Equality impact assessments

We aim to ensure all SQA policies and procedures promote equality, and that employees embed equality impact considerations in the work they do.

SQA has signed an agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission. The agreement commits us to reviewing and documenting equality impact assessments on all policies and processes across the organisation’s functions and further developing our approach to the development of new policies and procedures.

The EHRC identified that SQA could improve the way it demonstrates its assessment of the impact of policies and practices against the three needs of the Public Sector Equality Duty. During the agreement, which will be in place for two years, SQA will implement a jointly agreed action plan and report on its progress ensuring that all equality impact assessments are undertaken and documented in accordance with its duties.

We are committed to making progress with equality impact assessments (EqIAs) to maximise positive impacts and reduce negative impacts on people who share one or more of the protected characteristics. Equality impact assessment of new and revised policies is a requirement of SQA’s policy development cycle and we aim to engage with our union representatives and employee networks as part of this process.

Online Equality Impact Assessment training has been developed and will be launched as part of the work to implement the equality impact assessment action plan as part of the agreement with the EHRC.

Equality impact assessment reports