FOI 66-22: Roles at the Assembly Commission that are mainly or exclusively focussed on issues of equality, diversity, or inclusivity

Information Standards Freedom of Information Response

Our Ref: FOI 66-22

8 December 2022

Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA”)

I am writing to confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Assembly Commission) has processed your request dated 17 November 2022 in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000. In your request, you asked:

“Please can your organisation provide the following information:

a) The number of roles in your association (expressed in numbers of FTE), that are mainly or exclusively focussed on issues of equality, diversity, or inclusivity. For example, this could include (amongst other guises) “EDI officers” or “diversity and inclusion project managers” but would not include general HR managers.

At present, 2.3 FTE roles in the Assembly Commission are mainly focussed on issues of equality. However, 0.6 FTE of these roles is engaged on a temporary basis to deliver a programme of activities.

b) Either a) the pay band of each of these roles, or b) the combined total salaries for these roles. Whichever measure is more in accordance with your data preferences.

0.7 FTE is Assembly Grade 5 and 1.6 FTE is Assembly Grade 6. There are two points in each pay scale.

c) In the past 12 months the number of staff days across your organisation which have been committed to attending equality training programmes, whether internally run or with external consultants. (staff days = duration of the training programme multiplied by the number of staff in attendance for the course). If unable to provide please mark as N/A in your return.”

The total number of staff training days committed to attending equality training programmes from November 2021 to present equates to 96 days.

You have the right to request a formal review by the Assembly Commission and if you wish to do so, please write to me at the above address. If after such an internal review you are still unhappy with the response, you may appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF which will undertake an independent review.

The Assembly Commission may publish details of your FOI request and its official response within the organisational disclosure log. The request will be completely anonymised and you will not be identified in any way. This is to meet the requirements as laid out by in the agreed publication scheme with the Information Commissioners’ Office.

Yours sincerely

INFORMATION STANDARDS