Equality Data Improvement Programme (EDIP) Project Board minutes: March 2025

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
• Amy Tucker, Social Researcher – Equality Analysis Team, Communities Analysis Division
• Maria Bayer, Assistant Statistician – Equality Analysis Team, Communities Analysis Division

• Amanda Gordon, Head of Strategic Anti Racism and Disability Equality Jonathan Wright, Senior Principal Researcher & Head of Equality and Social Justice, CAD

• Philip Heritage-Vivers (Fair Work, deputising for David Holmes)

External:

• Ali Hosie, Scottish Human Rights Commission
• Jennifer England Non-Departmental Public Bodies Equality Forum (NDPB)
• Rishma Maini, Public Health Scotland
• Kerry Gillespie, Equality and Human Rights (EHRC – deputising for Hannah Telling)

Apologies:

• Molly Halligan, Senior Social Researcher – Equality Analysis Team, Communities Analysis Division
• Brianna Fletcher, COSLA
• Hannah Telling, Equality and Human Rights (EHRC)
• Nick Cassidy, Improvement Service
• David Holmes, Head of Wellbeing Economy and Capability Unit, Directorate for Jobs and Wellbeing Economy
• Gill McCrum, Mainstreaming, Scottish Government (Deputising for Rob Priestley)
• Lesley Crozier, Scottish Council's Equality Network (SCEN)

Items and actions

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

AMcA summarised the agenda for the meeting: to provide an update on progress against the actions in the Equality Evidence Strategy 2023-2025; a presentation on next steps for the Equality Evidence Strategy in the final year; and to share updates from external Project Board members.

BC provided an overview of the Highlight Report.

AMcA stressed the value of NRS flexible table builder which will be updated with the final set of equality variables by the end of March.

AMcA asked about the main findings of the Intersectional Evidence Review on Minority Ethnic Women’s Experiences in Scotland report.

• BC responded that the report explores a range of topic areas that align with the Gender Equality Index and National Performance Framework. It refers to quantitative and qualitative data, including new analysis from existing data. The team found that this mixed methods approach allowed for more clarity around experiences and outcomes, especially where samples sizes were small. Data gaps emerged across a number of areas but addressing these require an intersectional and mixed methods approach.

Spotlight updates – final year of the Equality Evidence Strategy

AMcA invited Beth to talk about next steps regarding the Equality Evidence Strategy.

The presentation included a summary of the Interim Review:

• Overall, the interim review showed good progress as most actions were on course and there were clear reasons for other actions being delayed.
• Opportunities highlighted that the next Strategy should consider carefully how actions are formed. Other opportunities mentioned included the benefits of action leads connecting with other analysts and policy colleagues to share expertise and increase buy-in and prioritisation of the action’s work.
• The challenges around achieving actions included resourcing and de-prioritisation of actions due to other work.
• Two actions are now marked as ‘no longer feasible’ and amendments to some actions through course corrections were required.
• The Review also highlighted equality evidence improvements happening outside strategy and learnings to take forward, for example the development of handovers for new staff and a new community of practice for analysts using Equality Evidence.

BC paused for members to reflect.

Attendee asked what succession is being planned as the Strategy comes to an end soon?

BC explained that this will be covered next but that the team are interested in hearing the views of the EDIP board on the future of this and the next Strategy.

The presentation continued. BC proposed the idea of ‘Roadshows’ to promote equality evidence work both within the Strategy and other equality work across Scottish Government.

• Set to start in spring 2025, via a mix of in person and online sessions to external stakeholders with an interest in equalities and/or specific characteristics.
• These stakeholders will be invited to come along and have a discussion and collaborate on what the future of the Strategy might look like.

BC asked the board on their views of the proposed roadshows, who should be invited and what the focus of these roadshows should be?

Attendee agreed that this is a good idea to showcase equality work. Attendee stressed that the team will need to be clear on the objectives of the roadshows and suggested ‘what we have done and where are we going’ as a focus.

BC agreed that we want to hear from stakeholders about where the Strategy is going so that will be an important part.

