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Our

2009–2012

planstrategic

If you require this publication in an alternative format and/or language please contact the Commission to discuss your needs. All publications are available to download and order in a variety of formats from our website www.equalityhumanrights.com

Our job is to break down inequality, build opportunity and support a civic society where fairness and the right of the individual to a life of dignity and respect is not merely an ideal but a fact.

C0ntents01 Introduction

02 Foreword

06 Our journey... building on a century of progress

08 What we do

12 What we believe

14 A new story

18 Our key message

19 We will...

20 Chapter 1 Our strategic approach

24 Chapter 2 Our mission

27 Chapter 3 Our environment

33 Chapter 4 Our principles and priorities

38 Chapter 5 Our tools – the modern regulatory approach

42 Chapter 6 Our ways of working with others

45 Chapter 7 Our organisation and the resources we have available

52 Chapter 8 Our promise – what we will deliver

54 Work programmes 2009–2012

84 Contacts

Our strategic plan 2009–2012

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For the first time, a statutory body has the responsibility to protect, enforce and promote equality across the seven ‘protected’ grounds – age, disability, gender, race, religion and belief, sexual orientation, and gender reassignment. So this, our first three year strategic plan, encompasses all the protected grounds. It also prepares us for the radically changed landscape that will grow from the proposed new equality legislation, taking into account, for example, pregnancy and socio-economic status as causes of systemic inequality.

The plan summarises our priorities and sets out a series of programmes and projects that we believe will help to make Britain a fairer, more equal place, with fewer of us likely to face discrimination and more of us able to realise our potential to the full. In particular, this plan addresses the question of how the Commission will support the implementation of the Equality Bill, a measure which we believe has the potential to change the equality and human rights landscape for the better. We also explain in concrete terms how we will work authoritatively and with increased capacity across the whole of our mandate.

We describe how we intend to take forward the mission of our predecessor bodies, as well as how the Commission will use the new powers it has been granted by Parliament to protect the individual against discrimination, enforce the law and promote equality, good relations and human rights. The plan makes clear that we intend to focus our resources in accordance with the evidence of greatest need. In some cases this will mean concentrating on specific kinds of discrimination; in others it will mean concentrating on inequality that stretches across the protected grounds; in others it will mean tackling inequality on completely new grounds such as caring status.

But at the heart of our mission, our integrated mandate means that we will act across all the areas for which we are responsible, promoting fairness through structural change that benefits the 60 million people in Britain. We will always be ready to tackle the specific issues of discrimination, inequality and human rights failings that matter to each of the protected groups we are concerned with.

Foreword

The Equality and Human Rights Commission is charged by law with a vital mandate: to protect individuals against discrimination, to enforce the laws on equality and to promote fairness and human rights for everyone.


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The people who were involved in this process came from a variety of backgrounds – business, public service, the voluntary and community sector, trade unions, academia – and they represented the interests and concerns of the full diversity of British society. Most were engaged in the day-to-day work of advancing equality and human rights. I cannot overstate the debt the Commission owes to those working on the frontline – both for that daily work and for bringing their expertise to bear on the development of our strategy.

In the delivery of this plan over the next three years we know that we will need to build new relationships and to invest in mobilising our stakeholders. We know we will be tested on results for real people, not lots of warm words. We intend to strengthen the architecture for the involvement of our existing partners, and to expand our stakeholder universe to help us achieve that. We know that the task of making Britain fairer and more equal is not one that we can achieve by ourselves.

In the coming three years we intend to capitalise on the relationships we have been building with people and organisations who have an interest in the Commission’s work, and we will find more ways to secure the expert advice of many in our projects and our decision-making. The hard work of delivering this strategy can only succeed with the involvement and goodwill of the widest possible coalition. I hope and believe that our plans match that ambition.

Trevor Phillips Chair, Equality and Human Rights Commission

There can be no fair society if age, disability, gender, race, religion and belief, sexual orientation, and gender reassignment remain as markers of disadvantage; and there can be no lasting or deep-rooted progress for disadvantaged groups unless we make a robust case for fairness which involves everyone.

In establishing how we will meet these ambitions, we sought to identify – together with everyone involved in the consultation – the challenges that we have to focus on. The process of creating strategy is centrally about choice, and taking decisions about where to direct resources.

Those choices led to the development of the five strategic priorities that sit at the heart of this plan:

1: Secure and implement an effective legislative and regulatory framework for equality and human rights

2: Create a fairer Britain, with equal life chances and access to services for all

3: Build a society without prejudice, promote good relations and foster a vibrant equality and human rights culture

4: Promote understanding and awareness of rights and duties – deliver timely and accurate advice and guidance to individuals and employers

5: Build an authoritative and responsive organisation.

In delivering this plan we will not be working alone. We already have many dozens of partner organisations who share our dedication to equality, good relations and human rights, and we consider it vital to work in close collaboration with them – for example, the developing relationship with our fellow Non-Departmental Public Body, the Women’s National Commission, also sponsored by the Government Equalities Office. In developing this plan we have started as we mean to go on.

I would like to thank all of the people who took part in our consultation and offered us their insights, evidence, experience and ideas. We received over 400 contributions to the online consultation and welcomed more than 780 participants to events across England, Wales and Scotland. Without those contributions we simply would not have been able to develop a plan which was directed at the right targets or which could possibly work in the real world.


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1897 1918 1919 1928 1948 1965 1967 1970 1975 1976 1979 1984 1993 1995 1998 1999 2001 2003 2004 2006 2007

Our journey... building on a century of progress

National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies launched.

Nancy Astor becomes first woman to take a seat in Parliament.

Arrival of the Empire Windrush.

Partial decriminalisation of homosexuality. Age of consent for gay men set at 21.

Margaret Thatcher elected as UK’s first female Prime Minister.

Disability Discrimination Act.

Disability Rights Commission created.

Equal Pay Act.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognises that ‘the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world’.

Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act gives every working woman right to maternity leave.

Equality Act creates the new Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Employment Equality (Age) Regulations make discrimination in employment on grounds of age unlawful.

Employment Equality Regulations make discrimination in employment on grounds of religion or belief or sexual orientation unlawful.

Women over 30 get the vote.

Representation of the People Act gives women the vote on equal terms to men.

First Race Relations Act passed, forbidding discrimination on the ‘grounds of colour, race, or ethnic or national origins’.

Equal Opportunities Commission created.

Commission for Racial Equality created. First

independent living centre opens, aiming to ‘promote the meaningful inclusion of disabled people into the community’.

Human Rights Act passed. It is ‘the most significant statement of human rights in domestic law since the 1689 Bill of Rights’, according to Jack Straw.

Gender Recognition Act creates a legally recognised process for people to change their gender.

Age of consent equalised for gay men, lesbians and heterosexuals.

Sex Discrimination Act.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission opens its doors for the first time on October 1.


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Our Working Better report, published in March 2009, drew on examples of flexible working like the bakery at Sainsbury’s in Camden Town, pictured. The report set out detailed plans for reforming parental leave and promoting greater flexibility in the workplace.

Working better

Our mandate derives from an approach to equality and opportunity which builds on a history of progress by our legacy commissions and many others. We are a modern regulator charged with upholding fair treatment and addressing inequality.

We are here for the 60 million people of Britain, to ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect. We believe no one should have to deal with the pernicious effects of discrimination and that prejudice has no place in a modern, open society.

Parliament has set us the tasks of promoting equality, enforcing the law, protecting the human rights of all and ensuring good relations in society. They are ambitious aims that can only be achieved in partnership with our stakeholders and with the

support of the public. We are living through rapidly changing times, both economically and socially. We believe that there is a ‘diversity dividend’; that the more inclusive we are the more benefits we will reap. By ensuring that we draw upon the skills of everyone we will be better as a country.

To help us fulfil our objectives we have unique powers. We can take legal cases on behalf of individuals to test and extend the right to equality and human rights; set up inquiries to investigate the behaviour of institutions; enforce the public sector equality duties; use our influence and our authority to lead new debates, building our arguments from the evidence we collect and publish. We are an independent publicly funded body.

What we do


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The Commission took the case of Sharon Coleman, pictured with her disabled son Oliver, to the European Court of Justice. The case established new rights for the millions of carers across the UK, protecting them against discrimination by employers.

Sharon and Oliver Coleman

‘I think we’ve gone as far as we can with the single identity group. We need to bring others along with us. If we create a bigger voice, the Government is going to respond to it.’Baroness Jane Campbell Commissioner, Equality and Human Rights Commission


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The Commission’s Muslim Women Power List celebrated the achievements of professional Muslim women such as Bi, from the law firm Norton Rose, Iqbal, from Deaf Parenting UK, and Yaqoob, a Birmingham Councillor, pictured.

Farmida Bi, Sabina Iqbal and Salma Yaqoob

We are a public body charged with helping create a society where people can live their lives to the full, whatever their background or identity. Our evidence shows that there are often common roots of inequality and that with a joined-up approach across our mandate we can achieve real, systemic change. By working together with a wide range of groups our voice and the voices of those we speak for will be amplified.

We believe in empowering the individual. By putting the power in the hands of those who need it we can move away from centralised control. We believe in communities: communities of place and communities of interests.

People want services that are tailored to them and want barriers taken out of their way. They want organisations in the public and private sector to be transparent about how they behave.

They want businesses to understand that reputation matters as much as the bottom line. They want public bodies that are efficient and spend the public’s money wisely.

Nobody wants assumptions made about them because of their background or make-up, be they a white man looking to retrain, a black woman who needs support for her business, a gay undergraduate, a young child from a run-down estate, a mother who wants to work or a disabled person looking for the right support. There are seven specific pillars to our mandate, the seven strands where we will tackle discrimination and use the law to create greater equality – they are: gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age and gender reassignment.

What we believe


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Our legal work allowed Jack Thomas, 14, pictured, from Swansea to compete in the UK Schools Games. Learning disabled athletes had been excluded from the Games and the Paralympics as a result of cheating at the Paralympics in 2002.

Jack Thomas

A new story

The pursuit of equality has, historically, been one of fighting discrimination against individuals. It has been geared towards redress for offences that have already been committed. Essential as that approach is, we cannot only rely on people taking their cases through the legal system. We must also focus on working for systemic change and culture change, as our predecessors did, as well as individual justice. This is where fairness and equality intersect and support one another – fairness is about a culture of equality, an instinctive reaction against discrimination and prejudice, a celebration of difference where all talents can flourish. Equality is about the set of principles we hold dear and ensuring, with the law if necessary, that they are upheld.

It is not enough for us to identify problems: we must find solutions. We want to enable people and organisations to act fairly, rather than simply punish them if they step out of line. We will work with those who do well, help those who want to improve, and act against those who do not.

Our work must engage people’s emotions. We tell people’s stories – and we learn from them. We listen and we deal with the world as it is, rather than as we would like it to be. We act as a broker, bringing judgement and legal authority to difficult, fractured debates. We will often need legislation to do our work but we will also need the power of voice, argument and authoritative evidence to make our case.


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We make sure that public authorities are fulfilling their legal duties to promote equality and good relations. We have investigated local authorities’ provision of authorised Gypsy and Traveller sites, like the three managed by Gloria Buckley, pictured.

Gloria Buckley

It is not enough for us to identify problems: we must find solutions.We want to enable people and organisations to act fairly, rather than simply punish them if they step out of line.


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Work to bring about a landmark Equality Act that eradicates unjustified discrimination and releases talent through a simpler legislative framework.

Ensure that the law works for individuals, breaking through injustice, making strategic interventions and supporting individual cases. We will also work with others to increase the availability of legal representation.

Deliver a grants programme that helps to widen the reach of the voluntary and community sector, fulfilling our mandate to strengthen good relations and bring people together.

Work with the public and private sector to provide high-quality advice and guidance on the law and ensure that the law is enforced.

Prepare public authorities for the next generation of the public duty, delivering practical guidance and promoting best practice focused on achieving results, namely better outcomes for disadvantaged groups.

Inspire the next generation to embrace the values of equality and human rights.

Protect and promote the human rights of all, implementing the recommendations of our Human Rights Inquiry to ensure a culture of dignity and respect in public services, and safeguarding our civil liberties.

Build the capabilities of our organisation to act as a modern regulatory body ensuring that breaches of the law are dealt with swiftly, proportionately and efficiently.

Communicate directly with the public, developing new platforms and tools through the Commission’s digital strategy, and give people information so they are empowered to seek redress.

Publish an agenda-setting triennial review to assess the state of equality and human rights across Britain, and make concrete recommendations for reform.

Create meaningful partnerships with our stakeholders to advance equality and human rights across Britain.

We will...

We want all to flourish, not some at the expense of others. Nobody wants assumptions made about them because of their background or identity. We believe this is the modern consensus.

Our key message


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The benefits of creating one equality and human rights organisation are that our approach is consistent across the different areas of our remit. We will continue to make a tangible difference to the public who fund our work.

1.3 This plan sets out the most effective ways in which we can work to improve people’s life chances and reduce discrimination.

We define our regulatory approach as using our unique powers, alongside the existing equality and human rights legislation, to achieve our objective: a fairer, more equal Britain. We will tackle discrimination, reform institutions and balance competing interests as the regulator of principles set out in Britain’s equality, human rights and good relations enactments. We will protect and promote the provisions in the Human Rights Act. This approach to our remit will have the following benefits:

(a) Building public and stakeholder confidence: we will intervene only where there is objective evidence of harm and where it is clear that such an intervention would be justified and proportionate.

(b) Safeguarding our independence: the Commission differs from government in that we work at arm’s length from ministers. This will help to ensure that the Commission is trusted by stakeholders and the public alike. Our evidence and what we say is independent and objective.

(c) Making faster progress in increasing equality and respect for human rights: we will consistently and efficiently confront issues where progress has either stalled or gone into reverse.

1.4 In adopting this regulatory approach, we will focus our resources where the impact is likely to be greatest:

(a) We will take into account evidence of both the extent and severity of systemic discrimination before deciding how to respond. Our analysis is based not on a presumption about particular groups, but hard evidence. We will look at a wide range of objective evidence to ensure that harm or detriment does not go undetected.

(b) We will adopt a targeted approach to private sector organisations, complementing our existing engagement with the public sector. We will act to prevent unlawful discrimination, not only to prevent individual abuses but also to send a broader message about the type of Britain we aspire to.

(c) We will encourage a culture of higher expectation in the private sector, enabling those not in the vanguard (‘willing but nervous’) to learn from the experience of those committed to equality (‘leaders’). We will use our powers, where appropriate, to highlight the failings of those who are in breach (‘laggards’). We will support those who are willing to change by producing clear, relevant and accessible guidance.

1.1 This three-year strategic plan sets out the Commission’s strategic direction: our priorities and work programmes from April 2009 to March 2012. It shows how we intend to fulfil our statutory obligations as the independent advocate for equality and human rights in Britain efficiently and effectively. We will use our unique powers to create change, and to empower and enable others to work with us.

Our role is to create a strong vision, to transform culture and influence thought, to provide the definitive interpretation of how the human rights and equality laws are used, and to act on breaches of legislation with the range of our enforcement and regulatory powers.

We will empower others by guaranteeing a trusted way through the system for those in need; by providing authoritative advice and support for those faced with discrimination and inequality; and by working alongside other regulators, inspectorates and authorities to create effective tools for action. We will lead by ensuring that our stakeholders’ voices are heard; or, where it is right, speaking out independently; we will be partners and advocates for those who will benefit from the backing of our reputation and authority.

1.2 The Commission will continue to deliver efficiency and value for public money. We have brought together three separate equality commissions: the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE), the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) and the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC).

Our strategy is driven by our vision of a better Britain built on principles of fairness and respect, our statutory duty to eradicate discrimination, and the needs of the society in which we operate.

Chapter 1Our strategic approach


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Our work programmes demonstrate how we will put this approach into practice to achieve our objectives:

1.8 The work programmes define where we will focus our resources, and how we will work with others. Our work over the next three years will include:

■ Preparing public authorities and private sector employers for new equalities legislation that will harmonise and simplify the law, by producing practical guidance and promoting best practice.

