How to commission an EDI audit

1. What is this service?

The term ‘EDI audit’ can mean very different things.

Your first commissioning decision is therefore to define what you want audited.

2. When might you commission it?

• you need a baseline
• you are developing an EDI strategy
• you want to understand organisational gaps
• workforce data suggests inequalities
• employees or stakeholders have raised concerns
• you want to review policies and practices
• you need evidence before deciding what to prioritise.

3. Before you commission

Ask:

• What do we already know?
• What don't we know?
• What decisions will the audit inform?
• What areas matter most?
• What data exists?
• Which stakeholders need to be heard?
• Are there sensitive issues?
• What level of independence do we need?

4. Define your brief

Specify:

• Organisational scope — Whole organisation, business unit, service or location?
• Subject scope — Policies, workforce data, recruitment, progression, culture, customer experience, accessibility etc.
• Population — Employees, applicants, customers, service users or other stakeholders.
• Evidence — Documents, data, surveys, interviews, focus groups etc.
• Outputs — Findings, recommendations, priorities, action plan.

5. What to ask providers

• What do you mean by an EDI audit?
• What evidence will you review?
• What methodology will you use?
• How will you assess data quality?
• How will you involve employees or service users?
• How will confidentiality be protected?
• How will findings be validated?
• How will recommendations be prioritised?
• How will you distinguish evidence from interpretation?

6. How to compare proposals

Assess:

• Scope — Clearly defined and relevant
• Methodology — Credible and proportionate
• Evidence — Multiple relevant sources
• Participation — Appropriate stakeholder involvement
• Analysis — Goes beyond description
• Recommendations — Specific and prioritised
• Implementation — Practical next steps
• Value — Proportionate to cost

7. What good looks like

• What is happening? Why might it be happening? What matters most? What should we do next?
• It should not simply produce a long list of policies that exist or do not exist.

8. Things to watch out for

• ‘Audit’ used to describe a simple questionnaire
• no defined methodology
• no analysis of evidence
• recommendations disconnected from findings
• excessive focus on compliance
• huge scope with insufficient time
• no stakeholder voice
• no prioritisation.

9. What should you receive?

• methodology
• evidence summary
• audit findings
• strengths and gaps
• thematic analysis
• priority areas
• recommendations
• action plan
• leadership presentation
• measurement framework.

10. After commissioning

Agree:

• which recommendations will be accepted
• who owns them
• priorities
• resources
• timescales
• measures
• review dates.