Audit Scotland

Equality Impact Assessment
in Audit Scotland

New Desk Phones and Phone System

This form should be completed by following the guidance including in the supporting document:  
Equality Impact Assessment in Audit Scotland – Guidance Notes

Audit Scotland Equality Impact Assessment

Policy Title	New Phone System and Desk Phones	
Strategic Outcome	To replace the current phone system and all current desk phones. 	
Directorate 	Information Services Group, Corporate Services	
We have completed the equality impact assessment for this policy. (delete as appropriate)	Name: Philippa King
Position: Corporate Projects Officer
Date: Tuesday 1st April 2014	
Approval by Director on behalf of Business Group Management Team	Name:Lynn Bradley

Position: Director of Corporate Programmes & Performance

Date: 25 June 2014
	
Sign off by the Diversity & Equality Steering Group (DESG) Chair on behalf of the DESG members	Name: Angela Canning

Date: 01 July 2014
	
Once the EQIA documentation has been completed and signed off arrangements will be made by the Diversity & Equality Steering Group and communications team to publish the summary results from the EqIA on Audit Scotland’s website.

Step 1: Define the aims of the policy

Title of policy	New Phone System and Desk Phones	
Strategic Outcome	To replace the current phone system and all current desk phones.	
Directorate	Information Services Group, Corporate Services	

What is the purpose of the proposed policy (or changes to be made to the policy)?

	The aim of the policy is to replace the current phone system as the supplier 3com is phasing out the product and their support services for the system. This means that the current desk phones will need to be replaced to be congusive to a new, ‘unified communication’ system.The current phone system and phones are also outdated and cause significant call quality issues for staff.

The aim of this EIA is to ensure that we appropriately consider and take into account relevant equality and diversity issues.
	
Who is affected by the policy or who is intended to benefit from the proposed policy and how?
	The Policy will affect all staff who currently use a desk phone within Audit Scotland. The main impact is significant as it involves staff having to use a new desk phone and phone system with new features and functions. A Deployment Engineer will be used during the transfer phase to ensure that adequate training of the system and phones is given and the user is content to accept the new system and phone. 

The initial impact will slowly reduce over time as the user will become more accustomed to the device. 

The new phones will also reduce the amount of difficulty that the staff are currently experiencing with the old desk phones and system. Call quality and reliability of the system will improve therefore addressing many of the issues staff have reported.
	
How have you, or will you, put the policy into practice, and who is or will be responsible for delivering it?
	As outlined in the PID and Foundations document for the new phone system and desk phones, the policy is part of a larger project which is improving telephony options across the organisation including new corporate mobile phones and the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) option. ISG are implementing the wider project with the BYOD function and new mobile phones already implemented across Audit Scotland. 

The replacement phone system will provide a greater level of integration between our systems, known as "unified communication". Unified communication provides integration of services such as phone, instant messaging, presence, video conferencing, desktop sharing, speech recognition and voicemail. 
The current phone system is provisioned by 3Com who have subsequently withdrawn from the telephone switch market, meaning we have difficulty procuring support and the platform is no longer supported by the manufacturer. 
The current network capacity over broadband connections limits our ability to run a high quality phone services to fixed audit sites. This is because the broadband service does not guarantee bandwidth and there are conflicting demands for this capacity from laptops and printing. ISG is looking to the current roll out of high speed broadband to provide an alternative means of resolving this problem which will be addressed in a different project in the future.
In order to find a replacement phone system ISG undertook extensive research into the phone system market and also the “unified communication” options that would be best for Audit Scotland. The chosen approach will attempt to find an integrated approach to our current capability and the new system. 

Outlined in the PID it shows that staff members were interviewed and feedback was gained on what requirements were needed for the phone system. ISG then selected the most appropriate approach utilising already existing “unified communication” within Audit Scotland. Micrsoft Lync was selected as the option going forward and subsequently the Polycom desk phones and conference units were chosen to accompany the new system.

Following on from this decision the chosen products were shown to a user groups in April 2013 (a few trial products were purchased to assist with the early assessment stages). The PID documentation was then developed and the propsed replacement system and products were presented to the KITGG (Knowledge, Information and Technology Governance Group).

The KITGG asked that the system and phones be tested during a pilot period before full support is given by the KITGG. 15 desk phones and 2 conference units were purchased so that their usability and functionality could be tested within the Audit Scotland systems. Pilot user feedback was received via an initial ishare survey and then email confirmation from the users. Once this feedback was gained and an overall concensus reached the KITGG supported the purchase of the equipment to replace all current desk phones.

The new system will be deployed only in the main offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness but not at Fixed Audit Sites, due to network bandwidth constraints.

ISG has enlisted a contractor to undertake the role of Deployment Engineer to ensure an effective and efficient roll-out with a focus on customer service and support.
	