■ Ensuring compliance among public bodies with their existing statutory human rights obligations and the equality duties, by monitoring and enforcing compliance with the current legislative framework including the Human Rights Act. In Scotland, we will work in partnership with the Scottish Human Rights Commission to achieve this.

■ Carrying out three Formal Inquiries into the financial services sector, the construction industry, and the meat and poultry processing sectors, and in other sectors where there is evidence of unlawful discrimination and where the Commission is likely to make a systemic impact.

■ Publishing an agenda-setting, landmark triennial review assessing the state of inequality and human rights across Britain, and making recommendations for action. Closely monitoring the impact of the economic downturn on disadvantaged groups.

■ Building the capabilities of our organisation to act as a modern regulator by consolidating our intelligence gathering, monitoring, compliance, and enforcement functions.

■ Working alongside government departments and agencies to reduce inequality on key measures in employment, criminal justice, local government, education, and participation in civic life. We will carry out thematic reviews and inquiries and use relevant legislation such as the public duties.

■ Making the law work better for individuals where their rights have been breached, taking strategic legal interventions that help to establish points of law and that can be used to set legal precedents.

■ Delivering our new grants programme to ensure close alignment between the grants we award and our strategic priorities, from improving capacity in the advice and guidance sector to strengthening good relations and a culture of respect for human rights.

■ Using our influence and authority to help set the terms of public debate, winning hearts and minds by helping to establish new narratives about human rights and equality, and how the Commission’s values can help to create a better society.

■ Communicating directly with the public by developing new platforms and tools including the Commission’s digital strategy and its work with young people.

1.5 We will work with others to maximise impact:

(a) We will work alongside key government departments, including our sponsor, the Government Equalities Office (GEO), as well as the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), the Department of Local Government and Communities (DCLG), the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Office for Disability Issues (ODI). We will work closely with the devolved Government for Scotland and the Welsh Assembly Government which are responsible for most issues that affect people’s daily lives in Scotland and Wales. The aim is to deliver a joined-up approach to equality and human rights.

(b) We will work with and through existing regulators and inspectorates, encouraging them to make greater use of their powers in relation to equality and human rights outcomes.

(c) We will work through bodies in the private, public, voluntary and community sectors to build a network of advice, guidance and advocacy that can help individuals to understand and use their rights. We will use our grants programme to help build capacity through this network.

(d) We will sustain our links with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) in order to fully understand the extent and character of discrimination and disadvantage.

1.6 We have a well-defined role in helping individuals to understand their rights, supporting them where appropriate:

(a) We will upgrade our helpline service to ensure that the information it provides is customer-focused and linked to a broader infrastructure of advice and support. The Commission’s helpline cannot directly serve 60 million people across Britain, so we will invest in the capacities of others and support the development of a wider infrastructure of advice and advocacy.

(b) We will develop our website to ensure it is seamlessly integrated with the helpline, and that together they offer a clear route for individuals to access the resources we provide.

(c) We will be clear about the legal cases we pursue and support on behalf of individuals, ensuring that these are focused on cases that will offer the greatest benefits consistent with our mandate.

1.7 We will be an effective and efficient public body, with clear goals that deliver real outcomes:

(a) We will follow the five principles of good regulation: proportionality, accountability, consistency, transparency and targeting and adopt best practice among regulators.

(b) We will create a cohesive framework across England, Scotland and Wales to reflect distinctive national and regional contexts.


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■ Monitoring the law: monitor the effectiveness of existing statutes.

■ Monitoring progress: identify relevant changes in society; define results at which to aim and indicators of progress; consult and involve the public and take account of representations; monitor progress and publish a report on progress to Parliament.

■ Planning: prepare and publish a plan of activities, priorities and principles; review and revise the plan as necessary.

The seven protected grounds under anti-discrimination legislation in the Commission’s remit are gender, race, disability, gender reassignment, age, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. We will continue to focus on those grounds that were previously excluded from anti-discrimination protection, namely age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, and gender reassignment, as well as embracing other groups experiencing disadvantage such as carers, migrants and Gypsy and Traveller communities. We will report on our performance by strand in the Commission’s Annual Report.

2.3 The major legislation from which the Commission derives its duties and powers are:

■ the Equal Pay Act (1970)

■ the Sex Discrimination Act (1975)

■ the Disability Discrimination Act (1995)

■ the Human Rights Act (1998)

■ the Race Relations (Amendment) Act (2000)

■ the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (2001)

■ the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (2003)

■ the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations (2003)

■ the Disability Discrimination Act (2005)

■ the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations (2006), and

■ the Equality Act (2006).

Further equality legislation and constitutional reform will assist the Commission in meeting its statutory duties. We welcome the Government’s determination to harmonise the law into a single statute, ensuring positive steps towards equality for all. The implementation of the Equality Bill is at the core of our plan for the next three years.

2.4 In pursuit of its duties the Commission may use various powers and undertake a range of activities:

■ The use of evidence-gathering powers to carry out an Inquiry or an Investigation.

■ The provision of education and training.

■ The issuing of Codes of Practice and statutory guidance.

■ The ability to award grants.

2.1 The Commission is required to encourage and support the development of a society in which:

■ People’s ability to achieve their potential is not limited by prejudice or discrimination.

■ There is respect for and protection of each individual’s human rights, and for the dignity and worth of all.

■ Each individual has an equal opportunity to participate in society.

■ There is mutual respect between groups based on understanding and valuing of diversity and on shared respect for equality and human rights.

2.2 The Commission shall undertake the following tasks:

■ Equality and diversity: promote understanding, encourage good practice, and promote equality of opportunity; promote awareness and understanding of rights; work towards the elimination of unlawful discrimination and harassment.

■ Human rights: promote understanding of the importance of human rights; encourage good practice; promote awareness, understanding and protection; encourage public authorities to comply fully with the Human Rights Act in England and Wales.

■ Good relations: promote understanding of the importance of good relations; encourage good practice; work towards the elimination of prejudice, hatred and hostility; work towards enabling participation.

The Commission has a set of statutory obligations that it must fulfil in advancing equality, human rights and good relations across Britain.

Chapter 2Our mission


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3.1 The Commission has a statutory responsibility to consult on and produce a three-year plan setting out how we will fulfil our various functions.

3.2 This plan has been produced in four successive stages:

■ First, gathering a comprehensive evidence-base of the impact of discrimination and disadvantage and agreeing the core requirements of the Commission’s remit.

■ Second, formulating clear strategic priorities and testing these against the available evidence while specifying desired outcomes.

■ Third, undertaking extensive consultation and involvement with stakeholders and the public.

■ Fourth, finalising the plan by putting in place resources, infrastructure and performance measures to ensure delivery and value for money.

3.3 We recognise that a new approach is needed because there is still a lot of outdated legislation in Britain; the character of disadvantage and discrimination is ever changing; labour markets and service providers are also adapting to changes in the global economy; and we have to take account of the transformed economic situation. We must deliver our functions in the context of major changes in society and the economy.

■ The provision of assistance to those taking legal proceedings if one of the equality enactments is engaged.

■ The ability to undertake a formal assessment of a public body.

■ The issuing of a Compliance Notice where the public duties may have been breached.

■ The issuing of an injunction where it is likely that an unlawful act will be committed.

■ The use of court action to restrain unlawful advertising.

■ The ability to intervene in litigation involving equality or human rights issues.

■ The ability to take judicial review proceedings in the High Court.

The duties and powers on the Commission are designed to be mutually reinforcing. We are a public funded body with a statutory guarantee of independence.

2.5 Our predecessor bodies focused on their role as influencers, campaigners and caseworkers. The legislation secured over the last ten years gave them additional powers, notably ensuring public bodies took positive steps to promote equality.

2.6 This Commission faces new demands and challenges. We have the potential to reshape the environment in which we work. Our evidence-base and research capability will transform how society thinks about equality and human rights. Our ability to undertake informal mediation and binding agreements will change how organisations

behave. Our capacity to work on the ground will give us a powerful role in promoting community cohesion. Our legal powers will mean we take judicial proceedings in the higher courts and equality cases under the Human Rights Act. Our leadership role will enable us to challenge discrimination and promote the Britain we all aspire to.

We are able to address areas that fall outside or between our formal mandate such as social and economic disadvantage, and to reconcile areas of conflict that may arise between mandates. Equality and human rights standards are becoming embedded as an overarching framework for public policy.

2.7 We need to advance a robust public interest case for the work we do. We believe that the impact of unlawful discrimination is not limited to those who are directly discriminated against. If left unchecked, it will weaken trust in public institutions and foster resentment, creating an alienated minority which it is impossible to integrate. This would be damaging for the whole of society.

The Commission will continue to make the positive case: equality and diversity bring discernible benefits to communities, organisations and businesses, releasing talent and encouraging social mobility. Promoting equality and human rights must be part of the solution to the challenges we face as a society from globalisation to demographic change. The Commission’s role is to highlight the ‘diversity dividend’: what we all gain from greater equality, tolerance and respect for human rights.

We are required to publish a strategic plan setting out clearly how the Commission will fulfil its statutory remit taking account of the legislative and social context.

Chapter 3Our environment


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The changing face of discrimination

3.5 These legislative developments have to be set alongside wider social changes that have occurred since the 1980s. The pattern of disadvantage and discrimination has changed considerably:

■ As Britain’s population ages, issues concerning discrimination against older people will become increasingly prominent. For the first time in 2007 the number of people at or above the state pension age exceeded the proportion of those aged 16 or below (ONS, 2008). The Black and Asian ethnic minority population has a much younger age structure than the population as a whole. For example, 38 per cent of the Bangladeshi community were aged 16 or under compared to only 19 per cent of the white population at the time of the last census. Overall there will be fewer young people leaving education and entering the labour market, and a greater proportion of these young people will be from ethnic minorities.

■ The social status of women has changed. Traditional family models dependent on the male breadwinner have declined, and family structures are more complex: marriage rates in 2007 had dropped to their lowest level since 1862, while divorce rates over the last thirty years have nearly doubled. Girls now out-perform boys in education with nearly two-thirds of girls in England gaining five or more GCSE passes in 2006 compared to just over half of boys

(DCSF, 2006). The majority of those now gaining first degrees are women, but their educational performance is not consistently translating into equivalent rewards in the workplace and there remain persistent problems with the gender pay gap, occupational segregation and the impact of their caring responsibilities. Women’s equality and human rights are also significantly held back by the persistence and prevalence of all forms of violence against women. In some areas, boys perform so poorly in compulsory schooling that they risk being permanently marginalised from the labour market.

■ Nearly nine per cent of the UK’s population are from ‘non-white’ ethnic groups. Black and Asian ethnic minorities are no longer ‘newcomers’ or a ‘small minority’, and Britain is an increasingly diverse and multi-ethnic society with a plurality of groups, communities and identities. Some ethnic minorities such as those from Indian and Chinese backgrounds outperform whites in education, while others such as black Caribbean people continue to suffer a significant employment and education disadvantage (DfES, 2005). In this context there is a need for a dialogue about shared values such as mutual respect, dignity, human rights and equality that can help to bind people and communities together.

The legislative context

3.4 The current body of anti-discrimination legislation in Britain was created over the last forty years. In deciding upon our strategic approach we paid particular attention to the changing legislative context:

■ Anti-discrimination provisions in UK law led to the emergence of a complaints based model, in which redress was reliant on individuals pursuing retrospective litigation in the Tribunal and Courts system.

■ This began to change with the advent of the Disability Discrimination Act (1995), the Human Rights Act (1998), the Race Relations Amendment Act (2000), the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (2001), and subsequent legislation to create duties on the grounds of disability (2005) and gender (2006). These statutes place an obligation on public authorities to promote equality in carrying out their responsibilities, focusing on the systems and processes that public institutions use to achieve their objectives.

■ The legislation shifted the emphasis from the individual complainant and the need to seek redress, to the responsibility of the public authority concerned to facilitate the achievement of equality for disadvantaged groups. The onus moved from one of retrospective remedy to proactive prevention and promotion.

■ Despite recent developments and the promise of new legislation, the law is still criticised for being outdated, fragmented, inconsistent, inadequate and incomprehensible.

■ We have to recognise the role of EU law, and the impact of proceedings brought by the European Commission with the potential for a new Article 13 Directive to further strengthen UK anti-discrimination legislation. Changes such as the proposal for a Bill of Rights will also have significant implications for equality and human rights.

■ The introduction of the Human Rights Act has increased our ability to challenge injustices that may fall outside the scope of current anti-discrimination legislation, as well as creating the potential for a culture that respects human rights.

The Commission’s strategic plan, along with forthcoming legislation, has to address the challenges to the present statutory framework: tackling confusion and inconsistency across different anti-discrimination regimes; addressing domestic and international pressures to extend the grounds of unlawful discrimination; ensuring that the civil and political rights contained in the Human Rights Act are not undermined in any future Bill of Rights; maximising the potential of the positive duties placed on public authorities; and keeping Britain in line with EU law while dealing with the pressures from devolved legislatures.


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Changing labour markets and service providers

These changes will continue to have a significant impact on disadvantage. In particular, expectations have grown and those who experience discrimination will increasingly challenge public rhetoric and demand results. There are two significant and complex sectors – the labour market and the provision of goods, facilities and services – that will need to remain at the forefront of the Commission’s strategic approach:

■ The structure and nature of the labour market has changed profoundly over the last two decades. While overall economic activity rates have remained stable since 1971, there are many more women, disabled and ethnic minority workers. There are also significant barriers to equality through ongoing occupational segregation, uneven access to educational qualifications, and lower rates of economic activity, as well as evidence of polarisation in wages and incomes. For example, 44 per cent of disabled men were employed in 2005/6, compared to 84 per cent of non disabled men. Only 23 per cent of women of Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage were in paid work compared to 69 per cent of white women.

■ There is the continuing problem of lack of sensitivity and awareness of the needs of others in the provision of services. Disabled people, for example, face physical barriers as well as stereotyping about their skills and capabilities. The Commission has to pay attention to particular market failures that arise in areas such as financial services, insurance and telecommunications, and work with existing regulatory bodies where it is efficient and timely to do so.

There is little evidence that the problems of fair participation and access to employment have been resolved. Women continue to experience high levels of discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy. A recent survey suggested that 46 per cent of people had experienced discrimination. Yet many organisations urgently need diverse skills and talents if they are to compete in the global economy.

The changing economic climate

3.6 The economic downturn will impose additional pressures, but there are opportunities for as well as threats to fairness. The last ten years have seen high levels of economic growth and public spending. Britain has absorbed the largest inward migration in its history, and generally remains a very diverse and tolerant society.

■ The ageing society and developments in medicine are likely to significantly increase the proportion of disabled people in the population over the next twenty years. People with severe impairments are able to lead long and satisfying lives. But the evidence suggests that outcomes for disabled people in areas such as education, employment, transport and housing have barely improved over the last twenty years, and any reduction in negative attitudes has not been accompanied by discernable improvements in life-chances.

■ Lesbian, gay and bisexual people continue to suffer a disportionately higher incidence of hate crime and violence, alongside discriminatory treatment in employment and in access to goods, facilities and services. Despite changing social attitudes since the 1970s, Britain has long way to go in fully embracing diversity: 22 per cent of respondents to the 2005 National Survey of Prejudice in England and Wales expressed negative attitudes to lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Indeed, 10 per cent of LGB respondents reported experiencing prejudice over the previous twelve months.

■ Religion or belief can itself be a source of discriminatory treatment in employment, as well as in access to goods and services. In the National Survey of Prejudice, 19 per cent of respondents reported negative attitudes towards Muslims while many religious communities fear that public authorities will discriminate against them in the provision of services locally. At the same time, some faith communities express deep unease about the consequences of a secular framework for public policy, and believe that faith groups can help to improve the reach and impact of public services. Secular organisations are similarly concerned that the growth of faith-based provision will undermine the rights of the non-religious.

■ People of transgender status still suffer markedly high levels of intolerance and abuse, much of it the result of fear and ignorance. Their treatment in publicly provided services such as the National Health Service is a continuing source of concern. According to a recent survey, almost half of all transgender people did not use social or public services for fear of discrimination. In a recent survey, 73 per cent of transgender respondents reported threatening behaviour, and physical and verbal abuse in public spaces.


