Embedding Equity in Everything We Do

04 Jul 2025

Introducing our new Digital Equality Impact Assessment (EIA)

Women make up 51% of the global population, 85% are from the Global Majority, 16% are disabled, and an estimated 5% identify as LGBTQ+. At the University of Manchester, we are committed to representing, serving, and including all communities—locally and globally. To do this meaningfully, we must embed equity into every aspect of our work.

To support this commitment, we’ve launched a new digital Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) tool. This marks a major step forward in making our inclusion efforts more accessible, efficient, and transparent.

Why It Matters

Equality Impact Assessments are essential to our equity and inclusion strategy. They ensure that our policies, projects, and services are not only legally compliant but also genuinely inclusive from the outset.

Whether you're developing a new initiative, reviewing a policy, or launching a digital service, completing an EIA helps us:

•            Identify and address unintended barriers

•            Embed inclusive thinking into everyday work

•            Fulfil our legal duties under the Equality Act and Public Sector Equality Duty

"True equity is not a destination—it’s a continuous journey of reflection, action, and transformation. With this new Equality Impact Assessment tool, we are equipping our community to lead with intention, challenge assumptions, and design a future where inclusion is woven into the fabric of everything we do." Sarah Fox, Executive Director of EDI

What’s New?

The updated EIA process features a streamlined, user-friendly digital form with:

•            Smart design: A dynamic form that adapts to your project type, with built-in guidance and branching logic to simplify completion

•            Automated workflows: Notifications to your EDI Partner and Senior Sponsor at each stage

•            Centralised resources: Access the form, guidance, templates, and published EIAs via our SharePoint hub: Equality Impact Assessments Hub

•       Live feedback: Share your experience directly through the form on the hub to help us continuously improve the process

What People Are Saying

“I found the new EIA form and process, which Kathy has put together, very user-friendly and simple to complete.

The revised clear questions and new step-by-step format made the process feel easier to engage with and less intimidating compared to the previous lengthy Word template.

It was also useful to receive the automated email confirming submission pending sponsor sign-off.”

— Kylie Nixon, Project Co-ordinator, Strategic Change Office

Get Involved

If you haven’t yet explored the new process, now’s the perfect time. You can:

•       Try the new EIA form

•       Submit feedback via the built-in form on the SharePoint hub

•       Browse examples of published EIAs from May 2025

•       Join the EIA Community of Practice to connect, share learning, and stay informed

Need Support?

Not sure if you need to complete an EIA? Submit a quick query form and your EDI Partner will guide you.

Ready to Make Your Work More Inclusive?

Visit the Equality Impact Assessments Hub and start your EIA today. Every action you take helps build a fairer, more inclusive University for all.

What’s Next?

This is just the beginning. The EIA tool is the first in our new ‘Equity at Manchester’ series. More tools and resources are on the way. We’d love to hear what would help you embed equity in your work—share your ideas at eqia@manchester.ac.uk.