The document summarizes Hampshire County Council's experience with an equality peer challenge assessment. It describes how the council initially resisted the equality standards but then focused senior officers and members on putting equality into a measurable framework. The council found the assessment process stressful but exhilarating and it helped fix equality as a key performance area. When acting as peer assessors for other councils, the key is to focus on requested evidence, ensure the visit and report are fair and helpful, and check that what is reported is real and has made a difference.

1. Jane Goodwin Equality and Third Sector Manager Hampshire County Council Diversity Peer Challenge Hotseat 5 th -8 th May 2009