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3.7 The downturn will have unpredictable consequences, including potential reductions in public services. We will be closely monitoring the equalities, human rights and good relations impacts of the recession in areas such as household income, employment, savings, pensions and public expenditure.

3.8 The recession will have a differential impact on particular groups and communities. As a result the nature of public debates on migration and asylum may change, with greater stress on the perceived impacts on local job availability in some areas or reduced pressures on public services in others. This could lead to rising tensions in some communities and to the possibility of discrimination and violence against certain groups. It is important to recognise that the drivers of change in a global economy and the wider landscape of good relations are not limited to what happens in Britain: they are affected by events across the world.

3.9 The impact of the downturn may also be to strengthen the public’s commitment to fairness in our society. It is vital that we plan and prepare Britain for the recovery, breaking down barriers that hold people back and widening access to opportunity. The UK Commission for Employment and Skills estimates that by 2017, there will be two million new jobs in the British economy. We have to ensure that everyone can share in recovery and rising prosperity.

4.1 The focus of the Commission’s work is tackling and eliminating disadvantage in terms of ‘unexplained penalties’ for those that fall within our mandate. Penalties are estimates of the disadvantage experienced by an individual in comparison with the general population. This includes pay gaps and lower labour market participation, hate crime, violence and unequal political representation. It is important to emphasise that disadvantage is not necessarily caused by discrimination. Neither is it always experienced by small minorities: employment policies may disadvantage parents regardless of income and occupational status, for example.

4.2 The Commission has involved and consulted a wide range of public and private sector bodies, the voluntary and community sector as well as individual stakeholders, to identify its key objectives.

In the Equality Measurement Framework – drawing on the Equalities Review and the human rights-based approach – we set out ten fundamental ‘freedoms’. These are rights to which we believe every individual should be entitled:

■ to be alive

■ to live in physical security

■ to be healthy

■ to be knowledgeable, to understand and reason, and to have the skills to participate in society

■ to enjoy a comfortable standard of living, with independence and security

■ to engage in productive and valued activities

■ to enjoy individual, family and social life

In a demanding environment, we will work to tackle and eliminate disadvantage and human rights abuses experienced by the groups that fall within our mandate.

Chapter 4Our principles and priorities


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■ We will address the structural causes of discrimination – for example the impact of occupational segregation on the gender pay gap – as well as the broader role of socio-economic disadvantage and income poverty in exacerbating discrimination and inequality.

■ The Commission’s work in England will contribute towards the delivery of Public Service Agreement (PSA) 15 on Equality in collaboration with Central Government, other Non-Departmental Public Bodies and partners in local government and the Voluntary and Community Sector. In Scotland we will work within the framework of National Performance Outcomes, and in Wales our priorities will take account of those of the Welsh Assembly.

■ We must use the legislation and powers currently at our disposal – such as the public duties and the Human Rights Act – in order to create social change. The Commission will examine the culture of respect for human rights within Britain’s public services.

■ That will also require the Commission to assess the impact of particular forms of disadvantage using the Equality Measurement Framework, accepting that particular challenges may be invisible and therefore poorly understood within the official equality statistics.

4.7 Strategic priority 3: build a society without prejudice, promote good relations and foster a vibrant equality and human rights culture

Rationale:■ The evidence suggests that structural

discrimination and disadvantage are exacerbated by subtle processes that involve negative stereotyping, hostility and hatred towards particular groups, and deep-set prejudicial attitudes which themselves trigger harmful behaviours.Our ambition over the long-term is to change the attitudes of a generation. We will work towards this through research, an alliance with government and NGOs, and a range of activities undertaken beyond the Commission. We will also build our links with cultural institutions to promote equality and human rights.

■ There is evidence of heightened segregation and a lack of shared understanding, tolerance and respect of diverse cultures, beliefs and lifestyles, as well as a sense of powerlessness and marginalisation in some communities.

■ to participate in decision-making, and to have a voice and influence

■ to be entitled to self-expression and self-respect, and

■ to be protected and treated fairly by the law.

4.3 Our analysis suggests that groups and individuals who are deprived of these rights experience disadvantage: this is the concept of ‘capability deprivation’. We recognise the significance of socio-economic disadvantage, and its inter-generational transmission. The Commission’s role should be to erode and eliminate those penalties wherever possible. The evidence, analysis and recommendations from the Human Rights Inquiry will provide a further resource for the Commission’s work over the next three years.

4.4 We have identified five strategic priorities which will help us to work towards a fairer, more equal society. The rationale for each is set out below:

4.5 Strategic priority 1: secure and implement an effective legislative and regulatory framework for equality and human rights

Rationale:■ The present legislative framework

is widely regarded as inconsistent, incomprehensible and fragmented across different grounds of equality. At the same time, key drivers of inequality are worsening and a more

effective legal framework is required. The need for simplified but robust legislation that takes into account constitutional change – proposals for a Bill of Rights and devolution – is more compelling than ever.

■ The Commission will ensure that the new legislation is successfully implemented, and will help public and private sector organisations to plan and prepare for the Equality Bill. We will ensure that the proposed Bill of Rights protects and promotes the principles set out in the Human Rights Act. This legislation will assist the Commission in meeting its statutory duties.

■ This will require the Commission to develop new organisational capabilities and functions internally, while continuing to promote the current legislative framework.

4.6 Strategic priority 2: create a fairer Britain, with equal life chances and access to services for all

Rationale:■ Our analysis of the changing face of

disadvantage and discrimination in Britain, the changing labour market, the delivery of public services, and the immediate impact of the economic downturn, all point towards the need for concerted action by the Commission in tackling structural inequalities that impact on the groups in our mandate.


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■ The Commission’s approach will be to reward excellence among equality ‘leaders’, incentivise the ‘willing but nervous’ to improve, and take appropriate and proportionate action against ‘laggards’ who breach their statutory duties. It is important that the Commission provides regular, accessible updates on legislative developments, case law and enforcement action through a variety of channels so that it can be readily put into practice, particularly among Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. This will include a significant body of statutory and non statutory guidance in relation to the new Equality Act.

■ We will work with others including key partners such as ACAS, the trade unions, and business organisations such as the Confederation of British Industry, and the various trade associations covering the professions, manufacturing and service industries. All public and private sector organisations must carry out their duties under the law.

■ The individual’s right to redress remains paramount. However, the Commission believes that advice and guidance are often best provided through intermediaries such as the Citizens Advice Bureau and community law centres, and that our role is to provide effective oversight to ensure an adequate infrastructure of advice and access to justice across Britain.

4.9 Strategic priority 5: build an authoritative and responsive organisation

Rationale:■ The tasks set out across the four strategic

priorities above require the Commission to fulfil a complex remit, while coping with a range of economic and political challenges.

■ We will continue to build our authoritative measurement framework and evidence base. That will require the Commission to invest in people while developing effective approaches to project-based working. The Commission is continuing to build a lean and efficient corporate centre, while strengthening its financial management capability.

■ An organisation that is strategically focused and professionally capable will also have the confidence to work with, and where necessary, lead those stakeholders that are committed to the human rights and equalities agenda in creating lasting social change. The Commission will maintain a reactive capability given the likelihood of unexpected events, crises and societal ‘shocks’.

4.10 Our work programmes

The work programmes define both where we will focus our resources and how we will work with others. All of our programmes are linked to the Key Performance Indicators in Chapter 7.

■ The Commission will seek to reduce the general levels of prejudice in society, building on progress in some areas. For example, racism appears to be less prevalent among younger generations in Britain, though it is far from absent. There are also pressing challenges such as tackling hatred and violence directed at disabled people, lesbian, gay and bisexual communities, and transgender people.

■ There is sound evidence that discrimination is fuelled by prejudice, segregation and lack of awareness. Unless we address the root causes of unlawful discrimination, the Commission will find the demand for retrospective interventions ‘to right past wrongs’ is unsustainable. Our strategic approach is about tacking the systemic causes and effects of discrimination.

■ The Commission has a statutory duty to ensure that public bodies adequately address their good relations duties, yet there is currently considerable confusion and uncertainty around the legislative framework on community cohesion.

■ The Commission will often work through intermediary institutions such as the strategic public bodies that set policies for schools and universities. These bodies may have greater insight into grassroots barriers and opportunities. We will also develop direct channels through which we can communicate with the public.

4.8 Strategic priority 4: promote understanding and awareness of rights and duties – deliver timely and accurate advice and guidance to individuals and employers

Rationale:■ The Commission has to ensure that every

organisation does what is required of it in law, and that their duties are fulfilled in relation to equality legislation and the Human Rights Act. The Commission is the custodian of Britain’s equality and human rights enactments – along with the Scottish Human Rights Commission in Scotland – and our role is to provide timely, accessible and authoritative guidance on the law, while encouraging the exchange and development of best practice in areas such as involvement and consultation.

■ At the same time, we need to work with organisations and communities, not set ourselves against them. We recognise that the culture of public and private sector organisations is ever-changing. As organisations become more flexible and adaptive, we will need a different approach to equality and diversity.


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■ Focusing our resources – building in the flexibility required to deliver our objectives in a rapidly changing landscape, and making evidence-based decisions about where and how to act.

■ Ensuring that we have the right products and services, including our helpline, grants and regional network.

■ Developing our culture – working to a clear set of public interest principles and the human rights-based approach – ensuring that the approach in Scotland and Wales responds to different contexts and requirements.

■ Evolving new ways of working – putting project-based working into practice across a programme portfolio to ensure the Commission is flexible and agile, and aligning this to the way in which we engage with our stakeholders.

We will manage our organisation in a way that enables us to deliver this strategic plan day-to-day, as well as building our capability to continually improve our performance.

How we use our powers – the guiding principles of our statutory approach:

5.2 Understanding our regulatory role

The Commission is defined as a regulatory body in the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act, and is subject to the statutory Code of Practice for regulators.

5.3 Understanding our regulatory approach

The development of the Commission’s regulatory role has four main components:

■ Improving our systems to ensure effective delivery of our functions, including communication and accountability across Directorates with the aim of ensuring greater synergy and collective expertise and strength. We will track and alter our allocation of resources across the Commission. We will use baseline reviews in the public, private and third sectors to agree the case for, and scale of change, that is needed.

■ Developing metrics that enable the Commission to work effectively with other regulators and inspectorates, and assess which interventions are most likely to produce better outcomes.

■ Formulating effective solutions to long-term challenges through smarter regulatory interventions. We will use appropriate tools to address the causes of inequality and disadvantage, and ensure effective oversight in how our powers are used.

■ Shaping the environment in which we operate, understanding key audiences and influencing public opinion are integral to our regulatory approach. We will tackle the root causes of discrimination and injustice by working in communities from the bottom up.

5.1 To achieve such outcomes through our work programmes, the Commission must develop the tools to do our job well. That means acting as an efficient and effective regulatory body, leading others by example and promoting our vision of the good society guided by the principles set out in the Human Rights Act: Fairness, Respect, Equality, Dignity, and Autonomy. To support this, we need to build on the organisation we have today – and develop new ways of operating. The components of this new ‘operating model’ are:

■ A set of principles, driven by the outcomes we want to achieve, which guide what we do and how we do it.

■ Bringing together teams to focus on key issues and using the full range of our powers.

■ Modernising our functions – based on a clear understanding of the products and services we deliver and those we commission others to deliver. We will build the capability of the teams responsible for these functions and align them effectively within the organisation.

■ Building effective relationships with the public sector – ensuring we have the capability to invest in building long term partnerships with other regulators, inspectorates, complaints-handling bodies and government departments.

■ Building effective relationships with the private sector – ensuring we have the capability to engage with business, focusing limited resources effectively.

■ Strengthening our capabilities by focusing on areas in which we have development needs, while empowering the organisation to get on and deliver.

We will use all of the tools and powers encapsulated by our regulatory approach to deliver positive outcomes in a demanding environment.

Chapter 5Our tools – the modern regulatory approach


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5.6 The devolved context: Scotland and Wales

The Commission’s work must reflect the devolution of executive decision-making authority and responsibility for primary legislation in Scotland and Wales. Devolution is an opportunity for the Commission to ensure that our work represents the social and geographical diversity of Britain. The Commission has statutory committees that ensure that the overall work of the Commission takes into account the needs and priorities of Scotland and Wales, as well as enabling those national offices to develop their own specific work programmes and to take a lead role in working with stakeholders.

We also have a standard working practice throughout the Commission called ‘asking the statutory question’. This is to help ensure that when developing new policies or programmes of work, we consider from the beginning any specific requirements relating to the particular contexts of Scotland and Wales. Each Committee is chaired by one of our Commissioners and supported by a lead officer. Morag Alexander chairs our Scotland Committee, supported by the National Director for Scotland. Neil Wooding chairs our Wales Committee, supported by the National Director for Wales.

5.7 The Disability Committee

To ensure that we adequately reflect the needs and priorities of disabled people and involve them proactively in our work, there is a statutory Disability Committee which also develops its own work programme and plays a lead role in working with stakeholders.

Alun Davies chairs our Disability Committee, supported by the Disability Programme Director.

5.4 The Commission’s regulatory principles

We will undertake further consultation on the principles that will inform the Commission’s regulatory approach in reviewing the strategic plan over the next three years.

These nascent principles draw on the approach of other public service regulators:

■ The Commission will use its powers through a clearly articulated and publicly reviewed annual plan, with stated strategic priorities.

■ The Commission will initiate regulatory interventions only where there is a specific statutory duty.

■ The Commission will never use its enforcement or litigation powers as the first option, but will intervene firmly, promptly and effectively where required.

■ The Commission will ensure that its interventions are evidence-based, proportionate, consistent, accountable and transparent in both deliberation and outcome.

■ The Commission will seek the least intrusive regulatory mechanism to achieve desired outcomes.

■ The Commission will remain at the forefront of understanding new challenges in equality and human rights.

The Commission is a statutory public body with regulatory powers and we must ensure accountability and transparency in how we work:

5.5 Our position as a Non-Departmental Public Body with a unique mandate

The Commission is an independent Non-Departmental Public Body with powers given to it by Parliament. We have also been accredited as a Category A United Nations National Human Rights Institution, in line with the Paris Principles. The Commission is accountable to the Government Equalities Office (GEO), our sponsor department in Whitehall. Any actions undertaken by the Commission must promote the general and specific duties outlined in the Equality Act and the positive obligations contained in the Human Rights Act.


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■ Clear shared objectives with a realistic plan and timetable.

■ A coherent vision and focus on key outcomes.

■ Targets to support outcomes.

■ A clear framework of responsibilities and accountability with terms of reference.

■ Engagement through being able to share power and influence with others.

The partnership needs to develop a sense of shared purpose through:

■ A high level of trust between partners based on agreed and shared principles of co-operation and confidentiality.

■ A willingness to work together and consult with the widest possible network of communities and service users.

■ A commitment to share information where this does not conflict with the regulatory remit of the Commission.

■ A flexible approach and an openness to new ways of thinking.

6.3 Who we need to work with and how

The Commission will work alongside others because they may have more relevant powers, and the changing nature of discrimination and exclusion means that redress and prevention can only be achieved through stronger co-ordination.

Our work with regulators

The Commission wants to work with other regulators to pursue equality and human rights objectives. We have begun to establish relationships with a range of public service inspectorates including Ofsted, the Audit Commission, the new Care Quality Commission and the HM Inspectorate of Prisons, and with analogous bodies in Scotland and Wales through which we will work to amplify our remit. We are developing these links through Memorandums of Understanding. We will formalise our partnership with regulators who impact on markets and the private sector. The Commission will work alongside those bodies that provide protection for vulnerable workers such as the Low Pay Commission and the Fair Employment Enforcement Board, as well as the trade unions.

Our work with the public sector

Public services, both publicly funded and provided services and those outsourced to external providers, are crucial to achieving greater fairness and more equal outcomes. Central to the Commission’s work are the duties the public sector has to promote equality. We want those who use public services to be able to scrutinise performance on equality and human rights through the availability of accessible data. The Commission recognises that future years may see tight public spending settlements in the public sector, and the need to recognise this in how we go about our work.

