Your Organisation and the IAT

An Impact Assessment is a careful examination of a proposed policy, project or service to see if it could have an adverse or unfavourable affect in areas such as equality, diversity or health and safety. In addition to any intended beneficial impact, any policy, strategy, plan or project that an organisation puts together and delivers may also have unintended negative or harmful impacts. With a little more thought in the planning process, it may be possible to improve or increase positive outcomes and, importantly, it may be possible to avert or reduce any harmful impacts.

Impact Assessments are generally applicable to all Government interventions affecting the private sector, the third sector and public services. Impact Assessment is a continuous process to help policy–makers consider and understand both possible and actual consequences of Government interventions in the public, private and third sectors.

Our Impact Assessment e-Tool has been designed to assist with screening and checking policies, plans and projects against widely accepted, broad ranging equality and diversity issues, such as race/ethic concerns, disability, age, sexual orientation and gender. The e-Tool guides policy-makers in considering areas which may be impacted throughout the process of developing policies/plans and may help to improve the policy/plan and show evidence that these issues have been considered.