Equality Impact Assessments
Step 1 – Responsibility and involvement
This is a new and important process that will require different perspectives to be considered and, in some (hopefully a very few) cases, difficult decisions may need to be made about policy and service delivery.
Whilst it is necessary to identify a lead officer, it is advised that they do not undertake the impact assessment on their own, but set up a group comprising a diverse range of staff responsible for delivering the service.
Policy/procedure or proposal:Corporate Procurement Strategy 2007 –2011
Name of Lead Officer (service/business manager) completing the assessment:
Steven Middleton
Job Title and Ext. No:Procurement Manager 3315
Service area:Procurement
Directorate: Financial Services
List others involved in the assessment:
Step 2 – Identify aims/objectives of policy/procedureor proposal
No. / Question1 / What are the aims/objectives of the policy/procedure or proposaland the intended outcomes?
The aim of the Council’s procurement strategy is to ensure the Council obtains best value for money when procuring goods and services. To encourage Suppliers to act ethically and sustainably.
2 / Are there any associated services, policies or procedures?Yes
If ‘Yes’ please list below
Contract Standing ordersFinancial Regulations
3 / Are any other organisations involved in the delivery of the service or project?
Suppliers
Other authorities
Framework Contract Owners
Client Officers from WDC front office services
WDC legal and other WDC experts
4 / How and where will information about the service, policy/procedureor proposal be publicised? Is this information available in other languages and formats if requested?
The WDC intranet
The WDC Website
5 / List the main people, or groups of people, that this policy/procedureor proposal was designed to reach or benefit, and any other stakeholders.
Client Officers
Citizens, via the Client Officer’s Service.
Suppliers
Step 3 – Consultation
For this step it is important to refer to any consultation exercises which have been undertaken and/or any complaints received.
No. / Question6a / What have service users/non-users or other stakeholders (including employees) already told you about the policyor proposal and any negative impacts? Who has been consulted and what methods were used?
The Strategy has been reviewed and approved by the Procurement Working Group and WDCs Chief Financial Officer.
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6b / If you have not carried out any consultation, or if you need to carry out further consultation, who will you be consulting with and by what methods?
N/A......
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Step 4 – Monitoring and Research
For this step it is important to refer to any monitoring information which is already held. As stated in the guidance notes arrangements need to be set up for effective monitoring if this is not already taking place.
No. / Question7a / How do we know whether our service or project is accessible all groups?
From the client’s side the Procurement Service is advocated in the Council’s Contact Standing Orders “CSO’s” which is a key document referenced across the Council. Contract Standing orders require that all requirements in excess of £100 are competitively tendered. Citizen’s needswill be reflected in the requirements specified by the Client Officer.
From the Supplier’s side :
There are contact details for relevant Council Contract owners on our website.
For lower value contracts potential Tenderers are identified using desktop research for specialised projects, or advertisements for procurements of a more general nature.
Contract in excess EU Thresholds are advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union and the UK Government’s Supply2Gov website.
7b / If there is a lack of information, what research will be carried out, and for which groups?
N/A
7c / If this is a new policy, or one that is not currently monitored, what are the arrangements to begin monitoring the actual impacts of the policy? (To go in action plan)
N/A
Step 5 – Impact assessment
No. / Question8 /
Actual or potential negative impact, unmet needs or barriers
/ Actual orpotential positive impact or ways in which the policy promotes equality / Actual orpotential impact of the policy on community cohesion and community relationsWomen or men / The Council’s pre qualification questionnaires and its Contracts include questions in the former and requirements in the later which ensure potential service providers have E and D measures embedded in their processes. / Procurement activities within the Council are owned by Client Officers operating within the Service responsible for delivering front line services. These Officers are well positioned to ensure that the E+D needs of the Citizens they serve are included in evaluation criteria and embedded in resulting contracts.
People from different ethnic groups / As above / As above
Disabled people
or people with a long-term limiting illness or condition / As above / As above
Lesbian, gay or bisexual people / As above / As above
Older people / As above / As above
People with caring responsibilities / As above / As above
People from different faith groups / As above / As above
Trans people / As above / As above
Young people / As above / As above
Step 6 – Complete the equality action plan
Equality Action Plan
These are suggested headings for the action plan but may be changed if you prefer to use your own directorate or departmental standard action plan format for consistency.
Problem/barriers identified / Aim/objective / Actions to achieve aim/objective / Resources required / Target dateWays to promote equality or good community relations identified / Aim/objective / Actions to achieve aim/objective / Resources required / Target date
Need to proactively ensure that a formally recorded E & D review of major contracts is conducted. / To ensure that Client Officers are encouraged to conduct EIAs on all Procurements over EU thresholds. / Update CSO’s to reflect this requirement. / Will be conducted within existing resources / 31 Mar 2011
Reinforce measures to ensure Suppliers embed the E and D in their processes. / Ensure the need to include E and D questions in PQQs and E and D clauses in contracts is formally recorded in Council written procedures. / Update Procurement Strategy and CSOs to formally record the need for Client Officers to include the PQQ Questions and Contract requirements on E and D in Procurement documentation . / Will be conducted within existing resources / 31 Mar 2011
Set out your arrangements for monitoring the policy and reporting back on actions.
Updates to CSO’s will be endorsed by Regulatory and Appeals Committee