6.1 Why it is important that we work with others

The Commission has limited resources, but an immensely wide and challenging remit. Other bodies throughout the public sector, business, trade unions, and the voluntary and community sector can help to give our work credibility and reach.

We can also learn more about the nature of disadvantage and discrimination, and how it impacts on the most vulnerable groups. Our approach will emphasise ‘co-production’: achieving outcomes by working in partnership with other organisations and communities.

6.2 Enabling us to achieve more by reaching broadly and deeply into organisations

The Commission aims to bring about culture change and to reform institutions. We will work with other bodies, both through formal written agreements, Memorandums of Understanding, and other less formal channels. Our instinct will be to work in partnership wherever possible. This is integral to our strategic approach given the demands of the current environment and our desire to ensure that change is made with people, not done to them. We define partnership working as a coalition of organisations who agree to work together for a common aim, sharing resources and responsibilities. Our approach to effective partnership is based on:

We will work with others to maximise theCommission’s impact and reach.

Chapter 6Our ways of working with others


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7.1 The attributes and core functions of the Commission:

In order to achieve our priorities and in using our levers and powers effectively, we have a number of resources on which we can draw:

■ A single equality and human rights body covering England, Scotland and Wales with a dedicated staff, a budget of £70 million, and a deep understanding of the issues that underpin discrimination and disadvantage.

■ A network of relationships with others who share our goals – both bodies within government that have regulatory functions and non-governmental organisations that are actively engaged in the pursuit of equalities and human rights.

■ A growing understanding of the needs of employers, the challenges they face and how we can work with organisations to promote attitudinal and behavioural change.

7.2 The resources we have available

Financial resources

We have a provisional budget for 2009/10 and 2010/11 of £70 million, subject to revision by the Government. This is split as follows:

■ £63 million – Revenue

■ £7 million – Capital

The projected salary and staffing costs for 2009/10 are £25.5 million. The salary and staffing costs together with the day to day running costs and estate costs are £39.4 million.

Our work with the private sector

The private sector is hugely important for the Commission’s agenda given its role as an employer and service provider. The Commission will work with business, encouraging wider behavioural change.

It will promote and promulgate best practice, and encourage new solutions such as the use of technology in enabling access to work for disadvantaged groups, as well as more agile working.

We recognise the particular pressures on business in the current climate. The Commission will encourage peer-to-peer learning as the best means of embedding good practice. It will work through representative organisations and sectoral bodies, as well as providing timely and accessible advice and guidance directly to all of Britain’s eight million private sector employers.

Transparency about the performance of organisations and professions is potentially a major lever of change, and we want to ensure that data is available to employees, customers and shareholders. The Commission is also committed to ensuring that markets work better and more efficiently in the interests of disadvantaged consumers.

Our work with NGOs and the third sector

We have links with a wide range of NGOs and Voluntary and Community Sector bodies across equality and human rights. We also work with trade unions, sectoral specialists such as think-tanks and research centres, and through our grants programme we will support a wide range of third sector organisations. We have already started to build networks of stakeholders across Britain and over the next three years we will develop these as part of our strategic approach to involving others.

Our work with individuals

We will continue to promote understanding and awareness of rights, and ensure that rights can be meaningfully exercised. The Commission will work to ensure a joined-up approach to legal advice through organisations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau, enabling the Commission’s resources to be focused on high impact strategic interventions and system-wide change.

To achieve our strategic priorities, we will align our services and resources to have maximum impact.

Chapter 7Our organisation and the resources we have available


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7.5 Our Equality Scheme

We are subject to legal duties to promote equality in everything we do. Our commitments to action under the race, disability and gender equality duties are contained in our Equality Scheme for 2009–12, along with commitments on age, religion or belief, gender reassignment and sexual orientation. The document is closely linked to our strategic plan and is available at: www.equalityhumanrights.com/equalityscheme

7.6 Our key tools are:

Digital strategy

Using online resources effectively will be vital if we are to achieve our aims. We have ambitious plans for promoting our work online in different ways and to different audiences. Our digital strategy includes setting up an interactive video channel as well as using social networking to raise our profile. For many people, our website will be the way they first come across our organisation. As well as providing information and advice about legal rights and responsibilities, it is our main vehicle for informing people about us and our work. We will use the site to encourage people to influence what we do either through consultation and involvement or more general debate. We will be developing our site over the next 12 months to ensure it is accessible, informative, exciting and engaging.

Our regional network in England

In order to act as a trusted local source of information on equality and human rights, we will maintain a strong regional presence. To help us achieve this we have a network of nine small offices across the English regions, co-located with Government Offices. We will work closely with regional and local government offices as well as private, voluntary and community sector groups to develop relevant work plans for different areas. Our focus is leading and influencing other strategic public bodies to drive change, as well as encouraging bottom-up solutions through local communities. This allows us to link local concerns and contexts into our overall national strategy and work programme and helps us to build up a more accurate picture of the state of equality and human rights across Britain.

Grant-making

Under section 17 of the Equality Act 2006 we have the right to give financial assistance to organisations promoting equality and diversity, good relations and human rights. We are providing a capacity development programme to help organisations improve the services they provide. The future programme will focus particularly on the newer equality areas in our remit – age, gender reassignment, religion or belief, and sexual orientation – as well as human rights.

The Commission expenditure on staffing in 2009/10 is assumed at 40 per cent of our revenue budget, which compares favourably with other Non-Departmental Public Bodies.

The Commission will seek to contain inflationary pressures within the 2009/10 budget envelope for our administration budget, and maintain the level of funds allocated to programme activity in order to deliver the strategic priorities. In 2009/10, the Commission will review its ways of working and how it delivers services to drive cost efficiency, releasing further resources for programme and project activity.

7.3 Risk management

We have a robust management framework in place to identify the potential risks associated with our strategic and business plan, and any actions we can take to mitigate them. Every month our Risk Appraisal Group, chaired by our Chief

Executive, reviews the risks we face and the Audit and Risk committee also looks at them each quarter. The Senior Management Team and the Board consider and discuss individual risks in turn.

7.4 Our principles as a Commission

In everything we do, we will be:

Accessible

Accessibility is a fundamental part of who we are, what we say and what we do. It is only by being truly accessible that we can be inclusive. And it is only when we are accessible and inclusive that we can promote equality.

Authoritative

Through the quality of our work, our thinking, and by the examples we set, we are a leader in the field of equality and human rights. We are known and respected for our judgement and our guidance.

Ambitious

We want to make a difference. We want to be successful in bringing about change. To achieve this, we are bold and courageous in the decisions we make.

Accountable

We are responsible for the decisions we make and the actions we take. We acknowledge our responsibilities.

Agile

We want to be able to respond quickly and effectively to rapidly changing events.

£m

39.4 Administration costs including salary, estate and day-to-day running expenditure

23.6 Programme activity

63.0 Total Revenue budget


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Strategic priority 1: secure and implement an effective legislative and regulatory framework for equality and human rights

Key Performance Indicators:■ Evidence of the Commission’s

influence on key legislative and policy developments including the new Equality Bill, the proposed Bill of Rights and the EU Article 13 Directive that will help to strengthen domestic legal protection.

■ Evidence of effective implementation of the various UN and Council of Europe Human Rights Treaties as measured by the Commission’s work, including shadow reports on Britain’s compliance in 2010, influencing the international bodies’ assessments.

■ Targeted use of our powers covering all the areas in our equality and human rights remit: at least 100 strategic legal actions and mediation cases each year and a 70 per cent success rate as defined by positive legal outcomes and effective settlement terms.

■ At least seven Formal Inquiries and Investigations progressed over three years within set time-frames and budgets resulting in positive outcomes that effect change.

Strategic priority 2: create a fairer Britain, with equal life chances and access to services for all

Key Performance Indicators:■ At least five Memorandums of

Understanding agreed with major public service regulators and inspectorates, and equality performance measures embedded in their inspection frameworks, within three years.

■ A high and consistent level of awareness among public bodies targeted by the Commission of their obligations under the current public sector equality duties as measured by a baseline survey established in 2009/10, and a five per cent improvement year-on-year thereafter.

■ A rise in the proportion of private sector employers receiving material from the Commission who believe they understand equality legislation as measured by a baseline survey established in 2009/10.

■ An increase in the proportion of private sector employers conducting pay audits to 35 per cent from the current baseline of 23 per cent.

■ Improved equality outcomes in relation to procurement and diversity, the criminal justice system, education and local government performance. We will publish these detailed outcome measures in the triennial review in 2010.

We have consulted on new strategic objectives to underpin our next grants programme, ensuring a closer alignment of the grants function to the Commission’s overall strategic plan, and developing a fit-for-purpose grants model.

Information, advice and guidance

We run national helplines in England, Scotland and Wales to provide advice and information to people who want to know more about their rights. Our helpline advisors are specially trained to deal with a variety of calls, from responding to requests for particular documents or information to providing specialist legal advice on individual cases. We want to ensure that everyone who contacts us gets a positive service that helps us to achieve the outcomes that flow from our core remit and our strategic approach. That means the advice and information we provide must be accessible and practical, ensuring a good customer experience, as well as assisting the Commission in carrying out its intelligence-gathering, compliance and enforcement functions. The Commission wants to provide a cutting edge service making full use of digital technology, delivering a high-quality service while ensuring value for money. A particular focus will involve investigating how digital technology can improve access for disabled people. We will also refer particular cases or complaints to partner bodies in the advice and advocacy sectors.

Disability conciliation

We offer a free and confidential disability conciliation service as an effective potential alternative to taking a case of disability discrimination to court under the Disability Discrimination Act. We will measure our success and impact by using a balanced scorecard approach:

7.7 How we will measure success

The Commission has developed a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to help measure our progress over the next three years. The triennial review, due to be published in 2010, will set out further outcome measures against which the Commission’s performance can be assessed.

The Commission will also demonstrate how its performance contributes towards the delivery of government Public Service Agreements (PSAs), in particular PSA 15 on Equality, the Scottish Government’s national performance outcomes, and relevant targets set by the Welsh Assembly Government. The KPIs that make up the balanced scorecard provide a clear outline of what needs to be done and how the outcome will be assessed:


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■ A Commission website and helpline service that meets the highest standards of public accessibility. Our user satisfaction survey will establish a baseline from which to assess whether the Commission’s website and helpline are viewed as authoritative, and we will regularly monitor speed of response and target call volumes.

■ An advice sector that is supported and mobilised to provide direct help and support to individuals: at least three grants per region will build the capacity of the advice and advocacy sector across England, with further resources for Scotland and Wales.

■ A stakeholder survey to measure perceptions of the quality and reach of advice and advocacy services across Britain, aiming to increase stakeholder confidence in the overall provision of services by 20 per cent over the life of the plan.

Strategic priority 5: build an authoritative and responsive organisation

Key Performance Indicators:■ An enhanced pool of engaged EHRC

stakeholders, demonstrated by an increased range of organisations represented at Commission conferences and events: we will increase by 30 per cent the number of stakeholder organisations which contribute to the next strategic plan consultation over the 2008/9 baseline.

■ Ensuring effective utilisation of our resources with expenditure kept within +/- 5 per cent of agreed budget, and developing and delivering on our value for money plan.

■ Increased levels of assurance from internal and external audit including unqualified NAO approved annual report and accounts.

■ New equality and human rights performance indicators consulted on and in place for the triennial review by June 2010.

■ Employee index tracking levels of engagement among our staff will increase to 70 per cent by December 2009 – from a baseline of 55 per cent – with further improvements thereafter.

■ The actions set out in our three-year equality scheme delivered by March 2012.

Strategic priority 3: build a society without prejudice, promote good relations and foster a vibrant equality and human rights culture

Key Performance Indicators:■ An increase in awareness of the

Commission and its work among the public by five per cent from the October 2007 baseline.

■ An attitudinal shift on general measures of prejudice among target audiences, for example participants in youth programmes supported by the Commission.

■ Three major national campaigns completed, evaluated and providing evidence of impact and cost effectiveness. The Commission will establish objectives for each campaign around awareness-raising, and attitudinal and behavioural change.

■ In addition to campaign-specific evaluation, we will also establish standardised metrics to build a picture of our impact. This will include a specific exercise to measure our brand equity among target audiences. The Commission will also measure media coverage by volume and message penetration, including digital platforms. This baseline will be established by the third quarter 2009/10.

■ Three nationwide involvement exercises completed: average rates of 50 per cent attendance and a 20 per cent rate of first time attendees at all involvement and consultation events.

Strategic priority 4: promote understanding and awareness of rights and duties – deliver timely and accurate advice and guidance to individuals and employers

Key Performance Indicators:■ Codes of Practice and guidance published

that meet best practice guidelines and improve employer, policy-maker and service delivery awareness of statutory responsibilities as measured by an annual survey with baseline established in 2009/10.

■ A 50 per cent increase in the number of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises that seek information and advice from the Commission and its partners, establishing a baseline in 2009/10.

■ Attain a 20 per cent increase in overall user satisfaction with the Commission’s services through a baseline survey carried out in the first year of the plan: evidence that over 90 per cent of requests for information and advice in accessible formats are responded to promptly and effectively.


52 53

Protect and promote the human rights of all, implementing the recommendations of our Human Rights Inquiry to ensure a culture of dignity and respect in public services, and safeguarding our civil liberties.

Build the capabilities of our organisation to act as a modern regulatory body ensuring that breaches of the law are dealt with swiftly, proportionately and efficiently.

Communicate directly with the public, developing new platforms and tools through the Commission’s digital strategy, and give people information so they are empowered to seek redress.

Publish an agenda-setting triennial review to assess the state of equality and human rights across Britain, and make concrete recommendations for reform.

Create meaningful partnerships with our stakeholders to advance equality and human rights across Britain.

Work to bring about a landmark Equality Act that eradicates unjustified discrimination and releases talent through a simpler legislative framework.

Ensure that the law works for individuals, breaking through injustice, making strategic interventions and supporting individual cases. We will also work with others to increase the availability of legal representation.

Deliver a grants programme that helps to widen the reach of the voluntary and community sector, fulfilling our mandate to strengthen good relations and bring people together.

Work with the public and private sector to provide high-quality advice and guidance on the law and ensure that the law is enforced.

Prepare public authorities for the next generation of the public duty, delivering practical guidance and promoting best practice focused on achieving results, namely better outcomes for disadvantaged groups.

Inspire the next generation to embrace the values of equality and human rights.

The external environment requires a Commission that can effect system-level change, working with others to combat disadvantage and discrimination.In the next three years we will:

Chapter 8Our promise – what we will deliver


54 Strategic priority 1 | Programme 1 55

Work programmes 2009–2012

The following work programmes set out in detail how we will achieve the aims under our five strategic priorities.

Pro

ject

s an

d w

ork

area

sO

bjec

tive

sK

ey d

eliv

erab

les

and

mil

esto

nes

Del

iver

y d

ate

1E

qu

alit

y B

ill

An

Equ

alit

y B

ill th

at p

lace

s an

em

phas

is o

n pr

oact

ive

prev

enti

on

and

prom

otio

n of

equ

alit

y w

ith

dem

onst

rabl

e re

sult

s.

The

new

equ

alit

y st

atut

e

succ

essf

ully

del

iver

ed.

2009

/10

In

flu

enci

ng

th

e E

qu

alit

y

Bil

l con

ten

t th

rou

ghou

t

its

pas

sage

in

to la

w

To g

ain

supp

ort f

or th

e

legi

slat

ion

from

key

inst

itut

ions

, in

clud

ing

busi

ness

, tra

de u

nion

s an

d st

akeh

olde

rs.

Con

tinu

e to

influ

ence

the

draf

ting

of

the

Equ

alit

y B

ill, w

orki

ng

colla

bora

tive

ly w

ith

the

GE

O to

re

fine

key

legi

slat

ive

prop

osal

s: th

e ne

w e

qual

ity

duty

, pro

cure

men

t and

tr

ansp

aren

cy, d

ata

colle

ctio

n an

d in

dica

tors

, pos

itiv

e ac

tion

and

the

mod

el o

f a n

ew s

ocio

-eco

nom

ic d

uty.

