Equality analysis, also known as Equality Impact Assessment, is a way to enable us take an informed approach to understanding how a new or changing policy, project or service is likely to impact people across the University community (staff, students and visitors) in different ways.  

By understanding any likely positive or negative impact on different groups, action can then be taken to reduce any unintended negative impacts (such as disadvantaging or excluding certain groups) before changes are implemented. This can also highlight opportunities to promote inclusion, improve experience and be more cost effective.  

Equality analysis is also part of meeting our legal duty to consider equality in decision making to identify and mitigate potential discrimination, and to advance equality of opportunity. 

The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society and requires public bodies to consider impact on people when carrying out their day-to-day work – in shaping policy, in delivering services and in relation to their own employees.  

The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) requires public authorities, in the exercise of their functions, to have due regard to the need to: 

The University uses equality analysis as part of major projects and significant policy/business decisions. Equality analysis is completed by the policy or project owner or a member of the team supporting them to be conducted properly and proportionately.  

Guidance on equality analysis, how to conduct one effectively and the form for recording the analysis are on the Equality Analysis webpages.  

There are further resources and a short e-learning (Understanding Equality Analysis) which all staff can access on LearnUpon. 

Record keeping 

Equality analyses are core University records, for the purposes of University level records management compliance a central master record storage has been introduced. Please email agreed versions to equalityanalysis@sussex.ac.uk.