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

Attendees and apologies

Scottish Government:

• 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, Statistician - Equality Analysis Team, Communities Analysis Division
• Laura Graham – Deputising for Rob Priestley in Equality and Human Rights Mainstreaming
• Jonathan Wright – Senior Principal Researcher - Equality and Social Justice Analysis, Scottish Government 

External:

• Simon Cameron, COSLA
• Jennifer England, Non-Departmental Public Bodies Equality Forum (NDPB)
• Hannah Telling, Equality and Human Rights (EHRC)

SG Observers:

• Reme Diaz, Economic Adviser – Communities Analysis Division
• Kieran Cowan, Economic Adviser – Communities Analysis Division
• Ellie Gordon, Statistician - Equality Analysis Team, Communities Analysis Division

Apologies:

• Audrey MacDougall, Chief Social Researcher (co-chair)
• Molly Halligan, Social Researcher – Equality Analysis Team, Communities Analysis Division
• Rishma Maini, Public Health Scotland
• Alison Hosie, Scottish Human Rights Commission
• Nick Cassidy, Improvement Service
• Manira Ahmad, Public Health Scotland
• Rob Priestly, Directorate for Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights, Scottish Government

Items and actions

AMcA welcomed attendees to the meeting and welcomed Reme Diaz, Kieran Cowan and Ellie Gordon as observers to the meeting

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 the outcomes of the Equality Evidence Strategy Evaluation PID; and to share updates from external Project Board members.

AT provided an overview of the Highlight Report.

AMcA asked if the Social Security report, mentioned in one of the action updates, could be shared. The report can be access here: Social-Security-Scotland-applicant-diversity-and-equalities-to-March-2025-publication-40494263525.pdf. They also asked the team to consider the delayed actions and how best to continue monitoring the actions that will be completed or ongoing after the end of the strategy.

BC noted owners of ‘delayed’ actions had been invited to attend this meeting to discuss their challenges and gain feedback from the Board. However, none were able to take up this offer.

BC suggested that light reporting of any outstanding actions could continue to be added on to the EDIP webpage after the end of the Strategy. BC invited any other ideas, but noted the team would consider this, and set out a plan.

AMcA extended understanding to delayed action owners. They note future improvements being made to statistical data in the Scottish Government (including a shift to cloud storage) may make these actions easier to complete in future.

Attendees had no other comments.

AMcA invited BC to deliver a presentation on the Evaluation of the Equality Evidence Strategy.

This presentation went over the details set out in the Project Initiation Document that was circulated to all Board Members, and included:

• An explanation that the evaluation will build on findings of the Interim Review published last year.

• Aim to agree the Project Initiation Document for the Evaluation with board members. Those who could not make it to the meeting will be given the opportunity to feed in.
• Explanation of the elements of the Evaluation, proposed Evaluation Questions, and how insights will be gathered, including plans to:
  • Measure effectiveness of the Equality Evidence Strategy
  • Understand how evidence that has been collected is being used for policy making
  • Understand if there are still gaps in the data
  • Investigate the effectiveness of the structure of the strategy including its governance through the EDIP Board (Board were asked how they would like to provide their feedback).
  • Consider what do we do differently or take forward?
• Presentation also noted an intention to repeat 2021 ‘data audit’ as a key input to the next Equality Evidence Strategy which would be drafted for consultation by summer 2026.

AMcA suggested offering both questionnaires and one-to-one meetings for Board Members to gather their feedback. They also suggested this should be extended out to others, not just Board members. They noted it was important to consider the effectiveness of this Board. AMcA also suggested it would be important to re-examine the Vision and Principles for the next Equality Evidence Strategy, given a different context of constraints and competing demands.

AMcA asked for feedback from attendees.

Attendee noted one of the benefits of involvement in the EDIP process has been making links and networks across those involved in equalities and with Scottish Government policy teams. They suggested this should be part of the Evaluation (e.g. What exists now that didn’t before?) and consideration should be given to what can be built moving forward.

Attendee had a number of responses to the questions set out in the presentation:

• Attendee suggested the Evaluation should include consideration of whether  the data being used, why are we trying to collect more data and is it serving stakeholder need?
• They noted there could be value to extending consideration a broader set of stakeholders to understand if they’d also seen improvements in this space (e.g. the Public Sector Network Chairs, Scottish Councils Equality Network, NHS).
• Attendee suggested case studies could be used within the Evaluation to demonstrate any areas there have been tangible impacts from the Actions.
• Attendee recommended that it would be important to show some consideration/reflection of what else, beyond the Equality Evidence Strategy, might have driven improvements (e.g. the work of the Inclusive Data Taskforce).
• Additionally, they asked if the Evaluation would give consideration to whether the types and quality of data are meeting stakeholders needs? And if it will uncover what barriers people are facing? Qualitative research would be required for unexpected barriers.

LG noted that going forward, the role of the Mainstreaming Policy Team in SG could be considered. Suggestion that they could bridge gap between collection of evidence and making sure it is being used. LG noted there would be value to engaging with policy teams in SG as widely as possible.

AMcA noted it may be important to reach out to harder to reach people to have initial conversations as part of this engagement.

Attendee noted that it would be valuable to consider if more & better equality data is changing behaviours of those with EDI responsibilities – for instance, are EQIAs improving? Are policymakers using the data as their starting point? They also suggested it would be useful to know if the strategy has had an impact on people on the ground?  For instance, are the general public happier to share their own equality data? How do we build confidence across society to share equality data, understand why we are asking for it and see a benefit of it? We need a better way of communicating the benefit of the data.

Attendee agreed this was a good idea, and noted case studies could also be used to see these types of longer term, broader impacts. Attendee suggested it would be valuable to set out why equality evidence is important in the Evaluation Introduction.

AMcA asked Beth, to explain the plan for the data audit.

BC explained that a data audit ran in 2021 found 199 data sets collected across government and asked analysts in charge of them and which equality characteristics were being collected for each dataset. This meant we could see where there were still gaps and use that as the basis to begin to identify actions. We think it would be valuable to run this again to get more up-to-date detail.

AMcA noted SG’s move to the cloud will result in an audit of all the data we have, so there may be opportunity to use this for the data audit. Timing might be suitable. AMcA ask the Equality Analysis team to liaise with the Move2 team in SG.

No attendees provided an update.

No other business was raised.

The next meeting will be held 13th January 2026 to discuss the development of the next strategy.

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

• MH will ensure final meeting is organised for January 2026.
• Equality Analysis team will consider reporting mechanism for delayed actions in the Strategy are established.
• Equality Analysis team will continue to liaise with the Move2 team to understand timings and opportunities regarding ‘Data Audit’.