EQAA

EQAA, or the Equality and Quality Assurance Agency, is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom. It was established in 2007 to promote equality and diversity in further and higher education. EQAA's primary role is to monitor and report on the equality and diversity performance of higher education institutions in England. It also provides guidance and support to institutions to help them improve their equality and diversity practices.

EQAA's work is guided by the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). It uses a range of data collection methods, including self-reported data from institutions and data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). EQAA's reports are published annually and cover various aspects of equality and diversity, such as student background, staff characteristics, and the institution's equality and diversity policies and practices.

EQAA's work is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Department for Education. It is an independent body, which means it operates without political interference and is accountable only to Parliament. EQAA's work is crucial for ensuring that higher education institutions in England are meeting their legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Bodies (Code of Practice on the Public Sector Equality Duty) Regulations 2003.