Equality & Disability Duties Screening Template - BVD Amendment order (NI) 2024 - Oct 2024

Aug 31, 2026

Equality & Disability Duties Screening Template provides a structured screening process for public authorities to assess likely impacts on equality of opportunity and good relations under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. It guides policy scoping, gathers qualitative and quantitative evidence across Section 75 categories, captures needs and priorities, and includes specific prompts for disability-related duties. It then supports screening decisions on whether an EQIA is needed, plus monitoring and senior-manager authorisation to mitigate adverse impact and ensure ongoing review.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatDOCX

Pages53

Reading Time19 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Part 1. Policy scoping

Information about the policy

Implementation factors

Main stakeholders affected

Other policies with a bearing on this policy

Available evidence

Part 2. Screening questions

Part 3. Screening decision

Part 4. Monitoring

Part 5. Consideration of Human Rights

Part 6. Approval and authorisation

Equality & Disability Duties Screening Template December 2023 version Screening flowchart and template (taken from Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 - A Guide for public authorities April 2010 (Appendix 1)). Introduction Part 1. Policy scoping – asks public authorities to provide details about the policy, procedure, practice and/or decision being screened and what available evidence you have gathered to help make an assessment of the likely impact on equality of opportunity and good relations. Part 2. Screening questions – asks about the extent of the likely impact of the policy on groups of people within each of the Section 75 categories. Details of the groups consulted and the level of assessment of the likely impact. This includes consideration of multiple identity and good relations issues. This section also includes two questions related to the Disability Duties. Part 3. Screening decision – guides the public authority to reach a screening decision as to whether or not there is a need to carry out an equality impact assessment (EQIA), or to introduce measures to mitigate the likely impact, or the introduction of an alternative policy to better promote equality of opportunity and/or good relations. Part 4. Monitoring – provides guidance to public authorities on monitoring for adverse impact and broader monitoring. Part 5. Consideration of Human Rights – please note this is not a Human Rights Screening form but rather a prompt that impacts on Human Rights should be considered. Part 6. Approval and authorisation – verifies the public authority’s approval of a screening decision by a senior manager responsible for the policy. A screening flowchart is provided below. Part 1. Policy scoping The first stage of the screening process involves scoping the policy under consideration. The purpose of policy scoping is to help prepare the background and context and set out the aims and objectives for the policy, being screened. At this stage, scoping the policy will help identify potential constraints as well as opportunities and will help the policy maker work through the screening process on a step by step basis. Public authorities should remember that the Section 75 statutory duties apply to internal policies (relating to people who work for the authority), as well as external policies (relating to those who are, or could be, served by the authority). Information about the policy Name of the policy Is this an existing, revised or new policy? What is it trying to achieve? (intended aims/outcomes) Are there any Section 75 categories which might be expected to benefit from the intended policy? FORMCHECKBOX Yes FORMCHECKBOX No (select as appropriate) If so, explain how. Who initiated or wrote the policy? Who owns and who implements the policy? Implementation factors Are there any factors which could contribute to/detract from the intended aim/outcome of the policy/decision? FORMCHECKBOX Yes FORMCHECKBOX No (select as appropriate) If yes, are they (please select as appropriate) Financial FORMCHECKBOX Legislative FORMCHECKBOX other, please specify: Main stakeholders affected Who are the internal and external stakeholders (actual or potential) that the policy will impact upon? (please select as appropriate) Staff FORMCHECKBOX Service users FORMCHECKBOX Other public sector organisations FORMCHECKBOX Voluntary/community/trade unions FORMCHECKBOX Other, please specify Other policies with a bearing on this policy What are they? Who owns them? Available evidence Evidence to help inform the screening process may take many forms. Public authorities should ensure that their screening decision is informed by relevant data. The Commission has produced this guide to HYPERLINK "https://www.equalityni.org/ECNI/media/ECNI/Publications/Employers%20and%20Service%20Providers/Public%20Authorities/S75DataSignpostingGuide.pdf" \o "Link to ECNI publication - S75 Using E

FAQs

What is the purpose of policy scoping in the screening process?

Policy scoping sets out the aims and objectives and helps establish background context, identify constraints and opportunities, and proceed step by step through the screening process.

What evidence is required to inform the screening decision?

Public authorities should use relevant qualitative and quantitative data, covering each Section 75 category, and ensure it is current by verifying with the appropriate departmental statisticians.

How does the template guide the decision on whether an EQIA is required?

Using answers to the screening questions, the authority determines whether the policy is screenable out with reasons, or whether it is major in one or more categories and should move to the equality impact assessment procedure.

Aug 31, 2026

Upload by Taylor Morgan