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Ensuring lived experience is at the heart of decision-making is one of the core values we committed to in the Race Equality Action Plan.

Reflecting this, the Action Plan has been developed through co-production and the voices of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people have been put at the centre of the process.

The work has been guided by a diverse Steering Group, co-Chaired by Professor Emmanuel Ogbonna and the Permanent Secretary.

To inform the development of the draft Action Plan, we commissioned the Centre for Public Policy (WCPP) to undertaken an evidence review in key policy areas. We specified that they should undertake their work by engaging from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic academic subject experts.

Alongside this academic input, we funded grassroots organisations to undertaken community engagement with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people across Wales.

The output of both the WCPP work and the community engagement activity were shared in ‘deep dive’ events, which brought together policy makers and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people to explore the issues and identify areas for action.

With support from EYST, we held a series of visioning events with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people. These events, which included children and young people and older people, focused on setting the vision for 2030 and the values the Action Plan should reflect.

We also invited expressions of interest from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people to act as paid Community Mentors. They were matched with policy leads to bring their professional expertise and knowledge, as well as their lived experience of racism, to inform the development of the goals and actions in the draft Action Plan.

The Community Mentors, and those who had previously been involved in the ‘Deep Dive’ events, participated in a series of roundtable events where the draft goals and actions which had been developed in each policy area were shared and suggestions made for how they could be strengthened.

During the formal consultation period, we again funded a range of grassroots organisations to undertake community consultation. This was to ensure that, alongside responses from public bodies and other organisations, we would hear directly from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic People.

Race Equality First was appointed to undertake the analysis of the consultation and presented an overview of the key themes to the Steering Group last autumn.

At the end of last year, we convened an Expert Panel year primarily made up of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic academics and other experts. Policy leads presented an overview of the consultation responses in their area and how they planned to further strengthen the goals and actions they were responsible for in response. The experts provided feedback on the proposals and made suggestions of further actions or alternative approaches which could be adopted to have more impact.