FoI 25-25: Information in regards to the number of roles across the Northern Ireland Assembly that are mainly or exclusively focused on issues of equality, diversity, or inclusivity

Information Standards Freedom of Information Response

26 March 2025

Our Ref: FoI 25-25

Freedom of Information Act 2000

I am writing to confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Assembly Commission) has processed your request dated 3 March 2025 in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). In your request, you asked that the Assembly Commission provide-

"1) The number of roles across all components of your operations, directorates and management structures, expressed in numbers of full-time employees (FTE), that are mainly or exclusively focused on issues of equality, diversity, or inclusivity. This information should encompass all roles based in central offices, as well as any based elsewhere

Roles meeting this description could include (amongst other guises) "Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officer" (EDI) or "Diversity and Inclusion Project Managers". Please break down, if possible, the number of roles per component part of your operations.

For all roles meeting this description, please also provide, in order of preference, either a) the salary of these roles, b) the pay band of these roles, or c) the combined total salary of these roles. Please provide the information that is most in accordance with your data processing practices.

Please also advise if there are any plans to hire further staff in these areas within the next 18 months, and the roles/pay bands that they are likely to occupy.

2) With the same criteria as above, please provide the number of internal training courses attended by staff which pertain to the issues encompassed by equality, diversity or inclusivity. Please include the name of the courses, the number of attendees, and the duration of the course.

3) Please, if possible, provide details of any internal EDI practices and networks, including the number of individuals who are members of such networks.

4) Please provide details of any external contractors brought in by the organisation to conduct training, advice, or guidance on issues relating to EDI. Where applicable this should include costs and associated manhours.

5) Please provide details of how equality, diversity and inclusivity is included in your procurement practices, the relative weight afforded to these considerations, and the current value of contracts in which EDI considerations was a part of the procurement process."

Our response

The Assembly Commission holds information relevant to your request and it is attached below at Appendix A.

Further Information

You have the right to request an internal review of this decision by the Assembly Commission. If you wish to request such a review, please write to me at the above address. If, after that review, you are dissatisfied with the way in which the Assembly Commission has handled your request for information, you may complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Your request for information and our response may be published in the disclosure log maintained by the Assembly Commission under a publication scheme agreed with the ICO. The request and our response will be anonymised.

Yours faithfully

INFORMATION STANDARDS

Appendix A

1) The number of roles across all components of your operations, directorates and management structures, expressed in numbers of full-time employees (FTE), that are mainly or exclusively focussed on issues of equality, diversity, or inclusivity. This information should encompass all roles based in central offices, as well as any based elsewhere

Roles meeting this description could include (amongst other guises) "Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officer" (EDI) or "Diversity and Inclusion Project Managers". Please break down, if possible, the number of roles per component part of your operations.

For all roles meeting this description, please also provide, in order of preference, either a) the salary of these roles, b) the pay band of these roles, or c) the combined total salary of these roles. Please provide the information that is most in accordance with your data processing practices.

The Assembly Commission employs an Equality Manager and Equality Officer. The pay scale for the Equality Manager is £52,009 - £53,538 and the pay scale for the Equality Officer is £42,345 - £43,575.

Please also advise if there are any plans to hire further staff in these areas within the next 18 months, and the roles/pay bands that they are likely to occupy.

There are no plans to hire further staff in these areas in the next 18 months.

2) With the same criteria as above, please provide the number of internal training courses attended by staff which pertain to the issues encompassed by equality, diversity or inclusivity in the last 3 years. Please include the name of the courses, the number of attendees, and the duration of the course.

Response:

Internal Training Courses

In addition, please note that all staff in the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission are required to undertake certain mandatory courses relating equality policy matters. These courses are completed as eLearning courses on a recurring basis either annually, every two or three years. The courses relating to this response are:

3) Please, if possible, provide details of any internal EDI practices and networks, including the number of individuals who are members of such networks.

The Assembly Commission has a number of policies which link to EDI practices including an Equal Opportunities Policy, a Dignity at Work Policy, Managing Disability in the Workplace Policy, Transgender Policy and Mental Health Policy. There is also guidance on Support for Carers and on Menopause.

There are no internal EDI networks.

4) Please provide details of any external contractors brought in by the organisation to conduct training, advice, or guidance on issues relating to EDI in the last 3 years. Where applicable this should include costs and associated manhours.

The list of providers procured to conduct training, advice, or guidance on issues relating to EDI are listed below:

Costs/ Delivery

Cost information related to individual suppliers may be regarded as commercially sensitive and is therefore provided as an overall total. The total costs and associated time spent on the delivery of EDI learning events are:

5) Please provide details of how equality, diversity and inclusivity is included in your procurement practices, the relative weight afforded to these considerations, and the current value of contracts in which EDI considerations was a part of the procurement process.

Each procurement will specify in the tender documentation if there are any applicable equality, diversity and inclusivity considerations that may be required by a contractor in the performance of a contract. Responses in relation to EDI tend to be included in the tenderer's proposed methodology or approach and percentage weights for this award criterion can vary depending on the subject matter.

Within the Assembly Commission's Standard Terms and Conditions of Contract, the contractor must have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity between persons of different religious beliefs, political opinions, racial groups, ages, marital status, sexual orientations, genders, between those with a disability and those without, and between those with dependents and those without.