Equality Data Improvement Programme (EDIP) Project Board minutes: January 2026

Attendees and apologies

Scottish Government:

• Audrey MacDougall, Chief Social Researcher (co-chair)
• Alastair McAlpine, Chief Statistician
• Molly Halligan, Social Researcher – Equality Analysis Team, Communities Analysis Division
• Beth Cocker, Principal Researcher – Equality Analysis Team, Communities Analysis Division
• Jonathan Wright – Senior Principal Researcher - Equality and Social Justice Analysis, Scottish Government 
• Ellie Gordon, Senior Assistant Statistician - Equality Analysis Team, Communities Analysis Division

External:

• Jennifer England, Non-Departmental Public Bodies Equality Forum (NDPB)
• Hannah Telling, Equality and Human Rights (EHRC)
• Catherine Whitaker – attending in place of Simon Cameron, COSLA
• Alison Hosie, Scottish Human Rights Commission

Apologies:

• Rishma Maini, Public Health Scotland
• Simon Cameron, COSLA
• Nick Cassidy, Improvement Service
• Manira Ahmad, Public Health Scotland
• Rob Priestly, Directorate for Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights, Scottish Government
• Laura Graham, Deputising for Rob Priestley in Equality and Human Rights Mainstreaming
• Ashley Ross, Centre of Expertise in Equality and Human Rights

Items and actions

AMacD welcomed attendees to the meeting.

AMacD summarised the agenda for the meeting: a presentation on the progress of the Equality Evidence Strategy evaluation, the next Equality Evidence Strategy timeline and activities, and the role of EDIP in 2026; and to share updates from external Project Board members.

AMacD invited MH to deliver a presentation on the progress of the evaluation, the next Equality Evidence Strategy, and the role of EDIP in 2026.

This presentation included:

• An overview of the evaluation of the current strategy. Analysis is still ongoing including analysing the results of the action holder questionnaire, EDIP board questionnaire and the interim review. The Equality Analysis Team are aiming to provide early sight of the report to EDIP board members in mid-February, with intended publication date by the end of February 2026 (tbc).
• A final update on the status of the 2023-2025 strategy actions. Feedback from some action holders highlighted that they have taken forward further work beyond the life of the Strategy to improve equality evidence.
• A summary of the evaluation approach and findings so far. This included using the strategies principles to highlight case studies, organising action holder's reflections using the strategies action categories to identify where benefits and challenges may be more prominent, identifying other supporting and influencing factors, drawing insights from EDIP board members on reporting mechanisms, and pulling out transferable lessons which can benefit further work including the next Equality Evidence Strategy
• A timeline for the development of the next Equality Evidence Strategy with an aim to publish in March 2027.

At this point, the presentation was paused and AMacD invited members to provide comments or questions on the evaluation and next strategy.

Attendee asked for clarification on the consultation timelines, and at which points public bodies would input into these. MH responded that engagement will happen with public bodies and other external organisations (to Scottish Government) to inform a draft Strategy in later summer 2027. The resulting draft will then go forward for some kind of public consultation by the end of the year.

Attendee empathised the need to ensure that the EDIP board has the right representation going forward and asked whether the group will be reviewing and potentially expanding the membership. MH responded by welcoming any suggestions that members have on EDIP membership in the discussion about the role of EDIP.

Attendee asked whether the Equality Analysis team will continue to update the EDIP Board on the progress of actions from the 2023-2025 strategy, including work inspired by the strategies actions. MH responded by inviting members to provide their views and suggestions on whether this would be useful and, if so, how best to approach this.

MH then continued the presentation and asked members several questions about the future of the EDIP board including its future function, the frequency of meetings going forward and membership.

Attendees expressed that they were keen to continue to be part of EDIP and to feed into the next strategy. They expressed that it would be helpful to continue to receive updates during the development of the next strategy and that the frequency of meetings could possibly be changed during this period. Attendees also expressed a desire to continue to be part of EDIP and to input into the next strategy.

Attendee also shared challenges they faced as a member of EDIP due to representing a forum with around 80 members from different non-governmental bodies and not having a clear understanding of their role as a member. They informed the group that they will be replaced in their role after June and that their successor will take over their membership on the EDIP board.

AMacD reflected the challenge of representing such a diverse group of organisations but also emphasised the importance of having this member’s voice as part of the board. AMacD stated that we will use this change in members to review this arrangement.

BC reflected that there may be learnings to take from this experience to improve the onboarding of new EDIP members in the future.

AMacD raised the issue of membership and asked for suggestions for additional EDIP members.

MH highlighted that at present, the EDIP membership represents organisation's that have a strategic approach to improving equality evidence across all equality characteristics. MH asked if members felt that membership should be expanded to organisations who have an interest in a specific characteristics.

BC raised the challenge that this could cause in relation to group size, as equal representation would be required across all characteristics to ensure fairness. BC also informed the board that this issue had been discussed previously, and a decision was made to maintain EDIP membership to organisations with focus on all equality characteristics.

AMacD agreed and asked members for any other membership suggestions.

Attendee suggested that the Poverty and Inequality Commission may be interested in joining as they have an interest in equalities.

BC also highlighted that the ScotStat board have previously suggested that they could add a level of statistical insight and critique to the board.

AMacD asked members to share any other thoughts on EDIP membership with the Equality Analysis Team for further consideration.

AMacD asked members for their views about the frequency of EDIP meetings going forward. There was a consensus among the present members that quarterly meetings would be useful going forward.

AMacD invited attendees to provide updates on their work related to equality data improvement.

AH noted that she had recently commissioned the development of a data collection to support a theory of change model. She offered to share her learning and insight from this with the Equality Analysis Team to support the development of the next equality evidence strategy.

CW noted that her team are progressing work to improve the collection of data on the equality characteristics of counsellors in Scotland. This includes investigating whether they can make data collection mandatory. Improved data quality would assist COSLA to measure the effectiveness of their interventions to improve the diversity of councillors. AMacD mentioned that she was aware of some similar work occurring within Scottish Government that may benefit CW and took an action to look into this.

No other business was raised.

The next meeting will be held 7th April 2026 to discuss updates and the development of the next strategy.

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

• AMacD to share relevant work with CW to support COSLA’s project to improve councillor equality data.
• AMcA to link in with the ScotStat board about their potential membership on the board.
• All members to consider if they have any other suggestions or views to provide to the equalities analysis team on:
  • The future role of the EDIP board during the development of the next strategy and beyond
  • The membership of the EDIP board
  • The frequency of EDIP meetings going forward
  • Future updates on progress made against outstanding actions from the 2023-2025 strategy
• Equality Analysis team to draft new remit for the EDIP Board based on the feedback.