Mainstreaming Strategy

Background

The Scottish Funding Council is the non-departmental public body charged with funding Scotland's further and higher education institutions, including its 26 colleges and 19 universities.

We were awarded the tender to develop a Toolkit to embed mainstreaming equality strategy and to train managers and directors in how to use the Toolkit. We also provided follow up “clinics” where we provided advice on drafts and suggested further action points which could be incorporated to better reflect the strategy.

Approach

Staff had demonstrated an existing high level of awareness of equality and diversity, and we were instructed to make the Toolkit as practical and relevant as possible. We made good use of case studies and examples to set equality impact assessments into context.  We also advised on quality assurance of the process, and embedding D&I strategy into decision making.

Process

We identified strategic outcomes at inception, and began with developing case studies and practice examples. Raising awareness began with briefing sessions for executive staff in order to set out the aims and to ensure senior buy in. Training sessions for all managers were delivered with follow up support clinics.