2009

/10

To w

iden

the

reac

h of

the

publ

ic

duty

to n

ew e

qual

ity

grou

nds

an

d pr

omot

e ou

tcom

e-fo

cuse

d de

liver

y of

the

duti

es.

Publ

ic s

ervi

ce d

utie

s ex

tend

ed to

age

, se

xual

ori

enta

tion

, rel

igio

n or

bel

ief,

and

gend

er r

eass

ignm

ent,

and

focu

sed

on th

e de

liver

y of

pos

itiv

e eq

ualit

y ou

tcom

es th

roug

h be

tter

m

easu

rem

ent a

nd g

uida

nce.

2010

/11

Str

ateg

ic p

rior

ity

1: s

ecur

e an

d im

plem

ent a

n ef

fect

ive

legi

slat

ive

and

regu

lato

ry fr

amew

ork

for

equa

lity

and

hum

an r

ight

s

Pro

gram

me

1: s

ecur

ing,

impl

emen

ting

and

pro

mot

ing

legi

slat

ive

chan

ge

Strategic priority 1 | Programme 1 57

D

evel

op G

uid

ance

an

d C

odes

of

Pra

ctic

e to

su

pp

ort

th

e E

qu

alit

y

Bil

l an

d r

elat

ed

legi

slat

ion

To e

nsur

e th

at a

utho

rita

tive

C

odes

of P

ract

ice

and

guid

ance

ar

e pr

oduc

ed to

sup

port

th

e im

plem

enta

tion

of t

he

fort

hcom

ing

Equ

alit

y B

ill.

Con

sult

atio

n he

ld w

ith

ke

y st

akeh

olde

rs o

n th

e

requ

irem

ents

for

guid

ance

to

sup

port

the

Equ

alit

y B

ill

by Q

2 20

09/1

0.

Rel

evan

t Cod

es o

f Pra

ctic

e

and

non-

stat

utor

y gu

idan

ce

publ

ishe

d w

ithi

n th

ree

mon

ths

of

the

Bill

bec

omin

g la

w to

m

eet t

he n

eeds

of e

mpl

oyer

s

and

serv

ice

prov

ider

s.

2009

/10

Firs

t tra

nche

of S

tatu

tory

Cod

es

of P

ract

ice

cove

ring

em

ploy

men

t, go

ods,

faci

litie

s an

d se

rvic

es,

educ

atio

n an

d pu

blic

sec

tor

eq

ualit

y du

ties

dra

fted

by

Q2

2009

/10,

con

sult

ed o

n an

d

publ

ishe

d by

Q4

2009

/10.

2009

/10

Seco

nd tr

anch

e of

Cod

es o

f Pr

acti

ce d

raft

ed b

y Q

2 20

10/1

1,

cons

ulte

d on

and

pub

lishe

d by

Q

4 20

10/1

1.

2010

/11

P

rom

otin

g th

e

Eq

ual

ity

Bil

l:

mai

nst

ream

eq

ual

ity

and

h

um

an r

igh

ts

amon

g em

ploy

ers

an

d s

ervi

ce

pro

vid

ers

To g

ain

supp

ort f

or th

e ne

w

legi

slat

ion

from

key

inst

itut

ions

, or

gani

sati

ons

and

stak

ehol

ders

to

hel

p dr

ive

succ

essf

ul

impl

emen

tati

on a

nd e

nabl

e or

gani

sati

ons

to d

eliv

er

dem

onst

rabl

e im

prov

emen

ts

in e

qual

ity

outc

omes

for

disa

dvan

tage

d gr

oups

.

Bro

ad c

oalit

ion

of s

uppo

rt fo

r th

e

Bill

est

ablis

hed

wit

h th

e pu

blic

, pr

ivat

e an

d vo

lunt

ary

sect

ors.

2009

/10

To p

rom

ote

awar

enes

s of

the

ne

w e

qual

ity

legi

slat

ion

amon

g ‘a

mpl

ifier

’ str

ateg

ic b

odie

s in

th

e pu

blic

and

pri

vate

sec

tors

en

cour

agin

g ot

hers

to d

isse

min

ate

guid

ance

and

bes

t pra

ctic

e.

Key

targ

et o

rgan

isat

ions

iden

tifie

d ba

sed

on w

ho a

re m

ajor

em

ploy

ers,

se

rvic

e pr

ovid

ers

and

serv

ice

com

mis

sion

ers,

and

arr

ange

men

ts

for

join

t wor

king

in p

lace

.

2009

/10

2P

rote

ctin

g,

pro

mot

ing

and

m

ain

stre

amin

g h

um

an r

igh

ts

To p

rom

ote

and

prot

ect t

he

prov

isio

ns o

f the

Hum

an R

ight

s

Act

and

ens

ure

they

are

app

lied

acro

ss g

over

nmen

t and

pub

lic

serv

ices

, im

plem

entin

g th

e fin

ding

s of

the

Hum

an R

ight

s In

quir

y.

Find

ings

of t

he H

uman

Rig

hts

In

quir

y (H

RI)

for

Eng

land

and

W

ales

pub

lishe

d in

Q1

2009

/10.

Im

plem

enta

tion

of t

he H

RI

reco

mm

enda

tion

s an

d pr

omot

ion

of

aw

aren

ess

and

unde

rsta

ndin

g

of h

uman

rig

hts

wor

king

wit

h in

spec

tora

tes,

pub

lic b

odie

s,

and

serv

ice

user

s.

2009

/10


To u

nder

stan

d ho

w th

e pr

opos

ed

Bill

of R

ight

s ca

n st

reng

then

su

ppor

t for

the

prot

ecti

on a

nd

prom

otio

n of

hum

an r

ight

s.

Res

pons

e to

the

Gov

ernm

ent’s

Bill

of

Rig

hts

Gre

en P

aper

pub

lishe

d in

Q2

2009

/10.

Coa

litio

n of

sup

port

bui

lt fo

r a

Bill

of R

ight

s to

str

engt

hen

and

prom

ote

equa

lity

and

hum

an r

ight

s.

2009

/10

To p

rom

ote,

pro

tect

and

mon

itor

th

e im

plem

enta

tion

of r

elev

ant

UN

hum

an r

ight

s tr

eati

es

incl

udin

g th

e U

N C

onve

ntio

n

on th

e R

ight

s of

Per

sons

wit

h D

isab

iliti

es (U

NC

RPD

). I

n

Scot

land

, the

res

pons

ibili

ty

is s

hare

d w

ith

the

SHR

C.

Inde

pend

ent a

sses

smen

t of

Bri

tain

’s c

ompl

ianc

e w

ith

the

UN

CR

PD a

rtic

les

com

plet

ed

duri

ng 2

009/

10 a

nd p

ropo

sed

ac

tion

pub

lishe

d by

Q1

2010

/11.

2009

/10

–

201

0/11

3E

U L

egis

lati

onTo

sup

port

, infl

uenc

e an

d

ensu

re e

ffec

tive

impl

emen

tati

on

of E

U e

qual

ity

legi

slat

ion

in

clud

ing

the

Art

icle

13

an

ti-d

iscr

imin

atio

n di

rect

ive.

Con

tinu

e to

mon

itor

and

in

fluen

ce th

e pr

ogre

ss o

f the

E

U D

irec

tive

into

UK

law

.

2009

/10

–

201

1/12

4S

trat

egic

cas

ewor

kTo

furt

her

rein

forc

e an

d se

ek

exte

nsio

n of

the

reac

h of

the

prot

ecte

d gr

ound

s th

roug

h

stra

tegi

c ca

sew

ork

and

en

forc

emen

t.

We

will

und

erta

ke a

t lea

st 1

00 le

gal

acti

ons

acro

ss o

ur r

emit

, and

as

part

of

this

we

will

sup

port

and

inte

rven

e in

at l

east

70

case

s an

nual

ly, w

here

th

e pr

otec

tion

of i

ndiv

idua

ls o

n eq

ualit

y an

d hu

man

rig

hts

grou

nds

is

likel

y to

be

stre

ngth

ened

or

wid

ened

in

line

wit

h th

e C

omm

issi

on’s

st

rate

gic

appr

oach

to le

gal w

ork.

2009

/10

–

201

1/12

Pro

ject

s an

d w

ork

area

sO

bjec

tive

sK

ey d

eliv

erab

les

and

mil

esto

nes

Del

iver

y d

ate

1D

rivi

ng

refo

rm

in h

ealt

h, s

ocia

l ca

re a

nd

in

dep

end

ent

li

vin

g

Car

e an

d su

ppor

t gro

unde

d in

a

hum

an r

ight

s fr

amew

ork

and

sust

aina

ble

infr

astr

uctu

re o

f ca

re a

nd s

uppo

rt in

pla

ce.

Wor

k co

llabo

rati

vely

wit

h th

e C

are

Qua

lity

Com

mis

sion

to h

elp

build

a

hum

an r

ight

s cu

ltur

e ac

ross

the

care

sec

tor

wit

h a

Mem

oran

dum

of

Und

erst

andi

ng a

nd a

ser

ies

of

join

t the

mat

ic r

evie

ws

unde

rway

.

2009

/10

–

201

1/12

Exp

lore

pri

ncip

les

to e

nsur

e

the

fair

allo

cati

on o

f res

ourc

es

acro

ss p

ublic

ser

vice

s gi

ven

fu

ture

fisc

al c

onst

rain

ts a

nd

dem

ogra

phic

pre

ssur

es.

This

wor

k w

ill b

e le

d by

our

B

oard

of C

omm

issi

oner

s.20

09/1

0

To e

nsur

e th

ere

is a

n ef

fect

ive

advi

ce a

nd in

form

atio

n

fram

ewor

k w

ith

inde

pend

ent

advo

cacy

to s

uppo

rt th

e

indi

vidu

al p

aym

ents

car

e

and

supp

ort m

odel

.

Gra

nt fu

ndin

g of

inde

pend

ent

advo

cacy

pro

ject

s by

Q3

2009

/10.

Ava

ilabi

lity

and

qual

ity

of

inde

pend

ent a

dvoc

acy

map

ped

ac

ross

the

coun

try,

and

eva

luat

ed

and

inno

vati

ve a

ppro

ache

s to

de

liver

ing

advo

cacy

sup

port

ed

by Q

4 20

09/1

0.

2009

/10

Str

ateg

ic p

rior

ity

2: c

reat

e a

fair

er B

rita

in, w

ith

equa

l life

cha

nces

an

d ac

cess

to s

ervi

ces

for

all

Pro

gram

me

2: fa

irer

pub

lic s

ervi

ces

for

all a

nd im

prov

ing

equa

lity

of c

ivic

par

tici

pati

on


To id

enti

fy a

nd c

halle

nge

the

disc

rim

inat

ory

aspe

cts

of th

e pr

esen

t soc

ial c

are

syst

em,

part

icul

arly

in r

elat

ion

to a

ge.

Them

atic

rev

iew

con

duct

ed to

id

enti

fy th

e in

cide

nce

of a

geis

m

acro

ss th

e he

alth

and

soc

ial c

are

syst

em w

ith k

ey fi

ndin

gs p

ublis

hed

in

Q2

2010

/11.

Pla

n of

act

ion

for

refo

rm

deve

lope

d an

d im

plem

ente

d w

ith

gove

rnm

ent,

key

depa

rtm

ents

and

de

liver

y pa

rtne

rs, a

nd u

sing

the

Com

mis

sion

’s le

gal p

ower

s to

take

st

rate

gic

case

s w

here

app

ropr

iate

.

2009

/10

–

201

0/11

To in

fluen

ce th

e im

plem

enta

tion

of

a ‘p

orta

bilit

y du

ty’ w

ith

loca

l au

thor

itie

s to

ena

ble

peop

le to

m

ove

care

pac

kage

s ar

ound

th

e co

untr

y.

Iden

tify

and

tack

le p

olic

y an

d pr

acti

ce th

at d

irec

tly

unde

rmin

es

free

dom

of m

ovem

ent.

Seek

to

influ

ence

the

fort

hcom

ing

Gre

en

Pape

r on

Soc

ial C

are

refo

rm.

2009

/10

To id

enti

fy a

nd c

omm

unic

ate

th

e be

nefit

s of

car

e an

d

supp

ort t

o so

ciet

y co

unte

ring

th

e pe

rcep

tion

of a

gr

owin

g bu

rden

.

Wor

k w

ith k

ey p

artn

ers

to u

nder

take

co

st-b

enefi

t ana

lysi

s in

to th

e so

cial

an

d ec

onom

ic im

pact

of d

iffer

ent

opti

ons

for

refo

rm a

nd in

vest

men

t in

car

e an

d su

ppor

t. K

ey r

esul

ts

publ

ishe

d by

Q1

2010

/11.

2009

/10

–

201

0/11

To s

uppo

rt d

isab

led

peop

le to

re

pres

ent t

heir

vie

ws

abou

t the

fu

ture

of i

ndep

ende

nt li

ving

in

Scot

land

to d

eter

min

e fu

ture

pol

icy.

Impl

emen

tati

on o

f the

In

depe

nden

t Liv

ing

wor

k pl

an.

2009

/10

–

201

0/11

2Im

pro

vin

g

equ

alit

y

of c

ivic

an

d

pol

itic

al

par

tici

pat

ion

To a

chie

ve g

reat

er v

oice

, acc

ess

an

d pa

rtic

ipat

ion

in d

ecis

ion

mak

ing

for

mar

gina

lised

and

ex

clud

ed g

roup

s an

d im

prov

e re

pres

enta

tion

in c

ivic

life

an

d po

litic

s.

To id

enti

fy a

nd a

ddre

ss b

arri

ers

to

par

tici

pati

on in

civ

ic li

fe a

nd

use

rese

arch

and

pilo

t pro

ject

s

to in

fluen

ce p

ract

ice

in p

ublic

ap

poin

tmen

ts a

nd p

olit

ical

par

ties

.

‘Pat

hway

s to

pol

itic

s’ r

epor

t pu

blis

hed

iden

tify

ing

enab

lers

an

d ba

rrie

rs to

civ

ic a

nd p

olit

ical

pa

rtic

ipat

ion

in Q

1 20

09/1

0 an

d fo

llow

-up

wor

k un

dert

aken

to

influ

ence

‘gat

ekee

per’

org

anis

atio

ns.

Out

reac

h pr

ogra

mm

e la

unch

ed

thro

ugh

regi

onal

net

wor

ks to

en

cour

age

grea

ter

civi

c pa

rtic

ipat

ion.

2009

/10

3Im

pro

vin

g

equ

alit

y of

loca

l se

rvic

e p

rovi

sion

To im

prov

e lo

cal s

ervi

ces

to

mee

t com

mun

ity

need

s th

roug

h

the

new

Com

preh

ensi

ve A

rea

Ass

essm

ent p

roce

ss a

nd L

ocal

A

rea

Agr

eem

ents

. Thi

s in

clud

es

Gyp

sy a

nd T

rave

ller

acco

mm

odat

ion,

man

agin

g

the

impa

cts

of m

igra

tion

and

ad

dres

sing

vio

lenc

e ag

ains

t eq

ualit

y gr

oups

.

Part

ners

hip

wor

king

wit

h A

udit

C

omm

issi

on to

inte

grat

e eq

ualit

y,

hum

an r

ight

s an

d go

od r

elat

ions

ju

dgem

ents

into

insp

ecti

on a

nd

rati

ng fr

amew

orks

.

Mon

itor

of s

ervi

ce p

rovi

sion

and

pr

omot

ion

of b

est p

ract

ice.

2009

/10


4S

ecu

rin

g im

pro

vem

ent

in

th

e cr

imin

al

just

ice

syst

em t

o re

mov

e sy

stem

ic

dis

crim

inat

ion

an

d p

rom

ote

re

spec

t fo

r

hu

man

rig

hts

To e

nsur

e cr

imin

al ju

stic

e ag

enci

es

have

the

info

rmat

ion

they

nee

d to

de

liver

equ

alit

y ac

ross

all

seve

n st

rand

s w

hen

the

new

dut

y is

in

trod

uced

in 2

011.

