FAQs

AROS is a new organisation: the Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland.

Scotland is taking a vital step in tackling systemic racism with the establishment of AROS. AROS has been made possible thanks to years of work by communities and experts, and Scottish Government commitments to tackle systemic racism. Watch our brief explainer video to learn more.

The University of Strathclyde, in partnership with the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER), is hosting AROS. More details are available here.

AROS and the AROS host are not the same.

AROS is not yet an established organisation. To help set it up, the Scottish Government selected a host through an open tender process. The host’s job is to support the set-up of AROS, not to make decisions for it. As host, we are not setting policies or approaches for AROS, but are helping manage the practicalities of setting up a new organisation. The hosting role is explained in more detail in the next question below. Once the actual AROS team is in place, the host will continue to support some functions, but this role will gradually reduce and is anticipated AROS will eventually become fully independent.

Setting up AROS is the key role of the host.

The hosting team are currently in the process of establishing systems, processes, and location for AROS. Our key priorities are to begin the open recruitment of staff to run AROS and to commence, as soon as possible, engagement with national / community groups. It is the responsibility of the host to ensure that the organisation is set up in a way that is inclusive, critically reflective, and structurally sound.

The hosting team provide regular Updates on progress via this website.

The AROS host was chosen through an open tender process.

The Scottish Government launched an open tender process in the spring of 2024 to recruit a suitable AROS host. This was issued via Public Contracts Scotland. A team from the University of Strathclyde, working in partnership with CRER, submitted a proposal to this call and was successful.

The role of the host is set out above.

Communities are central to AROS.

Through the work of the DAG and AIGG (see below for details), communities have been centrally involved in bringing the mobilisation phase of AROS on the way. AROS will continue to be community-led to provide a powerful evidence-base through which government and other public sector bodies can more effectively address racism in Scottish society. Learn more on the Communities page, particularly our Explainer Videos, and please sign up to our Newsletter (external link) to be kept up to date on developments, including community engagement.

The DAG has concluded its work.

The Design Advisory Group (DAG) played a critical role in bringing the AROS on the way to mobilisation (the phase we are in now). The DAG has now concluded its work. You can find DAG reports and documents in the DAG Archive. You can also visit the archived pages of the DAG/AIGG website here.

The AIGG has concluded its work.

The Anti-Racism Interim Governance Group (AIGG) was another essential building block in bringing AROS on the way to mobilisation (the phase we are in now). The AIGG concluded its work sometime ago; you can learn more in the journey update. You can find AIGG reports and documents in the AIGG Archive. You can also visit the archived pages of the DAG/AIGG website here.

arosonline.org provides for a streamlined online presence that is simple to use across platforms and in print.

AIGG and DAG set up antiracismobservatoryforscotland.org to share their work. We are in the process of transferring that domain so that it will continue to belong to AROS. It will redirect to this page in due course. All AIGG and DAG reports and documents, and the old AIGG/DAG website, are available via the Archive. Arosonline.org will be the main domain as it is easier to use on printed material and more accessible for sharing with communities and stakeholders, but the AIGG/DAG domain will remain in place. Please also see our update Staying connected: website transition and new archive of existing work.

The Scottish Government funds AROS.

In 2020, the Scottish Government accepted the recommendations from the  Expert Reference Group on COVID-19 and Ethnicity; this included the recommendation to establish a new independent body to tackle systemic racism. Further details on what followed with the establishment of the AIGG and DAG are available here and here.