Scotland's National Strategy for Economic Transformation Programme 6: A Culture of Delivery - Equality Impact Assessment (Record and Results)

Stage 4: Decision making and monitoring

Identifying and establishing any required mitigating action

Have positive or negative impacts been identified for any of the equality groups?

Following the impact analysis, a range of potentially direct and indirect positive impacts for people with protected characteristics have been identified from NSET Programmes, Projects and Actions. Several of the Projects and Actions within NSET specify that they will be targeted at under-represented groups, with particular examples in relation to entrepreneurial activity and participation in the labour market. The realisation of these impacts depends on effective delivery, which is underpinned by the Projects contained within Programme 6. The information provided in this EQIA outlines the available evidence and assesses the anticipated impact in relation to each protected characteristic. These impacts are expected to be positive in relation to removing barriers to participation in the labour market and promoting Fair Work practices.

As noted above, limited data is available for some protected characteristics and the impacts of the cost crisis will require evidence to be updated over coming months. In addition, there might potentially be a negative impact on relations among and between groups from targeting certain NSET Actions towards particular groups of people.

The data and evidence available and gathered to date are described in Stage 2 of this EQIA. With regard to assessing the impacts of Programme 6 on people with protected characteristics, it should, however, be noted that specific policy interventions to implement some of the Actions and Projects are yet to be developed or are at a very early stage. As these develop further they will require their own EQIAs to ensure that the potential impacts on people with protected characteristics, including intersectional impacts, are fully considered. In addition, some of the commitments under Programme 6 are entirely delivery-focused, as opposed to concerned with policy development and implementation, and it is therefore our view that undertaking a further EQIA will not be appropriate in all cases. We are, however, committed to ensuring equality impact assessments (and other relevant assessments) are carried out, where appropriate, as work progresses.

In light of the above, and as supplemented by future, more detailed specific impact assessments to be carried out on particular actions, this EQIA will be subject to further review and revision, including in light of developing evidence and circumstances as NSET is implemented over its 10-year lifespan.

The delivery of NSET and Programme 6 will include an effective monitoring and evaluation framework, which will include equalities monitoring and publication of an annual progress report. As part of this, it is essential to ensure that the identified impacts will be closely monitored and evaluated, which will provide ongoing information that will help ensure the delivery of NSET and the implementation of Programme 6 Projects meet the three requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations.

Is the policy directly or indirectly discriminatory under the Equality Act 2010^[157]?

No. There is no evidence within this EQIA that the policy is directly or indirectly discriminatory under the Equality Act 2010.

If the policy is indirectly discriminatory, how is it justified under the relevant legislation?

N/A

If not justified, what mitigating action will be undertaken?

N/A

Describing how Equality Impact analysis has shaped the policy making process

NSET has been shaped by evidence so that its Programmes are designed to tackle long term structural challenges, build on our economic strengths and position Scotland to maximise the greatest economic opportunities of the next ten years. This evidence includes the NSET Evidence Paper, the NSET Equality Position Statement, a semi-formal public consultation and extensive engagement with stakeholders. Since publication of the strategy, our approach to developing the Programme 6 Delivery Plan has been responsive to feedback and input from a range of stakeholders across the private, public and third sector, including equality and human rights organisations.

This EQIA has examined the three needs of the Public Sector Equality Duty, which requires public authorities to, with respect to people with protected characteristics, eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation; advance equality of opportunity; and foster good relations between persons who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

Through undertaking this EQIA we have identified areas where there are potential direct and/or indirect impacts on different groups and where work can be taken forward to promote equality. In particular, this EQIA has demonstrated that NSET delivery and Programme 6 will advance equality of opportunity across all protected characteristics, and in particular for the following groups: age, disability, sex, pregnancy and maternity, and race. This includes through effective delivery of NSET Projects aimed at removing barriers to participation in the labour market and to support Fair Work practices.

This EQIA has also helped highlight areas where there is limited evidence on certain groups, in particular for religion or belief and gender reassignment. This will help inform our ongoing work to develop and strengthen the evidence base in relation to equality and the economy, including in relation to intersectionality. This might be further supported by the wider Scottish Government's Equality Data Improvement Programme and by stakeholder engagement.

