Equality Impact Assessments
Equality
Impact Assessment
Record Form
A practical step-by-step approach
to conducting
Equality Impact Assessments
North Norfolk District Council
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Equality Impact Assessments
Directorate
Service
Person
Date
responsible for assessment
the assessment completed
Information
ICT
ICT Manager
Title of the
assessed
policy
being
April 2010
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Strategy 2009-2011, version 2
The status of the policy
Approved by Cabinet 18/01/10
1. What are the aims,
objectives and purposes
of the policy?
The purpose of the document is to lay out the key aspects of the Council’s ICT Strategy for the next 18
months and how the Strategy will underpin the Council’s priorities set out in the Corporate Plan. This
document in conjunction with the service business plans will be used as the basis for defining key
projects. It provides essential criteria for influencing the selection of products and partners, and
establishing product and service standards.
The scope of the Strategy encompasses the full range of the ICT customers and services, as follows:
- All users i.e. members and staff
- The provision of hardware, voice and data systems, sometimes from external suppliers.
- The provision of applications and support services, again sometimes from external suppliers.
- ICT systems are used by council services to interact with external customers and organisations.
These are not directly the customers of the ICT service, and will be covered by the appropriate
assessments, i.e. Customer services, web services etc.
2. Does the policy support
other objectives of the
council?
The ICT strategy supports other council strategies and policies as follows;
ICT security policy, Corporate Plan – Changing gear 2008-2011 (reflects Local Area Agreement &
Community strategy), Information strategy, Communication strategy, Web strategy, Procurement
strategy, Customer Services strategy, Financial strategy, People strategy, Economic Development
strategy, Equality and Diversity strategy, Sustainable procurement strategy, Environmental policy,
Environmental Sustainability and strategy, Green Travel plan, Carbon Management plan.
North Norfolk District Council
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3. Who is intended to
benefit from the policy,
and in what way?
4. What outcomes are
anticipated from the
policy being in place?
5. Identify and select your
assessment team.
North Norfolk District Council – the employer, Members of the Council, employees of the Council and
via service departments Customers of the Council. It is aimed particularly at senior managers and staff
throughout the Council who rely on Information and Communications Technology to do their job, and
who are working to exploit technology as a way of improving services and the way the Council works
for – and with – its citizens.
(a) Flexibility – responsive to the continuing need for change. (b) Innovation – exploiting the potential
of new developments and technologies, including new ways of working. (c) Public Access – recognising
the important role of ICT in communicating with and providing services directly to the public and
ensuring they are socially inclusive. (d) Shared Services – enabling the creation of new and/or reengineered services based on partnerships with the public sector, private and voluntary bodies. (e)
Value for Money – continuing to deliver relevant, cost effective and efficient services. (f) Reliability –
ensuring that the ICT systems in use by the Council are available for use when required, (g) Security –
ensuring that we protect the Council’s information assets from loss, corruption and misuse.
Name
Role
Responsibilities
ICT Manager
Providing ICT service to
council
Director responsible for ICT
Strategic Director (Information)
6. What data have you
gathered for this
assessment?
How have you analysed
this data?
7. Who are the main
stakeholders of this
policy?
Source and
Age of Data
ICT Customer survey
Dec 2009
Owner
ICT
the
Findings
Data Gaps
No evidence of barriers to
using technology relating to
equality and diversity in
written comments.
Characteristics
of
respondants are not
monitored. This will be
included in the next
survey & referred to in
the service plan.
Partners
Community
Staff/Members
Yes, via ICT services provided by
council department
Yes, all Staff and Members are
users of ICT
Yes, via partnerships set-up by
council departments
8. Are there any concerns
that the policy could have
a negative impact with
regard to race and
ethnicity?
9. Are there any concerns
that the policy could have
a negative impact with
regard to gender?
No
No
10.Are there any concerns
that the policy could have
a negative impact with
regard to disability?
No
What evidence (actual data or assumptions) do you have to support this?
I am not aware of any anecdotal evidence of a negative impact. Also there is no
evidence from the written comments in the recent ICT Customer survey.
