• The BBC's commitment
• Our equal opportunities statement
• Our workforce targets
• Our Equality Schemes
• Equality Impact Assessments

The BBC's commitment

Diversity for the BBC is a creative opportunity to engage the totality of the UK audience. That includes diverse communities of interest, as well as gender, age, ethnicity, religion and faith, social background, sexual orientation, political affiliation and so on.

Delivering on our commitment to equal opportunities and diversity is important to the BBC for a number of reasons. For example, the audiences that we serve are increasingly diverse. The BBC is also a public service broadcaster funded by a licence fee paid by all sections of UK society.

• The BBC is committed to reflecting the diversity of the UK audience in its workforce, as well as in its output on TV, on radio and online.
• The BBC also has a number of legal obligations to comply with current legislation, for example around the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).
• The BBC has set itself workforce targets. These are currently under review by the Diversity Board, which is chaired by the BBC Director-General.

The BBC is a member of the major industry networks on disability and ethnicity, as well as of the main UK employer forums which bring together organisations committed to driving progress on diversity.

Our equal opportunities statement

The BBC is committed to promoting equal opportunities for all, irrespective of colour, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origins, gender, marital/civil partnership status, sexuality, disability or age.

The BBC is committed to reflecting the diversity of the UK and to making its services accessible to all. This applies both to our output and to the people who work here.

The BBC aims to create and sustain an inclusive work environment which provides equality of opportunity for everyone.

Our workforce targets

The BBC has set targets for ensuring that diversity is reflected on and off air, supported by a number of initiatives aimed at promoting diversity in the workforce and in output and content.

The current targets are:

• 12.5% for black and minority ethnic staff overall (status: 11.5% at 30 June 2008)
• 7% for ethnic minority staff at SM1 and SM2 grades (5.8% at 30 June 2008)
• 4% for staff with disabilities (target met in November 2007; 4.5% at 30 June 2008)

The workforce targets are currently being reviewed by the BBC Diversity Board, which is chaired by the Director-General.

What the BBC is doing to create a diverse workforce

The BBC has a longstanding commitment to creating a diverse workforce.

The BBC is not complacent about its progress to date, and recognises that there is more work to be done to achieve a diverse workforce at all levels.

At the same time, the BBC will always look to recruit the best person for the job. We are legally required to do so, and the BBC is also bound to provide the best value for licence fee payers.

The BBC is investing £3million over the next three years in an action plan to help meet the workforce targets. This consists of:

1. A mentoring and development programme for potential high-fliers: 50% of places on the scheme are ring-fenced for ethnic minority and disabled people
2. A new trainee scheme for journalism, the biggest BBC job family
3. Offering 50 Extend placements per year for people with disabilities
4. Initiatives (work placements, trainee schemes) in BBC divisions and at local level
5. Targeting diverse communities through our recruitment advertising, careers fairs and other outreach activities
6. Linking with universities and educational institutions attended by diverse people
7. Using Project North and Salford as an opportunity to attract diverse people to work with the BBC
8. Participating in events such as 'Move on Up', designed to match people already in the industry with job opportunities
9. Holding open sessions in different parts of the UK to encourage groups under-represented in the BBC to apply
10. Playing an active role in industry networks aimed at creating a skilled and diverse workforce across broadcasting

The BBC has a diversity strategy agreed by the most senior people in the organisation. Progress against the strategy is reviewed regularly by the Diversity Board, chaired by the Director-General.

The BBC's Equality Schemes

The equality schemes explain the BBC's public functions and outline how we work towards achieving equality for people in relation to disability, gender and race.

We conduct an annual review of the equality schemes to show what progress has been made against the objectives set in the schemes. The results of the review for 2007/2008 are included in the full schemes, and are also available separately in the performance summaries.

• Disability Equality Scheme
• Gender Equality Scheme
• Race Equality Scheme

Disability Equality Scheme (DES)

The BBC's Disability Equality Scheme outlines how the public functions of the BBC are ensuring equality for disabled people, and includes:

• an overview of the constitutional position of the BBC
• the approach to defining the public functions of the BBC and the involvement of disabled people in developing the DES
• the BBC's approach to disability, including initiatives and activity outside the scope of the DES
• how the BBC has assessed the impact of its public functions on disability issues
• action plans for the scheme for each of the identified public functions

Download

To open a PDF file you need Adobe Reader software, which you can download free via BBC WebWise. Otherwise, choose the text-only version of the document.

