The Northern Ireland Assembly Commission Draft Good Relations Action Plan 2025-2030

1. We will deliver training to all staff to ensure they understand requirements relating to Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and how it relates to their role.

We will ensure all staff receive mandatory training on Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

Staff understand requirements related to Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and how it relates to their role.

Training covers the needs and perspectives of minority communities, which may include practical scenarios and case studies.

Every 3 years.

Equality Unit and Learning and Development.

2. Training and support is provided to policy authors in relation to the requirements of equality and good relations policy screening.

Support and advice are provided by the Equality and Good Relations Unit to policy authors on an ongoing basis, as requested.

We will ensure Assembly Commission policies are screened for equality and good relations as per the Assembly Commission's Equality Scheme and Equality Commission guidance.

Over the lifetime of the action plan.

Equality Unit and Learning and Development.

Guidance and information on policy screening for staff is provided on the Assembly Commission's intranet.

Quarterly Screening Reports are published on the Assembly website.

3. Welcome training is provided to the Visitor Experience Team.

We will ensure the Visitor Experience Team receives 'World Host' training.

The Visitor Experience Team will be trained in 'World Host' training which relates to the delivery of excellent customer service.

World Host training to be completed by the Visitor Experience Team in their first year of employment.

Public Engagement.

4. Establish a minority ethnic stakeholder group.

Work with partners to establish an ethnic minority stakeholder group.

Provide support and resources to the stakeholder group.

Ethnic Minority Stakeholder Group Formed.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of the stakeholder group.

2026.

Public Engagement.

5. Hold a Minority Ethnic Parliament as part of a series of citizen parliaments.

To ensure those who identify as being part of a Minority Ethnic Community have an opportunity to have their voices heard.

Provide support and resources to the Minority Ethnic Parliament.

Positive feedback from attendees.

Seek representation from people of different ethnic backgrounds, ages, genders and socio-economic status.

2026.

Public Engagement.

6. Create Information Packs for minority ethnic residents, illustrating how the Assembly and Committees work to encourage engagement.

To create an Information Pack for minority ethnic residents, illustrating how the Assembly and Assembly Committees work and how to engage.

An information pack will be co-designed with minority ethnic groups to increase understanding of the work of the Assembly and Assembly Committees and how to participate.

2029. To be carried out in consultation with the Minority Ethnic Stakeholder group.

Public Engagement.

7.Host events in support of Good Relations.

We will host events to help build relationships with communities and create effective opportunities for engagement.

Events will be held on an annual basis.

Ongoing over the lifetime of the action plan.

Public Engagement.

8. Continually improve accessibility of our website and digital offerings.

Establish, with relevant Business areas, which pages on the Assembly website should be made accessible in various languages. E.g. 'How to visit Parliament Buildings', 'How to book a tour', 'How to keep up with Assembly proceedings' etc.

Agree a priority list of website pages with relevant business areas and produce a set of recommendations based on findings, capability and capacity.

June 2025.

Communications Office with relevant business areas.

Scope out the possibility of automatic text translation of relevant website pages.

Investigate provision of text translation in non-English as part of the ongoing website redevelopment project and produce a report of findings and recommendations.

Scoping requirement 2025, possible delivery dependent on capability offering, January 2027.

9. Monitor feedback from the visitor experience in Parliament Buildings with a focus on customer service, public facilities and accessibility to Assembly business.

The Visitor Survey is mainstreamed across services which interface with the public in order to collect data to inform access and service provision.

A Visitor Survey to be developed and platformed on a mobile device(s) for completion by visitors to Parliament Buildings.

2025-2026.

RaISe has responsibility for the analysis of survey responses.

Public Engagement forward any issues raised to relevant business area.

10. Develop and implement a strategy for communicating the impact of the Assemblyto Northern Ireland society promoting the advantages of community harmony delivered by a functioning representative Assembly.

Northern Ireland Assembly Commission imagery will strive to reflect different ethnic identities. Legislation or committee hearings with particular focus on community relations will be highlighted in social media and promoted to relevant communities.

Outputs will be audited to reflect aims and objectives.

Over the lifetime of the action plan.

Communications Office.

11. We will continue to review and analyse applicant and employee Equality Monitoring data in relation to the Northern Ireland economically active population.

We will monitor recently added sub categories in our recruitment monitoring against economically active data, to understand the breakdown of job applicants and Assembly Commission staff by community background, ethnic group and country of birth.

In May of each year, report on monitoring data against 2021 Census data.

May each year.

HR Office.

We will consider actions to address under representations identified.

Over the lifetime of the plan.

12. Report on progress to the Senior Management Team (SMT) every six months and the Assembly Commission every year.

Ensure that we deliver on the action plan targets.

Following consultation with business areas, six-monthly updates are prepared for SMT and annual updates for the Assembly Commission.

Every six months (June and December each year).

Equality Unit.

Staff and the public are informed of progress.

Approved six-monthly updates are published on the Assembly website.

13. A progress report is submitted yearly to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) via the Annual Equality Progress Report.

To inform the ECNI of action plan delivery and progress.

An annual equality progress report is prepared and submitted to the ECNI.

Annually (submission to the ECNI by 31 August each year).

Equality Unit.