Rev

iew

com

plet

ed o

f sen

tenc

ing

da

ta b

y eq

ualit

y st

rand

to id

enti

fy

disp

ropo

rtio

nate

sen

tenc

ing

agai

nst

part

icul

ar g

roup

s by

Q4

2009

/10.

2009

/10

–

201

1/12

To e

nsur

e th

e co

urts

ens

ure

fair

se

nten

cing

pro

cedu

res

acro

ss

the

equa

lity

stra

nds.

Prot

ocol

in p

lace

wit

h th

e H

ome

Offi

ce w

ith

agre

emen

t for

cou

rts

to

mon

itor

sen

tenc

ing

by r

ace

from

Q

2 20

09/1

0, d

ata

benc

hmar

ked

in

201

1 an

d ex

tend

ed to

all

othe

r st

rand

s by

end

of 2

011/

12.

2009

/10

–

201

1/12

To e

nsur

e eq

ualit

y st

rand

s ar

e

deal

t wit

h fa

irly

in a

nti-

soci

al

beha

viou

r po

licie

s.

Rev

iew

com

plet

ed o

f ASB

Os

is

sued

to p

arti

cula

r gr

oups

by

Q

3 20

10/1

1. A

ctio

n pl

an to

ad

dres

s an

y di

spro

port

iona

te

sent

enci

ng id

enti

fied

and

ag

reed

wit

h re

leva

nt a

genc

ies

an

d m

onit

orin

g ar

rang

emen

ts

esta

blis

hed.

2009

/10

–

201

1/12

To e

nsur

e th

e po

lice

are

mak

ing

clea

r pr

ogre

ss to

war

ds d

eliv

erin

g ra

ce e

qual

ity

in th

eir

empl

oym

ent

prac

tice

. The

app

roac

h to

w

orkf

orce

div

ersi

ty s

houl

d

mak

e th

e po

lice

mor

e re

flect

ive

of

soc

iety

as

a w

hole

.

Gui

danc

e pu

blis

hed

on th

e us

e of

po

siti

ve a

ctio

n to

enc

oura

ge m

ore

ethn

ic m

inor

itie

s to

join

the

polic

e.

Mem

oran

dum

of U

nder

stan

ding

in

pla

ce w

ith th

e H

MI C

onst

abul

ary

to

enc

oura

ge p

olic

e fo

rces

to p

rovi

de

com

preh

ensi

ve w

orkf

orce

dat

a

and

acti

on p

lans

as

wel

l as

tran

spar

ent m

onit

orin

g an

d co

mpl

aint

s pr

oced

ures

.

2009

/10

To e

nsur

e th

ere

is a

gre

ater

re

spec

t for

equ

alit

y an

d hu

man

ri

ghts

in th

e pr

ison

sys

tem

.

Mem

oran

dum

of U

nder

stan

ding

in

pla

ce w

ith

HM

I Pr

ison

s an

d a

colla

bora

tive

app

roac

h es

tabl

ishe

d th

roug

h a

seri

es o

f the

mat

ic r

evie

ws.

2009

/10

–

201

1/12

To m

ake

prob

atio

n se

rvic

es

effe

ctiv

e in

the

prov

isio

n of

re

habi

litat

ion

serv

ices

to

all g

roup

s.

Rev

iew

of p

roba

tion

ser

vice

s ef

fect

iven

ess

com

mis

sion

ed a

nd

MO

U a

gree

d w

ith

Nat

iona

l Off

ende

r M

anag

emen

t Ser

vice

by

Q3

2010

/11.

2010

/11

To e

nsur

e th

at p

erso

ns c

onvi

cted

of

hat

e cr

imes

are

off

ered

op

port

unit

ies

to a

ddre

ss th

e m

otiv

atio

ns fo

r th

eir

offe

ndin

g be

havi

our,

con

trib

utin

g to

be

tter

com

mun

ity

rela

tion

s.

Bes

t pra

ctic

e in

pol

ice

com

mun

ity

part

ners

hips

for h

ate

crim

e

offe

nder

s id

enti

fied

Q3

2009

/10.

R

ecom

men

dati

ons

for

a st

ruct

ured

pr

ogra

mm

e of

inte

rven

tion

s w

here

ap

plic

able

dev

elop

ed b

y Q

4 20

09/1

0 an

d pr

opos

als

pilo

ted

and

eval

uate

d by

Q4

2010

/11.

2010

/11


5N

arro

win

g p

ersi

sten

t ga

ps

in

ed

uca

tion

al

outc

omes

an

d

enh

ance

the

hu

man

ca

pit

al o

f th

e m

ost

dis

adva

nta

ged

gr

oup

s

To e

nsur

e a

fair

sta

rt in

life

for

ev

ery

child

and

gre

ater

soc

ial

mob

ility

reg

ardl

ess

of b

ackg

roun

d w

ith

adeq

uate

pre

-sch

ool p

rovi

sion

pa

rtic

ular

ly w

here

Eng

lish

is a

se

cond

lang

uage

.

Scop

ing

revi

ew in

to e

arly

yea

rs, l

ife

chan

ces

and

equa

lity

by Q

4 20

09/1

0.20

09/1

0

To s

ecur

e im

prov

ed p

arti

cipa

tion

, at

tain

men

t and

out

com

es fo

r

NE

ET

and

‘at r

isk’

gro

ups

acro

ss

all p

athw

ays:

Six

th F

orm

, Fur

ther

E

duca

tion

and

app

rent

ices

hips

.

Find

ings

of r

esea

rch

into

the

educ

atio

n an

d as

pira

tion

s of

you

ng

peop

le a

nd w

heth

er s

tayi

ng o

n in

ed

ucat

ion

to 1

8 ac

hiev

es b

ette

r ou

tcom

es p

ublis

hed

in Q

1 20

09/1

0.

Act

ion

plan

, bui

ldin

g on

find

ings

, de

velo

ped

by Q

3 20

09/1

0.

2009

/10

To e

ncou

rage

pub

lic b

odie

s

to im

prov

e th

e ed

ucat

iona

l ou

tcom

es fo

r di

ffer

ent g

roup

s.

Gui

danc

e pr

oduc

ed o

n ho

w th

e

publ

ic d

utie

s ca

n he

lp s

choo

ls a

nd

educ

atio

nal i

nsti

tuti

ons

to ta

ckle

in

equa

litie

s in

edu

cati

onal

out

com

es.

2009

/10

To p

rom

ote

equa

lity

goal

s

to in

crea

se s

tayi

ng o

n ra

tes

in

edu

cati

on.

Part

ners

hip

wor

k w

ith

educ

atio

n in

spec

tora

tes

and

regu

lato

rs

incl

udin

g O

fste

d an

d H

ighe

r Edu

catio

n Fu

ndin

g C

ounc

il fo

r E

ngla

nd to

bui

ld

on m

onit

orin

g an

d co

mpl

ianc

e of

the

duti

es d

urin

g 20

09/1

0 to

201

0/11

.Jo

int r

evie

w u

nder

take

n of

impa

ct o

f a

new

sin

gle

equa

lity

duty

on

insp

ectio

n fr

amew

orks

to d

evel

op a

nd e

mbe

d pr

oact

ive

appr

oach

to e

qual

ity

insp

ecti

on a

nd r

epor

ting

in 2

011/

12.

2009

/10

–

201

1/12

Pro

ject

s an

d w

ork

area

sO

bjec

tive

sK

ey d

eliv

erab

les

and

mil

esto

nes

Del

iver

y d

ate

1W

orki

ng

Bet

ter

–

pro

mot

ing

fair

nes

s at

wor

k th

rou

gh m

oder

n

way

s of

wor

kin

g

To p

rom

ote

new

form

s of

flex

ible

an

d ag

ile w

orki

ng th

at m

eet t

he

chal

leng

es o

f the

21s

t cen

tury

and

in

par

ticu

lar

the

need

s of

old

er

wor

kers

and

peo

ple

with

dis

abili

ties

as w

ell a

s w

orki

ng p

aren

ts.

Bui

ld o

n th

e fir

st p

hase

of t

he

Wor

king

Bet

ter

init

iati

ve a

nd

prom

ote

findi

ng. R

evie

w s

cope

d in

to

the

need

s of

old

er w

orke

rs a

nd p

eopl

e w

ith

disa

bilit

ies

and

surv

ey a

nd fo

cus

grou

ps c

ompl

eted

by

Q3

2009

/10.

2009

/10

–

201

1/12

D

evel

op a

nd la

unch

new

em

ploy

er

guid

ance

on

appr

oach

es to

pro

vidi

ng

reas

onab

le a

djus

tmen

ts, w

hich

in

clud

e in

nova

tive

tim

e an

d lo

cati

on

flexi

bilit

ies

by Q

4 20

09/1

0.

2009

/10

W

ork

colla

bora

tive

ly w

ith

key

part

ners

to p

rom

ote

the

bene

fits

of

the

‘righ

t to

requ

est’

flexi

ble

wor

king

su

ppor

ted

by p

ract

ical

gui

danc

e.

2009

/10

2N

arro

win

g p

ay

gap

s –

sec

uri

ng

rad

ical

an

d

sust

ain

able

re

form

To n

arro

w th

e ge

nder

pay

gap

th

roug

h pr

omot

ion

of a

pro

acti

ve

and

syst

emat

ic a

ppro

ach

to

tack

ling

pay

disc

rim

inat

ion.

Con

tinu

e to

influ

ence

the

new

E

qual

ity

Bill

to m

axim

ise

its

effe

ctiv

enes

s an

d pr

omot

e ra

dica

l ‘r

oot a

nd b

ranc

h re

form

’ of c

urre

nt

legi

slat

ion

to p

ut in

pla

ce s

usta

inab

le

solu

tion

s to

equ

al p

ay a

nd e

ncou

rage

em

ploy

ers

to ta

ke a

ctiv

e st

eps

to

man

age

pay

syst

ems

fair

ly.

2009

/10

Pro

gram

me

3: a

dvan

cing

equ

alit

y in

em

ploy

men

t wit

h a

focu

s on

the

priv

ate

sect

or


To w

iden

und

erst

andi

ng o

f the

po

tent

ial c

ontr

ibut

ion

of p

ay

audi

ts to

tack

ling

the

gend

er

pay

gap.

Con

tinu

e to

bui

ld e

vide

nce

base

of

the

effe

ctiv

enes

s of

pay

aud

its

and

prom

ote

thei

r ro

le to

bus

ines

ses

an

d em

ploy

ers

thro

ugh

publ

icat

ion

of

res

earc

h an

d gu

idan

ce.

2009

/10

To a

ct w

ith

gove

rnm

ent t

o ta

ckle

th

e st

ruct

ural

cau

ses

of u

nequ

al

pay,

and

to in

crea

se p

riva

te s

ecto

r tr

ansp

aren

cy o

n pa

y ga

ps th

roug

h re

gula

r pu

blic

atio

n of

dat

a.

Con

trib

ute

to th

e W

omen

and

W

ork

Com

mis

sion

and

dev

elop

m

easu

rem

ent i

ndic

ator

s to

ens

ure

grea

ter

priv

ate

sect

or tr

ansp

aren

cy

on p

ay.

2009

/10

Publ

ish

and

prom

ote

the

findi

ngs

of

revi

ew in

to e

arni

ngs

and

equa

litie

s.20

09/1

0

To ta

ckle

the

unde

rlyi

ng c

ause

s

of th

e ge

nder

pay

gap

suc

h as

oc

cupa

tion

al s

egre

gati

on.

Wor

k st

rate

gica

lly w

ith

publ

ic b

odie

s in

the

educ

atio

n an

d tr

aini

ng s

ecto

r to

iden

tify

and

tack

le th

e ro

ot c

ause

s of

occ

upat

iona

l seg

rega

tion

incl

udin

g ca

reer

s ad

vice

and

trai

ning

pro

visi

on.

2009

/10

–

201

1/12

3A

ccel

erat

ing

imp

rove

men

ts

in t

he

wor

kpla

ce

To p

rom

ote

best

pra

ctic

e

in ta

cklin

g em

ploy

men

t di

scri

min

atio

n.

Com

mis

sion

’s v

isio

n of

a m

oder

n w

orkp

lace

dev

elop

ed a

nd p

rom

oted

th

roug

h en

gage

men

t wit

h re

gula

tory

bo

dies

, pro

fess

iona

l and

em

ploy

er

inst

itut

ions

.

2009

/10

To im

prov

e pr

ivat

e se

ctor

bus

ines

s pr

acti

ces

by s

tren

gthe

ning

the

reac

h of

pub

lic s

ecto

r pr

ocur

emen

t.

In p

artn

ersh

ip w

ith

the

GE

O

cont

inue

to m

odel

a v

olun

tary

eq

ualit

y ce

rtifi

cati

on s

chem

e

for

the

priv

ate

sect

or.

2009

/10

To in

crea

se u

nder

stan

ding

of t

he

rele

vanc

e of

equ

alit

y in

the

labo

ur

mar

ket t

hrou

gh a

seg

men

ted

appr

oach

to th

e pr

ivat

e se

ctor

.

Dev

elop

the

Com

mis

sion

’s k

now

ledg

e an

d ev

iden

ce b

ase

on th

e pr

ivat

e se

ctor

an

d la

bour

mar

kets

wor

king

wit

h D

epar

tmen

t for

Bus

ines

s, E

nter

pris

e an

d R

egul

ator

y R

efor

m, D

WP

and

Reg

iona

l Dev

elop

men

t Age

ncie

s.

2009

/10

–

201

0/11

4In

fras

tru

ctu

re

of e

qu

alit

yTo

tack

le th

e st

ruct

ural

cau

ses

of

disc

rim

inat

ion

thro

ugh

cond

ucti

ng

form

al in

vest

igat

ions

in s

ecto

rs

whe

re th

ere

is e

vide

nce

of u

nlaw

ful

disc

rim

inat

ion.

At l

east

thre

e fo

rmal

inqu

irie

s co

nduc

ted.

2009

/10

To u

nder

stan

d th

e ex

tent

of p

ay

gaps

and

gen

der

disc

rim

inat

ion

in

the

finan

cial

ser

vice

s se

ctor

and

to

deve

lop

a cl

ear

rati

onal

e fo

r us

ing

inve

stig

ator

y po

wer

s w

ith

spec

ific

com

pani

es w

here

ther

e is

str

ong

evid

ence

of u

nlaw

ful d

iscr

imin

atio

n.

Com

plet

e th

e fo

rmal

inqu

iry

an

d pu

blis

h fin

ding

s in

to g

ende

r di

scri

min

atio

n in

the

finan

cial

se

rvic

es s

ecto

r. R

esea

rch

and

inqu

iry

hear

ings

com

plet

ed b

y Q

1 20

09/1

0 an

d in

quir

y co

mpl

eted

by

Q2

2009

/10.

2009

/10

To id

entif

y su

cces

sful

inte

rven

tions

to

tack

le u

nder

-rep

rese

ntat

ion

of

eth

nic

min

orit

y w

orke

rs in

the

cons

truc

tion

indu

stry

and

del

iver

w

ider

em

ploy

men

t par

tici

pati

on.

Com

plet

e fo

rmal

inqu

iry

and

publ

ish

findi

ngs

into

rac

e di

scri

min

atio

n in

th

e co

nstr

ucti

on in

dust

ry b

y Q

2 20

09/1

0.

2009

/10


To id

enti

fy e

ffec

tive

leve

rs fo

r cu

ltur

al c

hang

e in

org

anis

atio

ns.

Bui

ld o

n th

e In

fras

truc

ture

of

Ineq

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ork

wit

h th

e M

oD

unde

rtak

ing

a jo

int r

evie

w c

ompl

eted

id

enti

fyin

g ef

fect

ive

leve

rs fo

r or

gani

sati

onal

cha

nge

by

Q3

2009

/10.

