• Ali Hosie, Scottish Human Rights Commission
• Shruti Jain, Public Health Scotland

Items and actions

AMacD welcomed attendees to the meeting and invited new introductions from the group.

AMacD summarised the agenda for the meeting: to provide an update on progress against the actions in the Equality Evidence Strategy 2023-2025; to provide a brief update about plans for the Equality Evidence Strategy Interim report; a presentation on Census 2022 data and the future Flexible Table Builder; and to share updates from external Project Board members.

MH provided an overview of the Highlight Report.

Attendees asked no questions.

MH provided an update on the Interim Report. This included:

• Timeline overview
• Actions identified that require small amendments (additional wording)
• Actions identified that require ‘course corrections’ (change in context or change in methodology) to be added alongside the original action
• Proposal of action status ‘No Longer Feasible’. MH sought approval from chairs and project board to introduce this status and to apply this status from January 2025 to two actions where work is no longer possible to complete in the lifetime of the Strategy due to delays with datasets. Alternatives for both these actions had been considered in depth but none were identified that easily filled the gap without jeopardising the original intention of the action.
• MH stressed to the Board that if other analysis wished to use this status, they must show consideration a range of alternatives to carrying out their action and seek approval from the EDIP board members before being able to apply this to their action.

AMacD approved this new status and application to the two actions outlined. AMacD acknowledged the potential risk that it is used for actions where alternatives or replacements could be considered, however that in relation to the two actions mentioned, it was primarily due to timing of the dataset and alternatives had been thoroughly considered. AMacD also highlighted the potential that these actions may go ahead in future once the dataset is available again.

AMacD also encouraged proactive thinking about improving comms with internal and external organisations, to expand the reach and impact of upcoming evidence reviews (outlined in the highlight report) and the Strategy’s interim report.

Attendee highlighted that actions with these status’ should have a review date to prevent the action being lost entirely. MH reassured that this would be done in the wider evaluation of the Strategy as a whole at the end of 2025.

Further information will be provided in the Equality Evidence Strategy Interim report, due to be published before 2025.

AMacD invited CMcC to talk about NRS Census Data and the Flexible Table Builder (FTB). This included:

• A recap of recent publications
• Work within the Census team to ensure that the data is accessible and ensuring that Census outputs are in line with the statistical disclosure control strategy
• Benefits of Census data in comparison to other data sources (for example, exploring multivariable at geographical levels)
• Further information about the upcoming FTB, which will allow users to create their own data tables (previously data requests would be carried out by the Census team). The FTB would allow users to combine multiple variables (e.g., ethnic group with indicators on health, education, travel, work) for cross tabulation. This will support future analytical reports working with Census data from Scottish Government policy and analytical colleagues, as well as other public bodies and external organisations. Some variables in the FTB will be restricted to avoid disclosure.

CMcC shared a demo version of the FTB (using demo figures, not actual Census figures). The FTB will be released in winter 2024/early 2025.

Questions and comments from attendees:

AMcA highlighted the importance of giving users more control over the data and reducing the demand on the NRS statisticians handling requests to build data tables (which was previously the case). Allowing users to create their own tables may also allow local areas to improve accommodate services and policies.

AMcA asked the board how they envision the FTB will help them deliver services within their own organisations and whether they thought anything could be improved to satisfy organisational needs?

Attendee stated that the FTB would be a useful tool for public sector organisations who have PSED reporting. The attendee also suggested that training and guidance would be useful to accommodate resources within teams to ensure that interesting and necessary context is not missed and increase user engagement.

CMcC welcomed feedback on the FTB and also highlighted that the Census team intend to publish data as quickly as possible to better understand how users engage with the outputs. There are multiple ways to provide feedback on the Census website. CMcC noted that there is scope for redevelopment based on feedback. The Census team are currently considering the feasibility of producing different types of training and guidance for the website.

The following attendees provided an update:

Jennifer England updated on work in the NDBP Equalities Forum:

• The group continues to grow with new bodies being established and natural changes in roles. A sub-group has recently been set up on equality impact assessments.
• Within Scottish Government, the new Oracle system recently launched which should allow for better equality data on staff going forward.
• The Minister for Equalities will attend the next Forum meeting in December.
• Work next year will focus on increasing participation in and collaboration with other networks across core Scottish Government and Disclosure Scotland.

Hannah Telling provided an update on the EHRC data dashboard (being launched on November 25th 2024)

• This dashboard is an interactive data tool that provides equality and human rights statistics across a number of measures.
• This provides data for the three nations (based on 2023 reporting data). Updates to these datasets will happen regularly and ultimately, all the statistical data that EHRC use will be available on this dashboard. The update to Scottish data will happen in summer 2025.
• Work was carried out in relation to understanding and improving data gaps. Identified data gaps will be included in the dashboard and there will be an option for users to flag where data is available in these areas.
• EHRC plan to hold user and stakeholder needs testing in November and re-examine some of the measures.

AMacD and attendees expressed an interest in knowing more about the EHRCs work to understand and improve data gaps.

Attendees had no other business to discuss.

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

The next meeting will be in the new year.

• HT to contact BC and MH when EHRC dashboard is available
• MH to share evidence review publications when available