Consultation: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy
About the strategy
We are in the process of drafting a new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, and changing our approach to producing Equality Impact Assessments.
We have to meet a range of obligations to ensure we promote equality, diversity and inclusion, and our strategy explains what these are and how we comply with them. But equality, diversity and inclusion are not just matters of compliance, so our strategy also sets out our aspirations to go further than our obligations.
We have built our strategy around the objectives of:
- ensuring that everyone who is eligible is able to participate in the electoral processes, whether as a voter, campaigner or candidate, by identifying barriers, making recommendations and working with others to remove them
- ensuring that we embed equality, diversity and inclusion in the delivery of all of our work, treating all our stakeholders and partners fairly and with respect, and being transparent in the decisions we make
- ensuring equality, diversity and inclusion for everyone here and that all our staff are treated fairly and with respect
Our strategy covers the whole of the UK. We are accountable to the UK Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd, and will be sharing this strategy with them. Different legislation applies in Northern Ireland, and this strategy includes how we will fulfil our duties as required under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
We are also changing our approach to producing Equality Impact Assessments. We have new guidance, a screening form, and an updated EIA template. These assessments are important, as they help us to assess the impact of proposed changes on different groups and ensure that we are promoting equality, diversity and inclusion.
What we're consulting on
We’re consulting on our draft Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, and our new Equality Impact Assessment documents.
We want to make sure that our strategy demonstrates our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and that it clearly shows the actions we are going to take to meet our obligations and aspirations.
Download the documents
Download the Equality Impact Assessment documentation:
How to respond to this consultation
How to respond to this consultation
This consultation closed on 14 February 2022. We will consider the responses we received and publish our response soon.
What the strategy covers
In ‘Chapter 1: What we do, the electorate we serve and who we are’, we explain the role of the Commission in promoting and supporting democracy. We give an overview of the diversity of the society we serve: the electorate and of those campaigning and seeking office. And we talk about the diversity of our own workforce.
In ‘Chapter 2: Our vision for a diverse Commission serving a diverse democracy’, we explain the importance of diversity to the democratic agenda. We know there is more to do. So we have set ourselves three objectives:
- to ensure that everyone who is eligible is able to participate in the democratic process - whether as a voter, a campaigner or by standing for office – by identifying barriers, making recommendations and working with others to remove them
- to ensure that we embed equality, diversity and inclusion in all our work, treat all our stakeholders and partners fairly and with respect, and are transparent in the decisions we make
- to ensure equality, diversity and inclusion for everyone at the Commission and ensure that all our staff are treated fairly and with respect
‘Chapter 3: Promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in the democratic process’ sets out how we will deliver the first of these objectives, through:
- gathering evidence: understanding the issues through research and consultation
- accessibility: ensuring we understand the issues faced by voters, campaigners and those standing for office and ensuring we meet best practice in accessibility
- communications: ensuring that all voters are aware of their right to vote and know how to exercise it, and targeting demographics we know are least likely to be registered to vote; ensuring that we communicate across all parts of the regulated community
‘Chapter 4: Embedding equality, diversity and inclusion in our processes and decision making’ sets out how we will deliver the second of these objectives through ensuring that all our processes treat stakeholders equally whether they are people we regulate, partners we work with on the administration of elections or businesses we buy services from. That means putting equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our processes and ensuring that we follow those processes to a high standard.
‘Chapter 5: Ensuring equality, recognition of diversity and inclusion for all those who work at the Commission’ sets out how we will deliver the third of these objectives through:
- ensuring equality and compliance with our legal responsibilities
- increasing the diversity of our workforce through recruitment and career progression
- working with our EDI Lead to look at how we further promote inclusion
- our learning and development offering
- employee performance
- improving our collection of data
‘Chapter 6: Communicating our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion’ explains how we will communicate our commitment and our plans to improve equality, diversity and inclusion.
In ‘Chapter 7: Making it happen’, we explain how we will deliver and report progress on the actions set out in the Action Plan.
Action plan
This action plan sets out what we will do to deliver against the objectives identified in this Strategy. It reflects the priorities and objectives identified in the Corporate Plan for 2022-27. These will be reviewed annually as part of our Business Planning cycle. We will report on progress as part of our Annual Report.
