A race equality impact assessment (REIA) is a practical tool to assess the implications of a policy before it is introduced, to find out whether that policy is likely to affect ethnic groups differently.

It will help you to challenge any assumptions that policies affect everyone in the same way, by detecting and assessing in advance whether there is any adverse impact on any particular ethnic group. You can then make sure that people from all ethnic groups, including ethnic minorities - both white and non-white - are equally served by a policy.

The main components of an REIA are:

• an evidence-based assessment of how a proposal is likely to affect people from different ethnic groups;
• consultation with people who are likely to be affected by the proposal; and
• reviewing and revising the proposal in light of the assessment and consultation.

If your assessment and consultation show that your proposed policy is likely to have an adverse impact on a particular ethnic group, and this cannot be justified, then you must take action, either by considering other policies, or by reducing the adverse impact of your proposed policy.

Top of this page

Carrying out an REIA: our step-by-step guide

In 2004, we launched an online step-by-step guide to carrying out REIAs, developed in partnership with the Home Office:

• Race equality impact assessment: a step-by-step guide

Carrying out REIAs on new policies should be part of existing policy development and practices in your department, so you may need to speak to officers in your department who are responsible for carrying out REIAs as part of wider policy development.

To make sure that your REIA is effective, you need to do the following:

• start the process at the earliest opportunity, to make sure you have sufficient time and resources (although you still need to carry out an REIA, even if your department is at a later stage in implementing relocation proposals);
• invite staff and customer representatives to take part in the assessment;
• keep staff and customers informed of progress during and after the exercise, including by producing an impact assessment and consultation report, in line with the arrangements of your department's race equality scheme; and
• continue to monitor the implementation of your policies, and how they affect people from all ethnic groups, to make sure they promote racial equality during and after relocation (you can use the monitoring arrangements in your department's race equality scheme).

Where ethnic monitoring data or other information (such as complaints) show any concerning patterns or issues, you should review and amend the policy as necessary by using the REIA procedure.

Carrying out the requirements of the statutory general duty is obligatory, and so you cannot avoid carrying out REIAs by claiming that your department has insufficient resources.

You cannot also claim that a lack of data prevents you from carrying out an REIA, as there are steps you can take to address the problem of insufficient information. More information on this,and other answers to frequently asked questions about REIAs, can be found on this page:

• Race equality impact assessment: frequently-asked questions

Promoting racial equality through an REIA

You need to make sure that you review adequately in your REIA every part of your relocation policy or proposal to make sure it complies with the general duty to promote race equality. Your policies should aim to:

• eliminate unlawful racial discrimination in employment and service delivery;
• avoid any adverse impact in employment and service delivery;
• reduce any adverse impact on the current and relocating workforce, where proposals are necessary to meet a legitimate aim, and causing some adverse impact is unavoidable;
• work towards a representative workforce; and
• promote racial equality through the choice of relocation site.

Top of this page