As signatories to this protocol we will demonstrate our commitment to promoting equality by adopting practical measures in our role as purchasers of legal services. We wish to engage with suppliers who take active steps to follow good practice in recruiting, developing and managing staff that help to widen opportunities for minority and other under-represented groups. Accordingly we will:
- Conduct procurement processes in an open, fair and transparent manner to promote best practice in equality amongst our suppliers.
- As part of the selection process for suppliers of legal services, we will collect and consider the information that is captured by the model questionnaire.
- Ask suppliers for key indicators of their commitment and progress in implementing effective equality policies and take those into account in the supplier selection process.
- Support actions by our suppliers to safeguard equality and promote diversity and inclusion among those with whom they engage, including when instructing counsel or within partnership projects.
- Review and monitor the equality, diversity and inclusion work and performance of any providers, contractors or businesses we use, to ensure that they are meeting acceptable standards. This can be on the basis of annual reports produced by providers of legal services.
- Adopt procurement policies that give a clear commitment to equality of opportunity, to tackling discrimination and disadvantage and to promoting diversity and inclusion.