2009

/10

5P

rom

otin

g ec

onom

ic

incl

usi

on

To u

nder

stan

d th

e im

pact

of t

he

rece

ssio

n on

the

mos

t vul

nera

ble

grou

ps a

nd d

eter

min

e th

e C

omm

issi

on’s

rol

e in

pro

tect

ing

them

ens

urin

g ev

eryo

ne b

enefi

ts

whe

n th

e re

cove

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egin

s.

Wor

k w

ith

DW

P an

d th

e G

EO

to

publ

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‘pat

h of

rec

essi

on’ r

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repo

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e im

pact

of t

he r

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on

em

ploy

men

t im

pact

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d pr

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amon

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r m

anda

te

grou

ps. I

dent

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oten

tial

are

as

for

gove

rnm

ent i

nter

vent

ion.

2009

/10

To e

nsur

e th

at th

e be

nefit

s

syst

em w

orks

to s

uppo

rt th

e

mos

t dis

adva

ntag

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roup

s

findi

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oute

s in

to w

ork.

Con

duct

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earc

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to h

ow th

e in

tera

ctio

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the

tax-

bene

fit

syst

em a

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bour

mar

ket i

n

the

curr

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impa

cts

on

equa

litie

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oups

wit

h pa

rtic

ular

re

lati

onsh

ips

to e

mpl

oym

ent,

su

ch a

s se

cond

ear

ners

.

2009

/10

To b

uild

the

Com

mis

sion

’s

evid

ence

bas

e on

eco

nom

ic

incl

usio

n in

par

ticu

lar

the

lin

k be

twee

n so

cial

-eco

nom

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disa

dvan

tage

and

dis

crim

inat

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Publ

ish

an in

itia

l pos

itio

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per

on

pov

erty

and

inco

me

ineq

ualit

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view

ing

the

rela

tion

ship

bet

wee

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cio-

econ

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dis

adva

ntag

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d

the

seve

n pr

otec

ted

grou

nds

and

iden

tify

ing

pote

ntia

l int

erve

ntio

ns.

2010

/11

To e

nsur

e th

at th

e m

ost v

ulne

rabl

e gr

oups

in th

e la

bour

mar

ket a

re

adeq

uate

ly p

rote

cted

from

ex

ploi

tati

on.

Est

ablis

h pa

rtne

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p w

ith

the

Fa

ir E

mpl

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ctio

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Boa

rd a

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ow P

ay C

omm

issi

on

to p

rote

ct v

ulne

rabl

e w

orke

rs

thro

ugh

regu

lato

ry in

terv

enti

on.

2009

/10

–

201

1/12

To im

prov

e th

e te

rms

and

cond

itio

ns o

f mig

rant

and

ag

ency

wor

kers

and

rec

ruit

men

t pr

acti

ces

of ‘a

typi

cal’

wor

kers

.

Con

duct

an

inve

stig

atio

n an

d

publ

ish

findi

ngs

into

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trea

tmen

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peri

ence

of a

genc

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d ot

her

tem

pora

ry w

orke

rs in

the

mea

t pr

oces

sing

sec

tor

in E

ngla

nd

and

Wal

es b

y Q

4 20

09/1

0.

2009

/10

6E

qu

alit

y in

p

rocu

rem

ent

an

d r

egen

erat

ion

To im

prov

e w

orkf

orce

div

ersi

ty

and

fair

ness

in th

e la

bour

mar

kets

th

roug

h in

fluen

cing

maj

or

rege

nera

tion

pro

gram

mes

.

Oly

mpi

c C

hart

er d

evel

oped

ou

tlin

ing

best

pra

ctic

e fo

r be

st

prac

tice

pro

cure

men

t and

co

mm

unit

y re

lati

ons.

2009

/10

Follo

w-u

p re

view

s on

Pro

cure

men

t an

d Su

pplie

r D

iver

sity

rep

ort.

2010

/11

Tran

sfer

less

ons

lear

nt fo

r th

e C

omm

onw

ealt

h ga

mes

in G

lasg

ow

and

Tham

es G

atew

ay p

rogr

amm

e.

2010

/11


Pro

ject

s an

d w

ork

area

sO

bjec

tive

sK

ey d

eliv

erab

les

and

mil

esto

nes

Del

iver

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ate

1S

cop

ing

wor

k to

u

nd

erp

in f

utu

re

pro

ject

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eati

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a

gen

erat

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w

ith

out

pre

jud

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To u

nder

stan

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hat i

nflue

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s sh

ape

and

trig

ger

prej

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omot

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long

-ter

m c

ultu

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chan

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roug

h re

sear

ch

and

anal

ysis

.

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itud

inal

res

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mpl

eted

to

und

erst

and

wha

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uenc

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sh

ape

youn

g pe

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’s a

ttit

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to

prej

udic

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d th

e dr

iver

s be

hind

it.

2009

/10

C

reat

e ef

fect

ive

par

tner

ship

s w

ith

go

vern

men

t d

epar

tmen

ts,

NG

Os

and

th

e

crea

tive

ind

ust

ries

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evel

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e ri

ght p

artn

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ips

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build

alli

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s to

hel

p su

ppor

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liver

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our

you

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rogr

amm

e.

Part

ners

hips

in p

lace

wit

h na

tion

al

play

ers

in th

e yo

uth

sect

or.

2009

/10

2D

evel

opin

g yo

un

g eq

ual

ity

lead

ers

To c

halle

nge

into

lera

nce

and

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udic

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prov

ing

youn

g

peop

le’s

acc

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to k

now

ledg

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abou

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man

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ghts

, and

lim

itin

g th

e im

pact

of

seg

rega

tion

thro

ugh

grea

ter

inte

r-co

mm

unit

y co

ntac

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Con

tinu

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r yo

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prog

ram

mes

to

iden

tify

eff

ecti

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odel

s

of in

terv

enti

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at c

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plem

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par

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ship

wit

h

key

play

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in th

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uth

sect

or. F

or

exam

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bui

ldin

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Our

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ce

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Cro

eso

proj

ects

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plify

ing

thei

r re

ach

and

impa

ct o

n gr

eate

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mbe

rs

of y

oung

peo

ple.

2009

/10

–

201

1/12

Str

ateg

ic p

rior

ity

3: b

uild

a s

ocie

ty w

itho

ut p

reju

dice

, pro

mot

e go

od r

elat

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an

d fo

ster

a v

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nt e

qual

ity

and

hum

an r

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s cu

ltur

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Pro

gram

me

4: b

uild

ing

a ge

nera

tion

wit

hout

pre

judi

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3W

orki

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wit

h

you

ng

peo

ple

at

sch

ool

To im

prov

e aw

aren

ess

and

unde

rsta

ndin

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you

ng p

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so th

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an r

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e to

equ

alit

y,

citi

zens

hip

and

hum

an r

ight

s

in th

eir

daily

live

s.

A r

ange

of r

esou

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su

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cher

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the

deliv

ery

of th

e ci

tize

nshi

p ag

enda

to y

oung

peo

ple,

pa

rtic

ular

ly K

ey S

tage

3 (1

1-14

yea

r ol

ds) b

y Q

4 20

09/1

0.

2009

/10

Su

pp

ort e

du

cato

rs

to s

pre

ad b

est

pra

ctic

e

To e

nsur

e th

at th

ose

who

teac

h yo

ung

peop

le h

ave

acce

ss to

the

righ

t mat

eria

ls a

nd r

esou

rces

.

Prog

ram

me

of te

ache

r an

d ed

ucat

or

enga

gem

ent a

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aini

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sha

re

best

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ctic

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del

iver

ing

the

citi

zens

hip

curr

icul

um in

sch

ools

an

d Si

xth

Form

col

lege

s.

2010

/11

B

uil

d g

reat

er

con

tact

bet

wee

n

sch

ools

an

d

equ

alit

y an

d

hu

man

rig

hts

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old

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ips

betw

een

scho

ols

and

equa

lity

an

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man

rig

hts

orga

nisa

tion

s.

Net

wor

k of

exc

elle

nce

esta

blis

hed

brin

ging

toge

ther

edu

cato

rs a

nd th

e eq

ualit

y an

d hu

man

rig

hts

sect

or.

2010

/11

4P

utt

ing

Gen

erat

ion

w

ith

out

Pre

jud

ice

on

th

e m

ap

To r

aise

aw

aren

ess

of th

e C

omm

issi

on’s

am

biti

on to

re

duce

pre

judi

ce a

cros

s so

ciet

y.

Hig

h-im

pact

nat

iona

l cam

paig

n la

unch

ed to

‘mak

e pr

ejud

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hist

ory’

.20

11/1

2


Pro

ject

s an

d w

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area

sO

bjec

tive

sK

ey d

eliv

erab

les

and

mil

esto

nes

Del

iver

y d

ate

1G

ood

rel

atio

ns

guid

ance

, p

rom

otio

n a

nd

be

st p

ract

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To in

crea

se th

e aw

aren

ess,

co

nfide

nce

and

shar

ing

of g

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prac

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am

ong

publ

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utho

riti

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in r

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to th

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stat

utor

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ligat

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to p

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ote

good

re

lati

ons

betw

een

grou

ps.

Und

erta

ke g

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al p

rom

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awar

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s-ra

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tivi

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supp

orte

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Cod

es o

f Pra

ctic

e

and

guid

ance

.

To in

crea

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ator

y ac

tivi

ty o

n go

od r

elat

ions

by

impr

ovin

g th

e qu

alit

y an

d pr

ecis

ion

of n

atio

nal

and

loca

l dat

a on

goo

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lati

ons.

Aut

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tati

ve e

vide

nce

base

an

d an

alys

is o

f wha

t sup

port

s

good

rel

atio

ns d

evel

oped

.

2010

/11

To u

nder

stan

d th

e im

pact

of

the

curr

ent d

uty

to p

rom

ote

com

mun

ity

cohe

sion

on

pu

blic

aut

hori

ties

.

Ben

chm

arki

ng o

f pub

lic a

utho

riti

es

awar

enes

s of

goo

d re

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best

pr

acti

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long

side

con

sult

atio

n

on C

odes

of P

ract

ice

com

plet

ed

by Q

3 20

09/1

0.

2009

/10

To e

nsur

e pu

blic

aut

hori

ties

ha

ve a

cces

s to

the

guid

ance

th

ey n

eed

to fu

lfil t

heir

dut

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Init

ial p

ract

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gui

danc

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ase

st

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s an

d si

gnpo

stin

g is

sued

by

th

e C

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on, d

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on a

nd

expa

ndin

g ex

isti

ng g

ood

prac

tice

pu

blis

hed

by Q

4 20

09/1

0.

2009

/10

Pro

gram

me

5: p

rom

otin

g go

od r

elat

ions

thro

ugho

ut B

rita

in

To c

reat

e ne

twor

ks th

at w

ill

prom

ote

exce

llenc

e an

d be

st

prac

tice

on

good

rel

atio

ns.

Prac

titi

oner

net

wor

ks a

nd

com

mun

itie

s of

pra

ctic

e se

t up

in

part

ners

hip

wit

h th

e ID

eA, L

GIU

an

d Sc

otti

sh a

nd W

elsh

equ

ival

ents

am

ong

othe

rs.

2010

/11

To fu

lfil t

he s

tatu

tory

dut

y of

th

e C

omm

issi

on to

pro

duce

an

d di

ssem

inat

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fect

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C

odes

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guid

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danc

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lidat

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rvic

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pla

ce

in p

repa

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r im

plem

enta

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of

new

dut

y in

late

201

1.

2011

/12

2A

ctiv

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prom

otin

g

good

rel

atio

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in

Bri

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To fo

ster

pos

itiv

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titu

des

to

diff

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iver

sity

w

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n lo

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omm

unit

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k w

ith

fait

h an

d se

cula

r co

mm

unit

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to p

rom

ote

shar

ed

unde

rsta

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lera

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and

re

spec

t and

dev

elop

bes

t pra

ctic

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ides

on

how

to p

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xtre

mis

m

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m-p

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a.

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efine

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role

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he

Com

mis

sion

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ddre

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nflic

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d te

nsio

n be

twee

n re

ligio

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ith,

an

d co

mm

unit

y. T

o po

siti

on th

e C

omm

issi

on a

s a

reco

gnis

ed

faci

litat

or o

f res

olut

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thro

ugh

enga

gem

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n th

e re

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in

and

unde

rtak

e pr

epar

ator

y

scop

ing

and

rese

arch

to

info

rm th

ose

disc

ussi

ons.

2009

/10


To e

nsur

e eq

ual p

arti

cipa

tion

in

com

mun

ity

life

and

grea

ter

com

mun

ity

cohe

sion

.

Gra

nt fu

nd g

ood

rela

tion

s pr

ojec

ts

that

adv

ance

tole

ranc

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d co

mm

unit

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hesi

on, i

n pa

rtic

ular

pr

omot

ing

grea

ter

unde

rsta

ndin

g

and

acce

ptan

ce o

f mig

rant

gro

ups.

2009

/10

–

201

1/12

To u

nder

stan

d th

e ca

uses

of

host

ility

tow

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diff

eren

t gr

oups

and

how

thes

e va

ry

betw

een

loca

l pop

ulat

ions

.

Com

plet

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alys

is o

f the

ris

e of

far

righ

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itic

al p

arti

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e im

pact

on

leve

ls o

f rac

ism

and

com

mun

ity

cohe

sion

. Pro

duce

gui

danc

e fo

r pu

blic

aut

hori

ties

on

how

to

man

age

empl

oyee

s w

ho m

ay b

e m

embe

rs o

f far

rig

ht p

arti

es.

2009

/10

3M

igra

tion

, d

iver

sity

an

d c

itiz

ensh

ip

To in

fluen

ce th

e pu

blic

deb

ate

arou

nd m

igra

tion

and

cit

izen

ship

, in

crea

sing

rec

ogni

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of t

he

com

plex

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and

bene

fits

of a

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ciet

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Und

erta

ke r

esea

rch

and

anal

ysis

on

soc

ial m

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ty o

f sec

ond

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rati

on m

igra

nts

and

path

way

s

to e

mpl

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area

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for

refo

rm o

f edu

cati

on a

nd

trai

ning

wit

h fo

llow

up

influ

enci

ng.

Publ

icat

ion

Q4

2009

/10.

2009

/10

4P

rom

otin

g sa

fety

an

d s

ecu

rity

an

d t

arge

tin

g re

du

ctio

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in

hat

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h

aras

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and

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To im

prov

e sa

fety

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sec

urit

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exp

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assm

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B a

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ende

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w

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r us

es th

e du

ties

to p

reve

nt h

aras

smen

t fa

ced

by p

arti

cula

r gr

oups

.

2010

/11

To e

nsur

e th

at th

ere

is a

n ef

fect

ive

stra

tegy

in p

lace

wit

hin

the

crim

inal

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syst

em to

tack

le

the

unde

rlyi

ng c

ause

s of

hat

e

crim

e an

d vi

olen

ce.

Bui

ld o

n ou

r re

cent

res

earc

h w

ork

to

dev

elop

and

impl

emen

t an

appr

oach

for

prom

otin

g th

e sa

fety

an

d se

curi

ty o

f dis

able

d pe

ople

.

2009

/10

To m

onit

or th

e av

aila

bilit

y of

se

rvic

es fo

r w

omen

who

suf

fer

viol

ence

and

ens

ure

that

pub

lic

auth

orit

ies

mee

t the

ir

stat

utor

y ob

ligat

ions

.

Prod

ucti

on o

f ann

ual M

ap o

f Gap

s

of s

ervi

ce p

rovi

sion

for

wom

en

who

hav

e ex

peri

ence

d vi

olen

ce.

2009

/10

–

201

1/12

To u

nder

stan

d th

e pr

esen

t con

text

of

goo

d re

lati

ons

acro

ss E

ngla

nd

and

Wal

es.

Con

tinu

ed d

evel

opm

ent o

f the

‘Goo

d R

elat

ions

Bar

omet

er’ t

o m

onit

or a

nd

asse

ss te

nsio

ns. F

indi

ngs

publ

ishe

d by

Q2

2011

/12.

2009

/10

–

201

1/12

To u

nder

stan

d an

d ad

dres

s

the

root

cau

ses

of s

ecta

rian

ism

in

Sco

ttis

h so

ciet

y an

d th

eir

ad

vers

e im

pact

on

equa

lity

an

d hu

man

rig

hts.

