Integrated Impact Assessments
Our process for assessing impact is the Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA).
IIA is a process for assessing predicted effects or impacts of a policy or function on meeting the public sector equality duties to:
- eliminate discrimination
- promote equality of opportunity
- and foster good relations between those who have an equality characteristic and those who do not
It also incorporates the Fairer Scotland Duty (Socio - economic disadvantage). This duty requires us to:
- show that we have actively considered (pay due regard to) how we can reduce socio economic inequalities in the strategic decisions that we make in regards to high level public sector decisions or decisions which affect how a public body fulfils its intended purpose, over a significant period of time
- publish a short written assessment on how it has been done
Strategic has been given a broad interpretation in this regard and means:
- high level public sector decisions
- decisions which affect how a public body fulfils its intended purpose, over a significant period of time
Purpose of assessing integrated impact
IIA is a tool for removing discrimination and barriers to equal access and outcomes for people who have equality characteristics and experience disadvantage due to socio economic factors.
Any time we plan a new service, review an existing one, or develop a policy we think about the range of people who might use that service, or be affected by that policy and what barriers to access we might be creating unintentionally