BBC Disability Equality Scheme (updated 2008) PDF (515KB)

BBC Disability Equality Scheme Simple English PDF (825KB)

Disability Equality Scheme Performance Summary 2007/2008 PDF (121KB)

Disability Equality Scheme Performance Summary 2007/2008
Easyread PDF (965KB)

 

Gender Equality Scheme (GES)

The BBC's Gender Equality Scheme outlines how the BBC will develop, implement, monitor and review its work towards achieving equality for women and men, including trans people. It includes:

• how the BBC developed its scheme, including consultation
• the BBC's approach to gender, including initiatives and activity outside the scope of the GES
• how the BBC has assessed the impact of its public functions on gender issues
• how the BBC gathers and uses relevant information
• action plans for the scheme for each of the identified public functions

BBC Gender Equality Scheme (updated 2008) PDF (452KB)

BBC Gender Equality Scheme Simple English PDF (1651KB)

Gender Equality Scheme Performance Summary 2007/2008 PDF (107KB)

Gender Equality Scheme Performance Summary 2007/2008
Easyread PDF (941KB)

 

Race Equality Scheme (RES)

The BBC's Race Equality Scheme outlines a framework for how the BBC will develop, implement, monitor and review its work towards achieving equality for people from diverse ethnic and cultural backgounds. It includes:

• an overview of the constitutional position of the BBC
• a detailed explanation of the key elements which make up the scheme
• action plans for the first year of the scheme for each of the public functions
• a list of the public functions of the BBC

BBC Race Equality Scheme (updated 2008) PDF (667KB)

BBC Race Equality Scheme Simple English PDF (1191KB)

Race Equality Scheme Performance Summary 2007/2008 PDF (113KB)

Race Equality Scheme Performance Summary 2007/2008
Easyread PDF (1200KB)

 

Equality Impact Assessments

The purpose of an Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) is to make sure that, when carrying out its public functions (or implementing policies and practices related to those functions), the BBC does not unlawfully discriminate against any of its audiences or licence fee payers and that, where possible, it promotes equality. It is a way to make sure that individuals and teams think carefully about the likely impact of their work and take action to improve strategies, policies and projects, where appropriate.

Where they are judged to be relevant and proportionate, EIAs will be conducted at the outset of a project or policy's development, in relation to disability, race/ethnicity and gender, as required under statute. The BBC also considers three other diversity areas - age, faith/belief and sexual orientation - as part of best practice and in line with the BBC's broader diversity commitments. EIAs which have been completed and signed off by two of the BBC's public function areas - Television Licensing and Digital Switchover - are published below, and those relating to certain functions of the BBC Trust are published on the BBC Trust website - see below.

If you require a version in an alternative format, please contact the Diversity Centre - see contact details below.

Equality Impact Assessments completed during 2008

Television Licensing

EIAs conducted by TVL in respect of core public function activities within Television Licensing:

EIA: New Licensable Places Policy Oct 2007 PDF (82KB)

EIA: TVL Brand Refresh April 2008 PDF (81KB)

EIA: Marketing Equality Assessments PDF (102KB)

Digital Switchover

(i) Digital Switchover Help Scheme - EIAs completed by DSHS Ltd in respect of the procurement exercise and the Code of Service Standards:

EIA: Main Scheme Procurement Process PDF (73KB)

EIA: MarComs Procurement PDF (106KB)

EIA: Contact Centre Procurement PDF (89KB)

EIA: Logistics Procurement PDF (93KB)

EIA: Installations Procurement PDF (99KB)

EIA: Aftercare Procurement PDF (99KB)

EIA: Complaints and Appeals Procurement PDF (89KB)

EIA: Code of Service Standards PDF (99KB)

(ii) Digital switchover communications - EIAs completed by Digital UK (in liaison with the BBC) in respect of digital switchover communications and diversity outreach:

EIA: Generic Communications PDF (107KB)

EIA: Digital UK Help Scheme and Outreach Communications PDF (108KB)

The BBC Trust

Certain functions of the BBC Trust are public functions. Information relating to the BBC Trust's Equality Impact Assessments is available on the Trust website.

Contact

To comment on any of these documents or to request copies in another format, please email diversity.centre@bbc.co.uk or call 020 8752 5942.