How does the policy fit into our wider or related policy initiatives?
	The objectives of the policy are:
-	To replace the current phone system with one that is considered to be fit for purpose and meeting the business requirements; 
-	Improve the level of integration of our systems with “unified communications”;
-	Ability to support the new technologies in Production and Disaster Recovery facilities.
-	Reduction in our carbon footprint; 
-	Provide enhanced conference phone capability;
-	Improve on the quality and reliability of the current phone system;
As mentioned previously the policy is part of the wider Telephony project from ISG. It is also a project mentioned in the most recent IT Strategy with regards to ‘supporting flexible working’. 
	
Do you have a set budget for this work?  

	The approved capital budget amount at the beginning of the policy was £50,000. It is anticipated to come in under budget, however, the final spend is not yet known.	

Step 2: What do you already know about the diverse needs and/or experiences of your target audience?

Do you have information on					
Age	Yes	X	No		
Disability	Yes	X	No		
Gender	Yes	X	No		
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender	Yes	X	No		
Race	Yes	X	No		
Religion and Belief	Yes	X	No		

Age	Evidence: Audit Scotland Age Profile at March 2013

Age	
16-24	
25-34	
34-49	
50+	

%	
2.3	
24.2	
45.7	
27.9	

(Source: Mainstreaming Equalities March 2013)
Consultation:
This policy has taken the view that IT literacy and new desk phone system and phone technological ability is not directly linked with age therefore initial user groups and pilot groups were not chosen by age but current circumstance, involvement and availability.	
Disability	Evidence: 3% of Audit Scotland employees declared themselves as having a disability (Source: Mainstreaming Equalities March 2013)
Consultation/Involvement:
There are no known/reported disabilities with regard to desk phone use within Audit Scotland currently. If there are any future instances were this changes ISG would act accordingly to assist the user.	
Gender	Evidence: 50% male and 50% female (Source: Mainstreaming Equalities March 2013)
 
Consultation:
Gender is not an issue for this system at Audit Scotland. There is nothing to distinguish gender in terms of the impact of this system or desk phone; therefore, no further action will be undertaken.	
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender	Evidence: 67.8% of staff have declared themselves as heterosexual/ straight; 2.6% of staff are either gay or bisexual; 2.2% have said they would prefer not to say; and 27.4% have not responded (Source: Mainstreaming Equalities March 2013)
Consultation:
This is not an issue for the replacement of the phone system and new desk phones. A person’s sexual orientation does not impact on their use of the phone system at Audit Scotland; therefore, no further action will be undertaken in respect of this area.	
Race	Evidence: 3.3% of staff have declared themselves as from a minority ethnic group (Source: Mainstreaming Equalities March 2013)
Consultation:
A person’s race does not impact on their use of this new system or phone at Audit Scotland therefore no further action will be undertaken in respect of this area.	
Religion and Belief	Evidence: 33.7% of staff have not disclosed any religion. 30.7% of staff have no religion or stated not applicable; 16.7% are Church of Scotland; 8.9% Roman Catholic; 4.4% prefer not to say; 3% other Christian and 2.6% are another religion (Source: Mainstreaming Equalities March 2013)

Consultation:
This is not an issue with the replacement of the phone system and new desk phones. A person’s beliefs do not impact on their use of the phone system or desk phone at Audit Scotland; therefore, no further action is planned in this area.	

Step 3: Do you have enough information to help you understand the diverse needs and/or experiences of your target audience?

If not, what else do you need to know?

Age	Do you have enough information to proceed?	Yes		
	n/a
	
Disability	Do you have enough information to proceed?	Yes		
	Current information informs ISG that there are no known disabilities for those using the current phone system and desk phones. ISG will ensure that if any further information is known it will take appropriate action.
	
Gender	Do you have enough information to proceed?	Yes		
	The new system and phone is not gender specific. Members of both genders use the current system.
	
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender	Do you have enough information to proceed?	Yes		
	The new system and desk phone has no known impact on sexual orientation specific. 

Race	Do you have enough information to proceed?	Yes		
	The new phone system and desk phone are not race specific. Staff of different racial backgrounds use the current desk phones. 
	
Religion and Belief	Do you have enough information to proceed?	Yes		
	The new phone system and desk phones have no known impact relating to religion or belief. Staff of different religions use the current phone system and desk phones.

Step 4: What does the information you have tell you about how this policy might impact positively or negatively on the different groups within the target audience?

Age	Although some members will feel the impact of the new system and phones more than others, due to e.g. varying levels of familiarity with new phone technology, we do not think this impact is directly linked to age as it’s proven that age and IT skills are not necessarily linked. 
	
Disability	The display and functionality of the new desk phones offer more options than the previous (unified communications) may impact upon some users more than others, due to varying levels of familiarity with new technology.

If any issues regarding the functionality are raised to ISG, ISG will deal with these on a case by case basis to improve the experience for the user of the new desk phone.

However the positives to do with reliability and quality of the new device and system are pertinent to the organisation.	
Gender	Although some members will feel the impact of the new system and phones more than others, due to e.g. varying levels of familiarity with new phone technology, this impact is not linked to gender 
	
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender	Although some members will feel the impact of the new system and phones more than others, due to e.g. varying levels of familiarity with new phone technology, this impact is not linked to sexual orientation. 
	
