Scotland Specific Duties: 2017 Reporting Requirements

Scotland specific duties: 2017 reporting requirements

A checklist for Scottish colleges, higher education institutions (HEIs) and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC)

=This checklist sets out the 2017 specific duties reporting requirements for Scottish colleges, HEIs and the SFC.

=It is not applicable to the Glasgow Colleges’ Regional Board, which has a different reporting timeline.

=This checklist should be read in conjunction with ECU’s revised specific duties for Scotland briefing, which provides full guidance and examples from institutions’ 2013 and 2015 reports.

=Our revised guidance also provides background on the public sector equality duty (PSED) and Scottish specific duties.

=This revised guidance is available on the ECU website at the following link:

Checklist

What does your institution need to publish by 30 April 2017?

1. A report on progress inmainstreaming the general dutyinto all functions since 2015, which should include:

a) employee equality information:

=an annual breakdown of information on the number and relevant protected characteristics of employees, including information on recruitment, development (career progression) and retention

=details of progress made in gathering and using employment information to better perform the general duty

b)governing body/board diversity information:

=the gender breakdown of governing body/board members

=how information on the protected characteristics of the governing body/board hasand/orwill be used to improve diversity amongst members

1. A report on final progress in delivering the institution’s set of equality outcomes for 2013-2017.
2. Areport setting out its new set of equality outcomes, whichhave been developed using evidence and involvement and that covers all protected characteristics (or explain why not).
3. The 2016 amendments changed the threshold for reporting gender pay gap information and equal pay statements from institutions with 150 or more staff, to 20 or more staff. As per the original specific duty legislation, the first time an institution publishes equal pay statements, it relates to gender only, and subsequent statements include gender, race and disability. Therefore, requirements for 2017 reporting are:

For institutions with 150 or more staff: Gender pay gapinformation and a statement on equal pay,including occupational segregation,for gender, race and disability

or

For institutions with between 20 and 149 staff: Gender pay gapinformation and a statement on equal pay, including occupational segregation,for gender.

Reporting format

The duties do not specify the format in which the above information should be published in, for example, whetherto publishit in one combined report or separate reports.

However, the information must be easy for stakeholders and the public to find.Therefore it should be on your website, and existing reporting mechanisms should be used where practicable.

Key lessons from 2013 and 2015 reporting

=The deadline is 30 April 2017. Ensure all staff and departments involved are able to meet this deadline and sufficient time is allocated for approval by committees and the governing body.

=Progress reports (mainstreaming and equality outcomes) should:

=focus on progress and impact achieved rather than on activity delivered.To achieve this, make comparisons with the position in 2013 and/or 2015, using evidence, and report on impact or success measures where applicable

=clearly differentiate between progress reporting on mainstreaming and equality outcomes

=New equality outcomes should:

=express the result that will be achieved, rather than the aim or activity that will be delivered

=enable the institution to meet one or more of the needs of the general duty

=cover all protected characteristics within the set of outcomes (or explain why not)

=be developed using evidence relating to, and involvement by those who share protected characteristics

=bemeasurable and achievable.Provide success measures to demonstrate how progress will be measured. Where outcomes are long-term, show what will be achieved in the four year reporting period

=align with institutional strategy and where appropriate, its SFC outcome agreement. Senior managers should be involved to ensure this can take place

=Reports containing the new equality outcomesshould clearly show that the outcomes fulfil all of these requirements.

=Gender pay gap information should:

=as a minimum, present a gender pay gap figure for the institution as a whole

=include all staff, including full- and part-time staff and those at the most senior levels

=be provided as both mean and median calculations, with an explanation of the methodology used

=include commentary on progress, for example changes in pay gaps since the last report and the position of the institution compared to the wider sector/public sector, and the possible causes of remaining pay gaps in the institution

=outline actions that will/have been taken to address pay gaps, including work linked to equality outcomes

Note: Gender pay gap information is required every two years; for this reporting period, updated information is required for 2015 to2017

=Equal pay statements should:

=includethe institution’s policies on equal pay in relation to disability, gender and race (just gender for institutions with fewer than 150 staff)

=provide information on occupational segregation in relation to disability, gender and race (just gender for institutions with fewer than 150 staff), including:

=information and analysis of the concentrationof staff sharing these protected characteristics in particular job grades (vertical segregation) and in particular occupations or job families (horizontal segregation)

=commentary on the causes and consequences of occupational segregation

=actions that will or have been taken to address occupational segregation, including work linked to equality outcomes

Note: Equal pay statements are required every four years; for this reporting period, updated information is required for 2013 to 2017

Gender pay gap information can also be included in equal pay statements if appropriate.

=Reports should be accessible to staff, students and the public.

=Provide analysis or commentary onstatistics presented to explain what is being shown.

=Position reports on a webpage that is easy to find. If different reports are positioned on separate pages or sections, provide links between these.

=Use clear titles of reports, including which duties are covered and for which years.

=Provide shorter versions to engage more people with the reports.

Further resources

The specific duties can be found in full at:

The amendments made to the specific duties in 2016 can be found at:

ECU (2017) The public sector equality duty: specific duties for Scotland (revised).

ECU (2016) Setting equality outcomes: guidance for Scottish institutions.

EHRC Scotland (2012) Board diversity and the public sector equality duty.

EHRC (2015) Measuring up? Report 4: Performance.

EHRC (2015) Measuring up? Report 4: Practice.

ECU (2015) Reporting on equality:colleges and higher education institutions’ performance of the Scottish specific equality duties requirements in 2015.

EHRC (2016) Code of practice on equal pay.

EHRC Scotland (2016) Employment information and the PSED.

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© Equality Challenge Unit
February 2017