What is the difference between assessing and monitoring impact?
To avoid confusion between the requirements of the race equality scheme to ‘assess the likely effects of proposed policies’ and to ‘monitor policies for any adverse impact’, you should remember that race equality impact assessments should be carried out on proposals for new policies or legislation, or changes to existing policies or laws. A race equality impact assessment represents an opportunity to pre-empt potential inequalities between racial groups. Any policy or legislative proposal must be fully assessed, and consulted on, as part of its development, to anticipate any effects – positive, neutral or negative – it might have on people from some racial groups. The assessment should help to avert or reduce any adverse effects identified, by considering amendments to the policy, and/or other compensatory measures.
