A Quick Guide to Equality Impact Assessment

Prof. Peter Latchford

Introduction

UK legislation requires that all public service activities – that is, functions and

policies, whether existing or proposed – go through an equalities impact

assessment (EIA). The EIA should identify the extent to which an activity might

have a positive or negative differential impact on individual members of specific

groups. As a result, action can be planned to correct any deficiencies.

But EIAs are proving difficult to implement in a useful manner. This brief

document looks at why this is the case, how managers can use the EIA to add

value, and what the basic EIA should comprise.

 

The Problem with EIAs

The problem is that EIAs can be resource intensive, inconsistent and

cumbersome. They can become a further bureaucratic overhead on already

overstretched managers. They can be a distraction from proper performance

management, placing unwarranted emphasis on a paper compliance process.

They can hold back the mainstreaming of equalities, by turning the Equality

function into a police force and the service manager into the potential wrongdoer.

They can completely fail to do what they are supposed to do.

 

The Right Approach

So how should we approach the EIA?