Audit Scotland

Equality Impact Assessment
in Audit Scotland

New Corporate Mobile Phones

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 Corporate Mobile Phones	
Strategic Outcome	To replace all the current corporate mobile phones with the new corporate mobile phone (Samsung Galaxy SIII Mini). This will improve quality and reliability of the service.	
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 Corporate Mobile Phones	
Strategic Outcome	To replace all the current corporate mobile phones with the new corporate mobile phone (Samsung Galaxy SIII Mini) to improve quality and reliability of the service.	
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 replace the current aging stock of corporate mobile phones. The current mobile phones are causing on-going difficulties for staff with reliability and connectivity issues. ISG have also run out of replacement stock. The new phones are to counteract these issues and to provide a reliable and quality service for staff that require a corporate mobile phone.

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 corporate mobile phone users within Audit Scotland. The main impact is significant as it involves staff having to use a new phone with new features and functions. A Deployment Engineer will be used during the transfer phase to ensure the phones are successfully transferred across and also that the user is content to accept the new 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 phones. Call quality and reliability of the device will improve therefore addressing many of the issues staff have.	
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 mobile phones, the policy is part of a larger project which is improving telephony options across the organisation including desk phones and the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) option. ISG are implementing the wider project with the BYOD function already in place. 

At the start of the mobile phone project ISG undertook careful and comprehensive testing to select a device for users that will address all the current issues but also ensure longevity for the 3 year lifecycle of the device. 

The next stage involved a meeting with a user group on all the telephony options were feedback was received from the future users. With feedback received ISG with support from the Knowledge, Information and Technology Governance Group (KITGG) and the Director of Corporate Programmes proceeded with the purchase of the new mobile phones. 

Once the new mobile phones were received a pilot testing period was started to ensure the roll-out any initial issues could be resolved and an effective roll-out plan devised. The pilot involved 20 users and feedback was received via an ishare survey.

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:
-	Improve the device quality and reliability
-	Improve the user experience (ensure good call quality, reliable access to email, etc.).
-	Provide a more modern device that has longevity and can be easily repaired.
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 £40,000. The devices purchased were cheaper than estimated at £35,360 including protective cases. There is also the on-going cost for each of the mobile phone contracts with Vodafone which remain the same from the previous phone.

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 mobile technology 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 mobile 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 device/network therefore no further action will be undertaken.
	
Sexual Orientation	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 corporate mobile phones. A person’s sexual orientation does not impact on their use of this 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 device/network 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 introduction new mobile technology. A person’s beliefs do not impact on their use of the corporate device or network 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 corporate mobile 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 device/network 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 device/network is has no known impact on sexual orientation specific. 

Race	Do you have enough information to proceed?	Yes		
	The device/network is not race specific. Staff of different racial backgrounds use the current mobile phones. 
	
Religion and Belief	Do you have enough information to proceed?	Yes		
	The device/network has no known impact relating to religion or belief. Staff of different religions use the mobile 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 device/system more than others, due to e.g. varying levels of familiarity with new mobile 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 size of the new corporate mobile phone (smaller than previous) and also the touchscreen aspect (no keyboard/keypad) may impact upon some users more than others, due to varying levels of familiarity with new technology and also eye sight. 

If any issues regarding the screen size and touchscreen options are raised to ISG, ISG will deal with these on a case by case basis to improve the experience for the user of the corporate mobile phone.

However the positives to do with reliability and quality of the new device and service are pertinent to the organisation.	
Gender	Although some members will feel the impact of the new device/system more than others, due to e.g. varying levels of familiarity with new mobile technology, this impact is not linked to gender 
	
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender	Although some members will feel the impact of the new device/system more than others, due to e.g. varying levels of familiarity with new mobile technology, this impact is not linked to sexual orientation. 
	
Race	Although some members will feel the impact of the new device/system more than others, due to e.g. varying levels of familiarity with new mobile technology, this impact is not linked to race. 
	
Religion and Belief	Although some members will feel the impact of the new device/system more than others, due to e.g. varying levels of familiarity with new mobile 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
After the transfer of the old mobile phone to the new device the Deployment Engineer guides the user through a final configuration and then explains the phone and several of the features to them. 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 TouchDown application 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 new corporate mobile phone provides an opportunity for staff to have a reliable and high quality device to undertake communication when outwith the office and also within. The project will provide support for all corporate mobile phones 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 corporate mobile to provide reliable and quality communication, but is ultimately constrained by the functionality that Vodafone Secure Device Manager provides due to wider IT and data security policies within Audit Scotland. Also the phone manufacturer and Android system places some constraints on what can be made available to staff.

	

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 however when the roll-out of the new corporate mobile phones is complete a post-project review will be carried out. 

Monitoring of the mobile 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 mobile 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 refresh of the corporate mobile 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 mobile phone devices and services 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.