A study of the research and development of a Civil Service equal opportunities initiative

Abstract

Abstract This paper gives an account of an action research project into the use of access training as a means of increasing ethnic minority recruitment into the British Civil Service. The background to the project is outlined, and attention drawn to the way in which monitoring revealed the extent to which the ethnic minorities are under‐represented at the Executive Officer (EO) grade. The Qualifying Test (EOQT) was identified as having an adverse impact on ethnic‐minority recruitment and strategies for combating this are reviewed. The investigation of the possible use of access training as a form of positive action led to a feasibility study. The methods used in this study together with the outcomes in terms of the aims, objectives and structure of the resultant access training course, and the methods used to evaluate the effectiveness of the access course are reported. Finally, consideration is given to the implications of the project for equal employment opportunities in the British Civil Service.