Prod

uce

rese

arch

rep

ort o

n tr

ansm

issi

on o

f sec

tari

an a

ttit

udes

be

twee

n G

ener

atio

ns in

Sco

tlan

d.

Publ

icat

ion

Q3

2009

/10.

2009

/10

To e

nact

a m

ore

effe

ctiv

e le

gisl

ativ

e fr

amew

ork

to ta

ckle

hat

e cr

ime

in

Sco

tlan

d.

Supp

ort t

he p

assa

ge o

f ‘cr

imes

m

otiv

ated

by

prej

udic

e or

ill w

ill’

Bill

thro

ugh

Scot

tish

Par

liam

ent.


Pro

ject

s an

d w

ork

area

sO

bjec

tive

sK

ey d

eliv

erab

les

and

mil

esto

nes

Del

iver

y d

ate

1E

ffec

tive

co

llab

orat

ion

wit

h

the

advi

ce s

ecto

r bu

ild

ing

equ

alit

y an

d h

um

an r

igh

ts

advi

ce c

apab

ilit

y

To e

nsur

e th

at th

ere

is a

hi

gh-q

ualit

y in

fras

truc

ture

of

advi

ce a

nd a

cces

s to

just

ice

in

rela

tion

to e

qual

ity

and

hum

an

righ

ts le

gisl

atio

n in

Gre

at B

rita

in.

Lega

l cas

ewor

k gr

ant f

undi

ng

fram

ewor

k de

velo

ped

and

impl

emen

ted

incl

udin

g id

enti

ficat

ion

of c

lear

ass

essm

ent c

rite

ria

and

appr

oval

pro

cess

es.

2009

/10

To im

prov

e th

e pr

ovis

ion

of

case

wor

k ad

viso

ry s

uppo

rt a

nd

expe

rtis

e in

rel

atio

n to

equ

alit

y

and

hum

an r

ight

s an

d im

prov

e C

asew

ork

Qua

lity

Stan

dard

s in

E

ngla

nd a

nd W

ales

.

Cur

rent

lega

l adv

ice

prov

isio

n

in G

reat

Bri

tain

on

equa

lity

and

hum

an r

ight

s is

sues

map

ped

to

iden

tify

gap

s in

ser

vice

pro

visi

on

acro

ss lo

calit

ies

by Q

1 20

09/1

0.

2009

/10

To s

uppo

rt th

e ad

vice

sec

tor,

in

par

ticu

lar

the

Cit

izen

s A

dvic

e B

urea

u an

d co

mm

unit

y la

w

cent

res,

ena

blin

g th

em to

pro

vide

ti

mel

y an

d ac

cess

ible

adv

ice

and

guid

ance

to in

divi

dual

s.

Stra

tegi

c ap

proa

ch to

fund

ing

of

the

volu

ntar

y ad

vice

sec

tor

to

targ

et th

e se

rvic

e ga

ps d

evel

oped

in

par

tner

ship

wit

h ke

y

orga

nisa

tion

s in

clud

ing

the

Le

gal S

ervi

ces

Com

mis

sion

.

2009

/10

To e

nsur

e re

sour

ces

inve

sted

in

the

advi

ce s

ecto

r ar

e us

ed

effe

ctiv

ely

in a

join

ed-u

p w

ay

to m

axim

ise

impa

ct a

nd r

each

.

Bui

ld jo

int f

undi

ng in

itia

tive

s

wit

h ce

ntra

l and

loca

l gov

ernm

ent

to im

prov

e th

e de

liver

y of

adv

ice

an

d gu

idan

ce.

2009

/10

Str

ateg

ic p

rior

ity

4: p

rom

ote

unde

rsta

ndin

g an

d aw

aren

ess

of r

ight

s an

d du

ties

–

del

iver

tim

ely

and

accu

rate

adv

ice

and

guid

ance

to in

divi

dual

s an

d em

ploy

ers

Pro

gram

me

6: d

eliv

erin

g hi

gh-q

ualit

y in

form

atio

n, a

dvic

e an

d gu

idan

ce o

n ri

ghts

To im

prov

e un

ders

tand

ing

and

awar

enes

s of

rig

hts

in th

e

gene

ral p

opul

atio

n.

Bui

ld o

n th

e m

odel

use

d in

the

‘K

now

you

r R

ight

s’ c

ampa

ign

an

d ra

ise

awar

enes

s am

ong

pa

rtic

ular

com

mun

itie

s.

2009

/10

To p

rom

ote

supp

ort f

or in

divi

dual

ri

ghts

and

ens

ure

that

the

law

can

ge

nuin

ely

empo

wer

cit

izen

s to

ex

erci

se th

eir

righ

ts.

Prom

otio

nal c

ampa

ign

incl

udin

g ro

adsh

ows

on e

qual

ity

issu

es a

nd

the

Equ

alit

y B

ill.

2010

/11

To e

nsur

e th

at e

mpl

oyer

s un

ders

tand

and

act

on

chan

ges

in

the

lega

l fra

mew

ork.

Con

tinu

e to

pro

vide

upd

ates

on

legi

slat

ive

deve

lopm

ents

, cas

e la

w

and

enfo

rcem

ent a

ctio

n in

clud

ing

best

pra

ctic

e ad

vice

and

gui

danc

e

and

prom

ote

thro

ugh

a va

riet

y

of c

hann

els.

2009

/10

To in

crea

se c

apac

ity

and

qual

ity

in

the

advi

ce s

ecto

r th

roug

h ch

alle

nge

and

supp

ort.

Ext

end

Com

mis

sion

’s tr

ansf

er o

f ex

pert

ise

and

spec

ialis

t tra

inin

g pr

ogra

mm

es w

orki

ng w

ith

Adv

ice

Sect

or o

rgan

isat

ions

and

trai

ning

ag

enci

es; i

nclu

ding

the

Em

ploy

men

t Tr

ibun

al S

kills

Cou

rse

to E

ngla

nd

and

Scot

land

.

2009

/10

2P

rovi

din

g in

form

atio

n

and

gu

idan

ce

to e

mp

loye

rs

To e

nsur

e be

st p

ract

ice

in

empl

oym

ent p

ract

ices

is a

dopt

ed

acro

ss th

e pu

blic

and

pri

vate

sec

tor

and

that

em

ploy

ers

unde

rsta

nd

thei

r st

atut

ory

resp

onsi

bilit

ies.

Dev

elop

col

labo

rati

ve a

rran

gem

ents

w

ith

busi

ness

org

anis

atio

ns a

nd th

e ad

vice

sec

tor

to e

ncou

rage

exc

hang

e of

gui

danc

e an

d be

st p

ract

ice.

2009

/10

–

201

1/12


To e

nsur

e th

at b

est p

ract

ice

on

equ

alit

y an

d di

vers

ity

is

embe

dded

in k

ey s

ecto

rs th

at

impa

ct d

ispr

opor

tion

atel

y on

th

e ac

hiev

emen

t of b

ette

r

equa

lity

outc

omes

.

Con

tinu

e to

dev

elop

and

pro

mot

e pr

acti

cal s

ecto

ral g

uida

nce

focu

sing

on

sec

tors

whe

re d

isad

vant

aged

gr

oups

are

like

ly to

be

repr

esen

ted.

2009

/10

To e

nsur

e th

at S

mal

l and

M

ediu

m-S

ized

Ent

erpr

ises

(S

ME

s) a

re e

quip

ped

to

unde

rsta

nd c

hang

es in

the

legi

slat

ive

cont

ext.

Bui

ld o

n ou

r gu

idan

ce to

SM

E

empl

oyer

s to

cov

er th

e ne

w

empl

oym

ent r

egul

atio

ns o

n ag

e

and

prom

ote

best

pra

ctic

e w

ith

part

ner

orga

nisa

tion

s.

2010

/11

3C

onti

nu

e to

im

pro

ve t

he

q

ual

ity

of a

dvi

ce

and

gu

idan

ce

prov

ided

thro

ugh

ou

r h

elp

lin

e

and

web

site

To im

prov

e th

e cu

stom

er-f

ocus

ed

serv

ice

of o

ur o

nlin

e w

eb a

nd

tele

phon

e-ba

sed

help

line

to

deliv

er h

igh-

qual

ity,

acc

essi

ble

advi

ce a

nd in

form

atio

n ta

ilore

d

to in

divi

dual

s ne

eds.

Hel

plin

e an

d in

form

atio

n m

anag

emen

t fun

ctio

ns c

ombi

ned

to

pro

vide

an

inte

grat

ed g

atew

ay

serv

ice,

wit

h ne

w w

ays

of w

orki

ng

intr

oduc

ed to

incr

ease

ser

vice

le

vel p

rovi

sion

.

2009

/10

To r

aise

aw

aren

ess

of th

e he

lplin

e am

ong

the

gene

ral p

opul

atio

n.A

ctiv

e pr

omot

ion

of th

e he

lplin

e th

roug

h ta

rget

ed c

ampa

igns

to

ena

ble

indi

vidu

als

and

orga

nisa

tion

s to

acc

ess

the

serv

ice.

2009

/10

To e

nsur

e pr

ivat

e se

ctor

em

ploy

ers

have

acc

ess

to e

ffec

tive

adv

ice

and

guid

ance

par

ticu

larl

y ta

rget

ed a

t th

e ‘w

illin

g bu

t ner

vous

’.

Arr

ange

men

ts in

pla

ce to

pro

vide

ef

fect

ive

advi

ce fo

r th

e pr

ivat

e se

ctor

, in

clud

ing

refe

rral

arr

ange

men

ts w

ith

spec

ialis

t bus

ines

s ad

vice

pro

vide

rs.

2010

/11

Pro

ject

s an

d w

ork

area

sO

bjec

tive

sK

ey d

eliv

erab

les

and

mil

esto

nes

Del

iver

y d

ate

1R

evie

w a

nd

refi

ne

th

e C

omm

issi

on’s

op

erat

ing

mod

el

To e

nsur

e th

at th

e C

omm

issi

on’s

op

erat

ing

mod

el, i

nclu

ding

way

s

of w

orki

ng, p

roce

sses

and

sys

tem

s,

supp

ort t

he d

eliv

ery

of th

e

stra

tegi

c pr

iori

ties

.

Rev

iew

, refi

ne a

nd d

eliv

er

the

oper

atin

g m

odel

.20

09/1

0

– 2

010/

11

2D

evel

opin

g th

e C

omm

issi

on’s

re

gula

tory

ap

pro

ach

To e

nsur

e th

at th

e C

omm

issi

on

mee

ts it

s ob

ligat

ions

as

a re

gula

tory

bo

dy a

nd is

pro

port

iona

te,

acco

unta

ble,

con

sist

ent a

nd

tran

spar

ent i

n it

s w

ork.

To r

evie

w a

nd in

corp

orat

e le

sson

s le

arne

d fr

om o

ther

reg

ulat

ors

in

deve

lopi

ng th

e C

omm

issi

on’s

re

gula

tory

app

roac

h.

2009

/10

–

201

0/11

To e

nsur

e th

at th

e C

omm

issi

on’s

ac

tion

s ar

e gu

ided

by

inte

llige

nce

and

evid

ence

.

New

out

com

e-fo

cuse

d re

gula

tory

ap

proa

ch d

esig

ned

and

impl

emen

ted,

w

ith

clea

r cr

iter

ia a

nd tr

ansp

aren

t de

cisi

on-m

akin

g pr

oces

ses

in p

lace

.

2009

/10

St

rate

gic

inte

llige

nce

capa

bilit

y de

velo

ped

to in

form

our

act

ivit

ies

and

inte

rven

tion

s, w

ith

inte

llige

nce

need

s de

fined

and

new

func

tion

s

and

proc

esse

s im

plem

ente

d.

2009

/10

Str

ateg

ic p

rior

ity

5: b

uild

an

auth

orit

ativ

e an

d re

spon

sive

org

anis

atio

n

Pro

gram

me

7: b

uild

ing

a hi

gh p

erfo

rmin

g or

gani

sati

on


3S

tren

gth

enin

g

our

orga

nis

atio

nal

ca

pab

ilit

y

To s

tren

gthe

n ou

r le

ader

ship

and

m

anag

emen

t cap

abili

ty a

nd s

kills

.Le

ader

ship

str

ateg

y de

velo

ped

an

d im

plem

ente

d. N

ew s

erie

s

of le

ader

ship

and

man

agem

ent

prog

ram

me

deliv

ered

incl

udin

g ‘E

xper

t man

ager

s –

exc

epti

onal

le

ader

s’ to

all

seni

or m

anag

ers.

2009

/10

C

ompe

tenc

y Fr

amew

ork

desi

gned

an

d ro

lled

out,

wit

h a

skill

s au

dit

and

gap

anal

ysis

und

erta

ken

agai

nst

the

com

pete

ncy

fram

ewor

k.

2009

/10

N

ew p

erfo

rman

ce m

anag

emen

t fr

amew

ork

fully

impl

emen

ted.

20

09/1

0

4B

uil

din

g a

fl

exib

le

and

res

pon

sive

or

gan

isat

ion

To e

ngag

e ef

fect

ivel

y w

ith

stak

ehol

ders

ens

urin

g th

at th

e C

omm

issi

on’s

wor

k is

rel

evan

t,

and

in th

e pu

blic

inte

rest

.

Firs

t sta

keho

lder

str

ateg

y co

nsul

ted

on, p

ublis

hed

and

impl

emen

ted,

new

se

ctor

spe

cific

sta

keho

lder

adv

isor

y bo

ards

est

ablis

hed.

Map

ping

wor

k ca

rrie

d ou

t to

enha

nce

stak

ehol

der

netw

orks

in a

ll eq

ualit

y st

rand

and

su

bjec

t are

as. S

erie

s of

sub

ject

sp

ecifi

c co

nfer

ence

s an

d ev

ents

hel

d.

2009

/10

To b

uild

a fl

exib

le, d

eliv

ery-

focu

sed

orga

nisa

tion

.N

ew a

ppro

ach

to p

roje

ct-b

ased

w

orki

ng d

evel

oped

and

impl

emen

ted.

2009

/10

To im

prov

e th

e tr

ansp

aren

cy,

cons

iste

ncy

and

spee

d of

de

cisi

on-m

akin

g an

d go

vern

ance

.

New

fram

ewor

k fo

r de

cisi

on-m

akin

g in

pla

ce b

ased

on

clea

r pr

inci

ples

and

a

Gov

erna

nce

Han

dboo

k pu

blis

hed

and

impl

emen

ted.

200

9/10

To s

uppo

rt d

eliv

ery

of th

e C

omm

issi

on’s

wor

k th

roug

h ef

ficie

nt c

orpo

rate

ser

vice

s

and

enab

ling

ICT

syst

ems.

Impl

emen

tati

on o

f key

IC

T

solu

tion

s in

clud

ing

Shar

ePoi

nt

colla

bora

tion

, fur

ther

CR

M

syst

em d

evel

opm

ent t

o im

prov

e st

akeh

olde

r co

mm

unic

atio

ns a

nd

case

man

agem

ent a

nd u

pgra

des

to

the

finan

cial

and

rep

orti

ng s

yste

ms.

200

9/10


Pro

ject

s an

d w

ork

area

sO

bjec

tive

sK

ey d

eliv

erab

les

and

mil

esto

nes

Del

iver

y d

ate

1B

uil

din

g an

au

thor

itat

ive

ev

iden

ce b

ase

To b

uild

the

Com

mis

sion

’s

evid

ence

bas

e th

roug

h

rese

arch

and

inte

llige

nce.

Com

preh

ensi

ve e

vide

nce

base

ac

hiev

ed a

cros

s al

l the

equ

alit

y st

rand

s, h

uman

rig

hts

and

go

od r

elat

ions

.

2010

/11

To b

ecom

e a

cent

re o

f exc

elle

nce

in

res

earc

h on

equ

alit

y an

d

hum

an r

ight

s.

Dev

elop

ing

part

ners

hips

wit

h st

akeh

olde

rs a

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84

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