Attendee responded to the question about who should be involved. They stated that there is a new work happening in health and noted the new Scottish Health Equity Research unit who may be interested in attending.

AMcA asked what opportunities there are to engage with different groups who wouldn’t be as involved or haven’t been involved previously?

Beth noted this and stated that if others on the call have thoughts, they can email the Equality Analysis Team or set up a separate call.

The presentation continued. BC spoke about the final year ahead:

• The team will implement learnings and actions from the interim review and design the roadshows.
• The team proposed conducting a light evaluation of the current Strategy to build on the detailed findings of the interim review. The team would like to engage more with the question of ‘impact’ and are considering re-running the data audit to highlight where existing data gaps are now 3 years on.

BC asked the board whether the Strategy is having enough impact in the final year with this approach and whether there are other steps to making the final year more impactful and valuable? Equally, whether we are being agile enough given the equality evidence space is moving quickly?

AMcA asked how we conduct the next stage or do we move on to the next Strategy now?

Attendee responded that they came into the EDIP board during the middle of the Strategy. They asked what the desired impact was at the outset of the Strategy and whether the group think this has been met? How useful will it be to continue with the remainder of the activities? Attendee agreed that flexibility and agility should be built in going forward to help respond to changing environments.

BC agreed that we would like to think this agility will be built in. The Strategy has three overarching principles set out and although that there has been improvements in these areas, there is room for more. Reassessment of the Strategies priorities in the current context is required.

AMcA asked about how we identify barriers and asked attendees what they want to see in the evaluation?

Attendee reflected on their own recent work on theory of change and that there has been a strong focus on what they are trying to achieve rather than on lots of outputs. Also, that good institutional awareness and buy-in is important and highlighted that collecting data when it is not what we necessarily need is not useful. Attendee suggested that, regarding of the challenges, if the impact of the Strategy was not what we anticipated it would be, then we should think this through more for the next iteration.

PHV reported that they had attempted to take an intersectional approach within Fair Work but faced some challenges, primarily what data is recorded by employers. PHV noted additional challenges of working with equality evidence without a unified view of best measures or indicators.

Attendee mentioned that Minister Stewart attended a meeting of the NDPB Equalities Forum where they were looking ahead, thinking about how changes going forward will impact this area of work. Attendee noted that the Minister asked to attend which is new and positive and shows interest in the area.

Attendee noted, on behalf of the attendee they were deputising for, that they would be particularly keen to see any evaluation or analysis of Strategy actions where novel methods had been employed.

BC reiterated that if any of the Board want to have a separate conversation in relation to today’s topic then this can be arranged and that the team are keen for the Board to influence what happens next in the final year.

BC concluded that her team will share with the board the proposal for the roadshows, evaluation and next steps for a future evidence strategy.

The following attendees provided an update:

• RM: PHS are creating a new race and ethnicity dataset which has used data from 15 different health data sources. The team are also developing a code of practice on how to responsibly report on race and ethnicity data. The team has also recently commissioned an evidence review on structural racism and health inequalities. SG is also in discussions with PHS around PHS taking over the long term monitoring of health inequalities reports.
• JE [written comment in chat]: “Main update from our Forum is the attendance of Minister Stewart at our meeting last week as I mentioned. She asked to come along, and we provided her with four questions from our members in advance and she was happy to answer. She has also offered written responses to other questions we did not have time to cover. Very positive to have a Minister who is so engaged and passionate in the area.”

AMcA noted equality assessments need more data to properly assess the impact.

AMcA noted the change of time for the meeting and asked attendees to let Molly know if this does not work going forward. The next meeting will be held in 6 weeks but given the amount to discuss, perhaps this will be 5. If not, the next meeting will be held 6 May 2025.

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

• agree time within the next 6 weeks to meet again
• EQA team to share plans for roadshows, evaluation and the future evidence strategy before next meeting
• attendees to contact Equality Analysis team (Beth or Molly) if they need more information or want to discuss anything in detail
• EQA team to follow up with AG for roundtable update