British Broadcasting Corporation Race Equality Scheme
Key elements of the BBC’s Race Equality Scheme
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- 4.2.1 Equality impact assessments
- 4.2.2 Consultation – EIAs
- 4.2.5 General consultation and other research
4 Key elements of the BBC’s Race Equality SchemeThe Equality and Human Rights Commission has set out seven key elements or principles on which the Race Equality Scheme should be based. Under each element there is a list of ways by which the BBC will work to deliver its commitment to race equality. The seven key elements are: 4.1 Initial assessment (existing functions and policies) 4.2 Impact assessments and consultation 4.3 Monitoring impact (including complaints) 4.4 Publishing results 4.5 Public access to information and services 4.6 Training staff 4.7 Review In addition to addressing each of the statutory requirements listed above, this Scheme also contains a distinct Action Plan (see section 8). The Action Plan serves to pull together a series of identified actions from each of the BBC’s relevant public functional areas, in order to ensure a robust and consistent approach to tackling any evidence that policies and functions may not be in line with the General Duty and to ensure that race equality is positively promoted wherever possible (see section 5.2 for more detail).
4.1 Initial assessment: an identification of relevant functions and policies and an initial assessment of their potential to impact in relation to race equalityThe methodology which the BBC has used to assess the relevance of its public functions (or the policies and practices relating to the performance of those functions) to race equality is in line with standard Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance. The three-year reassessment (review) of all television licensing functions and policies has now been brought together within this substantially extended and updated Scheme, with the formal race equality assessments of all new and additional functions and policies. These formal assessments were first carried out during early 2007 by other relevant parts of the BBC (in particular the BBC Trust and DSHS Ltd) and outcomes are reflected within the corresponding Action Plan for 2007–2010 (see section 7 for Assessment Grid and section 8 for Action Plan). This process was repeated during 2009-10 in order to extend this Scheme for one year, pending new duties expected in future legislation. 4.2 Impact assessments and consultation: arrangements for assessing and consulting on the impact of the BBC’s proposed functions and policies4.2.1 Equality impact assessmentsThe BBC has developed a corporate Equality Impact Assessment (EIAs) toolkit for each of the areas in the organisation which have public functions to ensure a systematic and consistent approach to assessing existing or potential differential impact or specific requirements. This was developed in line with good practice and has been revised during the last three years. Each of the action plans in section 8 contains actions relating to how those areas of the BBC will undertake EIAs. Equality impact assessments will help the BBC to: Identify any adverse impacts in carrying out the relevant public functions (or implementing policies and practices related to those functions) Identify unmet needs which may become apparent when carrying out the relevant public functions (or implementing policies and practices related to those functions) Ensure that action is taken to address identified areas above Inform future (race) equality action planning and reviews of the Race Equality Scheme During the last three years, each of the areas of the BBC which have public functions has conducted EIAs. In year 1 of the Scheme, a programme of retrospective EIAs was developed which informed each of the Action Plans for that first year. In subsequent years, EIAs have informed new policies, new services, public consultations and projects across each of the public function areas within the BBC. Any new policy or practice relating to a BBC public function (or any new function which is identified as public by the BBC) will be tested for relevance to race equality and considered for an equality impact assessment as a matter of course, and the outcomes of those conducted will be used to inform future review of the Scheme. EIAs conducted by the BBC in relation to TV Licensing and the Digital Switchover Help Scheme can be found at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/policies/diversity.shtml EIAs conducted by the BBC Trust are available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/about/how_we_govern/diversity_equality/equality_impact_assessments.shtml
Consultation with and involvement of colleagues from within the BBC and other broadcasting industry groups. Consultation and involvement with a range of organisations of and for people from diverse ethnic or cultural backgrounds and from different locations across the UK. Questionnaires, surveys and other forms of information-gathering published in appropriate media including print, broadcast and online, and provision for translation or interpretation where necessary or on request. Focus groups held in suitably diverse locations which meet appropriate access requirements and consider appropriate language and cultural needs. 4.2.5 General consultation and other researchThe above activities may also be carried out at appropriate intervals as part of other wider consultation activities, and relevant information or evidence have been used to assess and monitor impact, inform action and influence this Scheme. For example, regular annual consultation by the Digital Switchover Help Scheme has informed the equality objectives for that set of public functions for 2010-11. Equally, a consultation commissioned by the BBC Trust with a wide range of stakeholder organisations informed the Trust in reforming their equality objectives set out in this reviewed Scheme (see 4.3.2 for further information). The outcomes of previous relevant consultation have informed this Scheme over the last three years and in particular the Action Plan. Information and evidence gathered through consultation or any other research in future will be used to: Systematically identify barriers and gaps which may impact negatively on people from differing ethnic or cultural backgrounds Inform Race Equality Scheme review processes and any additional work areas which fall outside its scope Benchmark against other broadcast industry providers and allow for broad comparison against a range of other public bodies where appropriate Understand and wherever possible respond appropriately to diverse and constantly changing needs Examine and assess outcomes Inform future planning processes and target setting where appropriate Over the three years of the Race Equality Scheme the key areas of the BBC with the responsibility to promote race equality (collecting the licence fee, the switch to digital and the BBC Trust’s regulatory activities) have conducted consultation. These include the annual consultations performed by the Digital Switchovers Help Scheme which must inform the delivery of the Help Scheme and community engagement activity by Digital UK through their partners Digital Outreach Consortium Ltd. As part of the review process during 2009-10, the BBC Trust ran a consultation exercise which involved in-depth interviews with 30 stakeholder organisations to assist the Trust to evaluate the existing race equality objectives over the next 12 months and beyond (see section 4.3 plus constituent parts of the Action Plan for more detail). Download 0.85 Mb. Share with your friends:
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