Impacts of policy on different social groups

1
Impacts of policy on different social groups

• Denise Maguire
• Deputy Head
• Accessibility and Equalities Unit
• Department for Transport

2
What are Equality Impact Assessments (EqIAs)?

• Equality Impact Assessments (EqIAs) - are key
  tools in delivering better regulation that helps
  deliver policy.
• They help the Department fully think through
  interventions in the public, private and third
  sector
• Help weigh evidence on positive and negative
  effects of interventions including after policies
  are implemented

3
Who does it affect?

• Policies affect everyone
• The equality areas, or strands as they are
  commonly called, are gender, race, disability,
  age, faith and sexuality.
• These strands are inclusive of all people.

4
Why?

• Why is it important to understand
• how our policies and services impact
• on different social groups and
• areas?
• Different groups and areas have different needs
  and priorities
• Differential impacts of a policy can be a
  negative factor in delivery
• Legal obligations new equality duties relating
  to disability, gender and race

5
Because.

• We need to understand the needs and priorities of
  different social groups in order to maximise
  positive impacts and customer satisfaction
• In some cases differential impacts of policies on
  different groups could be a negative factor
  beyond the implications for the groups that might
  be adversely impacted on.
• Legal obligations new equality duties relating
  to gender, race and disability have come into
  play for local and central government this
  underpins the need to understand the impacts on
  different social groups and areas

6
Why measure social and distributional impacts of
a policy?

• Equity and public perceptions of equity help to
  achieve acceptability of an intended policy
  outcome
• A policy designed without taking account of the
  impacts on different social groups might work
  against the Departments objectives of improving
  accessibility and promoting social inclusion.
• Negative impacts should be minimised and the
  potential benefits for vulnerable groups
  maximised
• Evidence needs to be generated early in the
  policy design process and used to inform
  throughout development and implementation. It
  should not be tacked on for assessment at the end
  of the process

7
Impacts of policy on different social groups

• Denise Maguire
• Deputy Head
• Accessibility and Equalities Unit
• Department for Transport