Race	Although some members will feel the impact of the new system and phones more than others, due to e.g. varying levels of familiarity with new phone technology, this impact is not linked to race. 
	
Religion and Belief	Although some members will feel the impact of the new system and phones more than others, due to e.g. varying levels of familiarity with new phone technology, this impact is not linked to a person’s religion or belief. 

Step 5: Will you be making any changes to your policy?

Are there any changes?					
Age	Yes		No	X	
Disability	Yes	x	No		
Gender	Yes		No	X	
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender	Yes		No	X	
Race	Yes		No	X	
Religion and Belief	Yes		No	X	

Please identify:

•	what action you will take
•	who will take that action
•	when that action will be taken.

Disability
Prior to the wider implementation of the new desk phones, adequate training will be provided to all users. The Deployment Engineer will then transfer all the desk phones over to the new devices and systems and ensure users are familiar with the new deivce and system. The Engineer during this time observes the users interaction with the phone, to gauge if there are any actions required to lessen any adverse impacts of the new device. There are also guidelines for the phone and the system available on ishare- the user is informed of this. 

If any problems are raised by an individual these will be addressed and actioned by ISG.

	

Step 6: Does your policy provide the opportunity to promote equality of opportunity or good relations by altering the policy or working with others?

Age	Yes	x	No		
Disability	Yes	x	No		
Gender	Yes	x	No		
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender	Yes	x	No		
Race	Yes	x	No		
Religion and Belief	Yes	x	No		

Age	The replacement phone system and desk phones provides an opportunity for staff to have a reliable and high quality device to undertake communication within and outwith the organisaiton. The project will provide support for all desk phone users while they adapt to a new phone and system.

	
Disability		
Gender		
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender		
Race		
Religion and Belief		

Step 7: Based on the work you have done - rate the level of relevance of your policy
Tick one box for each strand
	Age	Disability	Gender	LGBT	Religion and belief	Race	
High:
•	There is substantial evidence that people from different groups or communities are (or could be) differently affected by the policy (positively or negatively)
•	There is substantial public concern about the policy, or concerns have been raised about the policy’s potential impact by relevant bodies 
•	The policy is relevant to all or part of the respective general duty, in the case of race, disability and gender.							
Medium:
•	There is some evidence that people from different groups or communities are (or could be) differently affected (positively or negatively).
•	There is some public concern about the policy. 
•	The policy is relevant to parts of the respective general duty, in the case of race, disability and gender.		X					
Low:
•	There is little or no evidence that some people from different groups or communities are (or could be) differently affected (positively or negatively).
•	There is little or no evidence of public concern about the policy. 
•	The policy has little or no relevance to the respective general duty, in the case of race, disability and gender.	x		x	x	x	x	
Unknown:
•	No evidence or data has been collected therefore an assessment cannot be made.							

Step 8: Is a further impact assessment required?

Age	Yes		No	X	
Disability	Yes		No	X	
Gender	Yes		No	X	
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender	Yes		No	X	
Race	Yes		No	X	
Religion and Belief	Yes		No	X	

If you have answered yes please explain why

	

If you have answered no please explain why
Further EIA will not need to be required. The project will allow staff to use the functionality of new phone system and desk phone to provide reliable and quality communication, but is ultimately constrained by the functionality that Microsoft Lync and Polycom offer as the providers of the new phone system and desk phones respectively. 

	

Step 9: Explain how you will monitor and evaluate this policy/function or strategy to measure progress?

Please explain how monitoring will be undertaken, when it will take place and who is responsible for undertaking it:

The policy is currently underway with the training and rollout plan currently being developed. When the roll-out of the new corporate mobile phones is complete a post-project review will be carried out. 

Monitoring of the phone system and desk phones will also continue through call monitoring on the ISG service desk. The quarterly ISG Service Report highlights if there are any apparent issues beyond the usual; therefore, if there are any significant issues regarding the phone system and desk phones this will be recorded and reported to the KITGG.

Step 10: Summary of improvements, outcomes and impact

Please summarise in no more than 200 words the nature of the policy  and main improvements, outcomes and impact as a result of this review - this will be published on Audit Scotland’s web site and the full EqIA will be made available to interested parties if requested.

Audit Scotland wishes to ensure its staff members can communicate effectively and reliably within and outwith the organisation. The current replacement of the phone system and subsequent desk phones will increase the quality and reliability of this communication service. This policy forms part of our approach to ‘Supporting Flexible Working’ as highlighted in the IT Strategy to allow staff the freedom of being able to communicate through-out the working day no matter their location. 
Following the EIA review and implementation of the policy, the new phone system and desk phones will be maintained by the Information Services Group and overseen by the Knowledge, Information and Technology Governance Group to ensure that they remains fit for purpose and suitable for use.