This survey did not collect equality monitoring data, but this will be collected from
now on.
What evidence (actual data or assumptions) do you have to support this?
I am not aware of any anecdotal evidence of a negative impact. Also there is no
evidence from the written comments in the recent ICT Customer survey.
This survey did not collect equality monitoring data, but this will be collected from
now on.
Also work place meetings are being planned for carers to establish if any barriers
and any outcomes related to ICT will be acted on.
What evidence (actual data or assumptions) do you have to support this?
The ICT strategy does not directly have an impact as technology is an enabler
and supports inclusion by giving similar chances to all, e.g. where users require
specialist equipment such as a larger screen where there is visual impairment
then that need would be supported.
I am not aware of any anecdotal evidence of a negative impact. Also there is no
evidence from the written comments in the recent ICT Customer survey.
This survey did not collect equality monitoring data, but this will be collected from
now on.
Also work place meetings are being planned for staff with a disability to establish
if any barriers and any outcomes related to ICT will be acted on.
System accessibility standards are in place and are considered when procuring
new systems.
In addition any additional aids or equipment would be identified via the VDU work
place assessment for Health and Safety, and purchased if needed.
The percentage of staff with disabilities is considerably lower than in the local
area. HR have looked into this and found that the percentages of applicants with
a disability is the same as staff employed which suggests that the council is not
receiving the expected number of job applications from the disabled in the first
instance and are looking into ways to correct this.
11.Are there any concerns
that the policy could have
a negative impact with
regard to age?
12.Are there any concerns
that the policy could have
a negative impact with
regard to religion/belief?
13.Are there any concerns
that the policy could have
a negative impact with
regard to sexual
orientation?
14.Could the negative impact
you have identified in
questions 8 - 13 lead to
the potential for adverse
impact if the policy is
implemented?
Can this adverse impact
be justified on the
grounds of promoting
equality of opportunity for
one group?
No
No
No
No
What evidence (actual data or assumptions) do you have to support this?
I am not aware of any anecdotal evidence of a negative impact. Also there is no
evidence from the written comments in the recent ICT Customer survey.
This survey did not collect equality monitoring data, but this will be collected from
now on.
Also work place meetings are being planned for carers to establish if any barriers
and any outcomes related to ICT will be acted on.
What evidence (actual data or assumptions) do you have to support this?
I am not aware of any anecdotal evidence of a negative impact. Also there is no
evidence from the written comments in the recent ICT Customer survey.
This survey did not collect equality monitoring data, but this will be collected from
now on.
What evidence (actual data or assumptions) do you have to support this?
I am not aware of any anecdotal evidence of a negative impact. Also there is no
evidence from the written comments in the recent ICT Customer survey.
This survey did not collect equality monitoring data, but this will be collected from
now on.
None Identified
Or any other reason?
Can the impact be
mitigated by existing
means?
If yes, what actions will
you undertake to mitigate
these impacts and revise
the policy?
15.Describe the
arrangements for
reporting and publishing
this assessment.
This assessment will be sent to the Scheme co-ordinator for circulation. It will also be available on the
ICT page, on the Council internet and will be circulated to the ICT strategy group for information.
Has this assessment been
undertaken by a minimum of
two staff?
Yes
Has this assessment been scrutinised by your
Directorate Steering Group?
No
If the policy is new, or requires a decision by Councillors to revise, has this Equality Impact Assessment
been included with the report?
No
Have any actions identified in this assessment been included in your service equality and diversity action
plan?
Yes
Completed by:
ICT Manager
Strategic Director for Information
Signed off by:
ICT Manager
Strategic Director for Information
Appendix A – Action plan
Action
Add Equality monitoring to bi-annual
ICT Customer survey from now on
Expected outcome
Information on whether any areas for
action
Person responsible
ICT Manager
Target date
March 2012
Done?
Act on any ICT related outcomes from
disability and carers staff meetings
Address any barriers identified
ICT Manager
March 2011
Equality Impact Assessments
Produced by
David Lloyd associates
In partnership with
North Norfolk District Council
May 2008
North Norfolk District Council
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