Enabling activity: A skilled organisation where diversity is valued

The Electoral Commission is committed to the principle of equality of opportunity, the value of diversity and the benefits of inclusion. We are subject to a range of legislation including the Equality Act 2010, which includes the Public Sector Equality Duty, and Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, which prohibits discrimination and promotes equality of opportunity and good relations across a range of protected characteristics.

What we are working to achieve

We want our workforce to feel valued and be supported to achieve their potential. We are working to: 

  • implement refreshed working practices to reflect wider changes in our work environment and culture
  • attract, retain and develop the people we need
  • maintain and improve high standards of management, with a focus on developing our people
  • further embed equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our work.

Work done to achieve this aim

  • We published a new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, including the Single Equality Scheme for Northern Ireland. The Commission is a UK-wide body and has therefore ensured that it complies with the requirements of both Great Britain and Northern Ireland on equality, diversity and inclusion. 
  • We refreshed and updated our processes for Equality Impact Assessments to ensure they reflect best practice.
  • We appointed an independent adviser to our Board to help us continue our focus on equality, diversity and inclusion. The Adviser has made a number of recommendations around how the Commission delivers its commitments in this area, with a particular focus on governance and internal policy and practice. The Commission Board has accepted these recommendations in full and set up a group attended by Commissioners to oversee delivery. 
  • Worked with staff in our EDI group and Race at Work Charter Task Force to identify ways of improving equality, diversity and inclusion in the Commission.
  • We raised internal awareness with events and speakers to mark Black History Month and Pride Month.
  • We made changes to our recruitment process, including new training covering unconscious bias and employment law and adding questions on EDI to our interview question bank.

Performance indicators

Indicator Target 2022-23
Maintained completeness of workforce diversity information 85% 90.86%
 

 

Ongoing and future work

  • The Commission’s People Strategy has four different strands – Recruitment, Learning & Development, Management, and ICT - all of which are underpinned by EDI. Some of the key areas of focus are ensuring roll-out of training on EDI topics, looking at establishing more diverse and inclusive recruitment options, and improving on our EDI data and reporting capability.
  • In the next year, we will implement a range of changes to recruitment processes and practices, such as updating our recruitment policy, setting out clear management guidance, and rolling out a new recruitment system.
  • We will be strengthening our internal team dedicated to supporting the organisation to deliver EDI related improvements, both internally and externally. 
  • The Commission will be looking at the opportunities presented by apprenticeships, and for staff who want to undertake qualifications using this pathway. 
  • We will have a new learning and development strategy prospectus in place by autumn 2023, with a full offer in place by 2025. 
  • A ‘Reverse Mentoring’ initiative will be launched, to support internal learning and improvement.
  • The Commission will appoint a Disabilities Champion to communicate on its importance and drive organisational engagement.