Reflecting on the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy: Addressing challenges and opportunities
Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is a key focus for the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (BRC): Oxford Health. The vision for the BRC: Oxford Health embraces ‘working with partners to establish and enhance the evidence base for EDI’, which includes data collection processes to enhance the diversity of the workforce and research participants.
The NIHR’s EDI Strategy outlines an ambition to transform the inclusivity of research practice, organisational culture and systems. The EDI Strategy 2022–27 Action Plan outlines an action to broaden the data collection approach to include all protected characteristics (as defined by the Equality Act). The NIHR does not require the gathering of or access to information related to the nine protected characteristics for researchers, research participants and public involvement members; however, this may change in the future.
The Public Mental Health Implementation Centre (PMHIC) sought to understand the context, enablers and barriers to implementing the BRC: Oxford Health EDI Strategy, including possible solutions to anticipated challenges, and the perceptions of collecting data on protected characteristics.
What did we do?
The PMHIC were commissioned by the BRC: Oxford Health to conduct a mapping and scoping project. The team conducted 12 semi-structured, online interviews with representatives across ten associate partner sites of Biomedical Research Centre: Oxford Health between February and March 2024. We analysed transcripts using thematic analysis.
What did we find?
Collaboration, leadership and resources were all identified as enablers and barriers to successfully implementing EDI strategies. Implementing the BRC: Oxford Health’s EDI strategy is challenging because of the geographical spread and variety of sectors (clinical and academic settings) that cover the multiple associate partners. Each partner site has its own local EDI strategy and regulatory and governance frameworks.
“There will always have to be a leader that needs to coordinate and facilitate all of this, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are the whole entity of this enterprise.” – Quote from interviewee
Collecting or accessing data on protected characteristics presents challenges with views on this mixed by those interviewed. Ethical considerations include the sensitivity of data being collected and existing relationships with people collecting the data. If the process becomes mandated to the NIHR, this could add to the complexity. The process would also be practically complex due to the variety of systems, structures and processes across the associate partner sites. Co-producing any processes and guidance would help to alleviate concerns among marginalised communities.
“I think it’s really difficult to say that data equality monitoring data should be mandatory because everybody has a choice, even if for the very right reasons we collect it, it’s difficult because people still have agency in choice, I suppose, to introduce something that people feel might be considered.” – Quote from interviewee
“Why is it mandatory to start with, what’s the reason, the rationale behind that? And then once you’ve got it, what you do with it? Because if you’re just collecting it because it’s mandatory but not doing anything with it, then … why collect it? So I think like a process of rationale, reason, actions, so people can almost see that flow of where their information or data goes.” – Quote from interviewee
What is next?
We now plan to share our findings and recommendations with the NIHR, the Strategic Partnerships Board and partner organisations.
You can read the full report here: Papageorgiou, V., Greenwood, H., Taylor, C., & Ernest, N. Implementing the NIHR BRC: Oxford Health’s equality, diversity and inclusion strategy: a mapping and scoping project. Public Mental Health Implementation Centre, 2024.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank all those interviewed for this project for their contributions. We also acknowledge the support of Professor Kam Bhui and Dr Pamela Reid from BRC: Oxford Health.