Action plan
| Action | When we will do it | Measure of success | Who is responsible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Continue to improve our research data to enhance our evidence base, ensuring we carry out screening and if appropriate an EIA for research proposals | Ongoing | Evidence base gives us clear data to support our aims for equality, diversity and inclusion | Head of Research |
| Continue to ensure that campaigns to raise public awareness about the electoral system are inclusive and take account of different groups | Ongoing; to form part of each campaign | Our messages feature in targeted media; good response from targeted groups | Head of Campaigns |
| Continue to ensure that our guidance is available in a variety of formats | Ongoing | Our stakeholders are supported with compliance | Head of Regulatory Support |
| Take further steps to ensure our website and our publications are as accessible as possible | Ongoing: our website already meets best practice AA standards | Best practice maintained and enhanced through regular testing and feedback | Head of Digital Communications |
| Build on the success of the partnership work we have already done in ensuring we continue to identify the needs of diverse groups and respond to them | Continue initiatives to identify groups less likely to vote and work to find ways to respond to their needs | Good levels of awareness from specific groups | Head of Campaigns working with the Commission’s offices in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland |
| Action | When we will do it | Measure of success | Who is responsible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ensure that the guidance, support and challenge we provide for Electoral Registration Officers supports them to encourage registration from typically under-registered groups in their areas (based on their demographics | Ongoing: we have laid the new Standards before Parliament | We provide the right guidance and support to EROs and quality assure that we have done so | Head of Guidance, Head of Support and Improvement, Heads of Electoral Commission in Wales and Scotland |
| Ensure that our guidance, support and challenge to Returning Officers promote the provision of equality of access and experience for all at the polls | Ongoing: we constantly update and improve our guidance | We provide the right guidance and support to ROs | Head of Guidance; Head of Support and Improvement, Heads of Electoral Commission in Wales and Scotland |
| Introduce new processes for carrying out and reviewing Equality Impact Assessments | New EIA process rolled out by the end of 2021 | Enhanced ability to assess the impact of proposed changes on equalities | Head of Planning and Performance; all staff responsible for areas where screening and if necessary a full EIA may be required |
| Ensure that the Commission’s procurement strategy includes clear EDI outcomes for contractors, and that effective monitoring of these contractors is done to ensure they comply | Ongoing | Contractors have equalities policies in place | Financial Controller |
| Ensure through our Quality Assurance initiative that equality is embedded as appropriate in all our processes | Ongoing | All processes pay due regard to equalities | Head of Projects and all managers |
| Continue to keep our internal regulatory procedures under review for best practice and to ensure that consistency, fairness and quality underpin all our regulatory activities | Ongoing | Decisions seen to be made transparently and fairly in a way which treats all stakeholders equally | Head of Registration and Reporting; Head of Monitoring and Enforcement |
| Ensure that equality is included as appropriate in our policies including our Enforcement Policy as they are reviewed in line with our normal cycle | Ongoing | All policies pay due regard to equalities | All Heads responsible for organisational policies |
| Implement a Welsh Language Action Plan to enhance our service to Welsh speakers, building on the appointment of a permanent senior adviser on Welsh language and a permanent translator | All parts of the organisation are aware of and meet the Welsh language standards | Head of Electoral Commission in Wales; all Heads |
| Action | When we will do it | Measure of success | Who is responsible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meet the commitments and actions stated in our people strategy | Ongoing | Progress demonstrated (update report to each RemCo) | Head of HR and others |
| We will continue using anonymous recruiting for employed roles (our e-recruitment system does not share name or other demographic info with recruiting) | Ongoing | The diversity of whom we recruit | Head of HR and all recruiting managers |
| We will consider the design of our roles including through the lens of being open to all | Ongoing | The diversity of whom we recruit | Recruiting managers (with support from HR) |
| We will tender for an e-recruitment system that meets our data needs | 31 December 2021 | Diversity data reports on job applicants for employed roles | HR Team |
| We will aim to create an environment where all staff can be themselves at work | Ongoing | Positive findings in all staff surveys and feedback from staff groups | Work led by Anti Bullying champion |
| Updated Dignity at Work policy for 2021/22 | By 2022 | Updated policy reflecting Commission needs and priorities | HR, DARE, EDI Group, Anti Bullying champion, PCS |
| We will work to deliver on our commitment to ‘Zero Tolerance’ of bullying and harassment. | Ongoing with annual review | Levels of bullying and harassment experienced and witnessed fall | Anti-Bullying Champion working with Dignity and Respect Group; all managers and colleagues |
| We will build on the learnings from relevant impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic 2020/21 – including hybrid ways of working, dependence on electronic communication; virtual leadership – to help us shape a new and inclusive workplace culture | Ongoing as the pandemic recedes | Continued balance of high staff engagement with delivery of business | All managers and staff |
| We will work through our Race at Work Champion and our Race at Work Taskforce to give effect to our Race at Work Charter | Ongoing | Actions agreed with Task Force and carried through according to plan | Race at Work Champion working with the Task Force |
| We will work with and support a new permanent EDI Lead for the Commission | Summer 2021 | EDI lead delivers against agreed outcomes | Head of Planning and Performance |
| We will continue to seek views and promote EDI through our EDI group | Ongoing | EDI considered in Commission decisions and processes | All Heads |
| Through continuing to provide induction to employees and workers, we will let them know of the EDI agenda and priorities | Ongoing | All new employees, temporary or permanent, understand the Commission’s expectations on EDI | HR, SLG and recruiting managers |
| We will continue to discuss the results of all staff surveys and seek feedback both through teams and through the Commission’s groupings such as the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion group, the Staff Engagement Group and with PCS | After each full all staff survey | Staff feel confident to speak up and share views to enhance the all staff survey process | Head of HR working with relevant groups |
| We will encourage employees to self-declare their diversity in our HR system to improve our organisational EDI data | Spring 2021 | Levels of self-declaration rise | Head of HR |
| We will continue to track the diversity of applicants and of leavers | Ongoing | Levels of diversity rise | HR and managers |
| Action | When we will do it | Measure of success | Who is responsible |
|---|---|---|---|
| We will draw up and implement a strategy for internal communications to make sure all staff are aware of our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion | By the end of 2021 | All staff aware of Strategy and their responsibilities under it | EDI lead working with Head of Internal Communications |