We have found no evidence of negative impacts for people with protected characteristics at this time, however we will keep this under review as part of the monitoring of this EQIA and as the commitments within Programme 6 are developed further over the course of the next 10 years. For example, there might potentially be a negative impact on relations among and between groups from targeting certain NSET Actions towards particular groups of people.

Examples of some of the actions under Programme 6 that have been influenced by the evidence gathered as part of the EQIA process, are:

Project 16: Strengthening Accountability and Transparency: in light of the data and evidence above, it was essential to ensure that membership of the NSET Delivery Board is fully representative of the people of Scotland, including a gender balanced approach to membership, representation from minority ethnic communities, and a voice for those in rural communities.

Project 17: Transforming the way we provide support: the Centre of Expertise in Equality and Human Rights training programme for economic policy officials will cover themes including the use of equality evidence and intersectionality, and options will be explored for partnership working with academic experts, stakeholder groups and people with lived experience, both to build the knowledge and understanding of officials in their policy-making work and to help improve the evidence base.

Transforming the delivery of support to businesses needs to take into account the many different types of businesses, entrepreneurs and workers who make up Scotland's economy, and one of the drivers for this work is to improve the data available about how under-represented groups access support, which we can use to improve accessibility, fairness and consistency.

Project 18: Measure Success: equality considerations have guided our approach towards NSET evaluation and data collection. Data collected as part of the evaluation and annual progress report will be broken down by equality groups where possible. Additionally, equality stakeholders will be consulted as part of the ongoing evaluation and monitoring of NSET.

Programme 6 underpins the implementation of Programmes, Projects and Actions across NSET, and one of the difficulties encountered in conducting this EQIA was in distinguishing the potential impacts of NSET Actions as a whole from the specific impacts of the Projects and Actions within Programme 6 relating to delivery, governance and measurement. In addition, as highlighted above, some of the specific policy interventions to implement some of the Actions and Projects within Programme 6 are yet to be developed or are at a very early stage. As these develop further they will require their own EQIAs to ensure that the potential impacts on people with protected characteristics, including intersectional impacts, are fully considered. In addition, some of the commitments under Programme 6 are entirely delivery-focused, as opposed to being concerned with policy development and implementation, and it is therefore our view that undertaking a further EQIA will not be appropriate in all cases. We are, however, committed to ensuring equality impact assessments (and other relevant assessments) are carried out, where appropriate, as work progresses.

In light of the above, and as supplemented by future, more detailed specific impact assessments to be carried out on particular Actions, this EQIA will be subject to further review and revision, including in light of developing evidence and circumstances as NSET is implemented over its 10-year lifespan. In particular for Project 18, we will continue to work to improve data collection on protected characteristics, and consider how such data could link with other relevant publications such as the Wellbeing Economy Monitor.

Monitoring and Review

We will continue to proactively consider equality impacts throughout implementation of NSET Programme 6, as set out in the Programme 6 Delivery Plan and NSET overall – creating a prioritised work plan to ensure the Projects and Actions we have laid out are taken forward, with a focus on advancing equality. This will support the achievement of the overarching NSET vision of a wellbeing economy and is expected to be reflected over time through the National Performance Framework and the Wellbeing Economy Monitor.

In addition and as noted above, further equality impact assessments will be conducted as appropriate on specific policies that are developed to implement NSET so that human rights and equality are embedded in delivery of the strategy and to uphold the Scottish Government's obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

As committed to under Project 18: Measure Success, we will publish an annual progress report for the NSET Board in order to enhance accountability, which will include equalities monitoring. The specifics regarding the content of the annual progress report are currently under consideration, however we will continue to monitor and engage with the emerging equality evidence as we finalise the content of the report and the common accountability framework with delivery partners. As part of the monitoring process, the NSET Governance and Analytical Unit will engage with a number of stakeholders, including the Equality and Human Rights Budget Advisory Group.

This EQIA will be subject to further review and revision, including in light of developing evidence and circumstances as NSET is implemented over its 10-year lifespan. We will also seek to improve equality data collection, including through EDIP and Project 18, so that our consideration of the potential impacts of economic policy on people with protected characteristics is informed by a strong evidence base.