Terms of Reference
Introduction
The Research Action Coalition for Race Equality (RACE) is the formalisation of a longstanding collaboration between the University of Bristol (UoB) and Black South West Network (BSWN), hereafter known as ‘The Joint Partners’.
The aim of the partnership is to provide communities, policy-makers and other stakeholders with the empirical evidence required to develop policy and practice that can more effectively address race disparity in the South West region.
This project will recognise and respond to gaps in the data regarding the nature of race disparities in education, criminal justice, housing, health and labour market experience in the city.
Objectives & Purpose of the Network
The objectives of the Research Action Coalition for Race Equality are to:
Provide city-wide data from which to evaluate the effectiveness of initiatives designed to tackle race inequality, with the aspiration of extending this work to the wider South West region in the future.
Work collectively with communities to gather data from which to enable a greater understanding of both the challenges they face and their priorities to inform the development of more inclusive policy agendas.
Work in partnership with wider regional stakeholders to provide data which will inform targeted action plans to address persistent evidence gaps and respond to the other challenges and opportunities highlighted in our initial analysis of the Government’s Race Disparity Audit.
Ensure alignment and collaboration with other key regional Race Equality focused bodies such as the Commission on Race Equality (CORE), Race Equality Strategic Leaders Group, and other key strategic groups.
Ensure outputs, actions, messages and projects developing from the work of RACE reach a wide range of audiences including communities, wider regional stakeholders and relevant regional/national departments in appropriate formats.
Seek out opportunities and relevant resources including funding, placements and social capital to sustain this collaborative effort.
Operating principles
Re-balancing power in research.
Valuing diverse forms of knowledge.
Promoting genuine partnership and collaboration.
Collaborating to promote anti-racist research & practice
Demonstrating reflexivity in our practice.
Ensuring the effective engagement of racialised communities in research.
Making research and data accessible.
Progressing a strategic action plan to be reviewed annually.
Role of RACE Partners
Lead and/or participate in activities that the joint partners agree is necessary to undertake with regards to racialised communities.
Communicate with and secure the participation of local communities in the design, realisation and circulation of the output from these activities?.
Partner with other bodies and wider city and regional stakeholders within the sector to ensure effective input and buy-in
Submit relevant data to partner organisations for consideration and discussion where appropriate in order to translate evidence for its effective use in support of their engagements
The Steering Group
The Steering Group will develop and implement an action plan with clear actions aimed at achieving positive outcomes. Action points will be agreed and reviewed at monthly Steering Group meetings. Steering Group members will consist of representatives from the University of Bristol and Black South West Network:
From the University of Bristol - Dr Saffron Karlsen and Professor Therese O’Toole.
From Black South West Network – Director Sado Jirde
Angelique Retief – research and policy officer at BSWN and a PhD student in the School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol.
Dr Barbara Brown – Trustee of BSWN and Diversity Strategy & Research Consultant
Outcomes and Measurables
Markers of progress against the activities set out above as agreed by the Steering Group will be reported via annual impact reports & events.
Partnership
RACE will work collaboratively with communities and a wide range of organisations (including equalities groups) to address its key objectives. To avoid consultation fatigue, partners will be involved in a focused manner linked to the research process, their priorities, and in line with RACE’s strategy.
Membership
There will be opportunity to extend this list, as requested by the Steering Group to include other relevant sectors / groups or organisations in the city and region.
At this stage, partner organisations will be invited to join and include:
Academics working in race equality
Representatives from key community, charity and voluntary sector organisations working directly with racialised communities.
Bristol Commission on Race Equality (CoRE)
Bristol’s Race Equality Strategic Leaders Group
Administration & Project Co-ordination
Project co-ordination will be undertaken in line with the respective strengths and capacities of the joint partners and will remain under review.
Decision Making
The Joint Partners attend the Steering Group meeting independently and whilst agreed group decisions are sought, each individual member reserves the right to take any contentious decisions back to their organisation for approval. Invitations to attend the steering group meeting may be extended to non-steering group members, where their input or advice supports the discussion taking place at the meeting.
Communication Protocol:
Matters arising and relevant information will be communicated to the initiative’s support officers in good time for all meetings. All communication should use agreed identity and logos of RACE.
Knowledge Management:
The joint partners will use Google Drive – (other options are available) - to share information in a timely fashion.
Governance:
RACE’s structure will be reviewed every two years and overall progress will be communicated via annual impact reports.
Declaration of Interest and Confidentiality
At times the Steering group may need to consider sensitive and/or confidential items, which shall remain so until agreed otherwise.
ToR Review:
ToR will be reviewed every three years.
Exit Plans
If either partner would like to exit from the collaborative arrangement, a meeting by either party can be requested and the arrangement dissolved with mutual consent within a 2 month period.