Sunday, 7 September 2008
It is increasingly recognised that equality of opportunity can bring substantial benefits. For public authorities, promoting equality through procurement can improve competition, value of money, the quality of public services, satisfaction among users, and community relations. For business and voluntary organisations, it makes good business sense, and can also give them a competitive edge when they tender for public contracts.
Many councils have made a commitment to equal opportunities as part of their core values and corporate objectives. The statutory duty to promote race equality reinforces these commitments. The aim of the duty is to make sure that public money is not spent on practices that lead to unlawful racial discrimination, but is used instead to support and encourage equal opportunities and good community relations.
Councils spend billions every year on contracts with private and voluntary organisations for works, goods and services. It is vital therefore that they take full account of all the implications, economic and social, of their investment. It is now also essential that they ensure this investment is consistent with their wider race equality obligations.
Many private and voluntary sector organisations have equal opportunities policies and procedures, and have tapped into the benefits of a diverse workforce and a wide range of suppliers. In an increasingly competitive environment, understanding and working for equal opportunities can help with public contracts.
Published by a coalition of organisations, including the Commission for Racial Equality, Disability Rights Commission and the Local Government Organisation, the Equality Standard adopts for process of continuous improvement to mainstream equalities into Council policies.
Aims of the Equality Standard:
The Office of the Mayor of Doncaster has also produced a BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) White Paper, 'Towards a Better Understanding', which sets out how the Council aims to build better relations with the Ethnic Minority Community improving the services we provide and how we deal with problems.
Under Government legislation Doncaster Council is required to produce a Race Equality Scheme, and yearly annual reports.
These reports state which of our services and policies are affected by race equality issues, how they have improved and its intensions for the coming years.
