Equality Impact Assessment on the Roll Out of DARD Direct

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) is seeking your views on the equality impact of the roll out of DARD Direct.

DARD Direct is a new one-stop-shop approach designed to improve the delivery of DARD services to farmers and farm families, by providing more choice of how, when and where customers can access the Department’s services. In addition to improving accessibility to DARD’s services it aims to reduce the amount of time farmers need to spend completing transactions with DARD.  

Having been piloted in Inishkeen House, Enniskillen, it is now proposed to roll out DARD Direct to a number of strategically located offices across Northern Ireland.

The DARD Direct proposal will bring together all the main farmer focussed services, including Veterinary Service, Grants & Subsidies, Countryside Management, CAFRE Development Service, Quality Assurance, Rural Enterprise and Customer Service Improvement staff at these locations.

The closing date for responses is Friday 5th September 2008.

All responses should be sent to John McKee at John.McKee@dardni.gov.uk or by post to:
John McKee
Organisation Improvement Branch
Room 559B
Dundonald House
Upper Newtownards Road
Belfast
BT4 3SB

A copy of the consultation document and consultation cover letter can be downloaded by following the links below.
DARD Direct Equality Impact Assessment Consultation Letter
DARD Direct Equality Impact Assessment Consultation Document